This school contains many stellar educators. However, the administrative functions are…read moredisorganized, capricious, incompetent and outright disrespectful to their teachers and parents. We had a child in their preschool program. Enrollment was complete chaos: they promised us space in the after care program, assured us there would be plenty, then forgot to add our name to an email list serv for families so we never received the email asking to register. We had to beg and plead for a spot for extended day so that I could continue full time at my work. Their emails to families never come from one person, sometimes it's the head of school, sometimes the CEO, sometimes the librarian. It makes it so confusing and to this day my husband is still not receiving emails that I do, and vice versa, seemingly randomly. During our year of enrollment the preschool encountered numerous challenges and communication to parents was abysmal. Our classroom flooded and randomly had to be closed for more than a week. There were issues with the "lunch program" which is I guess adequate calorie wise, but truly pitiful. Many staff and families feel that the admin leadership, Director of School to be specific, sees the PFA program as a cash cow, but does very little to improve or support the preschool division. (And there's a question about whether they really are in compliance with all of PFA mandates). Half of the enrollment at this school is the preschool. Our beloved teacher raised many concerns with their leadership team and was ultimately fired for being a squeaky wheel, and she was literally the only reason we could recommend this place. After this school year none of the families I know will re enroll and many of the preschool staff are planning on quitting. All that said, I believe that TM has the ability to reform and I sincerely hope they do, because I believe that the educators have skills and experience and the grounds of the school are incredible.

Tucker Maxon... catering to Deaf and Hard of Hearing children but charging them significantly more…read morein tuition than typically hearing kids. Do better.

We've had such a great experience with the preschool at St. Ignatius! We get daily updates through…read moreSeesaw, as well as reminders. The teachers, Matt and Ash, have been fantastic - so kind, patient, and clearly love what they do. Our child feels safe, supported, and excited to go to school every day, which says a lot! They have gone above and beyond to make sure she thrives both socially and academically. Also, because it's a PreK-8, they get access to library, PE and Music class! She comes home every other day with a story about something she learned in PE, a new song that is stuck in her head or wonderful book that she wants to tell us about. We also love that the preschoolers get chances to interact with the older kids during their family group time - This is going to help make the transition to Kindergarten a lot easier! Since our daughter is just about to turn 4, she will be completing a second year of Pre-K in the 2025-2026 school year and we are all very excited she gets another year with Matt, Ash and many of the friends she has made this year!

Our child is only in pre school at St. Ignatius, but we have been very happy with their pre school!…read moreWhen looking for a pre school in the neighborhood, I Googled things like "Portland preschools near by" and St. Ignatius did not pop up. Many of the pre schools that did pop up were small mom and pops with little or no availability. With no previous experience with St. Ignatius, I finally specifically searched this local school after getting waitlisted elsewhere and we signed up for it. The teachers and staff are amazing. Very loving towards the children and communicate excellent with families. They even provide multiple pictures every day via the Seesaw app so we know exactly what she is doing every day! Highly recommend St. Ignatius!

My updated review reflects our family's experience at Ren from grades 1-8. Our child is now a…read moreFreshman at St Mary's Academy and is on the honor roll despite having some learning differences. Ren prepared our daughter for a rigorous college prep program. Although she had some nervousness about final exams and needed a primer on letter grades and GPA, she was academically well-prepared. The girls who attend St Mary's after Ren School seem to excel. Most importantly, Ren was instrumental in helping my daughter develop a strong sense of herself. Ren's holistic approach to education, with a focus on social and emotional development, is stellar. It mattered to me that our daughter's education encompassed far more than just book learning. Over the years, she was nurtured and went from a timid and anxious child to a confident and creative young woman. As a college professor, I recognize the importance of academic preparedness. I also know that social and emotional stressors can make it challenging to learn. Being in a safe community where she was known and cared for by all the teachers meant the world to our family. Thank you, Ren!

Ren is still a really magical place, as per my previous review. Like at most smaller schools,…read morespecific experiences and accommodations will vary by grade and teacher, which means it can be a bit of a roll of the dice year to year. My experiences thus far are still all with the lower school, which has a noticeably different feel than the upper, though there's abundant mingling in all the good ways. Reading through a bunch of other more recent reviews I'm updating mine to reflect reality on some points that others have found frustrating in theirs: * The school does not have specific services, expertise or accommodations for neurodiverse kids. There is no counselor or administrator with specific training or credentials for helping ND scholars, and the overall body of staff lacks up-to-date pedagogy and training on the most current and effective ways to help these students, though there are *plenty* of well-meaning, helpful adults on the team, who do their very best. That said, the open, creative and varied nature of the environment *can* make it a much better fit for some ND kids than a standard classroom, and as such there are many ND kids in the student body who are thriving. But it's important to make sure that your kiddo will fit within the (not super explicit) boundaries when deciding if Ren is a good fit. Be open and clear about any special needs/quirks/features of your child to make sure it'll be a good fit, and if your visit day leaves you with open questions, ask for another one! Everyone wants everyone to succeed and no one is helped by accepting a student who won't flourish. * The school is not well organized, in terms of paperwork, documentation, administrivia, follow-up, etc. If you're looking for the well-oiled accountable machine of larger or more established environments, you may find this very frustrating. Everything takes a while, and you generally have to bring things up a bunch of times before things start moving. It's a worthwhile trade for a space where your kid can feel safe and happy, but one you need to decide to make so it doesn't irk you along the way. * While the kids form solid and important relationships in school, that does not extend out to the parent-body, which can leave some families feeling isolated. No PTA or parent interest groups, and minimal volunteer participation, though there is a core of very willing and available parents who show up if an effort can be organized for a specific issue or by a specific class. I remain an enthusiastic parent of multiple scholars, and am grateful that a welcoming and creative space like Ren exists, even if it does have rough edges to keep working on. If you find me in a local parent group or some such thing, I'm always happy to talk about Ren and answer questions. Good luck!

ISP creates joy…read more Happy and educated children is what I see at ISP whenever I'm on campus. The combination of language immersion and IB education (inquiry-based) is amazing. These children come out with a global mindset treating others with respect snd care. We looked at a number of schools in Portland and ISP is the best. Seeing 5th graders graduate fully fluent in Spanish, Japanese or Mandarin is amazing. And hearing stories of ISP graduates in college and beyond who use the skills and language they learned at ISP daily, reaffirms why we believe this is the best school in Portland. Additionally, the location makes school accessible to families living all over Portland. Being centrally located (near public transit, bike paths, highways, etc.) means the students learn about city and have easy access to museums, theater, and more for field trips. An ISP education builds a strong foundation to help the next generations follow their dreams.

Where else in Portland can a monolingual household, like ours, send a child to school at age 3 and,…read morewithin a few years, watch her become fluent in another language? Not only does our daughter speak Spanish fluently like a native speaker, she can write proficiently in both English and Spanish. Our now seven-year-old child has achieved something neither of her parents have managed, which has been a huge confidence booster. Before enrolling her, we were concerned about whether she could succeed in learning a foreign language at such a young age and whether she might fall behind in other subjects. However, our fears were unfounded. She, along with her classmates, quickly picked up Spanish. Additionally, attending a diverse school where Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese are predominantly used has allowed her to appreciate and celebrate different traditions and cultures. If you are looking for true diversity, you will have trouble finding more of it at any other school in the area. Remarkably, she and many of her classmates significantly outperform state averages in reading in English and math as evidenced by standardized test scores, demonstrating that language immersion has not hindered her overall academic progress. The inquiry-based learning process of the school's International Baccalaureate program has fostered her curiosity, creativity, and independent critical thinking. In one of her classes students can volunteer to present "mini-lessons" on topics of interest. Recently, she presented a lesson on DNA, displaying an impressive understanding of a complex subject that I didn't learn about until high school or college. I've also been impressed with the quality of her art classes. Unlike the simple arts and crafts of my childhood, she has learned about art history and various artists. When we visited a Frida Kahlo exhibit, she provided insightful commentary on Kahlo's background and influences. Similarly, she recognized the influence of Vincent Van Gogh in a painting by Edvard Munch, showcasing her knowledge and keen eye for art. The small class sizes not only provides more personalized attention from the teachers, it also fosters a culture of kindness (her class this year had a 12:1 student-teacher ratio, about half of what it is at area public schools). While the school is located in downtown Portland, it's a bit hidden. It's a safe oasis on a quiet dead-end street, easily accessible by bike, streetcar, MAX, bus, and car due to its central location. When we lived in The Pearl District, I could bike my daughter to school on dedicated bike paths for most of the route. If you are looking for a truly differentiated education for your child that will lay a foundation for them to thrive in a shrinking global community & economy I'd encourage you to check out the International School of Portland.

It's a hostile environment for kids who aren't part of the "in" crowd. My kid was bullied in class…read moreby another student and the teacher turned a blind eye. This was in an IB class.

My son, who attends LHS for the IB program, has been making his homework and generally likes all…read morehis teachers -- a completely new situation for me. We moved to Portland from the Netherlands, where he did little or nothing, and I am so happy to see him enjoying school, making new friends (whom I all like when I meet them), attending the Iron Chef Wednesday lunches, and thinking about his future and what he really wants to do with his life. When we attended the parent/teacher conferences together in October, he received one compliment after another from his teachers. Already encouraged by Ms. Chapman, the Principal, who answered my emails personally, and the really nice staff at LHS, who helped with documents and requirements for the IB and regular high school attendance, I realized that in real terms LHS has meant so much more for us. It was the base from which we chose our home and has helped determine our location and views on Portland. We like, no make that love, weird!!! Thank you Lincoln and thank you Stumptown.

Lady Blues, show your pride!…read more Yes, I am an alumnus of the great St. Mary's Academy (SMA)--the only all-women's college preparatory school on the West Coast--class of 2003. I think it's safe for us all to say that we have memories from our golden years, whether they be good or bad. Thankfully, 98.6 percent of my memories of good ol' SMA are very fond. From the spirituality of the Encounter retreat (ask me sometime!) to Ms. Gorman's STD slideshow (the cauliflower penis scarred us all) and falling off the Ark, those four years were great. I remember Sister Linda (the Prez of Student Affairs) would walk through crowded SMA dances, and separate girls from their dates who were dancing too provocatively, telling them to leave room for the Holy Spirit. And if you were caught again, you were taken to the cool-down room, where Mr. Hemmen (a religion teacher) would kindly lecture you. Obviously, *I* never made it that far. For a full list of SMA oddities, just check out the Facebook group [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2230163620]. While SMA wasn't the school for everyone (i.e., the extremely boy crazy, and the ones whose parents forced them to go there), I thought it was the perfect place for me. It definitely fostered my growth as an intelligent and well-rounded person, and the teachers and staff never treated us like kids, even though we were in our teens. And I have to say that I feel I received an A++ education that TOTALLY prepared me for university. I mean, when I went to college, I had LESS homework than during SMA, and my classes were way EASIER than my high school ones. Pow! Take that! They taught me how to stand up for myself and how to get involved and ask questions. When I went to college, I was surprised to see that not many people were vocal like I was. Oh, and St. Mary's does not have uniforms (common misconception), and last time I checked they have the most liberal dress code of all the Portland private schools. Yes, you can wear flip-flops (Central Catholic doesn't allow that)! And SMA is right downtown. I took Tri-Met to school every day for four years! And because it's not a huge campus, you can leave the grounds for lunch after your freshman year. AWESOME. The teachers rock, the students rock, and they offer good financial aid packages. And I like the aid program they've got going on: For every $100 they give you in aid, the student has to do one hour of service work. It totally got me involved during my time. Oh, and no one's mascot has anything on SMA's (Laura N....that means your poet, too!): It's a blue music note. Ha! I've got nothing but love for this place. Send your baby girls here.

Best school ever for developing strong women leaders of tomorrow. Also, the Cleanest men's…read morerestrooms I have ever seen in a high school. Always spotless.

Our family dedicated five years to this school community. We had three children enrolled,…read morevolunteered our time, supported fundraising efforts, participated in school events, and genuinely believed we would remain part of this community for many more years. Like any engaged parents, we occasionally raised concerns when we felt our children were being treated unfairly or when situations involving faculty, volunteers, or school culture warranted attention. Some of those concerns involved exclusion, favoritism, and poor treatment of children and other families that we felt was inconsistent with the values the school teaches. We brought these concerns forward respectfully and through the proper channels because we believed that addressing problems is part of building a healthy school community. Instead of working toward solutions, we were ultimately informed by school and parish leadership that we had raised too many concerns and that our family and children did not belong at the school. Shortly thereafter, our children's enrollment contracts were not renewed. What has been most devastating is the impact on our children. After five years, they are being forced to leave behind their closest friends, teachers they love, and the school community that has been such a significant part of their lives. This experience taught us that families should carefully consider how the school responds to feedback and concerns. In our experience, raising concerns about the treatment of our children did not lead to meaningful dialogue, investigation, or resolution. Instead, it ultimately led to our family being excluded from the community. We are deeply saddened by how our family's time at this school ended. We never imagined that respectfully advocating for our children and bringing concerns directly to leadership would result in being told that we did not belong.

I'm an alumni of this school and they always treated everyone with respect no matter what. I would…read morehappily send my kids once they are old enough.