Ms Karina and Ms Evelyn in the infant rooms are incredible! Nicole and Erika foster such a positive energy and it is so clear to me how much love the school has for the children. My 8 month old has been in the school for two months and I can already see the social butterfly coming out in him. He is so excited to see his teachers every day that I know he is in good hands. I can't wait to watch him grow in this environment! read more

**For the Temple Kol Ami ECC** After the last two years that our daughter attended the ECC, witnessing the new leadership of Nicole Stokes, we've left and moved on to another school,. We are not the only family. We experienced a toxic environment and culture of concealment where the ECC systematically ignored or subrogated known physical safety, emotional and security issues. To be clear, I have nothing but accolades for Rabbi Schneider, his executive assistant, Erika, as well as Cantor Shaashua. For example: -Was dismissive of the behavior of two boys towards my daughter, including biting, hitting, and pulling her hair.....(I found this out *not* from the school, but from my 4 year old daughter). Nicole finally responded (via email) in part, "I'm wondering if we could change the narrative for her and instead of (your daughter) "reporting" a peer name or negative behaviors, each of you could ask her one game she played or book she read, or what special art project she worked on?"; -Another parent and I witnessed a boy walk up to three other children (2 of them girls) and shove them hard. The two staff supervising did nothing. I brought this up with Nicole, she responded with, "we address these issues in due time. And parents aren't supposed to be back in the playground around the children."; -Dismissed concern for the presence of a known toxic plant, that the Phoenix Botanical Garden stated that "small children and pets should not have access to this plant"; -Has done nothing for a year after being advised that the front gate sticks open during warmer temperatures (sometimes left unattended); -Repeatedly kept sick children in school (including heavy discolored nasal discharge); -My daughter expressed that she was happy when her teacher was absent one day, that she had a good day at school, "Because Miss XXX screams at us". Amplification: In response to my concern that a boy had been engaging in behavior that made my daughter increasingly upset, Nicole first responded with, "we don't have bullies in our school". I asked, "bullies?" She said, "yes, you said bullies". I replied, "no, I said that it sounds as if a boy has been bothering her" (my daughter had become increasingly anxious about coming to school, finally bursting our crying, calling out one boy's name). To which she said, "Well, Ian, children need to learn to navigate the social structure." -Nancy Drapin, Executive Director, on responding that she is aware that a toxic plant, Euphorbia tirucalli (pencil cactus), is in the front courtyard where many of the ECC children play after class gets out, "I ask you to please watch your child carefully when you allow her to play in the front ....It is definitely your responsibility to supervise. .....There are a number of parks nearby or, I am sure, near your home, that may have playground areas for children." Nancy stated that they have no intention of removing it. Furthermore, regarding Nicole Stokes' leadership: While she mostly presents a pleasant demeanor and maintains a smile, she can be very dismissive. Several times, I observed her not actively listen and seek to understand a situation and immediately become defensive; Multiple times, she failed to follow up and it took me several times engaging her to get a response or resolution on even small administrative matters. I learned to ask her, "when should I expect to hear back?" After speaking with several other parents, this is the pattern of behavior that they experienced. -She would refuse to discuss the behavior of the other child or whether and how they would also discuss the matter with the other parents "because of privacy issues". -Nicole often attends Shabbat services, however she typically spends much of that time face down in her cell phone. -One day when my wife picked up my 4 year old, the 11 year old saw an open box of cookies at the admin desk as you enter the school (everyone walks by this station), the 11 year old asked if she could have a cookie for herself and her sister. Nicole, standing there, flatly stated, "Absolutely not. These are for the staff." read more

We LOVE TKA preschool! It is our home away from home. My son feels completely comfortable in their small, fostering environment. Nicole takes the time to listen to families' needs and many of the teachers have been there for several years. I recommend it to anyone looking for a small school environment where their child can grow and thrive! read more

The first (and only) visit to a preschool my family made when looking for a warm, caring environment for my first born was to Temple Kol Ami's Early Childhood Center. When we entered the building, all it took was Debbie Glassman's sweet, enthusiastic smile and confidence in her ability to educate my baby girl in a safe and nurturing environment to make me and my husband 100% sure that the ECC was the only place we needed to visit. Fast forward 10 years to now, our THIRD child is finishing up his Pre-K year, and every day we walk into the ECC we still have the same feelings about Debbie that we had the first day we met. Debbie IS the ECC. She is everything a parent could dream of in a preschool director and more! read more

I am writing this review for TKA because my daughter was at this school and really thrived here. Isla began attending TKA October 2021 at 6 months old under the direction of Debbie Glassman. During my pregnancy I had toured many daycares and early childcare centers. TKA spoke to me due to the structure of the classrooms for each age group and the class sizes. My daughter never fussed when I dropped her off, she was always happy when I picked her up. Her teachers showed interest in her development. Karina and Liat were beyond helpful as she was developmentally delayed due to being a preemie. I had had many conversations with my daughters pediatrician who kept telling me that I was a nervous first time mom and everything was alright. Being almost 12 months and not crawling was not ok. Karina had learned of a program called the Arizona Early Intervention Program and told me about it. Immediately I called them and was able to get set up a few months later. During this time TKA changed directors to Nicole Stokes. Due to this my daughters therapists with the Arizona Early Intervention Program were allowed to come into the school and see her in her daily routine. They were able to work with the teachers and other staff to show them how to help my daughter. This along with all of the work we put in at home allowed her to finally begin walking at 18 months with crawling shortly after (backwards, I know). Isla was able to move into her age appropriate class now that she could walk. Moving into the class with her previous classmates and new teachers Raegan and Barbee. She had just as much fun in this class as the last and more as she was now able to go outside and play on the play equipment. She brought home the cutest weekly art projects and continued to thrive with most of her development. Shabbat Fridays continued to be her favorite as she could now not only listen to the music from the buggy, but she could dance. What Debbie started had an incredible foundation and was really brought into a more modern approach under the new director Nicole Stokes. I highly recommend TKA. Sadly, I did have to move Isla to a new school in January 2023 due to her nutritional needs as that is the part we were still lacking. Her new school provides a robust health menu which TKA did not. One day hopefully they will be able to offer this and be 200% amazing vs the 199% they currently are. read more

I've spent a lot of time considering whether or not to post a review here, and ultimately am doing so out of a desire to inform and protect other families following a very disappointing experience. I will not post a surplus personal details here, but will share that after repeated issues in the infant room over several months, many of which were documented with center leadership, we pulled our child out mid-week, with no alternate plan, and never set foot on the property again. It's difficult to recall another time in my life that left me feeling so upset and shocked. What we experienced on multiple occasions was not just unprofessional and careless, but illegal and dangerous. We've had multiple children in multiple daycares for many years, and understand that this is not an easy or straightforward operation to run. In any daycare or preschool, things go wrong, unexpected circumstances occur and things do not always go smoothly. However, there are certain minimal expectations for care that simply were not met here. Examples: missed feedings with no explanation, bottles propped on blankets around a baby's head in a swing, combined age groups, unnoticed bites, failing to ID unfamiliar adults picking up my child, and overall poor communication were just the beginning. I regularly walked in on teachers on their cell phones ignoring the babies, and was offered the wrong baby by a teacher upon pick up three days in a row. That's not a feeling any parent wants to experience. Over eight months I received only one art project and one photo. In contrast, at our other daycares over the years, we've received both art projects and photos on a daily basis. Many of our teachers were wonderful and caring, for which I am truly grateful, but the tone set at the top and the overall lack of commitment to the wellbeing of the children was deeply troubling. If you have an infant I would not recommend this as a place of care, until significant changes are made, and I encourage you to review all State of Arizona reports on this center - I wish I had. read more

What a fantastic school! My 11 month old has been going here for 5 months. We are not Jewish and neither are the teachers in our room. I'm only pointing it out because at first I was concerned that they wouldn't let us attend the school. The school is so well run. The teachers always seem happy. My kid is always happy going there. It's a very clean facility with very good security. A place like this back in San Francisco would have set us back $3000 a month. We are SOOOO grateful our daughter can attend school here. read more

Beautiful temple with a wonderful childhood education center. Everyone who works in the early education center is kind, patient and loves children. After looking at other daycare facilities in the Scottsdale area, this one made me feel happy and comfortable to send my three month old daughter, who seems to be thriving in this environment. read more

As an Educational Psychologist finding the best early childhood daycare and preschool was so important to me that I began researching schools and centers as soon as I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I toured so many schools that we lost count. However, once we toured Kol Ami's ECC we knew that no other school could ever come close to giving our children the best start in life! The teachers are amazing and most of them have been there for years and years! The curriculum is engaging and developmentally appropriate. The facility is beautiful and stimulating for little minds! We enrolled our soon to be newborn the same day we toured. She started when she was 5 months old and that was almost 7 years ago! Since that day, we have enrolled our 2 younger children when they were infants at the ECC and we could not be happier with the care, love, and education they have received. We have been considered family at ECC since day one! They staff there are friendly and inclusive of everyone. We are not Jewish and they always go out of their way to answer my questions about the Jewish faith and customs! Exposing my children to other faiths and cultures has been a wonderful experience for the whole family! I love that we can incorporate other traditions into our existing holiday traditions! Now at Christmas time, you can often find my children playing dreidel next to our Christmas tree! As a parent, I could not be happier that I found Kol Ami ECC! As an Educational Psychologist, I could not recommend this school any more! read more

I had my 2 year old in another pre school and wasn't completely satisfied. We enrolled my son in the 2's program in fall of 2016 and couldn't be happier with our choice! I just wish we would have started him here initially! ALL of the staff and teachers are so nice and caring...we feel like family here and know that Tyler is taken care of. He goes 3 times a week half days and LOVES it! The classrooms are clean and the teachers are excellent with tyler. They helped with potty training and have always been so patient with the kids. When I pick up my son he is always so happy and CLEAN! I get great feedback and stories from the teachers about my son's progress and he has really gotten a lot out of the program! We plan on being at this school as long as we can and will be enrolling our daughter! read more

As a new mother and as an educator, I have been blown away by my families experience in the infant room at Temple Kol Ami Early Childhood Center. The teachers are warm and nurturing and truly love the babies in their care. I was very anxious about leaving my son at such a young age, but the entire staff and administration were incredibly supportive through the whole process. My son has grown so much and very clearly enjoys his time at school! I look forward to his continued growth in the programs incredible curriculum and his exposure to his Jewish heritage. I cannot say enough about Debbie Glassman and this program! It truly is the best place for young children to grow! read more

Wonderful place for an early Jewish education. I came to find TKA ECC through my sister in law who had sent her kids there and spoke so highly of the Director of the school. As soon as I met the Director I knew that this was the place that I wanted to send my kids for preschool. I can't say enough positive things about TKA ECC. There is such a warm family feel that breeds a loving environment so your child will feel nurtured and safe. Now both my son and my daughter attend TKA ECC and through their experience my husband and I have made wonderful friends and have strong sense of community that is so important especially in the early years. All of the teachers and staff are wonderful and really love what they do. My kids are learning so much and are gaining a well rounded early education. I feel so lucky to be a part of the TKA ECC. read more

I am SO incredibly thankful for TKA ECC. Debbie (the director) provides the most highly qualified staff to ensure the best quality education and care for my three children. This program provides a perfect balance of play based learning and early academic exposure. My oldest son entered kindergarten this year beyond prepared socially and academically thanks to TKA ECC. My youngest is now in the infant room and I am able to go to work without a worry regarding his care. The student to teacher ratio and class sizes makes for an intimate community feeling where I have met some of my closest friends. I can truly not say enough good things about this program. read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this school! My older son graduated three years ago and was very well prepared for Kindergarten. My younger son is in the threes class and is thriving! He can't wait to go to school each day. He comes home singing songs, talking about his friends and teachers and has grown both academically and socially. The ECC is an incredibly warm place and a supportive and loving community. Each and every teacher is there to love your child and help them learn and grow. It's a small enough school so that every teacher knows every student but not too small where there aren't enough kids to socialize. Both of my sons have met lifelong friends. Through my sons I have made lifelong friends as well. I owe my support system of moms to the ECC. I consider Temple Kol Ami's Early Childhood to not just be a school but also a family. read more