1815 63rd St, Des Moines, IA 50322

My child entered as a 3 year old preschooler. The preschool experience was awesome. Mrs. Fischer embodies Montessori principles and has such a great relationship with her students. The school is highly sought after and based off our preschool experience, I could see why. The school is predominantly white, which was a surprise. I have noticed more diversity this year but based off the review of a former student of color, I’m curious how their experience is going. The transition to lower elementary- has been a very different experience. I can’t say my child is being properly supported and from what I’m hearing from other parents, we are not alone. There are serious concerns around math & reading progress. An adjacent concern is what is happening on an administrative level. There is a lot of teacher turn over, there is not a lot of transparency or direct communication, and there is an overall sense that outside of classroom parent helpers, the administration and some teachers don’t want parents in their classrooms and if they do, it’s very prescriptive on when. These are huge red flags. The number of concerned parents is growing and they are getting more vocal. The school will have a new principal coming in and the hope is that the overall chaotic climate will resolve. In its current state, I wouldn’t recommend the school but I’m hopeful with strong leadership things will change.