A truly special school that we feel so fortunate to have found. There are many reasons we…read moreappreciate El Rio, but one that grows daily is our appreciation for a no-tech/low-tech learning environment. As data mounts about the harms of pervasive tech in schools, it is simply not something we have to worry about.

It's hard to write a review of a school that had its inaugural year smack dab in the middle of a…read morepandemic, which is why I'm giving it three stars instead of the two that I would be inclined to give it under less extraordinary circumstances. I'll start with some positives, the staff, teachers, and parent community at the school are lovely and kind, and the student body makeup seems to have a good mix of race and socioeconomic backgrounds. The school is lottery-based, so their student body's diversity depends on who they target via marketing efforts. The first red flag I had with the school was attending a parent education night, and the person leading the meeting mentioned that the 3rd-grade class spends the year studying stories from the Old Testament, starting with the "myth" of Cain and Able. Another mother and I did a triple take, we asked, "How is this possible in a public school?" The reply was that they teach these stories a "myths" and not as biblical stories. Around the same time, there was a rumble amongst the parents because some of the children in the older grades were told not to use black and brown crayons because they "weren't as pretty" as the other colors of crayons. In the midst of all that was happening in the world, this felt extremely inappropriate and off-base. That was my second red flag. This prompted me to do some deeper research into the origins of Waldorf because I had come into this school thinking this was a play-based, child-centered approach that didn't stress hard academics in Kindergarten and taught reading when it was developmentally appropriate, etc. The origins of Waldorf are laden with "spiritual", religious and racist undertones and the founder of Waldorf Rudolf Steiner was simply put a religious kook and a racist. This article sums up Waldorf nicely https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/waldorf-schools-are-inherently-racist-cults-91193d1fbef6 There is no science in the curriculum, which they may change later, and if your child turns out to be more academically inclined you will either need to get a tutor to expose them to more complex materials or find them another school. I recently had my child assessed by an independent tutor for first-grade readiness as we are transferring to another school and he had only been exposed to 15-20% of the materials he needed to learn to be ready for 1st grade. Obviously, this was an upsetting revelation. At the end of the day, Waldorf was not for us and I would encourage everyone to research it deeply before committing to having their child attend any Waldorf-based school.

Foothill Progressive Montessori is a truly exceptional school that we have had the honor of sending…read moreour daughter to for the last two and a half years. Run by Ms. Kanthi and staffed by a truly excellent array of teachers, including Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Kim, and Ms. Fatema, Progressive has been instrumental in the growth and development of our daughter from age 3 to 5. With the guidance of Progressive, our daughter gained admission to our first choice private school, and one of the most competitive schools in the state. Over the years we have come to deeply value the warm, thoughtful environment of the school. Birthdays are truly special occasions frequented by princesses and superheroes, exceptional art is made with the guidance of teachers, and the educational rigor is unmatched. With the dedicated guidance of Ms. Fatema, our now 5 year old daughter can read, write, and do basic arithmetic at the level of a late Kindergartener, winning the admiration of family, friends, and admissions directors alike. Just as important, Progressive has allowed our daughter to find her voice, speak up and give her opinion, and instill her with a level of confidence that wows everyone around her. While perhaps less well known than other preschools that profess to be "feeders" for the competitive Pasadena private school scene (and who charge accordingly), Foothill Progressive is exceptional in that it stands not on a name, but the merits of its teachers and genuine commitment to the success of its students. Our daughter's success is proof that this is what truly matters. Thank you, Progressive Montessori, for everything you have done for our daughter and family. You deserve nothing less than our highest recommendation and we encourage all parents in La Canada, Pasadena, and Altadena to join your wonderful community.

We absolutely LOVE Foothill Progressive Montessori School. Our kids have been at this school since…read more2022, and I was a student 1997-1999. Ms. Kanthi was my teacher and now she owns the same school and teaches my kids! She is absolutely amazing! All of the staff are incredible. Ms. Fatema, Ms. Chrissy, Ms. Kim, Ms. Sumudu, Ms. Raquel, Ms. Angelica, Ms. Hazmik. Literally every single one of them. All of them treat the kids as if they were their own, so much love and patience with the kids. My kids love going to school and they actually get excited about learning. Ms. Fatema's science class has been amazing in instilling a love for learning for our oldest child. We can't wait for our other kids to take Ms. Fatema's science class and Ms. Kim's science class. My oldest is definitely ready for kindergarten solely because of Ms. Fatema. The school has great hours for working parents from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Hot lunch is available for an additional fee. The school goes all out for all of the holidays and graduation. There are lots of opportunities for parent involvement should you want to be involved. The environment is screen-free and true to the Montessori method.

This school has been amazing for my kids. We stumbled upon it post pandemic, my son starting TK…read morehardly able to hold a pencil, and I was so blown away by how much he learned in such a short amount of time. The arts programs instantly brought out his passion for all things drawing. Most importantly, he has always been happy there. Five years later and neither of my kids have ever said "I don't want to go to school today". Besides the arts programs, which include music, dance and physical arts, they also have a garden program ran by California Climate action fellows. The social emotional education has been invaluable to both of my children as well. Absolutely love the diversity the school offers and the strong parent community. Volunteers are welcomed and encouraged and I always feel at home there. While we absolutely love it here, individual experiences will always vary, even in the absolute best schools. The school as a whole has wonderful teachers and a great philosophy. It works so well for so many kids, especially if you're invested in your kids education and supporting them from home. Definitely worth a tour if you're just starting off with schooling or in search of a new fit for your kid!

Our family has been part of this school since 2020. Over the years, we watched many families leave…read moreand often thought, "It's not that bad." For our children, it wasn't--until this year. The school year began in complete disarray, with inadequate supervision, students without assigned teachers or classrooms, and widespread confusion. Unfortunately, conditions only deteriorated from there. Throughout the year, students experienced repeated injuries, classroom evacuations, student elopements, frequent fire alarm disruptions, and recurring lice outbreaks that were not consistently communicated to families. One particularly troubling incident involved a substitute teacher who told a student with autism that autism "isn't real" and threatened to "call the cops" on a group of elementary students. Despite repeated efforts to raise concerns with school leadership, the board, and LAUSD, there was no accountability or communication with the affected families. LAUSD has already voted to close the middle school, and the elementary school's renewal will be reviewed during the 2026-2027 school year. I regret not taking other parents' concerns more seriously. We have decided to enroll our three children elsewhere next year. Our focus now is helping them recover academically and emotionally from a school environment where chaos often felt normalized and leadership seemed unresponsive. Parents should understand that this independent charter school operates under highly centralized leadership, with limited transparency or accountability. Many families, including ours, ultimately leave only after feeling they have exhausted every other option. I am genuinely glad for families whose children had positive experiences. However, those experiences do not erase the injuries, trauma, learning loss, and challenges many other students faced. Please consider a school with proven curriculum, healthy leadership and above all - safety.

I feel so incredibly lucky to have had my daughter attend Parents and Children. Today is the last…read moreday of the school year, and while I'm sad that she is graduating, I'm also very grateful for the experience she had. I strongly believe in the schools foundational curriculum of play based learning. My daughter truly enjoys learning because of the fun atmosphere they've created around it. Nothing is forced, curiosity is nurtured, and they are free and independent to explore what they want to. The teachers are all so warm and kind, they really make preschool feel like a second home not to just my daughter but myself included. Picking up my daughter with my youngest has become one of our favorite things to do everyday because we feel so welcomed and the environment is always bustling with activities and laughter. The staff is incredible. They've always taken such great care of my daughter even during her toughest moments, she was never scolded or punished, they've always taken a kind and gentle approach which I really appreciate and helped my daughter work through some tough times. Especially miss Conny, she not only kept me updated with what my daughter was working through, but gave me tips, shared personal experiences, and was just there as a friend when I had those tough mornings. This school is an absolute treasure.

Parents and Children's has gone above and beyond in keeping our daughter's experience and…read moreenvironment as healthy as possible during their return from the Covid-19 pandemic. It is of no surprise that they would make this transition so seamless, the teachers have been so nurturing since day one. It speaks volumes when your little one is very excited to go to school Monday morning and shares all the excitement of a school day. We couldn't be more grateful for our daughter's preschool, it's been a big part of her life and we are looking forward to when our 2nd little one could attend in the fall. We know that one day they will look back and remember Parents & Children's fondly just like their father does, as he was fortunate enough to attend Parents and Children's during his pre-K years. The fact that we are a multi-general Parents and Children's family evidences the educational, healthy, and happy experience they will create for your kids. P.S. they make THE best art projects and sensory activities!

PWS is a beautiful school that nurtures children's development by providing a holistic education…read morethat protects childhood in the early years and develops critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence. The curriculum is well rounded, academic and progressive, centered around the child's development. The diverse community is one where families genuinely connect and are deeply involved. The relationships students have with their teachers is very special. Teachers get to know them well and care for their education. I highly recommend this school

PWS has been the most incredible learning environment for our child and family. We cannot recommend…read morethis program, these teachers and this community more highly.

Sequoyah School has been an indelible safe space for learning and growing for both of my daughters…read more(two years apart). It's practically impossible to list the pros of what this school has provided by way of positive experience, fruitful knowledge, and open/creative thinking. In so many ways it has prepared both of my children with the tools they need not just for a positive college experience, but for themselves in life, knowing who they each are and how to be the most truthful individuals they can be.

I have three kids at Sequoyah, and they have all been at the school since kindergarten (this is our…read moresixth year at the school). I cannot speak highly enough about this school. It's a place where teachers and administrators fiercely guard the experience of childhood and being a kid, while also challenging kids academically. Our kids deeply love school (they're disappointed when there's a three-day weekend!) - they are engaged in and excited about what they're learning. I've been so impressed with the level of the academics for all the kids - the teachers at Sequoyah expect a high level of achievement from the kids, proportionate to what they know each kid is capable of. Even more importantly, every teacher we've had has truly *seen* each of our kids for who they are - they see what motivates each kid, what their social experience is, and how much they should push versus encourage. The school community is, quite simply, what keeps our family in LA. The families at Sequoyah are diverse, kind, warm, and interesting - exactly the sorts of people I'm thrilled my kids get to grow up around, and I get to have as my friends. Sequoyah is the sort of special place that I truly think is making our corner of the world a better place.

I adore this school. We toured many schools but ultimately we've been happy here because the…read moreprincipal is superb, the teaching is excellent, and the students are wonderfully positive and engaged. The teachers love the kids. There are many ways to get involved which is important to me. My son is in 1st grade and absolutely thriving here. He loves coming to school and comes home just bubbling over about what he learned at school.

It's gotten far worse but it was a solid elementary school for a time. Now the staff seems to hate…read morekids.

As a fellow alumni and now a parent of a dual language kindergartner at Bushnell way, I couldn't be…read morehappier. The school, the program and the staff have been more than I ever expected. My son has a wonderful teacher that truly cares about the children and their education. Mrs. Ryan is loving and enthusiastic about the program and the success of her students. The principal, Mrs. Narvaez, is approachable, caring and fully involved in all aspects of the school. This has been a great start to my child's academic journey.