Fulbright is a hidden gem - it is tucked away on a quiet street and you won't just happen upon it. We are so glad we found this school! My daughter is excited to go to school literally every day. With a Montessori approach, there is not homework, exactly, but she is motivated to keep learning at home. She takes an interest in all kinds of topics and even wants to pick out books related to her classmate's research topics and to do her own projects in her free time. There are thoughtfully chosen books for literature circle, and the children get together in smaller group to discuss them. There are opportunities to delve deeper into topics that are of great interest to the group, or to individual students. Ms. Cherish is in charge of the elementary class and she is a blessing. She is one of those teachers who seems to bring out the best in everyone. I'm not sure how to really describe how wonderful she is - like Ms. Honey from Matilda plus some Fairy Godmother powers? The children really trust her and look up to her and it shows in the warm, positive atmosphere. My daughter has grown so much this year, and she feels very much a part of a learning community that Ms. Cherish has created in this class. More generally, I can also comment that things seem to really run well under Ms. Maha's leadership, like everyone pulls together to create a smoothly running ship. She is very present and available. Communication is great and families know what to expect. All the random curveballs one must deal with in a typical school year? We haven't had any of those since coming here. Finally, though this school year has not ended yet, my daughter is already asking about when next school year begins. This school and the teachers in it inspire children to want to go to school and to want to learn. read more

This school feels like a second home. Thank you to the amazing teachers for the love and care you give every child, and to the wonderful director for leading with so much heart. It's because of you that our children grow with confidence, kindness, and a true love of learning read more

My daughter absolutely loves this play school and all the teachers, especially Ms. Samantha. The teachers here are loving, patient, and genuinely passionate about their work. My daughter feels safe and cared for. The play school environment is clean and tidy. My daughter is always happy to go to school and often shares with me what she learned there. The communication between the play school and parents is excellent, which gives me great peace of mind. read more

The Fulbright elementary program has been amazing! I can't say enough great things about Ms. Cherish and what she does on a daily basis. She makes learning fun and exciting. My son is currently in 3rd grade with a great group of students and I am so grateful to know he'll be alongside them for several more years. My daughter is attending Fulbright as well and is currently in Pre-K. The leaps and bounds she has made since the beginning of the school year is incredible. Ms. Viviana is kind, patient and really worked with my daughter to increase her social skills. The director of the school, Ms. Maha, has been such a pleasure to deal with. She takes the time out of her day to answer any question(s) that may arise. I've never felt so confident in a head of school before. We've attended two other Montessori schools prior to Fulbright and I can finally say that my kids have found their favorite school! read more

We absolutely love Fullbright Montessori! My son is in the Mandarin Dual Immersion program and it has been such a great experience. From day one, he walked in with zero tears (which I was totally expecting!) and now he actually looks forward to school every morning. Mr. Andy is just one of those teachers kids naturally connect with, he's patient, fun, and somehow makes learning feel exciting. My son comes home talking about him nonstop: "Mr. Andy showed me this" or "Mr. Andy taught me that." The other night at dinner he started showing us how he could do math in Mandarin, and the proud look his face was everything. That confidence is 100% thanks to how encouraging and supportive Mr. Andy is. Maha, the Head of School, is wonderful. She greets the kids by name, always checks in with parents, and really makes the whole school feel like a community. You can tell she cares deeply about the children and goes above and beyond to make families feel supported. Honestly, we couldn't be happier. Fullbright feels like a second home for my son and we're so grateful we found it. Highly recommend! read more

From our first day at Fulbright Montessori, it was clear this was the right environment for my son. After a difficult experience at our previously mismanaged Montessori school that left many families scrambling only 3 weeks before the school year began, finding Fulbright felt like an answer. What could have been an incredibly stressful transition instead became a fresh start. Fulbright's elementary program reflects the Montessori philosophy in the way it is meant to be lived. Children are trusted, respected, and encouraged to think deeply. My 2nd grade son is not just progressing academically, but he is genuinely engaged. He approaches his work with curiosity and confidence, excited by research projects, hands-on learning, and thoughtful discussions with his peers and guides. He is learning how to problem-solve, connect ideas, and take ownership of his education in a way that feels meaningful to him. Ms. Cherish has played a huge role in this growth. The Montessori principles she brings into the classroom are evident every day and she truly has the heart for its tenets. She meets my son exactly where he is, supports his independence, and gently challenges him to stretch further. Her warmth, patience, and consistent communication give us complete confidence that he is both supported and understood. She has established an environment where he feels seen, valued, and capable. Ms. Maha's leadership as Head of School has also made a difference. From the start, she has been present, thoughtful, and committed to creating a well-run, respectful elementary community. It is clear that she values both the children and the families she serves. After experiencing instability elsewhere, the organization, transparency, and care at Fulbright have been incredibly reassuring. I am grateful we found Fulbright, and I would highly recommend it to any family looking for a nurturing and thoughtfully led program. read more

We've had a great experience at Fulbright. The staff is warm, attentive, and genuinely cares about the children and their development. The school does a wonderful job hosting events and activities that make families feel involved and connected. It's clear they put a lot of thought into creating a supportive, engaging environment for both students and parents. Highly recommend! read more

A wonderful school with an even better team! The teachers and staff at Fulbright Montessori Academy are top-notch, always warm, welcoming, and clearly passionate about what they do. Our child loves going to school here, and the environment is perfect for authentic Montessori learning. Highly recommend! read more

Like many other families, when the changes to management took place, we were skeptical and ready to pull out our kid. We decided not to do it, because the teachers we loved, Ms Viviana, Ms. Samantha, Ms Charlene, Ms Candy and even the new pre-primary teacher Ms. Salma stayed and we wanted to support them. We are very glad that we made that decision because none of our worries regarding the new management turned out to be true. The new director Ms Maha has been wonderful. She is genuine, kind and nurturing and as a parent, I can't ask for more. read more

This one star goes to Endeavor Schools and Alexandra Magliarditi. This review has nothing to do with the teachers of Fulbright. The teachers are the most amazing human beings I have ever met. Unfortunately, because of Endeavor Schools and Alexandra, the amazing teachers will soon leave Fulbright and other school will be blessed with them. Bottom line, Alexandra and Endeavor will say "It was Ms. Julie's choice to resign" "We even gave her more money." Ms. Julie was the former director of Fulbright. She was the heart and soul of Fulbright. They are not wrong, Ms. Julie did resign, but what they won't tell you is why she left. Ms. Julie is the most caring, empathetic, and loving person anyone has ever met and I know how much she loves Fulbright. She loves the kids, parents, and teachers. She wouldn't just leave. We are just another dollar sign to endeavor. As long as you have money, they will take it with a smile, but that's it. don't expect them to know anything about your child and who you are. Oh and if you have any concerns, this is what they say "You don't like how we do business, you can unenroll your child." Also Alexandra know licensing standards, but yet fail to follow them. She left the school with no director or assistant director. She is also okay with leaving teachers out of ratio. I will make sure everyone in South Orange County knows how endeavor does their "business." read more

When Mrs. Julie was the school manager, she built strong relationships with the parents, and her departure clearly impacted many families - something evident in their feedback. Of course, leadership transitions can happen for many legitimate reasons, whether due to differences in vision or other internal decisions. This is not unusual and doesn't necessarily reflect negatively on either Mrs. Julie or the school management. When she left, I considered moving my son to another school. However, I reminded myself that changes like this can happen anywhere. What mattered most to me was not the transition itself, but how the school would continue to support my child and maintain its quality of education. The main issue at the time was how her departure was communicated to parents, which caused unnecessary confusion and drama. That said, I chose to give the new school leader, Mrs. Maha, a chance. My wife and I met with her to discuss concerns we had about our son's classroom experience. She was receptive, open to discuss, and worked with us to explore solutions. Academic Review: This year, my son began Kindergarten with Ms. Candy. I've seen great progress in his academic skills. During the parent-teacher meeting, her report of his development aligned exactly with what I had observed at home. That confirmed to me that she knows what she is doing. Social Development: My son feels safe, happy, and engaged in class. He talks excitedly about his day, what he learns, and the games he plays with friends. Leadership: Mrs. Maha has proven to be a supportive and collaborative leader. She listens, communicates effectively, works closely with teachers and families, and fosters a community vibe where children and parents feel like part of a bigger family. I highly recommend Fullbright to any parent looking for a supportive place for their child to grow and thrive. read more

Fulbright Montessori is no longer the same school after being acquired by Endeavor School. All of the parents of this school are pulling their kids out and running to other schools. You should know why! In the past few weeks over 50% of this school's students have been unenrolled by their parents (the percentage is still increasing as I talk to more parents who are going to pull their children out in the upcoming weeks). Over 50% of this school's existing staff turned in their resignation. It's heartbreaking to watch Endeavor ruin the safe space that was created by the previous staff and teachers. It's not easy for working parents to find reliable child care that they love and feel comfortable with. Shame on Endeavor for ruining Fulbright as a viable child care option for the families of the Lake Forest, Irvine and Baker Ranch communities. Both my kids attended Fulbright up until this week when we decided to pull my daughter out due to, - Horrible mismanagement of school's transition of ownership by Endeavor staff. - Poor treatment of existing staff (in which many teachers that we love and have immense trust in taking care of our children are resigning left and right, to the point where Endeavor needed to consolidate classrooms and bring in random people from temp agencies to fill in the vacant teaching roles) - Poor (and at times disrespectful) communications with parents. They even disabled the school email address that parents used to communicate to the school without notifying parents. In your search for daycare options for your children, I recommend you avoid any local schools own by Endeavor including Heritage Montessori School, Spectrum Montessori, etc. You can find a full list of their Orange County schools here: endeavorschools.com/california read more

Our daughter is having a wonderful experience at Fulbright. The staff does a great job.

I posted this on Google a month ago and it's not showing up... My son attended Fulbright from 2020 until he graduated and moved on to public school in august 2024. We were obsessed with the school and recommended it widely in the local community. We've built lasting friendships as a result and couldn't be more thankful. We were worried when we heard that a large corporation purchased the school but didn't see any major changes as a result. We were enrolled when the current director, Ms. Julie who we loved, resigned in summer 2024. Unfortunately her departure was not handled as a parent would expect and left a lot to be desired. I had a tough decision to make about whether I would enroll my daughter in the fall when she was eligible to attend upon her 2nd birthday. I recieved a call from upper management at Endeavor apologizing to me for how the transition transpired and urged me to visit the school and see things for myself. After visiting with my daughter, she felt so comfortable with the wonderful teachers and I really felt the new school director Ms. Maha cared about students and the families. We decided to enroll my daughter and have been very happy since. The teachers are well cared for which was important to me and some positive changes have also occurred such as provided healthy snacks and an app where we can see photos and updates. I was worried that I wouldn't feel the same love and family vibe that I was used to when Ms. Julie was the director, but under Ms. Maha's leadership, I can tell that she really cares about input from the parents and is focused on putting the students and teachers first. I had my reservations before, but can now recommend Fulbright as a safe and loving place where my daughter can learn and thrive. read more

What once was great no longer is. Fulbright used to be a 5 star establishment with Miss Julie at the helm and her group of well trained, caring and more than capable staff. Naming each and every one of them would take much too long. That, however, all changed late July 2024 when Endeavor (the parent company) made a critical mistake. They walked out Miss Julie because they felt her warm, compassionate, and caring method of teaching did not bring in and churn students the corporate way. With no contingency plan in place, the teachers soon followed suit and quit, with families pulling out their children soon after. No main teachers, teachers aides that weren't qualified were being used as triage. Random substitutes every day. I could go on for hours about how unqualified this school has become but you can easily read all of the other 1 star reviews that reflect the same situation from different family lenses. When you walk into the Montessori now it looks like a ghost-town, an abandoned mall almost. IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN AND VALUE THEIR GROWTH AND LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS SCHOOL. If you just want a place to drop off your children like a glorified low-quality, overpriced babysitter, then by all means. For reference - we have pulled out our child already. read more

We toured multiple schools before choosing Fulbright, and we couldn't be happier with our decision. The teachers are warm, kind, and truly care about the children. Mrs. Maha was incredibly transparent about past negative reviews, addressing concerns from parents during a transitional period. Since starting at Fulbright, my daughter has thrived. She's fully potty trained and learning so much, then at her previous daycare. Fulbright is nurturing, supportive, and the teachers genuinely invest in the kids' growth. If you're considering Fulbright, I highly recommend taking a tour and seeing for yourself what a wonderful place it is! read more

School Leader Maha is begging parents to write good reviews since the school is rumored to be shutting down. She also only talks to certain parents and plays favorites with a few. She sits in the front office unprofessionally and has meetings with parents and talks loudly about private information. I don't feel comfortable sending my child to this school anymore. I will not be re-enrolling after the end of the school year. I only stay because my child has nice friends in their class. School is also very UNETHICAL!!!! The school started offering Spanish but was very sneaky and did not tell the parents that payment goes to the assistant, Valeri, since it is her private company running the Spanish class. So I'm supposed to Venmo payment to the assistant school leader? I know of other schools in the area that do not charge for Spanish lessons and include it in their curriculum. They don't use an employee to MAKE MORE MONEY OFF THE PARENTS. How absurd. And the monthly tuition is going up AGAIN in September. Just corporate greed. Fulbright doesn't celebrate all the different backgrounds and cultures at the school anymore like it used to. Very sad. Maha doesn't seem to know how to include everyone or how to have the school represent it's students. Very very sad. Don't be fooled by a few good reviews. The school is struggling and is going downhill. read more

This school has been the biggest gem in our life!! We were in search of a place that had an active and visible director, teachers who would help create both a calm but exciting environment, and a campus that just "felt happy". After searching many schools we found ALL of these things in Fulbright! Our daughter's teacher has been so amazing and has reignited my daughter's love for learning. The school has so many fun activities planned, opportunities for fun lunches, extra curricular activities and so much more! The teachers are always engaging with the kids. I love picking my kiddo up and seeing a full blown dance party in their classroom as they get their wiggles out before aftercare. Every kid has a huge smile on their face!!! My only regret is not finding this place sooner! I am so happy to know we will be here for a long time as we plan to enroll our second born as well!! read more

Our kid joined in April. The director was very kind. All the teachers were great! Then there was a change of management. We were extremely concerned at that time. But we decided to wait and see how the new management is. The new management has been so far very good. Most importantly, we are seeing a continuous development in our kid. We plan to keep our kid in the school going forward as well. Special thanks to all the teachers for taking care of our kid. read more

Fulbright was a wonderful place until purchased by Endeavor schools. Their push for changes and treatment of the staff led to the director and half a dozen teachers leaving in a span of a few months. All the positive past comments were due to the hard efforts of the past director and the environment she fostered with her teachers. There are so many issues that almost a hundred parents banded together to communicate concerns. The responses and engagement were lackluster. They are bleeding teachers. Parents (some who have spent almost a decade at Fulbright with their children) have begun pulling their children out or actively looking for different avenues for child care. Can they turn this around? I hope so. There are still some phenomenal teachers but they'll all be gone if they are not treated with more respect and dignity. read more

Our son attended Fulbright as his first school experience. Fulbright came highly recommended from a friend. When choosing a school for your child, you as a parent will vet it as much as possible because you are trusting a group of strangers to take care of your kids and help shape them during their formative years. The previous school leader Ms. Julie and her team did just that. During our year, there was not one single turn over in staffing and there was an abundance of enrollments. Ms. Julie carefully selected her teachers because of the amount she cared for her students. The school had a welcoming and warm environment where every single teacher knew your child's name.. even if they had never taught them because that was the kind of environment Ms. Julie created. My son flourished under her care and was excited to go to school every day. This school is now under the Endeavor portfolio and they've entrusted Alexandria Magliarditi who calls herself "Dr. M" as the Regional Director and Marriah Pearson as the Senior Regional Director. Mags tells parents everyone is replaceable and that we are more than welcome to leave if we don't like how she's running the place and majority of families and almost all teachers are doing just that, leaving within the span of 2-3 weeks. They express that parents don't share their concerns, but when questions are asked, we are disregarded. They've seem to forgotten that the families are their "customers". An interim leader Mags handpicked Samantha Tovar, bad mouthed parents to one another not realizing other parents could hear. She pleads innocence but she's portraying herself as uneducated. The leadership team is uneducated about how to move forward and continues to try to make this a positive relationship when they haven't tried. They have no plan. They continue to get caught up in their web of falsified information. They will say they truly want what's best for the children, but Mags and Marriah's erratic decisions were at the expense of over 100 kids and their safe environment that they once loved going to. Their lives have abruptly changed from their actions. Your kids are not safe under their care. Your kids were safe when someone was there to advocate for them. The teachers tried their best to stay for the sake of our kids, but do not deserve to be mistreated. There is a reason why there is vacancies at every single school under Alexandra Magliarditi and Marriah Pearson's region and it's a reflection of their poor leadership. read more

PARENTS READ. NEW MANAGEMENT STRIPS SCHOOL. What was once a warm, inviting, and family oriented school has now turned into a corporate money driven business thanks to the classless actions of Endeavor management. My son's last day of school came abruptly yesterday when my wife decided to speak out about the ongoing concerns many of us parents were having. Many issues they felt was better addressed through email, but not in person. They then proceed to say to parents in an email that they aren't aware of our concerns because parents don't notify them. They also claim to have an open door policy and are invited in to address concerns. This is what my wife did, my wife asked the interim director who these subs they are using and who is the new director coming in the next few days. We were met with, "I will take your concerns with upper management, can I have your information?" My wife then proceeds to give her contact info in hopes that Marriah will finally address her concerns that she has been expressing since the day they walked out the last wonderful Director, Ms. Julie. My wife receives a call later mid day to be notified her behavior was inappropriate and that my family is now kicked out of the school. So my wife had to pick up our child mid day because instead of them taking time to address concerns that they so called been wanting to hear, they strip my son of his education. Yeah a company that supposedly has the kids best interest in mind makes decisions like this, not realizing what they are doing to a child. Just how they walked out Ms. Julie not realizing they shattered a community of parents and children. Then they come in and mismanage the whole school leading to the withdrawal of half the school and resignations of more than half the teachers. Fulbright is now a prime example of what happens when you care more about the money than the well being of humans. What a shame. LASTLY, for any parents who are looking to enroll, the new director, Maha Beydoun , has multiple licensing violations from her 1 year at the corporate run, greedy Guidepost Montessori. We can't rely on her to keep our children safe! read more

What everyone is saying is true. We loved this school before the takeover by Endeavor and Dr. M. We withdrew our son because the new leaders in charge do not have the same compassion and care for children as the prior Leader Ms. Julie. Majority of the staff and students have left. Please take these reviews seriously and DO NOT send your child here. It's very unfortunate that this happened to Fulbright. I decided to withdraw my son because I was no longer able to trust the new staff would keep my son safe and happy. read more

School was amazing for last 9 years until this year when bought by Endeavor. If you are looking for disrespectful leadership and concerns for your child's safety and consistency this is the place. In the span of 2 weeks the Endeavor leaders (if you want to call them that) have bullied and mistreated the teachers who were there. Lied to parents and allowed anyone to walk in and out of the building.... read more

TL;DR - Endeavor is a cancer that consumed Fulbright Montessori. This review is based on Fulbright post July 25, 2024. Our daughter attended Fulbright for over a year. It was the most popular school in the area and came highly recommended by most of our neighbors who either had kids go there in the past or still have kids going there. We're talking about kids that are about to be in their teens so the great reputation spans quite a ways back. A lot of this reputation hinged on Ms Julie's leadership of the school and her amazing team of teachers. Our personal experience was just the same, where we would swear by Fulbright to anybody that would listen and have some of the best memories and mementos from our daughter's time there. All of this changed on July 25 when it was announced that Ms Julie had resigned, signed by a mysterious "Dr M" who introduced herself to the children as such as well (while we work very hard to highlight to our children what a Dr and the different level of trust Drs receive, this was confusing to the children - but that's a different story). However, as many parents were very familiar with her we all knew that she wouldn't have just left with no notice, and felt like something was awry. Any attempt to communicate with Endeavor as a group was shut down, and they kept sending us emails with a whole lot of words that said absolutely nothing. They still repeated the same template that someone in marketing must have handed them about "best quality" "care for your kids" all while addressing nobody's concerns. As students unenrolled and teachers resigned Endeavor continued to send the same empty emails and refused to address anybody's concerns directly. They continued to place the blame on everything and everyone but themselves, and continued even went as far as claiming that they do not have insight into why students are unenrolling as not everybody has shared. Yet here we are, sharing, as we've tried to share with them on day 1 with an email to their entire leadership stating our reasons. They have been dismissive and on several occasions rude to parents, and took what was once a wonderful home away from home for a children and turned it into a hellish dystopia of corporate greed (all in a matter of weeks mind you, somewhat impressive). Their clear lack of transparency with the parents at such a critical point was a clear indicator of the type of transparency (or lack thereof) we would come to expect from them with regards to our children. I would not recommend Fulbright (or any Endeavor school at this point based on our experience) to anybody. read more

We were really lucky to have both of our kids under the care of Ms. Julie as the director. My kids absolutely loved their teacher, Ms. Candy, and couldn't wait to give Ms. Julie a big hug every day. Sadly, the school got bought out, and now everything has changed. I wish the new families the best of luck. read more

This WAS a school when Endevor didn't own with it. We had been going to this school for about 2 years. We loved this school and how welcoming it was to our children. The teatchers and staff greeted us all by name. Our daughter made friends with not only the other students but with the amazing teachers that cared for her like one of their own. When they sent our director home without a 2-4 week notice, everything changed rapidly. The environment changed and didn't feel like a safe and welcoming space anymore. The teachers were still lovely but you could see the sadness on their faces. The success of the school was in our Director Miss Julie, the staff and the wonderful teachers. That's definitely not something endeavor can buy. read more

We absolutely love Fulbright and our son has made tremendous strides since he started attending. We moved to the area this past summer and toured Fulbright without knowing any details or drama from when Endeavor took over. From the beginning, Maha and all the teachers have provided a safe and supportive environment with the children's success being first and foremost in their minds. There is nothing but smiling faces when you walk through the school, and anytime you need to talk with a teacher or administrator they will give you as much time as you need. We couldn't be happier with our decision to send our son to Fulbright! read more

We absolutely love Ms. Julie and the previous teachers who are no longer at Fulbright. Everything changed after the school was bought by Endeavor Schools, which put Alexandria Magliarditi (she refers herself as Dr. M) in charge (another parent complained about her when she was running other Endeavor schools). It took so much effort and love to build a school, but it only took about two months for everything to fall apart. So SAD! We are looking elsewhere for our little one. read more

Worst school ever !!! Thank god I found another school for my child cuz the administration office is a joke !!! They don't care about the kids or the parents they just sit down on their chair good for nothing people read more

I too am writing this review to echo sentiments in recent reviews. Endeavor does not have your child's best interest at heart. They have taken a family (both parents/students and staff) and shattered it with their arrogant, racist and demeaning stance. They have lied to parents, treated us with disregard, created a hostile school environment to which parents and teachers have responded by unenrolling their children (more than 50% of students have been unenrolled) and resigning (more than 1/3 of the teachers with more to follow). Your child is not in a safe place with the new leadership (District leaders, VPs have come in droves) as they do not care about them in any way. This is not a few disgruntled parents, rather a movement of over 100 families. read more

Our sons love this school! There's been some changes lately but we are confident in the teachers and the new directress seems great !

My kid is happy at Fulbright. Despite having management change that caught everyone by surprise, I was initially skeptical. But I must say thanks to the teachers who chose to stay (Ms. Vivi, Ms. Charlene, Ms. Candy and Ms. Samantha) and provide every care and warmth to my son that he is now well settled there and really likes going to 'school'. Thanks to Ms. Maha who is transparent with all the updates. Appreciate all the upcoming activities. read more

Just wanted to update as director and most staff has all changed in the last 30 days. I have pulled my kids out. The change over was disruptive and concerning and it did not need to be handled in this manner. Left most of the parents very uneasy. New staff did not take the time to introduce themselves or communicate with the parents until after concerns were raised. I did not feel good with many strangers around my kids with no warning or communication. read more

This review is for the new management under Endeavor Schools. Fulbright was a five star establishment under the previous leadership of Julie and her team of amazing teachers. Unfortunately, within three weeks of Endeavors leadership more than half of the families withdrew their children from the school. There is absolutely no respect to the children, teachers and parents from Endeavor. The lack of value and respect they have reflects the organization Endeavor represents and we do not trust our child in this environment. They have multiple schools in the area and I recommend parents to stay away. read more

Our family absolutely loved this school and the wonderful people there. But the recent changes and the inexcusable treatment toward the former director, Ms. Julie, is abhorrent. She was the best leader a parent could ask for their child. I am horrified that the new owners could treat Ms. Julie in such a way. For the sake of the students and teachers at Fulbright, I hope the new owners figure out a way to restore the Fulbright culture. It is unfortunate that a once great Montessori has epically failed. read more

My kids love this school. The teachers are great. This is the main reason that we chose to stay @ Fulbright . There are some changes been made to the management. However , there's no negative impact we have experienced so far. My kids are happy so do I. read more

I usually don't put/add reviews, but what happened with Our 2yr old daughter at Fulbright can not go unnoticed. Our daughter started in Nov 2020 with Fulbright as soon as she turned 2 in Miss Zoe's class that had 2-3 other kids. Her first 3 month went relatively pretty good with no complaints & very positive feedback (we kept some of her daily teacher notes for the records). Past forward to late January we were informed that she & the other kids will join/merge with a bigger class with Miss Linda (in addition to her existent teacher). First week in Feb 2021, she joins Miss Linda & we receive a very aggressive note that she runs her class differently than Miss Zoe & we need to follow the rules she has in place. Then we received a complaint that she didn't nap (which happens sometimes for any kid). Moreover, received back to back aggressive notes that we need to schedule a conference with her & the director Miss Julie ASAP ASAP. We thought that she did hurt any kid or had bad behavior. They complained that she is active & maybe not fit for her class or the school in general. We went furious & said she is 2yrs old & she barely had anytime in Miss Linda's class. How can you assess a child & you did NOT put any effort in her. So why are we paying you to take care of her & develop her ? Why are you a teacher ? That's the core part of your job. It sounded like miss Linda is running an army camp, not a healthy class for the kids. Miss Julie (the director) ended up apologizing after we sent an email asking her why they think our daughter is not fit for her school. We decided to touch base again in few weeks. Late February - Julie approached us again & asked us to look somewhere else for our daughter. In other words expelling our daughter from her school. Which contradicts with the contract. However she was kind enough :-/ to give us 2 weeks & refused to allow a full 30 days to look for alternative daycare. We didn't feel like arguing, if they don't want our daughter then it's a hopeless case. Long story short - Our advice for the parents out there considering Fulbright... unless your son/daughter are mildly active & very disciplined then don't bother to enroll to this school. They want kids that does not give them hard time. 'The easy Kids' Few facts: 1- our daughter have been in daycare since she was 1yr. So Fulbright was not her first daycare experience. Her first daycare never complained about her. 2- The school after they decided to expel our daughter (in the 2 week period) - they suddenly started to declare out of the blue couple incidents reporting that she tried to bite the teacher then she bit herself. Although there were no marks/signs on her hands/arm to show that ! Disgrace as she NEVER did that , so either they were so aggressive with her to push her limits or it's simply a lie. (Either or it's bad) 3- They claim that kids should sit & read a book on their own for 15-20mins & they try to force it on her & other kids. Where anyone knows that 2yr old attention span is 4-6mins. So it begs the question the way to treat the kids ? On a good note after all of this - we are glad that we got our daughter out of a school the teachers wants the least amount of work. read more

Since getting bought out by Endeavor, and the departure of their amazing director Julie Bergman, much of what made Fulbright an amazing school is now missing. In our early encounters with the new team, we were repeatedly lied to about Julie's departure, we were charged a registration fee though we hadn't officially registered for the new semester or signed anything authorizing the charge. When I requested a refund, they sent me an email instructing me to signup to some third party company, give them my social security number and pretend to be an employee as they said that's the only way to deposit the funds directly back into my account. I pointed out the MANY problems with that approach only to get a response that it's this approach or wait for a check by mail. Fortunately, my bank was able to reverse the charge as it was unauthorized in the first place. Long story short, Julie ran the school with honesty, integrity, professionalism and transparency. You also knew what to expect and it was an amazing environment to kids to flourish and learn. During my visit since her departure I could already see the decline and after learning I'd been lied to about Julie's resignation, I knew I could never trust my child's care to people who are comfortable lying to my face just to get my business. It's a sad end to a once great school. read more

So sad what has happened to Fulbright Montessori. Poor take over by management with extreme UN-organization, lack of professionalism, bribery tactics to keep staff, and poor planning after the resignation of the wonderful director, Ms. Julie. I can honestly see why she quit. Endeavor Schools seems like it's in the business of purchasing schools without a care for the community or children. Almost ALL of the incredible Fulbright teachers have now left, in the span of just a few weeks! That tells you how Endeavor runs it's schools. Pretty soon there will be NO teachers left. Who will take care of the existing students? If you ask the "interim" directors, they say "we're working on it". Not sure what they are working on but it sure isn't in any type of engagement with the parents. They send out "robotic emails" from fancy titled corporate people and expect us to go along with their tactics. They moved kids, shut classrooms and are not informing us parents which teachers are leaving. I withdrew my child from this failing school. The assistant director has now quit and they have NOBODY to run the school. They'll tell you they hired a director, but if you look closely, this "new" director has several VIOLATIONS under her care while at GUIDEPOST MONTESSORI in Rancho Santa Margarita. I got out of there before she could be in charge of my son. It's a sad shame. An end of more than a 2 decade era for Fulbright. At least my other children got to enjoy the magic of Fulbright before it came crumbling down. So glad that the parents in the surrounding communities have all pulled together and are informing everyone to STAY AWAY from this now abandoned school. It WAS the best school in South OC and now it's the WORST! read more