Montessori School Of Manhattan Beach #2

Our kids are so much happier since we left. The teachers, students, administration, and other families are so much friendlier and more relaxed at MBUSD. And ironically, the curriculum and teachers are so much better at MBUSD! Never expected that one, but hey, you live, you learn!Pros: 1)beautiful, massive campus2) updated facilities andclassrooms3)library, tech lab, art room4) locked campusCons: 1)very high teacher turnoverevery year in multiple grades2) inconsistent grading betweenteachers and even by the sameteacher3) weak curriculum, particularlyin math. Public schoolcurriculum in MBUSD muchstronger in math, science4) teacher quality hit or miss,some ok, many substandard,few good5) huge bullying problem inevery grade, meanness seemsthe norm6) weak administration, bendsto the will of the wealthiestcelebrity families7) highly competitive atmosphere, very tense, much more stressful than school needs to be for a 6-yr-old8) type A personalities everywhere, overemphasis at all times on perfection--perfect scores, perfect appearance, perfect everything. Lots of pressure on kids to be perfect, by teachers, admin, and tons of uptight parents.9) conformity is the rule. Individuality is shunned. very little diversity. MBUSD actually has way more diversity, both elementary and middle school level.10) eurocentric standards for beauty. Most kids and parents have similar appearance--blone, blue-eyed JCrew look. If your kid doesn't fit this profile, they will stand out, and it does affect how their peers treat them (as the "other")

The meanest teacher who loved to yell at the kids and publicly shame them. It was horrible.