This is my daughters second year at Little big Minds. I could not be happier with the school,…read moreteacher and the director. My daughter was extremely shy, going into school, so we were nervous about her making friends. She has made so many great friends and her teachers have helped her navigate. In addition to all of the social benefits of school, she has the added benefit of learning Spanish here. She really is picking it up so well and it's awesome to see. Little big minds is a great community, and it seems like all of the teachers know who she is. It really is a great school and that is coming from someone who used to teach!

We ended up choosing this as a back up to our first choice preschool for our daughter, after…read morerealizing we would probably be on the wait list for a year or so and we didn't want to wait. A friend's son had gone to Encanto location and she had always raved about it so we checked it out among others when searching for our second choice option. This ended up working out perfectly because with the new location, that actually was right by our house, we were guaranteed to be able to get a spot, unlike the other locations (and most of the top choice preschools) which had wait lists. We are so glad our first choice wasn't available so we were able to find and look into LBM uptown, it has been nothing short of incredible for both our daughter and myself. The teachers and director, Heyli, are truly amazing, as is the owner, Pilar. They really care about the kids and it is very obvious. Even the teachers from the other classrooms know me daughter and are friendly to me as well. You get a true sense of community from them and the other parents, on spring break some of the parents and kids met up twice to get the kids together and hang out, it's already that type of community. Adding to all this the language factor and we just couldn't be happier. Our daughter is thriving and we are definitely going to stay until she ages out. If you are considering LBM, just do it! :)

Our family spent two years at this school with both of our children enrolled. During that time, we…read moregave our full support -- volunteering, donating, serving as class mom, and even participating on the board of the school's charitable organization. We genuinely believed we were part of a strong, supportive community. Unfortunately, our experience took an unexpected and very difficult turn -- one that left our children deeply impacted and us, as parents, scrambling. Before winter break, we were approached by Jennifer Sherer, who suggested we consider providing an aide for our son to help with both English and Spanish in the classroom. We were told this was not required -- simply a supportive option. When we agreed to explore it, we were surprised to learn the cost would be $750 per day, amounting to roughly $3,000 per month. While we expressed concern about the cost and necessity, we were told that was the rate, so we continued, trusting the school's guidance. As class mom, I was frequently present in the classroom and soon noticed troubling changes: our son had been moved to the back of the room, seated alone with the aide. He began withdrawing at home, becoming more isolated and quiet. He shared that he didn't feel safe, that the aide was unkind, and he was being treated differently -- even teased -- by classmates. We voiced these concerns to Principal Jason Smith and Jennifer Sherer, asking to revisit the arrangement. We explained that we believed the aide's constant presence was negatively impacting our child's emotional and social well-being. Our son was not failing academically and had no diagnosis requiring special intervention -- this support had been positioned as optional. After three months of trying to work through this, we formally requested to remove the aide and asked to meet or interview the individual we had been paying thousands of dollars for. We were told we were not allowed to meet them, as the aide was a school employee. (This raised major concerns for us about the financial structure and accountability of the arrangement.) We also asked for any documentation showing how the aide had been helpful. Instead of receiving answers, we were informed that the aide was now required for our son's continued enrollment -- and that he would not be permitted to return after winter break unless the aide remained in place (at our cost). We respectfully pushed back, stating that we could not continue paying for a support role we believed was doing more harm than good, and that the school should follow appropriate procedures and ADA compliance as required of private non-denominational institutions. We asked for an opportunity to finish out the final 10 weeks of the school year without the aide. Principal Jason Smith responded by immediately dismissing both of our children from the school. No warning. No transitional plan. Just an email notifying us that our kids were no longer allowed to return. This decision was made just days before school was set to resume -- leaving us completely blindsided, heartbroken, and scrambling to find alternative schooling with enrollment already closed in many places. Our younger child, who was not even involved in the aide situation, was removed as well. We are still in disbelief that a school -- and leadership -- we once trusted could take such a drastic action without regard for the emotional toll it would have on our children. We are sharing this not out of anger, but as a warning. If your child has unique learning needs, or if you expect transparency and partnership from school leadership, we urge you to ask difficult questions before enrolling. Names you should know: Principal Jason Smith and Jennifer Sherer. We have documentation of everything mentioned above and are open to speaking with any parents who want more details. Please think twice.

Good Start, Rocky Finish - 9 Years of Experience…read more I've been at this school for 9 years, so I've seen it from every angle--especially how things shift as you move from lower to middle school. Im writing this from my point of view since ive been at ISA for 9 whole years. The lower school is truly the heart of this place. The teachers are caring, the community is strong, and the environment is perfect for younger students. You feel supported, safe, and excited to learn. It's where I built my confidence and love for school. Unfortunately, things change in middle school--and not always for the better. Academically, it's fine, but the overall experience doesn't feel as structured or supportive. What stood out most was the lack of real consequences. Students would break rules or act out, and nothing would happen. It sometimes felt like the people trying to do the right thing got overlooked while others just... got away with it. That made the environment frustrating and unfair at times. Im not gonna name names... but the directors and the principal of the school COULD'VE and SHOULD'VE done better at their jobs as directors of the school and helped out when the students needed it most. Overall: Keep in mind, not everyones expirience is the same at ISA but this is just what i thought. I'm "thankful" for the strong foundation the lower school gave me, but I wish the middle school had followed through with the same care, consistency, and accountability. The teachers were good for middle school, not the directors or principal. If you're thinking about this school for younger grades--go for it. But for middle school, I don't recommend, but if you do, get ready for some challenges and a lot of rule-bending that doesn't get addressed.

I have been studying Spanish at Language Synergy for several years. Martha's classes are enjoyable…read moreas well as educational. The materials are excellent and the additional activities Martha adds to supplement the curriculum are fun and stimulating. Thanks to Language Synergy, I was able to communicate confidently with everyone I encountered during several recent trips to Spanish-speaking countries. Two of those trips were with Martha and other Language Synergy students. The trips were fantastic! They were well-planned and provided many opportunities to connect with locals, learn about their cultures and utilize our new language skills. Language Synergy provides a variety of options for students of all ages and backgrounds, offering private lessons as well as small group or semi-private classes, each at the pace required by the student. Whether you require Spanish language skills for business purposes or desire to learn for personal reasons, Language Synergy can meet your needs in a comfortable, friendly setting designed to accommodate your schedule and requirements.

Definitely recommend the Arizona Language Center if you know someone interested in starting to…read morelearn Spanish, English, or prepare for the TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS tests. It is impressive how quickly the students are linked to their teacher within a short time, this is how the teachers create such a warm learning environment. The admin staff not only explain their terms very clearly, but they try their best to meet the students where they need support the most. Enrolling is a smooth process. The Arizona Language Center class materials not only offer challenges, but are planned out with insight on what the students seek and where they need help with their learning goals. This is why their students enjoy the AZCL lessons so much and why the enjoy the support from Michael and his team.

It's never a good sign when you show up and they're closed. It's worse when their sign says they'd…read morebe back at 1 pm when it's 1:35 pm. Not the kind of school I'm looking for to prepare me for interpret certification.

My daughter has been at ALP since kinder. This is the real deal. Small class sizes: check…read more Multilingual education: check. Teachers that care (and are not overworked): check. Excellent administration: check. Your child basically gets one-on-one tutoring in Chinese and Spanish. Teachers are native speakers and passionate about what they do. My only complaint is that she's in 6th grade and about to move on to new adventures. Thumbs up for me.

We have 2 children attending Arizona Language Preparatory (ALP). Our kindergartener and second…read moregrader are both excelling in this language rich environment. Both of my kids can take simple directions, respond to introductory coversation, and sing many songs in Mandarin and Spanish. My second grader wrote me 26 sentences using Mandarin characters the other day. In an environment with kids from different schools, I witness my childrens abilities to communicate and problem solve surpass those around them. The culturally diverse classrooms have set my kids up with a broadened understanding and empathetic mindset of others than most adults I deal with on a daily basis. On top of great kids, ALP has an amazing group of parents who are looking to help the school in any manner they can. If you're looking for a language school, look no further. You have found a great family in ALP.

I put in an inquiry and never got a response. Extremely unprofessional in my opinion.read more

speak the language and be a teacher it can be far professional. you do not have competent teaching…read morestaff. poor organization of work and not the ability to be on the level. The main thing for the Berlitz Center is money.