Coconut Grove

We removed our child from this school because we found it authoritarian, provincial, and they do not walk the talk - children are asked what adults (especially admin) fails to provide. Narratives are skewed to fit the goals of certain people. The school uses media as propaganda, they will promote themselves through green initiates to obtain accolades but their end of the year ceremony stage will be decorated with hundreds of balloons. They make students and teachers dress in certain colors so their media looks nicer, everything is about looks with little to no real purpose. This year they had students build worm farms but their campus is carpeted with artificial turf which has successfully killed all the worms on earth, it is ironic. They also use plastered the chain link fences with plastic vines. When parents tried to provide natural plantings the principal said the fence could not be covered. The education we sought does not align with the message, we want our children to be confident and feel safe at school. The school scores very well in standardized test because they receive public funds for doing so - but that comes at a cost. Science and social studies classes are skipped, and some students are made to leave. There are great public schools but parents must be willing to drive a little further - 15 minutes away. This school thrives because it is located in an area where there are not many A rated choices and because of political affiliations.

The school left my child feeling neglected and stifled her eagerness to learn. The principal is unresponsive and indifferent, rarely, if ever, returning emails or calls. My child's teacher was absent for most of the year, forcing a revolving door of substitutes making it impossible to establish any structure or routine for the children. The school had no ability to control the students and foster a nurturing and supportive learning environment. Instead, teaching the children they cannot rely on the administration for anything meaningful. The class became a self governed group of children trying their best with an adult present offering no support.

I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Alexander Montessori School. My son is only two years old, and after just five weeks at this school, we have experienced three serious incidents that have raised very serious concerns for me about supervision, communication, and the overall safety and well-being of young children.I am sharing my experience because I wish I had known what I know now before enrolling my child.The first incident happened during drop-off. My son was visibly distressed and crying in my arms, and a staff member attempted to pull him out of my arms. I immediately told her not to touch my child. I subsequently addressed the situation through the proper channels and documented everything in writing. The school apologized and acknowledged that the situation had not been handled appropriately. As a mother, that incident alone was deeply concerning to me, particularly because it did not reflect the respect for a child’s dignity, personal space, and emotional well-being that I expected from a Montessori environment.Unfortunately, that was only the beginning.The second incident occurred when my son was bitten at school. He was returned to me with a very visible bite mark and bruising. I immediately asked to review the surveillance footage with the director so that I could understand exactly what had happened and how the situation had escalated.I was told that the incident occurred behind a large tree and that the cameras do not cover that area. I was also informed in writing that the person who was supposed to be supervising the children was not there at that moment because she had gone to attend to another incident.As a parent of a two-year-old, this raised serious questions for me. If a two-year-old is in an area that is not covered by surveillance and the staff member responsible for supervising the children is not present, how is that child being adequately supervised and protected?Then, only three days later, my son was returned to me with another significant facial injury extending from his forehead down toward his mouth and involving the area around his eye and eyelid.Once again, I immediately contacted the school in writing and requested an explanation and access to the surveillance footage. I copied the director, Joyce McGhee, as well as other members of the administration. No one responded.Completely unacceptable. Look for real reviews EVERYWHERE!