this school is amazing! I have 2 kids here and this is their 2nd year here they love the staff and…read moreteachers

This school is terrible. It is disgusting, the student to teacher ratio is horrific, and the kids…read moreare foul. At this school, children are using profanity and derogatory language everywhere, including but not limited to slurs. This school also inforces labor on older people. The custodians, both for the elementary and middle schools, are older women. Some of the teachers themselves also use such profanity! Do not send your children here, it will take a turn for the worst.

I feel badly for the reviewers who had such a tough time at this beautiful school. We have never…read moreexperienced anything but empathy, professionalism, inclusion, and academic integrity at Echo. The teachers are top notch. They teach the traditional subjects in such a bright and engaging way, our daughter fell in love with subjects she never even felt comfortable with earlier in her life: science, writing, and math. Ms. Proctor has to be the best kept secret on the Westside. She is a dynamic, kind, no-B.S. leader. The administration spends ALL of their time crafting the best educational and social experience for our kids, not fundraising, boosting and assuaging egos, and creating unimpactful events. Everyone is low-key. Real. Our lives are changed by attending Echo. Their kids go on to the most selective secondary schools in Los Angeles. If your kids don't fit in those pods, they won't lead you astray. They'll shepherd you to where your particular kid will thrive and show them love all the way.

Very disappointing experience, on their website they claim that they are open to all…read more"socioeconomic" backgrounds even if you cannot afford the school. But their actions prove otherwise. Basically, if you can't afford a huge part or all of the $35,000 yearly tuition, you are out!! My son is a gifted student, so I had asked for a scholarship for him. We were in the process of enrolling him for six months, with the hopeful intentions of him going to a great school. But because we can't afford it, we were denied.

Going into this profession I was beyond excited to jump start a career surrounded by children and…read morelike minded adults who wanted to make a change in children's lives. While working with children was a nice experience, considering I have always been able to gain a child's trust since I was younger, I was excited for the connections I was building. Two months into my employment I started to realize how toxic the team is at the Sawtelle /Mar Vista location. I don't believe they have the best interest in the children who attend this location. They never came up to me to evaluate my performance but instead went straight to the director and told her a bunch of lies. If they are genuinely concerned about your child's well being don't you think they would speak to me immediately about my performance? That certainly did not happen. The director took their word and ultimately told me " you're not fit for this company." Seems to me like they just wanted me out but in the end they did me a huge favor! I wish blue oak the best but they should definitely re-think the people they are hiring. As of right now this location only seems to care about getting through the day and making sure they have someone to clean the classrooms, not a genuine authentic team building atmosphere.

The proof is in the pudding! Upon graduating from preschool at Blue Oak, our 5 year old son is…read morearticulate, confident, competent, independent, self-aware and kind. Words like, "inspired, identity, collaboration, advocacy, equality, mentorship, hospitality, and community" are not only commonplace in his vocabulary, but they are part of who he is and how he understands himself and his world.  We moved our son to Blue Oak after having completed 1.5  years at another local preschool when we had serious concerns about how he was being treated and how he was learning to behave.  The contrast between these two schools could not have been more striking. When my son joined his Blue Oak class mid year, the teachers prepared the class to welcome and embrace him. A few weeks before he started, they placed photos of him and our family in the class room and spoke all about him at morning meetings. They asked the children what they wanted to learn about him and asked them how it might feel to be new to a group of already established friends (using the opportunity both to ensure our son was welcomed with so much warmth but also to teach the other children empathy). They scheduled a playdate for him and us to come meet a few of the children prior to his start date. On this play date, we were all welcomed with such warmth. All of the teachers and administrators greeted us by name (before we introduced ourselves) and you would have thought my son was  a celebrity based on the reception he received from the children. The children (not the adults) gave us a tour and showed our son their favorite things to do at school. Additionally, the administration had a family in his class reach out to us to welcome our family to the community and set up a play date outside of school so our son could build rapport with their son prior to starting school. How they handled this transition was a glimpse into how they do everything; with so much deliberate intention;  knowing that every action, every conversation, every word impacts others (and especially these precious young souls).  I was so worried about my son when he started at Blue Oak, not so much about the transition, as I immediately knew that Blue Oak had that handled, but concerned he'd continue the behaviors he learned at the other preschool - hitting, kicking, biting. I heard nothing from the teachers for the first few weeks, but immediately started to see pictures of my son on the blog looking content and focused, engaging with new friends, digging, wire cutting, climbing, reading quietly in cozy spaces, sitting in small storytelling groups "collaborating" with others and I couldn't help but compare it to the scenes I would witness at pickup at the other school we had just left - unsettled children, chaos, yelling, hitting, frenetic energy while the teachers were eating or gossiping with parents or each other, in short - dysregulated little nervous systems in desperate need of competent adults with both the will and skill to support and guide them. If only that other school could learn from the brilliant directors and teachers at Blue Oak!  .  When we had his first parent/teacher conference, I was in tears when the teachers shared that on his first day at Blue Oak, a friend took a toy from him and he hit that friend. The teachers said that they fully expected this behavior given the environment he had come from and that they were thrilled that they had this opportunity to work with him and teach him the norms and behavior expectations. They explained how they worked with our son and the other friend on conflict resolution (without shame or blame) and THAT WAS THE LAST TIME he ever hit at school.  I remember feeling so relieved, our son was going to be fine...and now after his 1.5 years at Blue Oak, I see that he is so so much more than "fine." He is thriving! I feel so beyond proud of the 5 year old he has become and see nothing but a bright future for him (based on this critical foundation of respect, social and emotional intelligence, empathy, self-regulation and love).  Send your child to Blue Oak if you believe your child is capable far beyond what conventional societal wisdom would assume and if you want your child to be seen and honored for exactly who they are. Your child will be treated consistently by all adults (admin teachers and aides) with nothing but respect, kindness and the healthy structure and boundaries that they need to explore their limits safely and to grow to be their "best self"...and DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED! I think I might have had we not had the "other" experience at another school first. This school is the real deal. You will count yourselves among the luckiest (and blown away by the results)  if your child (and family) have this experience.

We've been at Village for seven years and truly couldn't be happier with our experience. Village…read morestrikes a wonderful balance between strong academics and meaningful social-emotional growth. It's a school that not only educates children, but genuinely nurtures them -- and we feel incredibly grateful to be part of this community. We see this play out in our family with excellent standardized test scores and excellent emotional intelligence. Village's placement into top middle schools speaks for itself. Through both COVID and the fires, the school demonstrated remarkable resilience, leadership, and care. The way they supported students and families during those unprecedented challenges was thoughtful, steady, and above and beyond.

A few years ago, I attended a Village School Zoom meeting that addressed critical race topics…read more Concerned, I later wrote to the school board to question their dedication to equity. They responded, saying that equity has been a core classroom value of theirs for almost ten years. Historically, the purpose of education was to help students excel. Recognizing that people have different interests, talents, and motivations, different levels of classes--such as GATE, honors, and AP classes--were created to ensure everyone could excel at their own rate. This merit-based system rewarded excellence with the opportunity to take more challenging classes and achieve even greater success. However, equity, as used by critical race theorists and DEI promoters, means equal outcomes. Equity is antagonistic to excellence because excellence naturally leads to inequities due to differences between individuals. Since educators can only do so much to help students achieve excellence, those who have integrity to values have chosen to handicap those with greater interests, talents, or motivations as a way to achieve equity. For example, San Francisco removed algebra from the 8th-grade curriculum in the name of equity. Typically, students could progress from Algebra in 8th grade to Calculus by 12th grade. Proponents of equity realized that not everyone could reach Calculus by 12th grade, so they handicapped excellent students by not teaching Algebra in 8th grade, ensuring the highest math level attainable by the end of high school was Pre-Calculus unless students doubled up on math courses in 9th grade. Similarly, Seattle shut down its honors program to achieve equal outcomes. Given Village's response and my purpose for sending my son there, I told my ex that I wanted him removed from that school. She countered by arguing that the teachers aren't actually practicing equity; it's more of an interest for the administrators, and Village admins give teachers a lot of leeway. As an example, she mentioned that our son is currently learning algebra in 6th grade. If an Asian boy is being taught more advanced math than his peers, it suggests that his teachers are not practicing equity. This indicates that Village is only virtue signaling equity without actually implementing it--or so I hoped. However, I am not blind to the effects of ideas. Even if Village's admins give teachers leeway, they are still responsible for setting the organization's culture, hiring, promotion, and firing decisions, and extracurricular activities. When I see DEI book clubs or events for non-whites, I see the writing on the wall. Organizational change may take time, but it happens. If I were a teacher focused on educational excellence, I would find these activities either a distraction or antagonistic to my values and would seek employment elsewhere. So, while my ex may have found examples indicating that Village currently lacks the integrity to fully implement equity principles, I have two remaining questions: 1. How much better would my son's education have been if they had rejected equity outright and fully embraced the merit system? 2. Given how much I pay each year, should I be satisfied with an organization that lacks integrity? Fortunately, my son has graduated from this school, so I don't have to deal with these questions anymore. Here are my reasons for the score. I give them 3 stars for the quality of education he received. The school recently raised tuition, but I don't see these funds being used to help teachers and students focus on educational excellence. Instead, I see them being used for DEI activities, such as dinners for families where one or more members "identify as a person of color." I give them 0 star for their lack of integrity. I completely reject equity as a value, but I have more respect for educators in San Francisco for taking their ideas seriously and trying to implement them, even to the detriment of their students, than I do for virtue signalers. Virtue signalers don't take ideas seriously. For an organization whose purpose is to convey ideas to their customers, the refusal to take ideas seriously is a betrayal of that mission. These scores average out to 1.5 stars. In conclusion, because I disagree with equity, I would not send my child to Village School again as they proclaim it to be a core value. However, even if I supported equity, I would still not send my child to Village School due to their lack of integrity. A business without integrity does not deserve my money or, more importantly, the right to guide my child.

We are forever grateful to New School West. The teachers, administrators, and community are the…read moremost caring, whole-child-centered group of people you could hope to find. Even though it wasn't our closest preschool option, we happily drove the distance because the NSW community and the Reggio Emilia philosophy resonated with our family and continues to guide us today. Every day our son was met with love, patience, and respect, and we as parents felt fully supported as part of the community. NSW sees each child as an individual with their own voice and way of learning. It's a truly thoughtful, enriching, and loving preschool that has left a lasting imprint on our family.

We honestly can't believe how fortunate we are to have had our daughter attend New School-West and…read moreto become a part of this special community. She is now thriving in elementary school, largely due to the foundation she was given with teachers who truly care and see each child for who they are. They encourage a learning style that fosters kindness, respect, and curiosity, and the children learn how to express their needs and problem solve collaboratively. We're forever grateful to NSW.

Beyond grateful for this incredible school. My son attended TK -8th. The staff and faculty were…read moredevoted, kind and steadfast in their commitment to not just teach academics but character, and beyond that, how to be good stewards of their community and the planet. And it was fascinating to watch the transition from Kinder, through the grades and into the rigorous middle grade years. Each building block preparing them for the next milestone. He was well-prepared for high school!

We signed up for a prospective family tour and came with our son, excited to show him a potential…read morenew school. Unfortunately, the front desk staff were rude and inflexible from the moment we walked in. Rather than welcoming a prospective student, they spent the entire interaction explaining all the reasons he couldn't see the campus that day. A simple gesture -- "since you're here, let us take five minutes to show him around" -- would have meant the world to a child. Instead, we got rigid rules and zero warmth. If this is how a school treats prospective families during what should be their best foot forward, I can only imagine the day-to-day environment for kids. We made the decision on the spot not to enroll. I'd recommend other families look elsewhere.

This is the worst school my child has ever attended. The teachers (aside for a few) are absolutely…read moreterrible. For example Ms. Heathcoat has caused so much trouble with my kids for getting them in trouble. The teachers make false claims AND they suck!

We are so happy at St Mark school in Venice. The academics are excellent and in grade 5 they start…read morethe middle school program early with our child experiencing a number of different teachers for science, math, social studies, prepping them early. The team sports program is great with lots of after school activities on offer too. The family community is very welcoming and helped us transition with ease. The fall festival was amazing and many other fun activities for children like the lion Olympics a day of sports fun. Mr Bersin the principal is so hands on and is always around to sort out any problems and keep things moving in the right direction. Overall a well rounded school with many positives. Also love attending morning assembly and it's easy to stay up to date with what's going on. The children all seem very happy with bright energy.

The Willows is the best elementary school in Los Angeles! It is academically challenging while…read morebeing so warm and supportive.

I was the typical Westside mom with a Microsoft excel spreadsheet of all the private elementary…read moreschools that we were interested in for our son. The Willows was the only school on my list that wasn't on the "Westside" and I was hesitant to even go to the tour because of that very reason, but I am so glad I did. Touring private schools is like being on the Bachelor. You get to know each other by going on dates (tours), spend money (applications), and one magical day (in March) you get a rose or not. Usually the process is very one sided being that there are way more applications than availability, but Willows never made me feel like they were dating anyone else. I toured a total of 5 schools, but Willows was the only school that sent me a thank you note for the time I spent on my tour. I'm sorry, but a gesture like that goes a long way. We as parents are expected to send follow up notes (hello beyondthebrochure), but to receive one- made me get butterflies. Who wants to date someone and not feel special? When I toured Willows, we lucked out and had Kim Feldman as our tour guide. She is not only the director of enrollment for the school, but she started there as a parent. I toured the school and was just in awe of their progressive approach. They recognize that every child learns differently- so they offer different approaches and strategies when it comes to teaching. This was the only school that I toured that left me wishing that I went to a school like this as a child. The school is warm and beautiful, but what makes the school stand out the most are the teachers and support staff. You can tell that everyone that works there loves their job and love what they represent. They genuinely care about you and your children. They are known throughout the community for hosting some exceptional parent education events - Besty Brown Braun, Dan Siegel, Frank Bruni, and etc were all speakers this year. They have a wonderful WPA and there's always events going on that promotes community and unity. If you are looking for a haven where your child will grow and thrive. Willows is it. My son has grown immensely not only intelligently, but emotionally as well. I credit them because they use the RULER approach which really resonated with him (so much that he wanted to make our very own "mood meter" at home). He has gained so much confidence and found his voice in such a short period of time here and I'll be forever grateful to the Willows because of it.