2332 Fulton St #3
Berkeley, CA 94704

There were constant issues with bullying and hazing that were not addressed by the administration. Kids were worried that older students would throw eggs at them or beat them up because it was a specific day (there apparently are days when upperclass students torment, chase down, and beat up the underclass students and the administration turns a blind eye to it - my child was TERRIFIED that this would happen to them and it disrupted their learning - how is this OK in 2024?). There were threats of gun violence, there were shootings in the park across the street, there were students constantly pulling the fire alarms (again, why weren't there cameras near the fire alarms to catch the kids who did this?) and causing upheaval during the school day. We dealt with bullying from the teachers, teachers who were snide and unkind to students, teachers who made race-based comments in class, teachers who did not honor the 504 plan we had in place for a minor physical disability, teachers who overshared and gossiped about other teachers with the students, and a generally chaotic environment. By the time we left for the independent study program, the damage was done. I wish I'd have sent my kid to a different school from the start.

We absolutely loved Emerson and thrilled that our child is a student there. The principal Ms. Holmes is amazing and is constantly going above and beyond for the students. Emerson is one of the smaller elementary schools in Berkeley but feel fortunate that there is such a great sense of community among the parents.

Es una escuela muy complementaria porque laConexión entre el personal y las familias es increíble!

Phenomenal school is every way. Diverse and welcome in learning community with high quality teachers in TK and K. My student has thrived here and I can’t wait to see what next school year brings. The after school staff really connected with my student and principal Hunt is a very dedicated. Don’t skip the potluck and movie nights as well as other school functions like back to school etc. they are so so worth it. Forgot to mention one of the best aspects, the specialists! My student has dance, garden, nutrition/ wellness, and art!

We had a horrible time at Willard. While some of the teachers were excellent (we had some great math teachers, for example) and we loved the cooking and gardening programs, bullying was a huge problem that, despite many, many complaints to the school, went un-addressed. My child was bullied mercilessly by another child the entire time and that other child would basically play innocent - it was never dealt with beyond that. My child is in high school now and we have spent thousands of dollars in therapy to help them get their confidence and sense of self back. I'm not sure whether that will ever happen. Additionally, although some teachers were fantastic, there were many others who were not, and those set a negative tone for the entire experience for us.

John Muir is a phenomenal school and has only been getting better in recent years. Excellent principal and leadership team that led the school to receive the National Blue Ribbon School Award in 2024. Very involved community and a beautiful school campus; enrichment opportunities for students abound. We're so grateful to be a part of this amazing school community.