Our family has been part of this school community for 20 years, and we are so grateful for the…read moreexperience. It's a wonderful way to connect children (and adults!) with German language and culture in a relaxed, educational setting that also serves as a hub of the East Bay German/American community. The teachers are welcoming, the instruction is top notch, and students have the opportunity to gain official language diplomas that also give them access to university systems in Germany without additional language requirements. The Saturday morning time commitment is not hard to fit into a busy family schedule.

Our family has attended GSEB for many years, and found it to be a warm, welcoming place, with…read moreteachers that really care and do a wonderful job. For children, the school does a great job finding the appropriate level for them, and has a good track record of success with kids and the language certification exams. For adults, there is a good range of courses to cover everyone from beginners to more advanced students. There are quite a few long-time attendees of the school (myself included), which speaks well to the value of the community and education that the school provides. I'm really glad that we found GSEB and became part of the community. We can easily recommend it for anyone looking for a good Saturday language school option!

Sìle is a great English tutor and has a special talent for gently identifying your weak spots and…read morestrongly helping you strengthen them. Sìle helped me improve my business writing and gained the confidence I was lacking to succeed in my job. She was a lifesaver! Sìle es una excelente tutora de inglés, ella tiene un talento especial para, con delicadeza, identificar sus puntos débiles y, con mucha certeza, ayudar a fortalecerlos. Sìle me ayudó a mejorar mi escritura en inglés, así como a obtener la confianza que me hacía falta para prosperar en mi trabajo. La recomiendo con los ojos cerrados, los resultados se ven (y se escuchan) en pocas horas!

I've been working with Sile to kickstart my creative writing practice for almost a year now, and…read moreshe is amazing! I've always wanted to write, but needed some structure and encouragement to get started (and keep going). Sile is the best editor I know--she's an extremely careful and thoughtful reader, with a great ear for language and a sharp eye for grammar. I'm a native speaker, but I feel like Sile is teaching me English. I work with Sile remotely, and she is always available, prompt and efficient. She is warm and supportive without sacrificing toughness and precision. She's introduced me to other writer friends, and even convinced me to apply to a workshop for the first time. It's an absolute pleasure to work with her. Thank you Sile!

We have had a great experience with Mathnasium so far! Our 11 year old 6th grader has been…read moreattending for the past 5 months and she feels much more confident in the foundational math fluency that she was missing. She never complains about going and is always jumping out of the car quickly to run in and start (this is truly a feat with our kid). Mathnasium staff have been engaging, helpful and non-judgmental and she feels really comfortable there. They have a great system to incentivize the kids so they look forward to going and being able to win prizes and complete their master checks. I also really appreciate the ease of the online appointment system and the option to have at least 1 weekend day for sessions. The staff and owners have been very approachable and flexible with scheduling requests and issues we have had. Highly recommend.

My 7 year old daughter did not want to go here at all. She complained, said she didn't need help…read moreand I had to drag her there. After her assessment and first day, she LOVES it and begs to go daily. The tutors are super friendly and make the kids feel welcome- they give regular prizes which get the kids excited about finishing their worksheets. For parents- The owner has made this after school activity super convenient for parents! I signed up for 3 hours of tutoring per week, we can come in anytime during their business hours for our slots, no need to adhere to a strict day/time and if you take a vacation, your hours will roll over and you won't lose them. Highly recommended and well worth your money!!

Alliance Francaise de Berkeley is middle of the road in terms of French-language instruction. I…read morehave taken classes over the years in other countries and states so have experience with in-classroom language learning. My 2-star review of Alliance Francaise De Berkeley comes down to a few things: 1) instructors are inconsistent 2) there is only one path to learning so those who learn outside of their "lane" may struggle 3) the study materials (book: Inspire1 by Hachette) were somewhat chaotic and hard to follow 4) The online learning portal is difficult to use, has a lot of errors that get in the way of progress and doesn't actually explain the why behind your mistakes (how else can you learn?) I really think Alliance could be much better if they invested more in development of their instructors, expanding the ways that students can learn, and investing in better learning tools & technology (while I don't work in tech, tech-savvy Bay area students expect online tools to be good not antiquated and error prone)

I love attending this school. I've attended for about 10 months. The teachers and staff are…read moreextremely helpful, professional and kind. They display a genuine concern for your french learning. The school promotes the appreciation of French culture as well as the language. For example many events are held that are free to members (students) or at a minimal fee. I attended one where a flamenco dancer spoke about her upcoming show. This entire event was in French, but wow I was able to follow along (suprisingly well for an advanced beginner). . . thanks to my studies at the school. As far as price, as the saying goes . . . "you get what you pay for" high quality instruction and immersion opportunities beyond the classroom setting. At this time, I'm not able to travel to a francophone place - - - for me, this school is the next best thing.

Volunteering one night a week (every Monday) in teaching computer, math and sciences to adults to…read moreget their GED certificate. Only 1:6 or less for more attentive needs. Students here are of all adult ages, come from all walks of life and want to learn. Some of them were on computer for the first time in their life. For example, JuanG learned to go through craigslist to find a job. He was so excited. Teaching one to fish is the solution. Very satisfying knowing that you can make a difference to society! Love it!

Fabulous, dedicated teachers and tutors. A very supportive place.read more

My daughter attended Montessori Family School for 3 years. While there were many things we loved…read moreabout the school, we, like many other families, were essentially forced out by the current Head of School, Alissa S. Enrolling your child at Montessori Family School (MFS) is a bit like gambling. If your child has any trouble listening, staying on task, following directions, or you as a parent are outspoken, like to stand up for yourself, or don't deal well with those who are patronizing and lack empathy, it is more like playing Russian roulette. What we loved about MFS were the families. The community was fantastic, and one of the things I miss most. I don't think I met any parents or children that I didn't appreciate and enjoy. I think this is rare; I can't say the same about her new school. On the other end of the spectrum, the school administration - specifically the Head of School, Alissa S., and the "learning specialist" Regina H. - were a nightmare. We, like most parents, were blindsided by them and how they presented our daughter as struggling, having problems, and needing help. Worried about our kids, we didn't realize until later that what they had done and said was inappropriate and unprofessional, and that they were the problem, not our kids. The sad part is that the voices of these families were rarely heard when they needed to be, and still aren't heard now. The number of positive Yelp reviews, many from hand-picked parents that were asked to serve on the school's Board of Directors, tell only the positive stories. While I do believe these accounts are sincere, they are only part of the full picture. The stories of those that were forced to leave the school, lost thousands of dollars in tuition, and were so upset with the situation that they were considering legal action, are mostly absent, and should not be forgotten. My daughter did well enough at MFS, but about half-way through our time at the school, we were told that she needed "outside support", which seems to be private school code for, "Your child is a burden to us. Go pay for an aide, tutoring, or something else." My daughter, who was later diagnosed with ADHD, and is also strong-willed, was more than the school could or wanted to support. While I understand and can accept that, the way this was handled was unprofessional and traumatizing. There was a complete lack of empathy from the individuals mentioned above. I found them to be very narrow-minded, opinionated and authoritarian, and it became clear that we would need to listen to them and do what they said, or we would be kicked out. I luckily realized this, and tread carefully for the rest of our time there - not directly or openly opposing or contradicting them. Other parents were not so fortunate. I personally know at least four families that had to switch schools in the middle of the year. One family had pre-paid their tuition for the year to obtain a discount, and it was not refunded. Two were speaking with lawyers. One was apparently threatened by lawyers from the school. For us, we were suddenly placed on "Academic Hold" in the middle of our third year, which basically meant they would not let us re-enroll. This was upsetting, and a complete shock, and came with no warning, nor had we even heard about such a thing before. We were left suddenly trying to figure out where we would attend school the next year, with only a few weeks left to tour and apply to private schools. We have since moved to public school. Despite the challenges inherent in the public school system, it has been a relief to leave behind the dysfunctional administration at MFS. Still, while her new teacher & the school staff are fantastic, I am far less impressed with the parents and other children in her class, compared to those who were at MFS. MFS has struggled with these issues for years now, and there seems to be little to no improvement. When I was first looking at MFS, I had heard some stories and I knew people that had withdrawn their kids, but I was more focused on what I saw on the surface and liked, and didn't pay as much attention to the warning signs myself. When you see something you like, you tend to ignore or minimize the negative. I don't regret our decision to attend MFS, but it would have been nice to have known a bit more and been a bit less naive. If you are considering MFS for your child, then it might be the perfect school for your family. But I write this because I could no longer stand by while a small number of families were treated so horribly. It is my belief that this situation only persists because those affected are few, they are afraid to speak up, or rather, don't feel like it will do any good. And so far, they have been right. Should the good experiences of a majority of families outweigh the mistreatment and hurt caused to a smaller number of families, which end up at other schools anyway? That is for you to decide.

Any school can call themselves Montessori, but MFS is the real thing. Accredited by the American…read moreMontessori Society, it stays true to the Montessori philosophy of multi-age classrooms based on Montessorian development stages. The student-teacher ratio is low, and the teachers and staff are dedicated, hard-working, and nurturing. My kids are challenged, stimulated, and are learning at their own pace. An added bonus-- the music program is amazing! I visited several Montessori schools, but chose MFS (we started at the preschool campus) because it just like the Children's House I attended in early childhood. If you are interested in enrolling in a Montessori but are new to the pedagogy, you may want to visit the AMS website or pick-up a Parent's Guide to the Montessori Classroom or a similar book so you know what to expect.

We initially chose EBI for its Spanish immersion program and were soon delighted to discover it's…read morealso an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. While raising bilingual children is important to us, the IB curriculum has become the most enriching part of our experience. Its inquiry-driven approach inspires curiosity, deep thinking, and a genuine love of learning that keeps our children engaged. Our top priority was to find a school where our kids would enjoy learning, ask big questions, and develop a global perspective--and EBI has exceeded our expectations. The teaching at EBI is high quality. The educators are thoughtful, skilled, and dedicated to helping each child succeed. They create a supportive learning environment that emphasizes both academic and social-emotional growth. Group work and collaboration are central to the school's approach, helping students build important interpersonal and problem-solving skills. EBI has been a great fit for our child with a learning difference, and also the one that doesn't have a learning difference because of their commitment to differentiated learning, which supports all learners! The inquiry-based model allows them to engage with the material without relying on memorization or worksheets. We appreciate the strong Learning Differences and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) support team as well! The EBI community--teachers and parents alike--have been fabulous!

We love EBI and have been at the school for 8 years for our 3 kids. Wonderful teachers and learning…read moreenvironment, great staff and leadership working to strengthen the school. Our kids have benefited from an incredible education and community!

They provided extremely high quality teaching and it is very positive & friendly staff. They do…read moreeverything possible to make the dream become TRUTH. Thank you ;-)

Very diverse group of students and great teachers! The location is very convenient as it's right…read morenext to Montgomery BART. They have interactive white boards and comfortable facilities. The staff are very friendly.