Sierra Madre Elementary School

School lies and is defensive. Not an honest school. The parents and kids bully each other a lot and the teacher's are not concerned about it. There are three families that I talk with and we all agree that the school would not survive if they continue teaching at low standards. My kid knows nothing about grammar or English mechanics, they have only read one book so far. There is rigor at all. The school has no standards. It’s like a fun house. The principal is very defensive and passive aggressive towards people. The younger grades do minimal work or activities and there is not routine if work. The teacher does all their students work or gives the students the answer which boosts the students social emotional wellbeing.There is absolutely no critical thinking done at this school. If you continue to enroll your child make sure you hire a tutor. The staff and teachers are very relaxed and don’t seem pleased with how the school is functioning themselves.

Our family recently left Alverno, and while there were some positive aspects during our time there, we ultimately had a number of concerns that led to our decision. We want to acknowledge that most of the teachers we had over the past few years were great.Communication from the administration was inconsistent. Emails regarding important or sensitive issues often went unanswered, while less critical topics received quick replies. This created a sense of selective responsiveness that made it difficult to feel heard or supported.The school regularly holds fundraisers, but there is little transparency around how the money is used. Even after the high school portion of the campus closed, there was no clear update on the school’s financial state, which left many families with unanswered questions.Leadership structure also appeared unclear. Although there is a designated Head of School, much of the day-to-day management seems to be handled by another administrator. There was also a lack of clear, timely communication about school activities and events, which often felt disorganized or last-minute.Parents were not informed when teachers or aides left, returned, or were newly hired. We had particular concerns when the only clearly credentialed Kindergarten teacher was removed from her position and demoted to an aide role. She eventually left the school mid-year, and there was no formal announcement or explanation provided.This past year, two male recess proctors were hired without any introduction to families. One was later moved into an aide position, again without notice, to fill an open aide position.Students share that they are scared of certain staff members, noting they were frequently “yelled at.” There were also ongoing concerns about campus security. For example, food delivery drivers were observed walking through student areas during the school day to deliver orders to the people renting the Villa (for filming or weddings), raising questions about supervision and access control during school hours.Unfortunately, while the school promotes itself as a nurturing and community-oriented environment, our experience was the opposite. Lack of communication, unclear leadership, financial opacity, and questionable hiring decisions all contributed to our decision to leave. We hope the school takes these issues seriously and makes the necessary changes for the sake of the families still enrolled.