This HS is a joke. If you are AP or average then you'll do fine. If you are even 15% off the…read moreaverage they kick you to the curb. Especially Patner is the worst. He made my kiddo cry, I had to stop him. They didn't want to address anything for either of my kiddos and we had to hire an outside advocate. If you are considering moving to this area for the HS, don't.

If your child has any special needs please RUN away from this school. They do not know what they…read moreare doing with special needs kids. They did not teach my child anything.

We initially chose Odyssey because it promised a strong sense of community, solid education, and…read moresafe educational trips. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what was advertised. My son was bullied by a group of girls for half of his crucial final school year, and when he failed Algebra 2 (with a D grade), the principal--who also taught the class--blamed my son entirely. What was left out was that the principal had to frequently cover for other teachers, making his own teaching inconsistent, and the school even went without a science teacher for half a year. Worse yet, he failed to inform me when my son came forward about the bullying. The teachers at the 8th-grade level didn't step in to stop the bullying until I personally got involved, and that's unacceptable. While the trips were enjoyable, they were not as safe as we were led to believe. There were several issues that my son told me about only after the fact, and I wish I had known earlier. Overall, I can no longer recommend this school based on our experience.

Odyssey School in San Mateo has been a gem for our family. Over the years, both our sons went to…read moreschool and graduated from Odyssey (not at the same time). The impact on them? Huge. As products of public K-12 education followed by college, my wife and I always put academics as a priority. We were a bit wary of Odyssey's smaller size at the start. But, a close friend's endorsement and our interactions with the faculty convinced us to take the plunge. The outcome? Our boys got more than just book smarts; they received tailored education thanks to the smaller classrooms. Importantly, each of the boys didn't just pass through Odyssey; they flourished there. Both boys enrolled in their preferred local private high schools post-Odyssey. While we always emphasized academics, the expeditionary feats at the school--like scaling Mt. Whitney, exploring Japan, or sailing the Channel Islands-- helped make them who they are today. Big kudos to Odyssey for this experience.

I was class of 1998 This was a good school I miss it all the teachers had a good smile I miss Maz…read more rest in peace Mr Lydig was a good principal Mrs Ballmana It was awesome school I miss you so much

When I was in high school locally, the options weren't great at the time so my parents went the…read moreprivate route. I wouldn't think twice about sending my boys to HHS. The small learning communities model is genius and the extracurriculars are varied and quality. As an educator, my bar is pretty high and the teachers and administration at Hillsdale have proven top notch. At Back to School Night, I was so impressed with the resumes of each teacher; each was highly educated, clearly engaged and the level of care and nurturing is obvious. When my son needed support, I reached out to his advisor Amy Rally and counselor Jenny Rienzo and received such helpful feedback and guidance. Highly recommend Hillsdale High School; Go Knights!

I have 2 kids attending UP Academy and they love the school!…read more My older son used to struggle in a public school with math and writing. 3 years ago, at 2nd grade, we transferred him to UP Academy, and, within a few months, he has become a lil writer. He fell in love with writing. He wrote one full-page of very a fun story. I can't thank you enough to all the educators there. Since then until now, he always happy every morning that he gets to go to school. He loves the community there and the small-sized class makes him feel like a part of the community. My younger one started last year as a kindergartner. He loves his teachers and his friends. He learned a lot academically and socially. We love how UP academy teaches kids by their own paces. Thus, our kids get challenged throughout the year. If you are looking for a project-based learning, a place where you child can build confidence and empathy, small class sized, great community, and personalized learning, UP Academy is the place for your kids.

We love UP Academy!…read more My older one went to the school since 2nd grade (now 3rd grader), and my younger one since TK (K now). The school is relatively new (2.5 years old) but our kids attended since 2 years ago. We are happy with the school in the full two years. ***Strength** We love the super low teacher-student ratio, the differentiation of learning. We also love the mixed-age classes, that allow kids to grow and thrive not limited by grade but by the their own levels. The school focused on growth mindset and recognize the efforts and progress. We also love the focus on project-based learning and social-emotion learning. The school also offers foreign languages classes, Chinese/Mandarin and Spanish. This might be a good plus for some families. We love that. We also appreciate the schools offer afterschool extension to 6pm as well. This is very helpful for parents who are both working. The school builds a great community. Teachers that we experienced - which means all teachers since we have two kids there for two years - are all very caring. Kids love each of them. The founder has an amazing vision inspired by a strong why. We love the philosophy, the vision & mission of the school. ***Potential concerns some families may have*** - Small school space: As a micro school, the school space is small - basically an office building only. But with various field trips and outdoor learning opportunities, especially during the pre-pandemic era, we don't have any concern at all. There's indoor facility for exercise, and kids love it. - Small class size For some parents, the small class size might be another concern for social issues. However, I appreciate this a lot since it also means great individual attention from teachers. Every kid can develop his/her own learning plan, academically and socially. We particularly appreciate the small size of the school during the pandemic time. A small class makes us feel safe to send kids to school in person during pandemic, knowing that the school is small and our kids could still learn and socialize safely in person with the COVID precautions that bigger schools may not be able to offer. The school remains open in 2020-2021 school year with the waiver. I believe it's heathier for kids to interact in person than virtually on Zoom anyways. - New school This is a progressive lab elementary school, and yes it's pretty new. We've seen the school evolving in the past two years, and overall towards a even better direction. I do encourage families to experience the school themselves during the trial-out days. We did so before we transferred our kids from a good public school in the following school year. Kids loved Up Academy so much that we made the decision right after they experienced the school. It turned out to be one of the best decisions we've ever made. Overall, we love the school and highly recommend the school to other families.

Grateful to have found Compass for my son. It's difficult to find a supportive, encouraging and…read morecomprehensive program for our kiddos who have learning differences. The teachers and staff are wonderful. They truly care and understand how our kiddos think and what they need to be successful. Everyone is welcome and "belongs!" The music program and extracurricular activities are fantastic! I could not ask for a better place for my son to learn, be encouraged and accepted. The only complaint would be - the cost and the number of day off. The school is extremely expensive. And the number of days off is high! You can't teach kids if they are not at school. Would prefer more days in school / less days off.

I went to Compass and the services that we requested were amazing. They offer services like extra…read moretime on tests or having a scribe write. I enjoyed the value of how much I learned

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.

Interviewed here and saw some things that were surprising to me for a school that is as well funded…read moreas this one is. i would likely avoid this school if you want your children to have a fully rounded education experience.

My son is a student at Futures Academy in San Mateo. We enrolled him right before SIP began. It has…read morebeen a great experience. His teachers and the school have been very responsive to his needs and he engages in his learning in a way that did not happen before. I highly recommend Futures Academy. We are glad we found it!

Futures was a tremendous help and stress reliever to our family. My son's health had affected his…read moreability to attend school regularly, and had forced him to withdraw from his high school mid-semester. We needed an alternative schooling method to help us bridge the semester missed with an accredited program for Precalc AB Honors to keep him up academically while we addressed his medical condition. After a very disappointing experience with another alternative school in Palo Alto (much closer to our house) that wasted 2 weeks of our time and effort, we turned to Futures. What a wonderfully different experience! The 1:1 teaching method was hugely effective in both catching him up and targeting where he did/didn't need more focus, and built up his confidence and morale. The staff and teachers that we interacted with were flexible and accommodating to my son's needs. He is now back in his "regular" school again, and ahead of many of his classmates in a hugely challenging math class. I can't thank the team (esp Nicole, Jayne, Greg, and Carolyn) enough!

IHM has been more than a school for our daughter -- it has provided strong academics, meaningful…read morevalues, and a close-knit community that truly feels like family. My daughter joined IHM four years ago. She was a true "COVID kid," and this was her first school experience. From the beginning, IHM felt less like a school and more like an extended family. As an only child with busy working parents and no siblings nearby, she didn't have much daily social interaction outside school. At IHM, she gained more than academics -- she learned independence, social skills, manners, values, and strong ethics. Her Preschool, Kindergarten, and TK teachers truly invested in her personally, and that care made all the difference. We tried district school for one year in first grade, but it wasn't the right fit. She regressed socially, picked up negative language, and became more anxious. When we returned to IHM, the change was clear. She improved academically, but more importantly, her social and emotional well-being grew tremendously. She became calmer and more confident again. Friday Mass, school events, and community functions have helped shape her character and sense of belonging. I also value that the school participates in state-level evaluations, so we're always aware of academic standards. Is IHM a perfect school? No. There are always areas that can improve -- just like anywhere else. But is there really such a thing as a perfect school? What IHM provides is something more important to us: a strong educational foundation, a structured social environment, and a close-knit community. For our daughter, it has truly been a family away from family. As parents constantly juggling work, we are deeply grateful for the role IHM has played in raising and shaping her. We are thankful to be part of this community.

I attended years ago from 2005 to 2009 and I was bullied every day by my fellow classmates. They…read moreeven bullied me in front of teachers and the teachers never stopped it or did anything to discipline them. The bullying was so bad that I dropped out in the beginning of 8th grade and went to Ralston. The 8th grade teacher mrs kruetzmann was cruel towards me as well. I was hoping that it's better now. but based on some of the other reviews, it looks like it might not be any better. I found the teachers to be A LOT more kind, caring, helpful at Ralston.

So happy we picked this school for our daughter! The admission process was smooth and every time I…read morehad questions, they were addressed right away. Thank you Debbie Anderson! :) All the staff are friendly and the teachers are well educated, kind and engaging. School is all about empowering our young girls and helping them advocate for themselves - great life skills. The parents are wonderful and we have really been enjoying the social events at the school.

The teachers and staff were incredible in creating a curriculum when COVID hit. And they continue…read moreto be the bright spot of the school with their continuous support and care of the students. It's this personal connection that makes the education highly valuable for our daughter. As we wrapped up 2021 and come into 2022, we are seeing the renewed strength of the NDB community and look forward to seeing this continue to grow and thrive under the leadership of the new Head of School.

Intensely academic school that works hard to provide as many extracurricular offerings as possible…read moregiven its size. Thoughtful, organized, communicative and forward thinking in everything they do, from adjustments to curriculum to their handling of distance learning programs and the hybrid in-person schedule during COVID restrictions. Teachers, staff, administration are the best in education that one will ever encounter. My kids are challenged in the best way and we feel very fortunate they are students at here. You'll notice that the negative reviews here are from individuals who did not attend or have students that attended Crystal.

This is a good school but The campus was weird and the people were kind of mean, needs to work on…read morethe social skills, the school makes people/ me feel like we're dumb because of the standardized test you have to do to get it, I think everyone should get the chance to go to the school and everyone automatically gets into the school.