Casa Esperanza Montessori

My son has been a part of CASA since his kindergarten days, and he is currently in the third grade. I made the choice to enroll him in this school because he is an incredibly high-energy child, and I was drawn to the idea of him being able to progress through his schoolwork at his own pace, rather than everyone adhering to a fixed lesson plan.My son faced some challenges in reading, particularly during his second-grade year. However, his teacher was incredibly proactive in addressing this. Before I even had a chance to express my concerns, she had already placed him in an additional reading group and provided one-on-one support to help him catch up to grade level.Every day, my son comes home excitedly recounting his favorite moments from school, often highlighting the "great lesson" he had that day, like the one about volcanoes. His enthusiasm for learning is truly nurtured at CASA, and he genuinely loves attending this school.One aspect of CASA that I deeply appreciate is that the teachers do not micromanage the students. Instead, they empower them to be self-sufficient and take responsibility for their own work. This approach is invaluable in teaching our children important life skills and values.In my opinion, CASA is providing a valuable service by instilling these essential morals and values in today's youth. I am grateful for the positive impact it has had on my son's education and personal development.

It is discipline first, education second. The administration has and continues to brush a lot of issues under the rug. They seem to have systematically trained the staff to keep issues within the 4 walls of the school. It feels more like a corporate establishment than an educational institution. If your child is being bullied; don’t expect them to loop you (as parents) in so that you can be supportive to your child at home. They won’t. Please know, that if your child reports bullying, pushing, hitting, etc. to a counselor or admin., that’s where it stays. They misuse their (undocumented ) “confidentiality” policy - which can’t be found anywhere in their handbook - I believe, as a way to deter parents from knowing the real issues that exist. They have a small & selected amount of parents (most of who are on their PFA and who are mostly grandfathered-in ) who volunteer and which I am grateful for. However, the school doesn’t seem to be warmly-welcoming to others whom would like to volunteer too (in my opinion). High turnover of both staff, specials teachers, admin., and teachers. New location is not secure/ not is it fenced in. The property is exposed to railroad tracks and is sandwiched between homes (less than hundred feet away) and large businesses - a lot of traffic non Star Drive. Anyone can walk onto any school campus, however theirs is incredibly exposed. To date, there is still not a single piece of outdoor play equipment for children ages 4-14 to play on. The EC department is thin and micromanaged from above. Please do your research, as many teachers are teachings w/o a teacher license (which is allowed up until a certain percentage in charter), however even with a teacher shortage, there seems to be a greater deficit of licensed teachers @ CEMCS than comparable to other local charters. Lastly, the only thing “Montessori” about the school is the combination of grades, which on the outside, looking in, isn’t pulled off successfully because the classroom teachers need more support. I have a young child, I haven’t seen a single piece of art come home all year and often times recess is in the classroom because it’s too slippery outside a day after it rains - this is not in sync with the Montessori philosophy which is versed heavily in play. I have a friend who is a teacher there & my understanding is that it’s a very difficult environment to teach in because of the admin. & their lack of support. This teacher-friend stays there for the kids.

We had a terrible experience at this school. Aside from the BIG red flags from the beginning of the year, around the middle of year we found out our son had been bullied for most of the year. He cried every day before school, he started biting his nails, and also started lashing out around other kids in social situations. We had no idea this was because a kid (2 years older) had been bullying him. When we found out and brought it up to the head of school she brought both my kid and his bully out in the hallway and reprimanded both of them. My son suffered 2 more months of torture without telling us because he believed he was in trouble. We had no idea she handled it this way. He finally told us when the bully turned physical and started pushing him around the playground. As soon as we found out my husband and I went in to the school and demanded resolution. She suspended the kid and 3 days later when the kid returned, he continued. She ultimately yelled at me on the phone that she could not control what that kid did and she had no control over the situation. That maybe my kid was lying because no teacher had seen it. We went and picked my kid up that day and he never went back. That was Feb 5 2020 and my son is just now coming around to getting over it. The head of school aided this boy in making my son feel like his safety was worthless. I deeply regret ever sending my son here.

Casa Esperanza is an exceptional school with loving, caring, competent teachers and staff that truly feels like a community. They have managed to work with families and teachers during an exceptionally difficult year. The diversity is exceptional as well. I am very grateful my children are part of this community.

I am a Casa parent of 7 years and three students enrolled there. I love the Casa community and our experience there. It's our "happy place." If they went through high school, we would stay even longer.