Village Montessori of Irvine School

This used to be a wonderful place but about 2/3 of the students and families have left since March 2020 because it's become clear how disorganized, poorly managed, unsafe, and what the true intentions of the owners and executive director (same persons). They prioritize financials, are interested in running a business, don't listen to the parents, and have been saying the same things about education and are teaching the same way as 10-20 years ago. They had to be asked many times to clean the schools better. They have already had 2 COVID cases. They are saying they have to stay open for teaching, but use childcare as an excuse (state guidelines are that schools should be closed). They neglected to invite their highest grade to graduation (this is post-COVID closure) but write letters about those students' academic attributes, also lying about them at the same time. The teachers address bullying in a Montessori way by letting kids mostly handle things themselves. As a parent, I would be remiss to recommend this school to anyone due to concerns of safety, staff, and education.

The teachers, the support staff and the management team at Village are beyond amazing. My son has blossomed under their care. They bring out the best in the kids and help each child progress at their own pace. They are professional and caring. Helicopter parents in Irvine who want to micromanage the program need to just back off and let the pros do their job. These guys have been doing this for a long time, the success of the children in their program is proof of their effectiveness. If you can send your child here, do it! There is no better school in OC. You might see places with fancier facilities, but those are just things that lure parents into a false sense of being in an elite environment. Village Montessori is your elite environment without the pretense.

Director can be obsessive with school rules sometimes. Even If it is a genuine case she would be obsessive and refuse to understand parents or kids.