Mountain Boulevard Montessori School

This is a difficult situation for us because we feel that our daughter largely was fine at the school but we have observed a disturbing pattern of behavior from the administration.  We had our toddler there for almost a year. We should have heeded two 2 red flags early on:

A) the main teacher in the toddler class that we met when we toured the school had left by the time we started (a matter of months); and

B) the school refused to be reviewed on the Berkeley Parents Network even though this is the most well known review site for East Bay schools and where parents go to research a school.

In the last twelve months, we have seen 5 teachers in the toddler class leave on short notice, some staying only for a few months.  When asked, the administration provided an answer (usually family related) but given the consistency of the high number of departures within such short periods of time, I think it's indicative of deeper more systemic issues when the administration can't retain teachers. Additionally, there is poor communication and a lack of transparency. We did not receive any timely notices of a departure and only learned about it if we asked or some time after the fact.

Additionally, there has been extremely high turn over of the students. Five children in the older classes were removed by their parents on short notice.  Then, five (out of 7 - 8) toddlers in the toddler class (most of the class) were urgently removed by their parents all within one week. These are the ones I know of - there may be others. Since this is a very small school (45 or less children), the departure of these 10 children are 20% - 25% of the student population. These departures made us question why so many kids abruptly left when this is the tail end of the enrollment period with limited spaces elsewhere.

Ultimately, the disruptive and inconsistent environment of high teacher and student turnover was too much. We needed a more stable learning and social environment for our child.

This is a preschool that is what encapsulates the word "preschool." It is Montessori based and the children are learning various subjects through the materials that are in the school. My child has attended this school for about two years now and I am thrilled with his progress and growth as a person as well as academically. He is learning social and academic skills that are beyond his years. I am also impressed with the teaching staff at the school. They are always happy and encouraging with the children. They have enstilled a love of learning in my child that I am certain he could not have gotten at any other school. I would recommend this school if you want your child to be nurtured as a whole person and be ready to grow as a person and become happy to learn and experience new things and ideas. Overall, this school is exactly what a child as this age needs to become a better person and be educated and compassionate with others.