It's like a family here. Small class sizes, attentive teachers and staff, supportive staff…read more Communication, and great set up.we are doing our second year and excited to continue my child's education here.

If I don't write the review right away I forget so....we are just getting home from the Choices…read moreCharter School graduation ceremony this evening. It deserves commendation that this relatively small school has such committed staff and it was evident from the moment you walked into the ceremony. It was evident in their warm greeting as you entered through the doors, their effort to keep the focus on the kids and their families and to the plenty of security personnel present to keep an eye on things. While not a parent of a student (just an aunt) I was moved to write this review because this small staff has raised a large sum in scholarships to provide to their students. The staff is clearly bonded to the kids and it was touching. This year 8 kids rec'd scholarships including the munchkin I was supporting today. It's quite a phenomenal feat to raise these funds and this act shows genuine commitment to their students. Thank you Charter Choices for your commitment to the children.

The community at AM Winn is kind, welcoming, and open-minded. Every teacher is dedicated and…read morefantastic. This is the underdog of the area Waldorf schools - we are scrappy, diverse, and creative. We have been growing every year. I moved my children here from another Waldorf school, first feeling like it was a risk, but my children and I are so happy we made the move. The low reviews seem to be from people who don't understand what waldorf education is, and are upset their children aren't getting drilled and rigorously tested. Your children will get a good education here, not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well. And the work may sometimes be disguised in song or helping the earth. Raising kind humans takes all those things.

This is a great school and a real community. It gets back to the heart of teaching and not just…read moretesting, and truly allows kids to be kids while reaching them where they are. Before switching my daughter from a college prep to AM WINN I scheduled a visit, did my research on the curriculum, and checked with some coworkers who grew up in a Waldorf education and found that there were so many beneficial aspects. The curriculum is based on what's appropriate for the age and fully submerges them in a subject. The kids learn actual life skills (think in the sense that most middle/high schools lost home economics, cooking, gardening, sewing, cursive, etc - these kids are learning it from K-8). All of the kids play an instrument each year. They transition through various handwork - finger knitting, knitting, crocheting, sewing, etc. And after meeting several kids in the neighborhood I noticed they have such amazing temperaments and spirits and are so welcoming and joyful. I am truly glad that we found AM Winn as my daughter is blossoming in the Waldorf community and education approach. At first glance I believed Waldorf was something only "white, hippie people put their kids in" as I read some reviews on Waldorf education, but I was so wrong for going along with that belief, even if only for a moment. Consider that as adults we all learn differently and receive information differently - so why do we expect our kids to learn one way in school? AM Winn and the Waldorf approach reaches kids by incorporating every learning style. It's a holistic approach with a concern for the mind body and spirit of the child. They will not only learn about a culture/era, but they will build shelters, take a field trip to an exhibit, sing about it, write about it, draw it out, etc. Math is taught in a way for the kids to think through it in various methods, not just regurgitate information. It's age appropriate not where the district says they should be for their funding purposes. And I love that the school is VERY culturally diverse. Had I gone based on some of the school rating websites or testing sites I might have steered from the school, But I toured the school and fell in love. Some of the reports show that it's not diverse, the kids are far behind in subject matter, and it received some negative reviews - that I will say from my experience here that info is false. My daughter is multiracial, and she has a diverse group of friends that don't see color, she is just as knowledgeable in subjects as my step kids who attend another public school, thinks on a deeper level than they do, has developed a strong sense of empathy and justice for others, and we love it here. I've watched my daughter recover from some of the damage that her previous school did to her She previously attended a college prep school that I won't name but literally broke her spirit, and I've known many people who reported the same thing. The kids were expected to "slant" and sit perfectly still while others finished their work, she would get in trouble for READING in class or drawing because she wasn't slanting, and wasn't actually taught to work through a math problem only to memorize answers for timed lessons. There wasn't much play involved with only a tiny jungle gym in the parking lot - she didn't even have the coordination to do the monkey bars. Math was drilled in and time tested, without the proper attention for those that didn't understand. I had to make a change because my daughter who once loved school cried every evening and had anxiety with math. The college prep/common core was not actually taught in a way to solve the problem but merely to memorize and test well for funding. After making the change to AM Winn it was a drastic change in her. It took a moment for her to adjust but she loved it. She gets to be creative. She gets to be free. And most importantly she gets to be a kid- something that many children are missing out on in today's society as we push them to grow up quickly and test well. My daughter has become quite the artist, loves playing the guitar and singing, she's a great story teller and writer, an avid reader and reads 3 grades above her level. I say all of that to say this - just as everyone has their own taste in food, so too our children will have their own taste in learning. As a parent you have to allow them to satisfy that taste and not just force the norm on them. AM Winn might not be the best school for everyone, but for many of these kids a traditional public school that drills in information but doesn't address the heart of the child isn't the best for them. AM Winn reaches for their heart when material is presented and these kids WANT to learn because of it. So if you've made it through reading all of this it's because you're interested in the school and wanted a real opinion on it. I would say your next step is to visit and see if it's right for you and your child.

We have been blessed to have found a wonderful program for our son here and Schweitzer. The…read moreprincipal is such a calm and caring woman. I have had many wonderful and helpful conversations with her about strategies for our son. I look forward to many years at this wonderful school.

We have sent three children here and absolutely love it. The teachers are incredible and really…read morecare about the kids in a meaningful way.

My 2.5 year old son recently started at Village Montessori. He loves it! Everyday he comes home…read moretalking about Mrs. Leeesaa (Lisa) and his teachers. He loves doing his inside "jobs" and all the time spent playing outside.

The school is run down, class sizes are above 30 in the lower grades. The administration is one…read moresided and pompous. The teachers rotate frequently since a new principal has been installed over past few years. Can't keep a teacher if they tried. It's their way or the highway. I wouldn't place my child here for FREE !

I wish every family had a school experience like ours!! We are a family that came to St. Mel in…read moreKindergarten and only have 1.5 years left... wish we had more. The teaching staff is fantastic, they understand kids all have different needs and they go far above and beyond their typical teaching day. We especially want to give a shout out to the middle school team... what a dynamic trio they are :) Here is a little excerpt of an email we sent them personally: "While it may not seem that you are doing anything above what you normally do in a day I want you to know that for us, as a family, you are going above and beyond. Teaching is not just delivery of content, teaching is compassion, empathy and sometimes its talking nervous moms and dads off of a ledge (speaking for myself especially). You have together made this year another learning year and you have treated **** and our family with empathy, kindness, and love. Thank you for all you do. I wouldn't have **** at any other place and I wish all parents could have the experiences that we have with the three of you." Thank you St Mel for the fantastic learning, experiences, and life lessons!! Thank you Mrs. Nagel for keeping all of what happens at St Mel going strong from year to year... you are a gracefully intelligent leader.

Excellent school for my daughter with dyslexia. She attended Read from summer school before ninth…read moregrade through tenth grade. They helped her get up to grade level in reading comprehension, writing and build her confidence back as a student. She was then able to make a smooth transition into a public charter high school. The small class sizes, supportive teachers and staff and teaching style and programs specifically designed for learning disabilities was a game changer for her. My daughter is now a full time college student and I have no doubt, her time at Read was a significant part of making that possible. I highly recommend Read Academy!

After years of advocating for my son and searching for a school that could meet his unique learning…read moreneeds, we had high hopes for READ. My son made meaningful progress in reading, and I am grateful for the school's evidence-based dyslexia instruction. However, our experience also revealed important limitations for students with co-occurring autism, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges. As both a parent and an LCSW specializing in autism, I approached READ as a partner. I expected early collaboration around my son's strengths, challenges, and the strategies that had helped him succeed elsewhere. Before significant behavioral concerns emerged, I requested simple accommodations such as movement breaks and fidget tools but was told they would be disruptive to other students. To my knowledge, my son never had a proactive support plan. My experience was that my son's behaviors were addressed primarily through discipline rather than understanding their function or teaching replacement skills. As behavior logs became increasingly detailed, it became harder to distinguish meaningful concerns from age-appropriate immaturity or autism-related social differences. It was difficult to watch my son become increasingly discouraged, isolated, and unsure of how to be successful at school. Despite repeated efforts to collaborate, I saw little emphasis on proactive intervention, positive reinforcement, or identifying the function of behavior. My concern was never that READ had limits to the support it could provide, but that those limits did not become clear until the end of our experience. During our final meeting, READ told me they could no longer support my son unless he first attended a behavior program. That recommendation differed from those of the public school district and the professionals involved in his care. I was also told READ does not have a behaviorist, therapist, or behavioral specialist on staff. The end of our time at READ was especially disappointing. The focus was almost entirely on my son's challenges, with little acknowledgment of his strengths or growth. He was also excluded from the school's end-of-year BBQ as his placement ended. For autistic children, thoughtful transitions matter, and I wish his departure had reflected that he was a valued member of the community. READ can be an excellent fit for many students with dyslexia. I share my experience so families of children with additional developmental or behavioral needs can ask informed questions before enrolling, including: * How are autism- and ADHD-related needs supported? * What proactive accommodations and interventions are available? * What behavioral or mental health expertise is available on campus? * At what point does the school determine that a student's needs exceed the supports it can provide?

I used to have my child attend this school for 8th grade and it pains me to say that his experience…read morehere was just horrible. There's a lot of things that this school can improve on, specifically for the older kids. The teaching left my son way behind academically during freshman year. The education here is not well and the school is poor, with fundraisers popping up often. The faculty is negligent as well. I've heard that the junior high teachers make students stand outside and wait outside for long periods of time as well. The school mostly does fun things for the younger students, completely ruining the fun for the older kids. This school claims it's inclusive, but my son's comments say otherwise. I would not send my kids here at all, poor teaching and clearly does not care for the older children.

My daughter was in TK this year with Mrs. Riegos and we loved her first year at St. Philomene. She…read morehas learned so much academically and is thriving thanks to the care of Mrs. Riegos and the other staff. The principal Mrs. Bray is approachable and I love that everyone at the school knows my daughter and takes their part in her education. I love the TK-8 environment and that the older students help take care of the littles. The older students are very respectful and the academics are exceptional. We are looking forward to our daughter thriving, learning Spanish and having a faith filled education during her K-8 years.

My daughter has been attending Pershing Elementary since kindergarten. She had her ups and downs…read morewith the teachers but the staff overall seems professional. My youngest daughter might attend in three years. Fingers crossed!

This was our first choice to take our daughter for her first year of public school, we know some…read morekids who currently attend and not to mention it's close by! Her Kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Broaddus and the teacher's helper was Miss Amy, who is probably the sweetest woman you'll ever meet! Instead of the usual school supply list, we were asked to bring donations for the classroom. For school lunch she was given the option of a school lunch or to bring her own and we love packing her lunch! Her class of 26 students had so many fun themed days, our daughter's favorite, jammie and stuffed animal day! Always lots of art work brought home and I have them to thank for helping our daughter make so many great friends, encouraging her to read, count and write! And of course you cannot forget music time, PE, recess and free time! They even went on a field trip to the Sacramento Zoo! You cannot give less than 5 stars for schools who are giving your child the gift of an education! Yesterday was the last day of school and we're so proud of our soon to be first grader! Moms reading I hope your children have a great summer vacation and we'll see you in August!