We love AVS! This gem of a school has been amazing for my two boys. The teachers are top notch -…read morethey are incredibly skilled at providing customized, differentiated instruction that engages students. From the music department to math, our kids have been provided with enriching learning experiences. Teachers meet their students where they're at - my boys have each received some extra guidance in areas where they required practice (spelling! writing) and have also had the opportunity to advance beyond the traditional grade level curriculum in areas where they excelled (e.g., math). We've been super impressed with the school's response to COVID - administration has juggled the priorities and needs of families who wanted their children to return to in-person instruction, and re-opened the campus as soon as the city permitted it - as well as the needs of families who have chosen to keep their kids in virtual instruction.

I love this school so much! I have a 3rd grader and a 7th grader. What amazes me about the school…read moreis the way that each child is treated with respect and concern for their social emotional development. Every student is seen as an individual and given the support they need to thrive. The teachers are awesome. My kids are so happy here!

I have the privilege of working nearby and witnessing the good that goes on at Daniel Webster on a…read moredaily basis. The children are smiling and laughing, the teachers are very friendly and really seem to enjoy their jobs. The families seem to linger after drop-off to chat. There is a tremendous sense of community at Daniel Webster. I hope that my children will be able to attend there! See more at: www.danielwebster-sf.com

My daughter attended DW this last school year, and I'm giving it 3 stars only because her teacher…read moreMs. P was absolutely amazing. I was really excited to find out there was an available space for my daughter, but take heed, if your child isn't starting in Kindergarten and you aren't going to do the immersion program (Spanish introduced to the education) I would NOT recommend this school. It seems all the good kids are in the immersion classes and they've stuffed all the "others" within the General Ed. My daughters reading level barely progressed throughout the year (we had to do a whole lot of reading at home), and it was mostly due to the fact that the teacher spent the entire day just trying to get the kids to focus. There was a lot of bullying and kids that are trying to grow up extremely too fast and in all the wrong directions. Also, the parents aren't very nice or welcoming. The entire year I only got to know one parent in my daughters class. The staff is also not very nice. I understand dealing with kids can be rough, especially this crowd, but telling our kids to shut up and being flat out rude 85% of the time to not just them but the parents as well.... I don't agree with that. Having switched my daughter to Creative Arts, I already notice a HUGE difference... from parent participation, warm welcoming faces, not to mention the staff actually ENJOY their careers with children and it SHOWS! All things I did NOT experience at Daniel Webster. By far.

This is my daughter's 4th year at The San Francisco School (we started in preschool 3), and we have…read morebeen very happy here so far! The teachers and staff are warm and nurturing, and the community is very down to earth and kind. We especially love the strong SEL program and excellent music program. We also very much appreciate the school's Extended Day (aftercare and summer camp offerings) as a family with two parents who work full-time. SFS rocks!

We have two kids at The San Francisco School (SFS) and couldn't be happier. Incredible teachers, a…read morewelcoming community, and a well run organization that includes great extended day and summer offerings. Would recommend to anyone looking for a great place for their preschooler to middle schooler!

This is a great neighborhood school. My daughter started kindergarten here this year. We're loving…read morethe school very much. It's a small school. The sense of community is strong. Principal Cheung seems to remember all the kids names. And the whole school has positive attitude overall: instead of scolding what's bad, they applause what's good. My daughter's classroom teacher says "you cannot learn problem solving skills unless there's a problem." I like that approach very much as supposed to try avoiding having any conflicts. Also, they get free breakfast, lunch and snack. They may not be eating organic, the yummiest or the healthiest, but it's great that I don't have to stress about packing lunch everyday. After school teachers are as great as the other teachers. I truly trust all the staffs there that they are giving all the kids the best learning environment.

A student in j Serra its a wonderful place and on monday june 3 2019 all the fifth graders are…read moregraduaron

This school is the worst the students hate it here and I do to because we have this rule called one…read moreban one which means that if one person messes up we all mess up like how annoying is that and not to mention we have annoying kids/bad kids so why even makes us all owe time on the bench or take our recces entirely. Plus the kids play to much an they act like they have no sense plus we bearly do stuff fun and it is soo unfair there and ps I do go to the school I am in fifth grade but anyway if you know someone that goes here ask them about the school oh and some adults targets kids.

Malcolm X Academy has a great staff, dedicated to the improvement of every student. My young…read morestudent attending has seen great improvement in various areas not necessarily taught in schools due to the attentiveness of the staff here. It's not a huge school which seems to allow for a more neighborly feel. (The teacher-student ratio here is excellent) The functions and programs offered here are impressive as well, specifically the after school program directed by Mr. Wilson which allows for student's homework support as well as extra curricular activities such as those in the arts. (The Lights On Spaghetti Night was lots of fun!) My student's teacher, Ms. Hall, has kept me well informed of new developments in the school and my child's detailed education plan. She shows great care and respect for every child under her wing. Malcolm X is very recommended.

2023, this wonderful school has changed a lot. It saddens me to see how 1 person ruined the…read moreexperience for so many. Luckily that person is no longer at VVES. The reason I'm giving the school 5 stars. 1. One of only a handful of SF schools that is 95% staffed. 2. Not just any kind of staff, but teachers that have 5-22 years of experience. They are the kind of teachers that willing give all that they have to help our children. My son is in 1st grade and from kindergarten 1st day (a little shy and scared), when we picked him up after school he already asked if he could stay or come back the next day. This put our minds and heart a ease. 3. The dedication from everyone else; principal, staff to PTA, is admirable. 4. Helping not just students but the community. Don't expect perfection, nothing is perfect. Kids fall down, they lose their jackets, and have difficulties adjusting. Trust the school to do everything they can to keep our kids safe and to teach them to be the best they can be. Please remember the school still needs your help and participation. There are many community events that welcome parents and family. Picture to come.

Horrible 2 of the teachers liked kids when I went there and all the "staff" are useless and doesn't…read morehelp with any of the kids. They also choose and pick who they like.

I've got 2 kids at Starr King, and have now had experience in all 3 of the lowest grade levels (TK,…read moreKinder, and 1st). The TK teacher Miss Santi has been there for 7+ years, and is an absolute gem of a teacher. She leads with compassion and empathy and really works to build the kids' confidence. The TK classroom is filled with fun toys and books, and you can tell their day is really focused around kid-lead, play-based activities. They also learn lots in TK, letters, numbers, sounds, etc. We had a great experience in Kindergarten as well (we got one of the newer teachers, but felt really confident that the teacher that had been there longer really helped to guide the other newer teachers in all their lesson plans and activities). Many of the weekly activities & field trips included all 3 kindergarten classes so there is a lot of co-mingling and mixing of all the students. The kids also get a good amount of interaction with all the different teachers. Our 1st grader is slower in learning to read, but the 1st grade teachers are really going above and beyond to include us on what we can be doing to support our daughter at home. We really feel that nothing is slipping through the cracks, and each kid gets really good one-on-one attention and observation where it matters. Miss Martin, the principle has been at Starr King many years and is such a great leader and anchor to the school. The school we were dying to get into to near our home has gone through 4 principles in 4 years, which makes us grateful we have such consistency in leadership at SK! PTA is super involved, and raises extra $ for enrichment programs (art, music, etc). The parking around the school is generally easy, so pick up and drop offs are a breeze. There are also LOTS of after school options to choose from including one that is Mandarin. The start time of 7:50 is a little bit rough, but traffic tends to be lighter that early, and it's still worth the commute to go to such a well-rounded, diverse, community-oriented school. We've had a great experience, and look forward to our 3rd child joining SK in a few years!

You can read my full review of this school through the SF Bay View's recent publication, "Starr…read moreKing Elementary, segregation, and wealth: The politics of liberal San Francisco's 'separate but equal'" (9/12/2019). 8 other parents [5 who had/have children in the General Education (GE) program and 3 from the Mandarin Immersion (MI) program] contributed to the article with their own statements and stories. Many of us were very involved at the school and tried at length to make positive change. The leadership and group think at Starr King is eery. The racist and classist budgeting and overall negative environment do not just affect children in GE, they affect children in the MI program as well. The previous reviewer who said he had his kid in both GE and MI and thinks they're both great had a child in GE for kindergarten and then hightailed it out into MI. He is also a PTA leader and was integral to the questionable funding decisions discussed in the article. Many of the parents reviewing here are intimately connected to that same leadership. Beware this school!

You'll wish you could be a kid again and go here!…read more This school is incredible - the teachers, staff, and students alike! The ethos of the school focuses on children as changemakers, the idea that each student has the ability to change the world. Within this framework, they center the child, and focus on "knowing the child well" and the child "knowing themselves well". The kids learn from a young age what makes them thrive (what environment, what tools, what topics interest them, what their growth areas are), giving them self-reflection and self-understanding skills which they will take with them for their whole lives. The school also focuses on instilling a growth mindset with the power of "yet", the idea that anyone can learn to do something new at any age. My absolute favorite school saying by far is "mistakes are magic"... Can you imagine growing up thinking that mistakes are just a part of learning and nothing to be ashamed or feel guilty about? I wish I could go back in time and attend this school!

We're in our second year as parents at Live Oak School, and we've been very pleased with the…read moreexperience. Our daughter loves going to school and really has enjoyed the teachers and staff, the lunch program, and the the experience to date. Things We Really Liked: * Weekly Field Trips in Kindergarten, which helps the students get to know the community / city and get comfortable with public transportation and exploring. Several also involve parents driving, which is a great opportunity to meet a lot of kids and other parents. * AnjiPlay, which helps promote exploration and team work, while also introducing a hint of "risky play". * Camp Live Oak, every year the entire school community goes to camp in May for 3 days, two nights. It's a wonderful and unique community building experience. * School lunch (included with tuition) program is great * Facilities are great - fairly light-filled former Hillsbro building in Potrero Hill, most classrooms have great natural light, Jackson Park is across the street. One of the few schools with a climbing wall (and will now have climbing as a middle school class). Small gym on sight, with UCSF nearby to support sports. * Very thoughtful and intelligent curriculum that they continue to respond to feedback on. They are expanding the Spanish program (currently starts in 4th) to encompass K-8. They are trying a new 8th grade capstone trip this year (traditionally DC) to be Civil Rights movement focused -- Memphis - Alabama - Atlanta. Things to Consider / Areas Could improve * The school doesn't come out of the gate hard in academics in kindergarten, ie they stay pretty light on reading, writing, and math the first year. This ramps up - for some kids very quickly - in first grade. This is probably ok, but parents should be prepared / aligned with it. Know that Live Oak 8th Graders place very well at the more academic high schools in San Francisco. They know themselves well, and they are prepared academically. * Extended Day Program. There are great hours of coverage (730 - 6pm, and holiday care on many of the days there is school off) available for working families. The enrichment programs leave a bit to be desired -- particularly the sign-up process. they seen to have way too few slots and getting a slot is like getting a Yosemite campsite. Soccer program is good. Be prepared to augment this outside of school if you have strong desires.