Young Adult Program

My experience with Emerson Elementary in Oakland has been mixed. The school environment is generally OK, but families should proceed with caution. District mismanagement and dysfunction seem to trickle down to the schools. I agree with the one parent review urging caution, especially for Black families. Bullying also occurs on campus, and at times it has been racial.

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!

Our son has special needs and Sankofa has been incredible and has very much exceeded expectations. Fantastic teachers, a nice school building next to the park and incredible support staff including speech therapy, PT and OT.

As a former student of the middle school (despite its name, Anna Yates goes up to 8th grade), I warn every parent that cares about their student's academic and emotional wellbeing to send their kids somewhere else. At one point, they didn't even have a math teacher. It was a series of substitutes and then a projection of a teacher talking to them remotely. The discipline at this school is dismal. There are genuinely mentally unwell teachers at this school, who pick on the kids and choose sides like they're still 15 in some high school movie. The administration will almost always believe the staff. I have not only experienced this firsthand with about a handful of other students, but have witnessed this across grades as well. I will not go into detail, but the office does not know how to handle the simplest of issues without enlarging it and making it ten times worse. DO NOT send your kids to this school, and if you already have kids here, BELIEVE THEM and take them out.

Our family has had an outstanding experience at Park Day School. This is our son’s first year (kindergarten), and we’ve been continually impressed by the warmth, thoughtfulness, and energy of the community.The teachers are truly fabulous. Our son’s kindergarten classroom has two teachers for 18 students, which makes a huge difference — he feels known, supported, and encouraged every day. The campus itself buzzes with positive energy, curiosity, and joy, and it’s clear that students feel excited to be there.What has stood out most to us is the sense of real community. The parent community is engaged and supportive, and there’s a genuine partnership between families and the school. Most importantly, our son has developed a deeply positive association with going to school — the kind of experience we wish more people had growing up. He feels happy, confident, and eager to learn, and that means everything to us.