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.

My family has explored a variety of Grupology classes and camps in recent years and I've been…read moreconsistently impressed with both the content and instructors in each and every offering. My sons (elementary and middle school) are currently enrolled in math and chess programs and are thriving in each discipline. Shout out to Coach Josh and Coach Colin for keeping the kids engaged and excited about learning! I really appreciate the time and care they take with their students. Grupology is a fantastic organization on so many different levels. I'd give it 6 stars if I could and I'm so glad it's part of our local community.

If you want well rounded motivated kids, look no further. Both my kids, ages 10 and 11 have been…read moregoing to Grupology for a couple years now. We have done everything from summer programs, science classes, math core, english and creative writing, improv and sketch comedy to chess and so much more. Grupology bridges the gap between school and home. It's a no-brainer. The kids LOVE Grupology classes and we, as parents can see the value wholeheartedly. Our kids are confident and excited to learn. They are not afraid of academic challanges. The offerings grow consistently and there is something offered for every age and interest. I highly, highly recommend Grupology to everyone!

The Learning Studios took the place of therapy for me as a parent of a college bound child. I…read moredidn't stress a bit during this time! My daughter just finished her Freshman year at American University and it has been an excellent fit for her. The only thing I did to help her with her college prep and research was sign her up at the Learning Studios. Christy and her team helped her explore what she wanted to study, what she wanted in a college, what colleges to consider, how to write her statement of purpose, etc., etc., They even helped with her applications for financial aid/scholarships. They held her accountable for all the steps along the way and she was pretty much done with the hard stuff by the start of her Senior year. Without the Learning Studios, I know this would have involved many stressful moments between her and me. It was worth every penny. They also provided excellent math tutoring for her (e.g., precalculus, and AP calc plus more). I've since recommended The Learning Studios to other families and all have been very pleased. I highly recommend The Learning Studios.

We just dropped off our son off at Cal Poly SLO. Christy and the entire staff at the Learning…read moreStudio were invaluable contributors in getting him into an impacted computer science/engineering major there. Our son had a great experience the past 2 years at the Learning Studio. His grades and his test scores greatly improved with the tutoring and guidance that Christy and her staff, especially Dale, provided. We highly recommend the private calculus tutoring, AP Calculus class, ACT prep and college consulting. His ACT scores greatly improved after taking the ACT prep class and coaching from Christy. Christy Franz and her staff worked with our son from his junior year to prepare for the rigors of high school and the college application process. She was very insightful, patient and intuitive when getting to know my teenage son and what drives him. Christy suggested colleges to apply that might be a "fit" for him. She has a wealth of knowledge regarding what is being taught in the high schools, what colleges to apply to, preparing applications and essay reviews. As a result of the College Application Consulting, our son was admitted to many of his top choices. We highly recommend the college consulting to ease the application process for both the student and parents!

Teresa has been an amazing tutor for both my girls for three years. My girls look forward to their…read morelessons with her and she has the patience of a saint. She makes the lessons fun and educational and redirects their attention like a pro. We couldn't be happier with her and would recommend her to anyone!

We have used Atlas at different times over the years when kids have had to supplement due to…read moreinadequate math teachers. The tutors we have used are nice, competent, and flexible. It's nice to know Atlas is there when we need it!

If you have an anxious kid, there is absolutely no other driving teacher to consider…read more Period. Thank you for your kindness and patience

Awful human being!!…read more I paid $250 for driving lessons only to find out my younger brother was not eligible to get a driver's license based on his immigration status at the time. I immediately reached out to Shahriar Assi, the owner, and asked for a refund. But he wouldn't refund the money, even though my brother did not take a single lesson with him. I explained I had just gotten laid off and really needed the money, but every time I called him, he'd pretend he was busy and ask me to call him in the future. Eventually he refunded $100 and but that was after so many calls and after literally begging him to do the right thing... Edit: Responding to owner - yes 1000% sure it was you. I have your contact info and detail in my phone. You don't remember asking me to come to the Starbucks in Burlingame and wrote me a check for $100? You said you sympathize with the Palestinian cause and were giving me a refund when normally there is no refunds. You had me drive to Burlingame only to to be handed a check for $100 instead of the full $250. Shame on you!

This review is years overdue . Do not use the Buckley group if you are in any kind of contentious…read morecoparenting situation and /or struggle with anxiety (often goes hand in hand when you're dealing with iep situations and special needs plus a fairly recent divorce at the time ). I have never dealt with such a cold , unkind , and rude company in all my years as both a previous teacher and now a special needs parent . They were flaky to follow up and knew I was under a time crunch with my son so I was understandably trying to email and call them when not getting replies . They chose to send a very stern email to myself and ex husband dismissing us as possible clients and blaming my excessive communications which he then used as part of his "evidence " to try to battle me in court , which fortunately didn't come to fruition . They could have just said it wasn't a good fit or that they realized they didn't have time in their caseload and left it vague , but instead chose to kick a mama that was already down . Years later they came up in a yelp search as we navigate a transition and I still haven't forgotten their lack of grace and unkindness . I recommend doing extensive research and avoiding if you find a better option !

Jean Marie truly kept me calm and confident as I applied to college, working with me build my…read moreapplication at every step, giving invaluable essay feedback (shouts out to Sophie Silverstein, who worked wonders with my writing) and helping me navigate the tangle of supplemental questions, deadlines, and financial aid applications that is the college application process. Not only did she provide me with a wealth of knowledge about the colleges I had to choose from, but she also connected with me personally and made me feel welcomed and cared for. She helped me get into Stanford, and I'll always be grateful!

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.