Tilden Prep has been transformative for our son, who's twice exceptional. It offers greater depth…read moreand breadth of curriculum and more highly educated staff than its competitors, like Fusion Academy. For example, Tilden offers Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra. While such courses are offered at a community college, having the option to learn 1:1 is critical in giving a student a more solid foundation before entering a 4-year college. At the same time, the rates make more sense than Fusion Academy, which is on a trimester system and 30% more. Tilden is run like a school rather than a corporation. It's more pure to its cause. Good job Tilden. Keep up the good work!

Our son had a great experience at Tilden. He is very bright but struggled to organize his thoughts…read moreand get them down on paper. We enrolled him in English 9 at Tilden and had him take the rest of his classes in his public high school. His Tilden teacher, Dave Locey, helped him learn the steps of writing and feel good about his progress and talents. He said Mr. Locey was the best teacher he'd had :). He wanted to get ahead in math (because the common core track forced him to take math slowly with a lot of boring repetition) so we enrolled him in Geometry through Tilden over the summer. Even though he could have taken Geometry online for less money, we felt the one-on-one instruction and monitored pacing and instruction helped him stay on track and thus made it more likely he'd succeed. He got through the course very quickly and is now starting Algebra 2 at his HS so he'll be able to take Calculus before he graduates. His Tilden math teacher was also very knowledgeable and positive.

I have two kids who attend this school and it has surpassed our expectations. We live in Orinda,…read morewhich has a very good school district. Our girls chose St. Mary's for the faculty, community feel, diversity, rigor, and e-week experience-among other things. It has not disappointed. The Vice Principal, Ms. Molinelli, goes above and beyond, talking to me outside of school hours despite me saying that I am happy to adjust to her schedule as I am also in education and know the challenges. She is knowledgable, up-to-date with current research (she mentioned articles from The Atlantic and other publications/books that I had also read), and is clearly passionate about education. There are other notable faculty who are just so pleasant, so warm, so willing to sit with an anxious parent and walk them through making these difficult choices for your child: Dr. Troyani, the new principal, is also wonderful as is Mr. Filson, Ms. Esposito, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Mosby and so on. We love that the adults in St. Mary's have high expectations for the students. They hold them to a dress code (no torn clothing). They have days where professional dress is required (as someone who has interviewed people in cargo shorts and open toed Teva sandals for a job in education, I appreciate that my children are learning that there are still appropriate ways to dress for more formal events/presentations, and that they implemented a cell phone ban. As a practicing Catholic, I also appreciate St. Mary's focus on LaSallian virtues and SERVICE, and that it is so incredibly inclusive, which is what I believe true Catholicism should always stand for. We could not imagine a better place for our girls, who both love going to school (which was NOT my high school experience) and who now have such a wonderfully diverse group of friends. As a mother of two Asian American girls, one of whom is darker skinned, I have deeply appreciated that my children have been in an environment that is nurturing and supportive; that celebrates who they are, allowing them to be comfortable in their own skin. St. Mary's is a special place and we are so grateful to be part of this school community!

Saint Mary's College High School came into being as part of St. Mary's College in Moraga, It was…read morefounded in 1863 by the Catholic Church, and put under the auspices of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1868. Saint Mary's is Albany's other High School, although the main entrance is on the other side of Codonices Creek in Berkeley. None of my kids went to school here, although I have been on their pretty, green, and 7 building campus several times. My most notable experience involved Leo, a now departed orange tabby cat that decided to run away from home, and take up residence at St. Mary's. In fact, when I found him, he was hanging out under a tree and holding court with a few students. After I took him back home, the school called to make sure that he was OK and to tell me that the kids really missed him! He was a great cat.

I recently just got hired through the AUSD for the aquatic department, but I am in love with how…read morewell kept Albany's schools are. They are very active and community based so that families can interact with the kids ALOT! They are pretty good at getting your needs met or a response to a request!

I couldn't be happier with AUSD. Our children attend school here and we are so confident in the…read moreadministration and teachers we've encountered so far. I'm not crazy about the new standards, but feel the school does the very best with what they are forced to work with. The kids get outside so much and learn through hands on activities, which is rare these days! Great schools.

My son attended this school for 4 years and my daughter now been there for 3 years. What a…read morewonderful community of students and families. The environment fostered at School of the Madeleine is incomparable to any school that I've ever visited before. Any kid will thrive anywhere if they are destined, but for a parent to thrive as well is a dream! There are many activities for students to make wonderful friends and build great memories. The teachers work from the heart and the principal and staff are welcoming and supportive. I highly recommend this school for families looking to give their child a well-rounded education!

We spent the better part of 2021 researching schools for our twin boys to begin Kindergarten and…read moreafter several recommendations from friends, we landed at The School of the Madeleine. Our boys are headed into 3rd grade and we could not be more grateful for the experience we've had at The Madeleine in our first three years. Beginning Kindergarten at a school where our children didn't know a single person was a bit scary for us, as parents. They were immediately comfortable and welcomed into the community by the faculty, staff, students and the families. The genuine warmth and inclusivity that was around us was so refreshing and it has only grown stronger since then. We have found the Madeleine to be an incredibly well balanced and enriching place for our children as well as us parents, too. The principles and values exhibited at the school extend well beyond the classroom. We are as happy with the culture at the school as we are with the education. Anyone who attends just one of the daily morning assemblies can feel the positive energy emanating from the administration, faculty, students and families. It's my favorite way to start my mornings . . . no joke. I cannot recommend the School of the Madeleine enough for those seeking a home for their child's K-8 education. We are deeply grateful for the wonderful experiences and relationships we've had in the relatively short time we've been here.

Our dear friend was raised Catholic...and lived a few blocks away. So it was fitting his funeral…read morewas at this charming church. It is small...almost chapel like, and it's Spanish style architecture fits it very well. The pews however, are excruciating.... literally made for child sized people. The service was what I have come to expect, traditional. It was wonderful to share the experience with his family, and our long time friends. We had a short reception downstairs...and again it was small and convenient.

I attended this church for a year when I lived in North Berkeley. It reminded me of a pretty chapel…read morewith nice older architectural details. The neighborhood outside was really pretty, too, with lots of flowers. The priests were good here (no homilies to make me mad). The music director really took his job seriously and went all out with the Hallelujah Chorus on Easter. That choir was pretty impressive. This was a very good church, but overall, I missed Newman Hall the year I went here.

A wonderful Church that doesn't mess around with the Word of God. You'll find detailed teaching,…read moreChurch discpline, and classes for things like fundamentals of the faith and evangelism to help members grow in faithfulness. I have been to many, many false Churches, where everyone is kind and friendly and would never dream of rebuking you. Where you'll have a great time, never be challenged, never grow, and hear the words "Depart from me, I never knew you" on the day of judgement. Not here! True Christians abound, I was invited to someone's home on the very first week, there are many many children (the fruit of a true Christian church!) and a great children's ministry for them. Come and feed on the Word of God!

I was a member here, and its church plant, for over 10 years from my senior year in college to…read moreseveral years afterward, from 2005-2016. What immediately strikes you is the seriousness of the attitudes of the members here -- they are not here to play and they take the Bible very seriously. Within this church body a strong view of Lordship salvation -- which is church-speak for honoring Jesus as your Lord and Master, not just your "homeboy" or Savior, or genie in a bottle -- quite refreshing. I think the outcomes of this church are a mix of the individual, the church teaching, and the culture and influence of members of this church. My current view is that salvation (justification, sanctification, and future glorification) is completely the work of God, and not of man. I have seen Christians of all shapes and sizes come through this ministry and become essentially more of what they were, previously. e.g. Big-hearted Christians became even bigger-hearted; immature Christians became slightly less immature individuals with their problems masked by changed behaviors, but unchanged hearts. Pros: - Biblical teaching, expositional preaching, good doctrine, high view of God's word, conservative views - "Truth"-heavy - A lot of equipping. An inside joke, when the church was still called "Eastbay Baptist/Bible Church of Berkeley," was "The Eastbay Seminary." The Sunday school and equipping classes I've taken: Evangelism Training 1, Evangelism Training 2 (Apologetics), Biblical Hermeneutics, Old Testament Survey Cons: - More could be done to help build up well-rounded Christians. - Culture is too "inward" focused -- members tend to neglect relationships with family, non-Christian friends, coworkers, etc. - Can be "hyper-fundamental" at times. Things that are not explicitly sins in the Bible are viewed and treated as if they were actual sins. - Where is the grace? Tendency to be big-headed, small-hearted. - Lack of cultural diversity - Lack of age diversity - Tendency to produce behavior change (through peer pressure), rather than heart change (only possible by work of Holy Spirit) On the positive side, most of the members of this church body have a genuine desire to pursue holiness and Christ-likeness -- "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). However, because of the overall youthfulness and immaturity of certain individuals, and the proclivity for group-think, there is a tendency of a version of stoicism and monasticism (denying oneself of worldly pleasures) to be erroneously praised as a virtue among its members in their good-intentioned pursuit of holiness--which is still missing the mark. I would encourage all to be Bereans and study Scripture for themselves. I received a lot of great teaching from this church and learned the tools to help study the Bible for myself. However, there were certain experiences that I went through during my time here that were also heart-wrenching. While I have been encouraged greatly and grew tremendously as a Christian during my time here, I also experienced a lot of deeply painful experiences that are still with me today, and on some days, those painful memories are more vivid than the positive ones. I think Revelation 2:1-7 is a very good, spot-on description of this church when I was a member there: "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'" In a culture where the prevailing attitude is anti-God and overwhelmingly secular, this church is a God-send and refuge from the storm. For conservative believers, it feels like the members of this body are the "7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18). However, I would exhort this church to excel still more, and to try and find ways to have a refreshing and positive impact to its surrounding and greater community. Remember the two greatest commandments: 1. Love the LORD your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. (No, not just your fellow church member.)

My third grade granddaughter has been there since preschool. The outdoor/gardening/cooking…read morecomponent is a great balance to the strong academics. Peaceful atmosphere, lots of beauty.

As someone who moved to the Bay Area about a decade ago, I've often missed the sense of Persian…read morecommunity I grew up with, attending "mehmoonis" (parties), hearing Iranian music fill our home, and being surrounded by our rich, beautiful culture. When it came time to find a preschool for my son, I dreamed of a place that could offer him that same warmth and connection, and Golestan has given us exactly that and more. The first time I stepped into Golestan's "hayaat" (yard), I was instantly transported to my grandpa's garden in Iran. The laughter, the trees, the care woven into every detail. It's such a lively, loving, and vibrant space where my son learns, plays, makes friends, and creates lasting memories. The teachers are absolute angels, deeply nurturing, creative, and so attuned to each child. From the thoughtfully designed classrooms to the fresh, nourishing food (with ingredients straight from their learning garden!), every aspect of Golestan reflects an intentional, heartful approach to education and community. I feel truly honored for my son to spend his days in such a magical and enriching environment, surrounded by love, culture, and curiosity, and I'm already dreaming of the day my daughter can join. Regardless of your background or heritage, Golestan is a place worth experiencing. I'm sure they'll woo you at "Salaam" :)

Hanabi Judo has been a fantastic experience for our family. We moved from abroad and Hanabi…read morewelcomed us in with open arms, working with my son to feel comfortable and confident. Dan Sensie is accomodating, always available to give families and kids the individual support and attention they need, and runs a dojo that is warm and community-centric while still maintaining the highest level of discipline and professionalism. We have watched my son grow stronger and improve his skills and practice, while working hard and enjoying himself!

Great experience talking to the owner about conditioning my older body, safety and learning how to…read morefall. Obviously his focus on children is important for the future, but he has great wisdom for us older folks as well.and a special session Tuesday nights for the more mature.

Church Without Walls Berkeley is a great place church for those looking for the intersection of…read moreJesus and Justice, intergenerational discipleship and true Christ Centered community building.

I've been a part of Church Without Walls since 2002…read more What drew me in was the smaller, family feel of the church and the church's heavy involvement with the Berkeley community: volunteering at Rosa Parks, serving Berkeley youth.... It definitely felt like a place I could be accepted for all of who I am, brokenness included.