It has been over 1.5 years since my last review, and we love the school as much as we did when our…read morechild started school 2+ years ago! Everyone on staff has been incredibly easy and pleasant to collaborate with, and responsive to my questions. The school expanded over the summer to add 2 more classrooms, so that Burkard now has 6 classrooms: K/1, 2/3, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7/8th. Having experienced a few private schools and a public school between my 2 kids, I am confident this is the best environment for my child, for both academic differentiation and SEL support. It's often lamented that parents have to choose the least bad educational option for their 2e kids, but I truly believe this is a great option. We were fortunate enough to be with his amazing 2/3 teachers for 2 years, and have a new set of teachers we love this year, too. Speaking with parents across grades, they also think highly of their teaching teams. My son continues to thrive academically (measured by his overall engagement, as well as MAP testing), and we are very happy with the math differentiation he receives. Each year, I have been pleased with the attention and care the staff takes to make sure he's challenged at the right level. They take great care to plan engaging lessons across ELA, science, social studies and SEL, and incorporate hands on projects regularly to extend their learning. My son regularly shares interesting facts he learned in class! Math is a subject he continues to be passionate about, so I reach out to the school annually for math acceleration. He is given math assessments at the start of each year to determine the appropriate placement, and is given the option of joining a higher level class, or doing independent study in his classroom. We opted this year to have him join the higher level math class on a modified schedule, and we are grateful for the ability to choose the right option for him. The daily SEL teaching is also very well done. Many schools don't have the ability to go in-depth with SEL, but our BT has devised fun games and exercises for the kids to put their SEL knowledge into practice. It was so sweet to hear that my son's 4th grade class taught new recess games to the K/1 class! The BT's keep a close watch throughout the day, so the students are able to learn and play in a physically and emotionally safe environment. When conflicts arise, the staff is there to help the students resolve the issue in an appropriate way. We get daily reports, and twice monthly newsletters sharing what he's learning, so I know he's receiving a high quality education. If your child is at a school that is not meeting their needs, I encourage you to tour the Burkard School. It is truly a gem of a school!

We found TBS about three years ago and it is quite surprising that there aren't more schools for…read morebright kids who have significant social & emotional challenges, including mood disorders. We unfortunately found very little real understanding and expertise along the way, moving from program to program, from school to school, in every case deeply involved with the IEP process. Then we decided to try TBS. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Our student's self-esteem and emotional intelligence started to grow from the start and has continued to grow ever since. No more calls asking us to come quickly, the benefits to our entire household have been pretty incredible, across parents, siblings, and friends alike. When your student talks to you about how the kids at school are 'just like me', when they express a sense of belonging and common purpose to thrive in the face of big emotions, you can only smile and reflect on the journey. ...and imagine what it's like for other parents to understand you, understand your child, and understand so much of the details of the journey. The TBS community, made up of students, teachers, and parents is one that sees your child as deserving, powerful, and good.

My daughter spent 3 years at Stanbridge Academy, the education is definitely a little behind, but…read moremy biggest concern with this school is safety. My daughter was assaulted by male student on campus repeatedly and my daughter informed the principal and several staff members and zero of them reported this to us as her parents or police. In fact when I brought it up to the school they blamed my daughter for the assault, this floored me given this is no where near the truth. If you have a daughter especially please be very careful, no child should have to experience what mine went through and is still going to therapy for 9 months later. The head of the school Julie is the one who blamed my daughter for being assaulted and claimed her word was less credible due to her being autistic, these people are supposed to be keeping our children safe and us as parents informed. Please be careful sending your children here

This school was very helpful for my disabilities. As I first came here in 2012, it was a difficult…read moretime getting to know everyone there at first, but as the years passed by, it got better.

Loved this school. My son made significant social and academic gains here.read more

Our son attended Russell Bede from 3rd through 5th grade and it was a Godsend. He was attending…read morehis neighborhood school before and although he had an IEP and was receiving services through the district, it was not enough for him. He was falling way behind in school and his anxiety was through the roof. I was worried at first that moving him to a different school would increase his anxiety, but after he attended the summer school program at Russell Bede, he felt very comfortable and at home there and didn't want to go back to his old school. I knew I made the right decision when he started the 3rd grade and most of his anxiety disappeared. I loved the small class size that allowed the teachers to give my son more of the individual attention he needed to succeed. When my son left Russell Bede, he was working at (or even a little above) grade level and was ready to move on to middle school.

I was in need of a speech therapist with some urgency. Not only was Jackie responsive, she did…read morethorough assessments within a three-week turnaround including observation at my child's school. She was also great at educating us parents on strategies we could implement right away and gave us a framework for understanding the recommendations of other speech therapists. Months later, her recommendations still match our hospital's high standards and her techniques have more depth than even the premier hospital-provided speech sessions we've learned from. Her bedside manner was great with both us as adults and our child, and I'm impressed at her ability to adapt to build trust with our child.

Jackie was our daughter's speech therapist until she turned three. We loved having her come over…read morewith her positivity and encouragement! She made such a big impact in our lives and we are so grateful to her! We highly recommend her services and professionality.

My adult son goes to Mark to address ADHD challenges It's only the first session and so far so…read moregood. Mark was able to explain how the ADHD brain works hence the challenges. We will keep going to see if it helps my son.

Mark & Olga are wonderful- Mark really connected with my…read moreson. He uses his interest to really engage him in the process. I saw improvement in my son's motor skills, mind body awareness & connection, balance and regulation. We have going through multiple rounds of sessions and will continue to go.

Our son joined Nueva's Upper School this year as a 9th grader (class of 2021). We like Nueva's…read morerigorous high school curriculum; a number of advanced courses can be deemed college-level. Its math sequence is very well thought out (e.g., one track for pure math and one for applied math) and allows plenty of room for advanced students to progress beyond calculus. We are pleased to see that our son has been spending a good amount of time at the I-Lab before/after school (helped greatly by his new found independence via the bike+Caltrain combination) and loves every minute of it! Nueva's Upper School teachers are helpful and highly qualified; many are practitioners/experts in their field. Our son's Japanese language teacher has a wonderful sense of Japanese humor that makes language learning so much more enjoyable. The Upper School has an advisory system that allows small groups of students to interact with their advisors, who in turn provide feedback to parents (especially new families!) on how their kids are doing at school from time to time. It's a great way to integrate incoming 9th graders (i.e., many new friends were made over a 3-day camping trip before start of school) and build strong ties between school and families from the get-go. Our son has a great start of the year with Nueva. Its Upper School is one we would highly recommend for families looking for a well-rounded STEM education and great teachers in a supportive environment for their kids.

I initially became interested in The Nueva School after subscribing to receive job postings. What…read moreimmediately stood out to me was how frequently new openings were being posted -- sometimes seemingly every week. As an educator, that naturally made me wonder about staff turnover. Eventually, I applied for a position and interviewed with someone who honestly seemed very kind and thoughtful. I left the interview feeling optimistic, especially because I was told I would hear back by the end of the week. In education hiring, timelines usually move quickly because schools want to secure teachers for the upcoming school year before candidates accept other opportunities. Weeks went by with complete silence. No follow-up, no rejection email, nothing. Wanting to close the loop professionally, I eventually emailed to thank the interviewer for her time and wish her and her team the best for the upcoming year. Oddly, the message bounced back, even though I had been communicating through that exact same email thread previously. At that point, I honestly began wondering whether the communication had somehow been compromised or whether I had fallen into some strange scam situation. I even called the school directly to verify that the interviewer actually worked there, and thankfully she did. The school then provided me with another email address associated with their official domain. I forwarded my message there as well, but once again received no response at all. Whether the message reached her or not, the overall experience felt surprisingly unprofessional and dismissive, especially after what had initially seemed like such a warm interaction. After later reading additional reviews and experiences from others, I ultimately realized this probably was not the right fit for me anyway. Still, basic communication and professional courtesy go a long way, particularly in education, where relationships and respect matter.

I highly recommend Darlene for educational therapy services. She is very thorough and truly cares…read moreabout the academic growth and overall positive self-esteem of children. She has many "tricks of the trade" which makes learning fun and effective. Her learning center is conveniently located in downtown Burlingame.

After exhausting other options for group tutoring at local centers, we were led to Edu-Therapy and…read morewere amazed at Darlene's unique approach in helping our son. Darlene's calm, holistic presence was a god-send in working with our attention lacking son who had trouble focusing on anything. Darlene worked using all of his abilities to build his self esteem and confidence. There is no quick fix in helping children with learning challenges to become successful in school...it takes a lot of time, energy and money. Edu-Therapy will be the best investment in your child's future that you will ever make. Today our son is a successful college senior that we are very proud of. Even years down the road, we still give Darlene a great amount of credit for his success.

We couldn't be happier with our experience in the infant class at this daycare. From the very first…read moreday, every single teacher and staff member we've interacted with has been incredibly welcoming, kind, and genuinely caring. It means so much to us that they remember not just our son's name, but our whole family--it truly creates a sense of belonging. Most importantly, they treat our son like one of their own. The level of love, attention, and care they provide every day gives us complete peace of mind. Beyond that, they've played such an important role in his growth and development. They helped him establish a solid nap schedule, supported his transition to solid foods, and consistently create a nurturing, enriching environment filled with thoughtful activities that encourage learning and exploration. We are especially grateful for Ms. Ester, Ms. Zuri, Ms. Mel, Ms. Ione, Ms. Bonnie, and Ms. Kyra. Their dedication, warmth, and genuine affection for the children shine through in everything they do. We feel incredibly lucky to be part of this community and will forever be thankful for the love and care our son receives here.

Sending your child off to be away from home for the first time is a difficult experience for…read moreparents and kids. And finding a daycare center where you can feel confident that your child will be safe, loved, and happy is extremely stressful. I researched and visited numerous daycare centers, but Little Bloom was the only one where I walked out feeling good, feeling confident that my baby would be in the best hands. My son just graduated from Little Bloom and he was very sad to leave all of the friends, and more so the teachers, that he had built an incredible connection with. The school welcomes the whole child, wherever they may be in their development, and also fully welcomes the entire family. Their teachers are amazing, many of them having been there over a decade. The director, Ms Kyra, is so dedicated to making sure child and parents feel comfortable in transitioning to the school, taking time to learn about your child, not rushing you or pushing anything on you. Her door is always open if you want to talk. They truly care about you and your family. They also potty train, which many daycares do not do. Highly recommend!

Debbie Vielbaum has shown us her excellence time and time again as our child's advocate for the…read morepast several years. During a time of absolute overwhelm with how to get our son proper support at school and at home, she worked with us and our school to help get a new IEP crafted that far better served our child. Since then, we've continued working with her and our son has made incredible progress. We are so happy to have found her and highly recommend her as an advocate.

Without Debbie's expertise, my husband and I would have been lost navigating through the IEP…read moreprocess. I would highly recommend Debbie, she understands the system, the players, and is very empathetic.