The Knox School Of Santa Barbara

Our child attended the Knox School for 6 amazing years, and we are so grateful for the role the school played in all of our lives. We found a true sense of community at this unique school that is so deeply committed to gifted learners. Our son was able to dive deeply into areas of passionate interest, as well as to grow and stretch into new and less familiar ones. His classmates were like family, and his teachers were exceptional.I recently had the opportunity to look over some grade reports from his years at Knox. It was wonderful and moving to re-read them, with all of the careful and caring observations of our son spanning his years there. It made me appreciate all over again what a good educational home Knox provided for him. Now that he is in high school, we often hear from his teachers how much our son contributes to and deepens the class discussions. I credit him for this, but also know that it was Knox that nurtured his curiosity, confidence, and spirit of inquiry that he carries to this day.

My son likes school so he probably would have been ok with most schools, but found his community, his "tribe", at Knox. It's a tight-knit student body with teachers and staff who have gone out of their way to make the school experience a positive one for all and a curriculum that is actually well thought-through and not just endless worksheet after worksheet. I'm jealous that I didn't have the same when I was growing up!

I have worked at many schools and my work at The Knox School of Santa Barbara has been at the top of my most meaningful work. The staff, families and students have all been an amazing group of individuals to get to know, learn from and be a part of. I have not only been able to share my knowledge and provide support for the community, but I have learned so much from my daily interactions and my commitment to uphold the mission and philosophy of Knox. Working in a setting where the standards are high, the work is in each and every interaction you have with every individual and there is always an eye on bringing enriching experiences has been an integral part of my own personal and professional growth. The Knox School of Santa Barbara is a setting that is supportive, respectful, accepting and accommodating to diverse needs and personalities.

We have been happy with our experience with Knox! We've had wonderful teachers, and our family loves Knox's flexibility with class placement -- a child who is advanced in math can take advanced math classes up to multiple years above level, or a child who is advanced in writing can similarly take advanced writing classes years above grade level, while doing grade-level-appropriate work in other classes. In my experience, it's really difficult for other schools which are not built on a gifted-child model to match this level of academic support. (I will say that my perception is that Knox doesn't cater to parents who want to push their child without clear indications that the actual child is ready for higher-level material -- which I think is a good thing -- and they also look at factors like e.g. in math, how well the child can communicate mathematically, which is an essential part of pedagogy that I wish more schools emphasized.) I also love that Knox teaches to the whole child! Academic subjects, as I've mentioned above, are what we came to the school for, but I've come to really appreciate that their educational philosophy gives a chance to foster the more creative sides as well, including art and music and even giving a chance for budding little builders/inventors to shine.<br /> The Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten program, in particular, is THE best in Santa Barbara for any bright curious child, in my opinion. The teacher is really excellent, and the class strikes exactly the right balance between learning through play and preparing the kids for a more academic environment in following years, and engages the kids by providing them with fun learning opportunities that are often connected to the kids' own interests -- for example, last year some of the children in the class were interested in chemistry, so the teacher ran with that and their class discussed an element in the periodic table every day.<br /> I see reviews that say it's only "rich donor" families who get their concerns met, and that's not been our experience at all. We're not rich donors at all, and our experience has been that Knox staff are happy to work with us and we've had a ton of support. However, they are still working out best how to communicate effectively with parents (this has improved over the past couple of years, but still a work in progress) and I think they don't always get across how much they're doing with the students or how open they are to improving the school.

I still feel like we hit the jackpot discovering this gem of a school. The pandemic, and school closures brought us to The Knox School and we could not be more grateful. Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jones (the JK/K team) have become A list celebrities in our house. The knowledge, technique, and energy they bring is unmatched. They make learning fun, a game that everyone wants to play. My kindergartner knows all the states, continents, and oceans. He is reading small books for fun, and his printing is better than mine. Lol I recommend this place for anyone who has a kid that loves to learn, and has a decent attention span.