My niece took several classes at Lydian in Menlo Park recently, including English and Physics. She was having a tough time focusing in classrooms with 20 to 30 students. The distractions of traditional classrooms are hard for kids with learning differences. Lydian was a good solution. She had compassionate and dedicated tutors, and my niece improved her understanding of the course material and was able to finish the academic year successfully. Of course, some tutors are better than others so check on qualifications and meet the tutor. Since then I've recommended Lydian to several other families and each time they also were happy with the result. It's a luxury to be able to offer a child one-on-one tutoring. If you can afford it, it can mean so much. I recommend Lydian for this reason alone. It's a good model and it can get results. read more

Extremely poor school. Do not go here, parents. They rejected me from being a teacher here even though I am fully accomplished and qualified. They do not want excellence. They simply want to drag your child through school as long as possible to take your money. read more

Extremely poor communication from staff members and teachers to the parents. I strongly recommend looking into other options of schools if you want stronger communication between teachers and parents. There are schools with a similar style that have stronger educational structures. I had a few friends in my circles, looking for a similar educational style for their children, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend this school read more

I have had the opportunity to see my friend's daughter absolutely blossom since switching from another school to this school. She has become a confident young woman in a way that I wasn't sure was possible for her based on some of her special needs. Lydian academy has supported her in her journey every step of the way. Watching her go from being shy, insecure, and feeling like it was impossible to make friends, to attending and even hosting social events has been so amazing. She also had enough confidence to go out and get a summer job working with younger kids on her own. This is the same girl who struggled to go to school on her own before switching to Lydian. While Lydian academy isn't set up to work with kids of all disabilities, it has been the perfect place for my friend's daughter. read more

We met with the head of school, Jonathan. Great conversation and we were invited to see their campus. We were told they would get back to us for an assesment. They ghosted us after that. I would have expected honesty and transparency with these folks especially after all the wonderful conversations we had. If the parent experience isn't great I can't imagine the student experience. I will not recommend this school to my circle. read more

We met with the head of school Jonathan. He had a 2 hour long conversation with our child and us. We left with an assurance that he will setup a trial day. After that he never responded to our emails and ghosted us. I would be very wary of this place. read more

Lydian Academy employs business professionals to lead their academic teams. For example, the head of Math and Science works for an MLM company by the name of WFG. To learn more about this company, please visit the company's BBB website, or perform a YouTube search on WFG. This latter company has a particular standard outside the norm. Great learning experience for the kids. read more

Lydian Academy states that they have management that has previously started and run a private school. They state that the teachers, while without teaching credentials and experience in most cases, are carefully selected as masters capable to provide complete AP tutoring in any subject that management assigns them to teach. Both of these core statements turned out to be untrue, at least from what we later learned. Of the teachers we encountered, about half were outstanding and conscientious and wonderful, if untrained, and thus not ideal for preparing a student for higher academic performance. Still, great, conscientious kids. The other half of the teachers were not. Specifically, an English tutor who could not write grammatically, could not spell, and was a poor communicator in writing. He appeared to lack basic common sense in other ways, in our experience, beyond just accepting a position for which he was utterly unqualified. Another tutor thought teaching for 1/2 hour and letting the student watch You Tube (on subject matter entirely unrelated to the subject he was assigned to teach) for the other half was an appropriate tutoring session. There were other issues with this teacher as well. Given the general quality of Stanford new graduates (the pool the school primarily utilizes as tutors) this was just an utter surprise to us. Management oversight that would allow this to occur wasn't something we imagined would be an issue. With the wealth of outstanding teachers, tutoring services and individual students looking for extra work around Stanford and throughout the Bay Area, we should have looked harder and not been quite so gullible. In any case, if it isn't apparent to you within a few weeks that this is not the right service, then probably you have great teachers and it's going well. We just were naiive and clearly didn't do the due diligence that was called for initially and on an ongoing basis. read more

My son attends one of the local public schools--but takes his math classes at Lydian Academy. Choosing Lydian was the single best decision we made in his 4 years of high school! Lydian worked with our family to accommodate his schedule and he has had some of the finest teachers we have ever experienced. With Lydian's help our son went from failing--with high math anxiety to confident and actually liking math! His pre-Calc teacher is by far the most AMAZING teacher he has EVER had! She is kind, caring & and truly takes enormous pride in her work--always going the extra mile--sometimes two! Absolutely incredible! Lydian Academy, has given our son the opportunity to authentically master material at his own pace without judgement! Lydian is the BEST place on the peninsula to get help for your students when you are at your wits end! They know that all kids are not created equal, everyone has strengths to be celebrated and weaknesses to strengthened! The staff at Lydian is warm and caring! read more

Like some of the other reviewers, our son has learning differences and was not able to concentrate/succeed in our local High School. Lydian has been extremely accepting and accommodating, matching him with teachers and time slots that work well for him. Our son attended two years of Lydian summer school and now attends full time. Despite 10+ years of private tutoring, a private school for kids with learning disabilities, and many special classes, reading and writing was still a struggle for him when he entered Lydian this Fall. He is now taking 11th grade English and we can't believe what he's producing after just 3 months. His reflection on what he's learned so far was a perfect example -- he was able to describe where he is in the process, what he's learned, and what he's still working on. In depth and detail, organized and structured, and even with a literary reference to a short story he was just working on. This week he whipped out a introductory paragraph to his analysis of The Great Gatsby that impressed my father (who used to write speeches for a Stanford President) and my niece who teaches English at Yale. What's best about it, of course, is that he's actually enjoying it. It's probably the first time in his life he's actually felt really confident about his academic abilities. He says Geometry is fairly easy. And he knows when he's written something well. He will hand it to me with a sly smile and ask me to read it. Wow. This is a BIG deal. Lydian, we are indebted to you. read more

Last November we decided to transfer our child to Lydian Academy from a private high school on the peninsula. With a 3.9 GPA, we wanted our child to be challenged and not judged. This school has been a blessing for our family. The instruction at Lydian Academy, while very challenging, is done in a constructive and positive manner. Our son has excelled above and beyond our expectations, he is now finishing his course work and is preparing for three AP tests in May. It's a wonderful atmosphere and we are very pleased with how we have been treated. Our son wishes we would have sent him to Lydian Academy his Freshmen year, now knowing how much more advanced his high school education could have been. Update - 9/7/2011 Thank you again to Lydian Academy - Our son was accepted to USC, now on his 3rd year. read more

Our child is going to Lydian full time for HS. If you can afford it, it is worth every penny. Previously, due to moving, our child has attended both local public schools, top private California schools and a top US boarding school. Academically, like any school there are great teachers, good teachers and an occasional so-so teacher. The difference, however, is that 1. Lydian system makes sure your child knows the material before they move on; you no longer hypocritically say "It's all about what you learn and doing your best, not the grade." It actually is about what you learning. 2. Your child will always get enough sleep, 3. You can take family vacations whenever you want (small thing, but nice!) 4. It allows the child to do a sport, music, etc without having to sacrifice the AP classes, and even still take electives and have some "down time" during week days. I have heard the concern, "it's not like real HS." I would maintain, "Who cares? Little of life is like real HS." Few of us are better people because of HS experience. Most of life is spent teaching yourself with a the help of a boss, mentor or coworker. It's not sitting in a lecture hall with 35 people your exact age with no experience, listening to a lecture. There is no HS school peer pressure here, because your day is spent with young adults; in our experience the teachers are bright people in there late 20s and early 30s who are here in Silicon Valley because they are working on their dream and are part-time tutoring. They are great role models and our child now truly sees there is life after HS, and HS isn't only about getting into an Ivy League and changing yourself to hang with the cool crowd (no wonder so many HS kids are depressed). I would still recommend your child also do an outside group activity (sport, music etc), as there isn't much interaction with the other kids. read more

My son took two classes at Lydian last summer - geometry and 9th grade English. He struggled frosh year at his public school, failing a semester of AS English, and getting a D in a semester of geometry. Lydian was a great program for him. He had two excellent, caring, knowledgeable tutors, they worked out a schedule that helped us figure out transportation to their location, provided a lot of visibility into the assignments and his progress, both online, and when we saw him doing the daily homework. I like their model, and I was thrilled with the results. While geometry doesn't necessarily feed subsequent math courses, his attitude and approach to math improved greatly and he got A's in Algebra II the following year at school. And in English, the change was profound - he gained tools and experience in writing essays (by writing a lot of them over the summer). And, more importantly he gained confidence in approaching writing tasks like essays. I'd recommend Lydian without hesitation. read more

We moved our daughter to Lydian Academy from a traditional high school. Our daughter was dealing with serious health issues and we needed a flexible program so she could maintain her medical appointments at Stanford. We found the quality of the classes and teachers to be good, but the english and writing assignments were not at the same level of my daughters previous school. They do provide a full academic program, including AP classes, and they will proctor SAT and ACT exams as well to help the kids move onto college. They are fully accredited, and the staff works very hard to work with families. The biggest issues I had were the activities outside of class. There are few clubs that thrive due to adequate sponsorship. Sometimes a parent will initiate and lead a club, but I have seen things fall apart because the parent will suddenly have a conflict. I thinkLydian needs to review their tuition model to ensure it covers additional enrichment or set up a fee model to properly staff things like a robotics club, a speech and debate club, etc...School is about learning your subject matter, but it's also very important to provide opportunities for leadership, and personal growth. They seem to be extremely concerned about causing "too much stress" for the students, but extra curricular activities are done by choice, and it would greatly enhance the school community. The students interested in these clubs could also identify ways to raise funds, to help pay for materials or field trips. Otherwise we are grateful we found a Lydian. We met other families with teens in our situation at Stanford, and many of those kids were getting their GED since the traditional high school model cannot accommodate students who need a more flexible situation or struggle with absences. It was important to us to ensure our daughter graduated high school and Lydian helped to make that happen. For that we will be forever grateful. If you need a non-traditional setting for your student I would definitely look at Lydian to see if it's a fit. read more

We came to Lydian over the summer to preview math for the coming school year... our experience has been amazing. Our daughter is kicking butt (where she used to be so hesitant) and we're using them for tutoring through the year. Both of the instructors we've worked with have been so great. :) read more

I had to pull my daughter out of a private high school after I discovered that she was receiving "A"'s in a subject which she completely did NOT understand. Being in her freshman year, the classroom information was vital towards keeping her on track for the next three years and there was no way to ascertain (with out a lot of expensive testing) just what it was that she HAD learned in the prior year and a half. Honestly, it was a case of violated trust and you should just pick up and leave when that happens. And THEN figure out the next move. Keep in mind that (in the meantime) you now have a teenager watching Youtube while you are at work. Sound like a bad idea? Lydian Academy was our best option. It's a mastery program that moves at an individual pace. If she understood some concept, L.A. would just give her a quick review, test the chapter and move on. If not, the excellant teaching staff would stay focused on that subject until it was throughly grasped. There were some massive holes in her competency and L.A. filled in those gaps. I shudder to think how this would have played out had we not taken this important step. It would have eventually caught up with her and the failure would have happened at a point when she would have had less time in which to make it up. Although you might be able to walk in and receive credit for mid-year transfers, we redid the whole year. She did it in 4 months by increasing the amount of homework she did. But that's the great thing: they tailor your program to suit the needs of the student, not the teacher and the pace of the other classmates. There are only two issues I might have with Lydian (this removed one of the 5 stars): there is no social outlet for the teenagers and the cost is SHOCKING...understandable given the amount of one-on-one... but VERY expensive. read more

I wouldn't waste your time with this place. Talk about rude. I've tried contacting Rhonda Racine several times. Funny, she's always with a client?! Each and every time apparently too. Contact information? There isn't any listed on their website, so you're stuck calling their office line, which is a drag in and of itself because you're stuck talking to Racine, who as previously mentioned, doesn't have the time of day to speak to anyone. They remind me of elitist academics that brag and boast about their credentials, putting down others that don't fit their "profile". What a terrrible reality; there is a lot of competition in this industry for college and academic tutoring and these elitist folk think they're the only show in town. Go elsewhere please. Or at least don't work/ask for Rhonda. read more

I received 3 concussions during my freshman year at Menlo-Atherton high school, and Lydian Academy helped me overcome the challenges I faced as a result. The supportive and accepting environment that they create is unlike any other I've come by. It's easy to focus on the material and learn with the teachers who you develop close bonds and long lasting friendships with. I cannot say enough good things about this school; being a full-time student was the happiest I've been at a school. Matt, the director, is super friendly and always there if you need someone to talk to. There are more teachers than I can name that are excellent; Perla is an amazing spanish teacher. I could go on and on about this school, thank you for being so amazing Lydian! read more

My child took four classes at Lydian this semester. All of the teachers were fantastic. They were everything you want in a teacher- well-informed and passionate about their subject, and compassionate and engaging with the student. My child made a connection with each one. They're young and fun. The administration is likable, efficient, and knowledgeable. The principal is a really dynamic guy. They have social opportunities during and after school but my child didn't engage in them so I can't comment on their quality. read more

Great consultations and the personalized attention that students need to learn.

Our family's relationship with Lydian goes back a long way (in a handful of different capacities), and we've been nothing but delighted. EVERYONE we've worked with has been terrific and well targeted towards what we need. The focus on authentic learning and confidence building was especially important to us. read more

This review is long overdue. I highly recommend Lydian Academy! My daughter started at Lydian during her sophomore year as a part-time math student. Her Algebra II/Trig teacher at the public high school was awful, so we enrolled her at Lydian for math only. I was very nervous about pulling my daughter out of public school for one class; however, it turned out to be a great decision. Learning math 1:1 changed my daughter's entire perspective about school. Her teacher was able to make math come alive and really motivated my daughter to learn. By the end of the semester, she begged me to allow her to attend Lydian full-time. I ended up enrolling her full-time for the second half of sophomore year and her junior year. She learned so much during these years and gained an appreciation for the subject matter of her classes. Academically, she advanced beyond her peers at the public schools. She is now a sophomore in college and credits her years at Lydian for contributing to her current success. Lydian Academy is a special place that inspires students. I am grateful to Matt and the teachers at Lydian. read more

Attending Lydian Academy for a year is easily the worst educational decision I have ever made. The administration will kindly show you through the door but after that expect no help from them on anything once you hand over the check. The teachers consist of mostly recent college grads with almost no teaching experience whom for the most part gave me instant A's with almost no effort whatsoever. The worst thing I witnessed here was students with severe learning differences being taught in Lydian's one on one classes by these same inexperienced teachers. These people should not be teaching, and they certainly do not have any of the skills required to help students with severe learning differences. I consider this to be a huge breach of educational ethics, as these students need help to learn the skills they will need to overcome their difficulties, and Lydian has no one qualified to teach them these skills. I learned nothing in the year I attended school there, I feel as though it was a huge waste of my time, not to mention a huge waste of my parents money. I would not recommend Lydian to anyone, regardless of need. read more

I believe that often times parents (and somehow students) do not get the full effect of Lydian. This school does something amazing, it takes a student no matter what circumstances and allows them to function at a level that just cannot be met at any other school. Lydian truly saved me and every day I come into this school I not only felt welcome but also realized that I would learn more in a day here than in a week at my former public high school. Although people are entitled to there opinions I feel like a certain post is slightly flawed. This school is hiring smart, and talented individuals, that may not have a masters in education, but understand how a kid learns. The connection between the teacher and student is something truly special and no other school can boast this. A school in which any kid, no matter there past can learn to their full ability is what drew me into this school, and it is why everyday when I walk up those stairs that I know it is going to be a good day read more