They get a 1 star for the way they handle bullies. A year later and bad behavior still continues and has started to affect more and more students the longer the bully continues their bad behavior. read more

It takes a lot for me to write a school review because I'm a teacher and I have extremely high educational standards. Kavod has given us a whole lot of amazing learning experiences but I can sum it up by saying that they have cared for my children with respect, consideration and an openness to learning. Both of my children with IEPS have required specialized services and very specific supports. I found the teachers and staff members to be caring, smart, fun and excited about creating a community of respectful and inquisitive learners. No child was ignored, every child was met where they were enthusiastically and the staff worked extremely hard to address needs while simultaneously building on strengths. My kids have both done very well there and the emphasis on languages and culture has been a ton of fun. Projects were meaningful and I appreciated the organized communication and leadership from administration. I would have never imagined my children speaking all these languages so quickly but they have learned because Kavod makes it possible with their organized programming and the support of all team members. As a part of the parent community, I felt welcomed and cared for there as well. In a time where there is so much division, it's a beautiful gift when we can gather, respect one another and learn from one another culturally. Kavod is a gem and I know that their best is yet to come. Don't think, just enroll. Toda Raba, Kavod! read more

My son came home on his first day of kindergarten and said "I LOVED my first day!" And the rest of the week was more of the same. The school's philosophy and approaches are exactly the type of values anyone would want to instill in their children. They are spending the first 2 weeks of school simply doing community building! They have reviewed what it means to show respect to fellow students, teachers, and the other school that shares a campus. You've never seen so many kids HAPPY to go to school EVERY morning! Learning another language at a partial immersion level has numerous benefits and the kids also learn what it means to be global citizens and how their micro world compares to the macro world. The classrooms have diversity, the student to teacher ratio is unparalleled for a public school, and the staff is spectacular! They don't teach to the test, and on top of that their co-teaching model allows the staff to assess where students are in any given subject on any given day and then adjust their individual lesson plan accordingly. There also isn't homework but rather home review where the kids get to tell us what they learned and the school actually promotes family time (and reading each night, of course). The schools in my neighborhood have great scores (9) but I can't imagine them meeting the standards that Kavod has set for itself. I highly recommend checking out the school! read more

Terrible choice for students of color. I witnessed abject racism from the faculty, students and parents. They are racially oblivious. Because they are a Jewish Charter school, they believe that they are innocuous, because as we know, the Jewish people are also a marginalized people. I watched in horror as they had the children perform the Thanksgiving story with Pilgrims and Indians, in essence, perpetuating the stereotypes of Native Americans. I looked around at the other parents, who seemed completely unaware of this travesty. I am a Native American man and on several occasions, had offered to bring a local group of Native children to this school to educate the students. This offer was met with complete indifference.They say that they have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and yet I am aware of several parents who encouraged their children to not talk to my son and to avoid him at all times. This was tolerated by the teachers and in fact, enforced. My child became the scapegoat for other children's bad behavior. He was sent to the principals office FIVE to SIX times a day!!!! I observed time and again, the students of color being pulled out of the classroom and disciplined, while the white kids continued on. We were notified that our son had "framed" other children, "choked" them and on one occasion that "if he was a few years older, the police would have been called in". When we called them out on their racism, they flat out denied it, saying that they knew had to deal with "this demographic"! They have no training when it comes to working with adopted children of color or children with PTSD. It might take years of therapy to help our child overcome the betrayals that he experienced DAILY from these charlatans. read more

I wasn't sure what a charter school could offer that my local public school couldn't, but when I gave Kavod a try I found out fast. The school is small, the teachers are energetic and talented (and not safe to just coast by doing nothing because of tenure), the families are involved, and the education is tailor-made, not district-dictated. Also, parents are consulted and have impact on most issues that affect the kids and the school. Both of my kids love Kavod, and are thriving academically. We love that they are becoming bi-lingual as well. The classes are filled with enthusiasm, curiosity, learning, caring and community-building. The teachers and administration are simply the best. They are experts who are also open-minded and willing to adjust to a student's needs. One of my kids isn't the most quiet little boy you'll ever meet, but instead of being yelled at, embarrassed or punished when he is squirrely or speaks out of turn, the teacher has the skills and presence of mind to give him little jobs to do until he can rejoin the class, refocused. He is not made to feel marginalized. The kids are taught patience, respect, and compassion. I'm so happy we made the choice to forgo our local elementary (which is very popular) and pursue this charter. I'm constantly in awe of what they accomplish and how they take care of the kids. (Oh, and it's important to remember that while Hebrew is learned as a language, this is not a religious school. If you are looking for religious education, you will not be able to find it here.) read more

We are thrilled with our choice to send our children to Kavod. This is our third year, and we now have two students at the school We really wanted a charter school for them. A smaller school, with a more diversified curriculum and community was extremely important to us. Kavod offers that and so much more. First off, community. I cannot speak more highly of the community feel that our school has. Each child is welcomed by name, every teacher knows every kids. They are genuinely excited to see each child, every day. And my kids cannot wait to see them. The parents are involved and excited to help to create a school we can be proud of. We have an active parent committee, that works to develop programs to involve all families and have fun community building activities. We love that Kavod is NOT a religious school, but a charter who's focus is on creating socially responsible children, while being immersed in Hebrew Language and Culture. They are learning and loving the language, by singing songs and using creative ways to introduce the language. My daughter is singing songs all the time, My son tells us different food and articles of clothing, or about his bedroom or classroom. The Hebrew teachers often ask about what they are interested in, so as to make the lessons even more engaging for the children. Our children love the aspect of giving back to the community. We had a fun run, where half the proceeds were given to Make-a-wish. The kindergarten class donated pajama's along with the scholastic boos, to donate books and pjs for kids in need. Our children have had recycling drives, to be able to help clean fun a beach clean up. They are learning how to take part and give to the community surrounds them. The staff is amazing. Well trained, well regarded and simply the best. As a former elementary school teacher, I often find myself wishing that I could teach at Kavod. The teachers are knowledgeable about different curriculum and education strategies to get the most out of their students. There is open and constant communication. When we notice something that worries us, we are able to bring it to the teachers and we work together as a team to create a strategy and solution that will help our children. The Administration has been so helpful. I love the open door policy, so that I can come with any comments or concerns. I always feel like I am being listened too and my thoughts are being take in to consideration. We can to speak more highly of our school. If you are looking for a smaller school, with an amazing curriculum and staff, then Kavod is the school for you. read more

I have two children at Kavod, one in Transitional Kindergarten and one in 2nd grade. We we reluctant to try a charter at first because we are lucky to live in a neighborhood with an excellent public school. However, we have been so pleased with our decision each year as our children are clearly thriving and developing academically and socially. We really love the hebrew program and the fact that our children are learning a second language. This is not a religious school- instead the language is used as a gateway to teach culture, social studies and even science using a second language. The hebrew program is also great in that it focuses on every day conversation using creative techniques- the kids pretend to fly in an airplane to learn words related to vacations or look at the food in our fridge to see how many they can name. This keeps them motivated and challenged to learn. One of the best things about Kavod is the workshop model that allows a lot of flexibility to meet kids' needs. The order of the subjects vary every few weeks with the idea that different subjects are easier/harder for individual kids at different times of the day. At first we thought it would be confusing for kids but they love having a change in schedule from time to time. The teachers are also great at meeting kids where they are at and giving individualized attention. Kavod's approach to behavior management is also very positive and unique. Their approach is focused on ensuring kids aren't labeled for being "bad" or "tough" and avoiding kids constantly being removed from the classroom for behavior issues, interrupting their learning and making kids feel that they don't belong in school or that they are just going to always get in trouble. I am so glad to know that the leadership of Kavod is committed to an inclusive and supportive environment for all students. The school is growing and has been very responsive to parent ideas and ways to strengthen the school. Last year they added a PE program and this year they added an elective program where kids can choose from art, dance, or other activities once a week. The theme of Kavod is respect and I love that my children attend a school where they are learning important values like kindness, empathy, and perseverance in addition to academics. Kavod feels like a second family that is working together to help support children's social and emotional growth. There is also a very active parent committee that plans fundraisers and fun activities like movie nights and playdates for the kiddos. Our experience has been that Kavod teachers and staff are immensely responsive to each family and do what they can with the limited resources all schools have to really create a positive learning environment for our children. We love Kavod and are glad to be part of this wonderful community. read more

My oldest son is in his first year at Kavod (TK) and we could not be happier. We constantly feel so fortunate to have discovered this gem of a school; the teachers, the staff, the curriculum and the extras (art! PE! Spanish!) are exceptional. We couldn't be more confident in our decision to send our kids here read more

Great school! Good teacher to student ratio. Teachers are very nice. My daughter loves going to Kavod school. We like this school better than Westwood Elementary, one of Poway schools. Overall only positive experience. Learning Hebrew is a plus too. read more

Sending my son to Kavod has been a decision I am so glad I made. He is excited to go to school each morning and comes home with so much to share about why he loved his day. Having no Hebrew background prior to this year, at first he was worried he would feel lost, but he has really caught on fast, thanks to the partial immersion model Kavod uses. The staff is made up of an amazingly talented team of educators who clearly have a passion for teaching children. I feel happy that my son is spending his elementary school years in such a warm, community environment. read more

While the school might be great in teaching Hebrew and English lessons, the children and parents lack respect for everyone else on campus and towards each other. They share a campus with Cubberley Elementary and trash the restrooms, the kids lunches, and disrespect adults. The parents of these children take over the campus and treat the ongoing afterschool program staff and children like dirt. There is no respect. They are definitely NOT respectful children or responsible/respectful global citizens. Their website makes them sound fantastic, however this is not the case. Granted there are a few teacher who outshine, overall I cannot condone the way the staff, parents, and students behave. They are rude and obnoxious. I wanted to send my child, however, seeing first hand how they act on many different occasions, I have decided otherwise. read more