The Berkeley School

I really love this school. I feel the curriculum is very balanced with an emphasis on the emotional and developmental aspects of a child. My daughter has been here since pre-​school and now she is in 5^th grade. It is a small and close knit community with a great head of school and a great elementary 1 – 5 head. I cannot speak so much for the Middle School since my daughter has not got there yet but, like the elmentary school, has dedicated and competent teachers, small and intimate classes, and a really nice head of school.
You should definitely consider this school and community.

We used to love this school. Then we felt like the Great Curtain was lifted on Oz, or maybe the Kool-​Aid stopped being served to us. We came to believe that the school is far more concerned with the *business* of running a school and the artificial outward appearances of «success» through slick sales than the authentic health, education and welfare of the children they are supposed to serve.
It’s so easy to fall for the mythical perfection of it all, until a problem crops up. Our problem was that our kid was bullied, relentlessly, and the school’s response was more about self preservation and propping up bad staff and faulty practices than simply solving the problem and protecting our kid. Save your money and go to public school, at least there are policies against bullying. But not at TBS, there is no policy. And you will become the pariah if it happens to your child and you have the audacity to ask for help.
We found administration can take a hands off and patronizing approach, do not resolve issues they deem «irrelevant» and will spend more time explaining why they are right (and why you are essentially a meddling idiot) than just fixing the problem. Administration are excellent at spin (a few would make fantastic politicians)… and they know just what you want to hear complete with latest buzz words, edu-​lingo, and the best «non-​answer answers» imaginable.
Sadly, as far as teaching and learning, we found there is little true creativity or progressive thought (despite what the photos of Maria Montessori and AS Neill hanging in the lobby denote). And certainly not what the website and the marketing materials would lead you to believe. What direction are they going in? Who knows. But we didn’t stick around to find out.
Some of the new teaching staff have had kids in tears for not not «performing» to their liking, employ very traditional methods and give little room for individual learning styles in the classroom (it’s one size fits all). No authenticity, integrity and soul to be found, just a lot of slick answers. Overall, a really bad experience, and totally «un-​Berkeley». We so profoundly regret sending our child there. It cost us more than money, it cost us heartache.

My daughter attended TBS from preschool through eighth grade and is now a Freshman at The College Preparatory School. My son is in second grade and attended the ECC as well. Here is a little insight into why we love TBS:
— Dedicated, energetic teachers who are deeply supported by their administration
— Happy, friendly and diverse kids
— Consistency across classes and curriculum
— Active parent community (with a variety of ways to contribute)
Ultimately, my daughter is doing very well at College Prep. TBS helped build her confidence, developed her already great sense of humor, and prepared her intellectually and creatively to do pretty much whatever she wants to.
PS. we love the school lunch program run by Gregoire (parent and Berkeley restaurant guy)
PPS Feel free to visit our family blog (
) to get a sense of what one TBS family is like.

Both my kids have been at The Berkeley School (formerly known as Berkeley Montessori School) since pre-​school and kindergarten respectively. My son is now in seventh grade and my daughter is a freshman at Berkeley High.
Our experience has been great. For me, the proof is in the pudding: my daughter landed at Berkeley High fully prepared and she is excelling there, and I think the same will be true of my younger one.
The best thing in addition to a demanding curriculum is that the teachers really turn out kids who think for themselves, who ask tough questions and are compassionate about the world they live in. The school provides a great environment for parents who want their kids in a place that values more than just good test scores, yet will also prepare them to do well on those tests when they really start to matter.
Full disclosure: I have served as a parent board member at the school. But I have no business relationship with the school, I just like it.

My daughter is in second grade at The Berkeley School (formerly Berkeley Montessori School), We have been part of the TBS community for 5 years, since she started preschool there at the Francisco Street campus.
Our experience has been fantastic — a rich learning environment and a focus on the social-​emotional development of children has been the perfect combination for us. Her teachers have all been warm and caring, and always seem to know when our daughter is ready for a new challenge or is facing a social dilemma.
She loves school, and is excited to get up and go every morning, which to me is a great testament to how engaged and happy she is at school.