We are very happy with the experience we've had during our daughter Elena's first year at the…read moreschool. Her growth has been remarkable in every way -- academically, emotionally, and socially. From the very beginning, we felt welcomed and part of a true community, which made all the difference for us as a family. Principal Dena Stoneman is always attentive, approachable, and thoughtful in every detail. Secretary Sara Sinclair is a kind and loving person, always willing to help with warmth and efficiency. We are also deeply grateful to Elena's teachers -- Ms. Chu, Ms. Delgado, and Ms. Andy -- for the care, dedication, and love they've shown throughout her learning journey this year. We fully trust the school and are excited to continue this journey with you all in the upcoming school year!

It has taken me months of reflection to write this review because our experience with MMS was…read moredeeply confusing and upsetting. Our 3-year-old daughter started at MMS in January 2024. We really loved her primary teachers, and initially, she seemed to be doing well. There were a few incidents of misbehavior (hitting, biting, not listening--maybe three times?) but overall, it was a positive experience. She made friends, spoke happily about school and her teachers, and seemed engaged. From the beginning, I found Dena to be condescending and sanctimonious, but I tried to overlook it. After summer camp, she returned to the same class with many of the same students. But from the start of the new school year, we began receiving frequent calls and incident reports about her behavior--hitting, biting, disrupting nap time, etc. Over the next few months, things unraveled. Our daughter no longer wanted to go to school. She became hysterical every morning at drop-off. We received daily incident reports and multiple phone calls from the school. At home and in other settings, playdates, gymnastics, family events, her behavior was very different. She wasn't perfect, but she was typical for a 3-4-year-old. It began to feel like the school had completely lost control of the situation. She was regularly sent to the office for "breaks" or timeouts, but she would just sit and color, so it didn't feel like a consequence to her. The school called us to pick her up early several times, saying they couldn't manage her and that she was essentially a danger to others. She also began saying things like "I'm bad" and "I'm mean," which was a major red flag. We took her to the pediatrician, an occupational therapist, and had her evaluated for ADHD and other potential concerns. Everything came back within the range of typical development. We had multiple meetings with the school. Dena assured us they were trying everything, but their actions didn't reflect that. Eventually, they asked if we could switch her to half days. Although it was a major challenge for our full-time working household, we agreed, hoping it would help. It didn't. The daily calls continued, and we were still asked to pick her up early. They assigned an aide to shadow her, but the behavior didn't improve. Our daughter started coming home saying no one wanted to play with her, that she had no friends, and that she was bad. Our OT was confused--if she had a one-on-one aide, how was she still getting into so many incidents? We tried sticker charts, calming strategies, every tool recommended by professionals. And yes, our daughter is emotional and sometimes struggles to keep her hands to herself, but again, not in a way that felt outside the norm for her age. We received two to three detailed incident reports each day. It often seemed like the school was spending more energy documenting her behavior than actually helping her. Over time, it became clear we weren't welcome. Dena and some of the teachers began giving us cold looks. Dena even told us that other parents didn't want their kids playing with ours. The whole environment felt hostile and out of control. After another unproductive meeting with Dena, we were told our options were to find a new school or pay for a full-time aide, on top of tuition. We enrolled her in a new school the following week, and the difference has been incredible. One of the strangest parts came when we decided to withdraw our daughter. Dena asked if we would bring her by for "closure." I declined, as I didn't feel that would be appropriate. I went to pick up her belongings, and while the students and teachers had made her a goodbye card, which seemed sweet at first, the messages inside were deeply unsettling. Things like "We know there's good in you" made it sound like she was evil or broken. Again, she was THREE. And she really is a sweet, loving kid (who gives the best hugs). At her new school, she has many friends, and in 7 months, she's had one behavioral incident. We still recognize that she is an emotional and spirited child, but she is thriving in a supportive environment. I only wish we had made the switch sooner. Looking back, it's shocking to realize that for the entire second half of the school year at MMS, we didn't hear a single positive thing about our daughter. I feel heartbroken thinking about the constant negative feedback loop she was caught in. no wonder she thought she was "bad." I'm not saying MMS is a terrible school for everyone. Clearly, some families have had positive experiences. But it seems that if your child doesn't fit a certain mold, they are unwilling or unequipped to support them. I still struggle to understand how things got so bad, especially considering the immediate change we saw when we moved her. Even at home, she was noticeably happier. she now runs into school every morning and i have so much peace of mind.

Our children attended TCPS from 4th through 8th grade, and we highly recommend the school for its…read moreunwavering commitment to putting children first. We had not originally planned to send our children to private school, but the challenges of pandemic-era remote learning at our highly rated public school led us to explore smaller, independent-school alternatives. That experience showed us how important a relationship-based learning environment is for helping students feel engaged, challenged, and supported. We are grateful for the wonderful faculty and staff and the positive effect they have had not only on our children's love for learning but also their personal and social-emotional growth. From the outside, TCPS may not appear to be a top-rated school, but inside it is filled with warmth, kindness, respect, engaging learning experiences, and strong family involvement. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found TCPS.

I moved to San Diego from Los Angeles a couple of years ago and looking for a similar, small…read moreprivate school to enroll my 6th grade daughter in. After touring the school and speaking with several staff members, I was comfortable enrolling her and she just finished her 7th grade year. I am very happy with how this school takes pride in community, connection, and belonging. The teachers are very personable and take their time understanding my daughter's goals, strengths, and opportunities to grow. I recommend this school 100%!

They get a 1 star for the way they handle bullies. A year later and bad behavior still continues…read moreand has started to affect more and more students the longer the bully continues their bad behavior.

It takes a lot for me to write a school review because I'm a teacher and I have extremely high…read moreeducational standards. Kavod has given us a whole lot of amazing learning experiences but I can sum it up by saying that they have cared for my children with respect, consideration and an openness to learning. Both of my children with IEPS have required specialized services and very specific supports. I found the teachers and staff members to be caring, smart, fun and excited about creating a community of respectful and inquisitive learners. No child was ignored, every child was met where they were enthusiastically and the staff worked extremely hard to address needs while simultaneously building on strengths. My kids have both done very well there and the emphasis on languages and culture has been a ton of fun. Projects were meaningful and I appreciated the organized communication and leadership from administration. I would have never imagined my children speaking all these languages so quickly but they have learned because Kavod makes it possible with their organized programming and the support of all team members. As a part of the parent community, I felt welcomed and cared for there as well. In a time where there is so much division, it's a beautiful gift when we can gather, respect one another and learn from one another culturally. Kavod is a gem and I know that their best is yet to come. Don't think, just enroll. Toda Raba, Kavod!

Attended Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary back in the day and it's still one of my fondest memories!…read moreThe teachers were amazing, the friends I made were lifelong, and the education I received set me up for success. Great school with a wonderful community. Nostalgic just thinking about it!

WOOHOO!!! Go tigers!!!…read more Haha, Lindbergh-Schweitzer was a pretty fun elementary school. All of my teachers - but one - were all amazing. I especially thought Ms. Grimes, Ms. Norman, and Mr. Patton were the greatest teachers ever! I miss the workload here ... there was hardly any! But very cool and fun school. Put your kids here. =)

I cannot thank all teachers, PTA and staff members enough for their enthusiasm for supporting the…read morekids here! They are warm and treat us like a family literally. Love their VAPA program and tons of activities and performance opportunities. Recommended.

My daughter's education here was fine. My daughter dealt with bullies since arrived in 2nd grade…read more She used to be the smiling kid all the time but this school changed her. She was always blamed by all for it. Like when kids found out she was gay. She was told to keep to herself. She never felt like she could be herself here. Even last school therapist thought she had too much computer time. I am a good parent and know I have a highly intelligent kid.

It's hard to find resources to get the temperature of a school. When we started at Alcott a few…read moreyears ago we were new to the neighborhood and I was trying to find someone who had children at the school. Because this area is right next to UC, many neighborhood families choice out. So here is my take on Yelp in case you are looking for input. We have been very happy at Alcott. The staff is welcoming and lovely. The principal is extremely dedicated. It is very small which gives it a family feel. Both of my children have had a great experience here. They are loved and educated.

love this school for my brother and he loves everyone here teachers and students! i went to school…read morein clairemont and the staff were alwasy so rude but here at alcott theyre so kind to everyone i definitely recommend this school! people saying theyre two faced and treat ur kids differently when u arent around? mmm ok you probably do the same thing caroline

I worked at this school as a PrimeTime staff and I gotta say that this is a good school. They have…read moregood teachers and good faculty. I really enjoyed working with the kids after school during PrimeTime. The kids are wonderful!

Wish I would of seen some of these bad reviews before sending my kid here. She got into the gate…read moreseminar program and hawthorne was the only available school for it in our area. Needless to say the principal said they don't allow bullying but she is a bully herself always yelling at my kid even when me and my wife are present. The principal doesn't have any children of her own but acts like she knows everything about disciplining kids, i'm sorry but yelling at kids with autism doesn't accomplish anything. The new teacher they have running the seminar program doesn't know how to teach these kids or handle them, she is always taking personal days and having substitutes and she cancelled all the future field trips for the rest of the year because she said the kids are out of control. We brought up to the teacher that she has trouble learning math, and they didn't help her. I've also noticed a change in my kids study habits she used to read 2 grades above and do good in math. Now she reads average and is failing math. She also picked up bad habits from her classmates she never used to fight or argue with us but now its everyday. I will be making a complaint with the superintendent about the school and the principal it is not a safe place for neurodivergent kids they should move the seminar program to a school that actually cares about these kids and wants them to learn. They also make you pay money out of pocket for the seminar program since the state doesn't cover it anymore. The principal also shamed our daughter when my wife was carrying her backpack. There was also a incident when a kid brought a gun to school and the principal was yelling saying i'm so mad your kids i could kill them. The tone of voice an approach when talking with the kids is very agressive... our new school the principal and teacher are the exact opposite and our child is thriving again. we figured out over summer when we got a tutor what the math issues was. She is back to having good study habits and isn't yelling all the time

I've had 3 boys at Field, all with very different needs and interests. I couldn't be happier or…read moremore appreciative of the support and partnership we've found at Field. Not only do they have a fantastic academic curriculum, but caring teachers and staff, great communication, a phenomenal Principal (Principal York) to lead the way, and a very active parent PTA and family involvement. The school has great extra curriculars (both in school and after), like art, dance, chess club, science club, reading club, leadership, girls/boys circles, cooking club, Jr. health ambassadors, crossing guards and more. What drew me to the school was initially the amazing dual-immersion program, but what's kept us there is the enrichment and the community. All of this AND my kids are becoming fluent Spanish Speakers! Highly recommend.

My daughter just started Kindergarten there, she went to another elementary school for TK and the…read moredifference is like night and Day. We love that this school has a full time nurse, full time counselors, SAY San Diego is onsite, all kids are guaranteed PrimeTime after school program free of cost, the principal is exceptional. It's a small school where a child isn't treated like a number. There is an active PTA, parent corner Monday's and Family Friday's. 5 stars! 5 stars! 5 stars!

I LOVE this school. My kiddo has been attending since Kinder and has flourished here. The…read moreTeachers are great and the PTA involvement is great which supports many programs offered including PE, Music, & Art. The Principal is great to work with - I'm so thankful this is our neighborhood school.

Both my children have attended this school one still is the teachers are amazing . It's a smaller…read moreschool and so friendly

Our teacher is great. But the parking is horrible. You can't park anywhere close to the rear gate…read more It says it's for bus parking but I never see buses??? And the women who guard the gate are extremely rude. You have to park on the other streets and risk your kids getting hit. They say you get a ticket. I say children's safety should come first!!! Buses are done at 845am. Let us park in front so our kids don't get run over.