Montlake Elementary School

Our child had a bully one year and we were told by the principal once or twice incidents is not considered bullying. Our child expressed several times they didnt feel safe in the school and the principal and assistant principal did nothing and were very dismissing. The principal and staff admit and acknowledge safety failures but do nothing to address or communicate. They don't collaborate or listen but will tell you they are but provide no evidence to support any statement. My only advice is make sure you follow up in writing and get everything in writing. They will try and push you to in person and verbal only with any situation then drag everything along to not commit to what was spoken about. They avoid accountability at all costs and everything to put in the kid and anything but them. LISTEN TO YOUR KIDS when it comes to this school because the leadership in this school is toxic and it is trickling down into the teachers and staff. Several of us have had to pull our kids out of this school which is a shame due to all the connected resources at that school.

TOPS is a good school, there is a really great band and orchestra program. Also middle school science is really cool the students do actual experiments and they learn a lot. Also there is a Deaf/Hard of Hearing program.

A Truly Exceptional School Experience!We couldn't be happier with our decision to send our children to The Valley School. It has truly exceeded all of our expectations!The quality of the teachers is outstanding. They are dedicated, nurturing, and clearly passionate about education, creating a supportive and stimulating learning environment. We are continually impressed by the powerful and engaging curriculum. Our child is currently in the beginning of second grade and is already reading at a third-grade level—a testament to the effective teaching methods and strong academic foundation they provide.We also deeply value the strong sense of community and the school's encouragement of parental involvement. It feels like a genuine partnership in our child's education. The parents are not only involved I also find that they aren’t pretentious and that also shows on the children behaviour. In sum The Valley School is a special place where our child is thriving, both academically and personally. Some people think playfully learning is in detriment of academic performance but we disagree. Psychomotor learning is foundational to early development. We highly recommend it.

Bertschi has an awesome urban campus that's grown out of some charming buildings and been enhanced through expensive development projects. The community is second-to-none - such a vibrant and fun and passionate group of parents, they will become your best friends. But the academics are sorely lacking, really not much better than public school and certainly not what you expect for this money. So what are you getting from Bertschi? It's a posh neighborhood school where your kids don't learn much more than they do at public school but you're way more comfortable than you would be there with unions and crumbling facilities and the unwashed masses. If this is ok with you, that's fine, just don't waste your money on the Pre-K because it is just a charming day care and they literally don't believe in teaching anything in that grade.