As a therapist, I work with many families who feel overwhelmed navigating the school system. It…read moreoften shows up as anxiety, frustration, and even self-doubt, parents wondering if they're missing something or not advocating "correctly." Most just aren't given clear guidance on what to ask for or what their child is actually entitled to. What stands out to me about Rise is how parents are supported in really understanding what's happening and how to advocate in a way that feels realistic and manageable. Having a clear plan and next steps takes a process that can feel chaotic and makes it more actionable. Another strength working with Rise is that April has firsthand experience working within the school system, meaning she understands how things actually function behind the scenes and can guide families in a way that's well-informed and practical. If you're feeling stuck or unsure where to begin with the IEP and 504 process, Rise provides the kind of support that can help you feel more confident and less alone in navigating it.

We came to Rise Educational Advocacy after a difficult IEP process and weren't sure where to turn…read morenext. April's file review was thorough and genuinely eye-opening, she helped us understand exactly where the IEP fell short and what questions we should be asking. She was warm, knowledgeable, and never made us feel rushed or judged for not knowing the system. Her insights gave us the clarity and confidence to take the next step in advocating for our family. We'd recommend Rise to any family navigating special education and feeling overwhelmed.

We started working with My Ed Therapist during the end of the school year and through the summer…read moreafter COVID swept the country and schools were closed in March 2020. My almost 7 yr old needed reading strategies for decoding challenging words and reading more complex sentences with fluency. This extra support and strategies learned during an extremely challenging time, helped my son tremendously (decreasing anxiety and feeling overwhelmed) and more importantly improved my relationship, eliminating the reading struggle between us. We sought out My Ed Therapist as it was more than just "tutoring". While the services were provided virtually, the therapist was still able to connect and make sessions fun, exciting and academic. I highly recommend working with the team at My Ed Therapist !!

My twelve year old son saw Stephanie Pitts to learn strategies and develop confidence in the middle…read moreschool setting. The challenges of navigating, organizing, and executive functioning were impacting his grades. Stephanie provided help in organizing his back pack and developing a system for following class material, and even helped with communicating directly with his teachers. Her personality and positive attitude with my son made him comfortable. She is great. Highly recommend.

I just happened upon Pro Barber college. This was a perfect place to take Dad to get a haircut. $9…read morefor men $14 for women, they also do coloring. There were plenty of students ready to take on a client when we walked in. Dad was immediately directed to a chair and met his barber. Payment is due prior to the start of service. It took about 30-40 minutes. Dad's barber was friendly. I will definitely be bringing Dad back here when he is in need of another haircut.

Good place to get a haircut. I walked in and was immediately greeted and shown a chair / my student…read morebarber. I haven't had a real haircut at a shop in years so I was unfamiliar with the guard sizes / terminology. The teacher and student made sure to take their time to get exactly what I wanted. The teacher was supervising and answered any of the students questions. The hair cut took around 30- 45 minutes which is not a bad time at all considering I would wait 45 minutes just to see a barber at other "official" shops. The cut was $9 and I tipped the student $6 as I was very satisfied. This place is clean, has young passionate barbers, and good prices.

My high school son has been working with Chloe since Jan. 2018, dealing primarily with language and…read moreexecutive functioning skills. She has been a critical component to my son's academic progress and self-confidence. Her knowledge and experience has also helped us to finesse IEP goals to better suit his challenges. Although she has relocated, we have been able to continue sessions through Skype that are still equally effective. I can tell Chloe really cares about my son and goes the extra mile to best serve his needs. Expertise and compassion make Chloe an incredible asset to my son's team. I highly recommend her!

Words cannot express how grateful I am to Chloe and Molly. I initially met Chloe because she was in…read morecharge of conducting an Independent Evaluation for my son via LBUSD. Chloe was always responsive and really pushed for the evaluation to be reviewed in its entirety. During my son's IEP meeting, Chloe stood-up for my son in a way that brought tears to my eyes. It is rare to find people who are as dedicated to their profession, but that also genuinely care about the population that they serve. Because of her dedication and support during the IEP process, I decided to have my son attend speech therapy with Language and Literacy Group--even though we live far away, and our insurance does not cover these services. In the 3.5 months that my son has been attending therapy with Chloe and Molly, he has made noticeable progress in the way he expresses himself and his desire to communicate more with peers and his family. I will forever be grateful for their support and for being a part of my son's development and growth.

This review is long overdue but I have nothing but great things to say about this place. They…read morereally do go above and beyond for their clients. I was in need of support for my daughter and had not yet heard of educational therapy. From the first phone call to each session, we are greeted with a smile and warm support. My daughter is always excited as she arrives and even when she leaves; which says a lot about them. Kevin and Nicole have been my contacts and they are both amazing and supportive. If you are in need of any educational support/assistance, this is the place to go.

After going back and forth for the better part of a year now, South Bay educational therapy has for…read morethe lack of better words stolen IEP funding money intended to help my special needs son. First and foremost Kevin Bansley was the point of contact through all of my emails/dealings with South Bay educational therapy. Kevin offered us 1 date and time only to begin my son's therapy and unfortunately we were not able to accept due to our schedules. No big deal right? Scheduling didn't work out so we could just go our different ways and my family could attempt to find help elsewhere. Kevin Bansley had different intentions though. He stated that they were keeping the money(almost $5000) and no refund would be issued. After several back and forth emails, Kevin agreed to refund some of the money, but wanted to be compensated for the time/services that they did actually render, which we agreed upon. He stated "In regard to your request for a refund, I understand that your family's needs and expectations were not fully met, and I do not wish to create further challenges for your son. Therefore, I will be processing a refund for the services that were not rendered, excluding the two intake sessions, and an additional four hours allocated for diagnostics and extensive communication with Harbor Regional Center and your family. These hours reflect the considerable professional time and expertise dedicated to your son's case." Sounded great. That email was received August 21st 2024. Here it is November 12th 2024. Kevin has still not refunded the money and I honestly do not think he has any intention to do so. Do not be fooled. Kevin Bansley tries to put forth a mission of helping children and families but that is clearly not the case. He has cost my son the help he has needed all year by refusing to follow through with his own words. I implore any and all families thinking about using South Bay educational therapy to help their family to simply ask yourself. "Can my child afford to get the help they so desperately need taken from them? Is it worth the risk to trust this company?"

The last time I came to TUSD was in 2005 to get a permit for my son who was accepted into a dual…read moreimmersion program in Long Beach. I remember the TUSD administrative staff being nice but not so patient. Today, the administrative team at TUSD couldn't be more helpful! When I had a question the TUSD team went out of their way to help me. They provided clear and easy to understand direction and took their time. Martha, Melissa, Alyssa, Lisa, Alma or Maria were a pleasure to meet. It's just feels good when people are nice and treat you with consideration and respect. Kudos TUSD for having a talented administrative team!

Chris and Martha the best. Fast and efficient. Helped us with every question in a polite and…read morefriendly manner.

My 1st grader has been attending the tutoring center for a few months now and the level he is…read morestudying here is surprising. I reviewed the materials he is solving, and it's definitely ahead of what I thought he was capable of. He was writing letters in mirrors images pretty recently, but the stuff in the workbook here that he was reading and writing reminded me of PSAT (for those old enough to remember those) . Of course, to do these, he needs attention and guidance from a teacher at a much lower ratio than what we can get from school, and here, it's kept at about 2 students per teacher. Being a fidgety flighty 6 yr old boy (hopefully normal?) I don't know how much he learns in his school class of 26 kids and I don't have the skills to teach him myself so I started sending him here for professional help twice a week to make sure he doesn't fall behind. Looks like mission is being accomplished so far! And most importantly, he enjoys learning here, which made it part of our weekly routine now. They offer a free assessment, where the student takes a test and they come back with analysis on the student's level and recommendations. It's a nice computer printout that Mr. Chow goes over with you. And then you can decide to enroll or not, and how often to attend and what times you'd like. It was a nice way to get started, as well as probably the first time I got my child assessed on anything. Thankfully he tested slightly above his grade level, but upon examining the questions, I did notice it would've resulted differently had we not done a few reading sessions on our own just the week prior to the assessment, as the vocab tests were specific. So it's not perfect, but still a really useful experience for the child and the parent!

Both of our daughters have gained so much confidence since attending this tutoring center, and…read morewe've also seen clear academic improvement. The tutors are patient, supportive, and really take the time to help each student understand the material. Our kids feel encouraged and capable, which has made a big difference. We're very happy with our experience and would definitely recommend this center.