Joseph S Bruno Montessori Academy

We have been at this school for six years and are very pleased with the education our children have received. The teachers are highly educated (most with master's degrees and Montessori training) and take special interest in the children. Parent-teacher communication is exceptional here because the teachers not only communicate academic progress but they are also concerned about the development of the whole child. Lessons are given to the students in small groups or one on one and are only presented once the child is ready to be successful at the new concept. Children are allowed to learn at their own pace giving them the opportunity for the repetition of concepts leading to mastery of the subject material. A large number of the students who graduate from this program are accepted to the top private schools in the state. The campus and classrooms are beautiful. The learning environment as a whole exudes peace and inspires a joy for learning that is evident if you observe the children enrolled there.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing! I am a fifth grader there. I have gone ther for three years and absolutely love it. When I first got there all the teachers and students were very nice and helped me get used to the new ways of learning, I feel like I am learning a lot more and am a lot smarter since I have been here.

All you haters are wrong this is a great school I am a fifth grader there i have been going there seven years and it is great. Everyone learns at there own pace so if you get confused a teacher will sit down with you and help you with it. There are many extracurricular activities at this school. We even have a robotics team that is one of the best teams in the state. Students can participate in school plays and musicals. We have music, art, library, and drama classes. Overall it is a great school.

Like a previous reviewer, we have received near daily phone calls from the administration. Early on, the administrator insisted we get a pyschological evaluation for our 4 year old. When the findings did not meet her expectations, she demanded a second opinion. The experience has been unexpectedly stressful, and this is our first and last year at the school. We plan to cut our losses and not return after the winter break.
—Submitted by a parent

We would not recommend this school to anyone. The administration at this school is unprofessional. We enrolled our child in the preschool and were called within the first hour of the first day to collect our child because our child didn't adjust to the Montessori method instantly (it was new to our child). On the second and third day, we received a similar call by lunch. We received daily phone calls with complaints like "your child played with a stick" (why was a stick available?), or "your child works better one on one" (don't they all?) or "your child pretended a box was an airplane"(the teacher confirmed the assignment had been completed prior to the imaginative play). We removed our child in the sixth week of school because our child had yet to complete a full day. The staff continually removed him from the classroom rather than working with our child (placing our child in the workroom between the classrooms). The school staff never helped our child adjust to the school, they simply excluded our child. We regret leaving our child in the school as long as we did. Be aware tuition is non-refundable under any circumstance before you sign the contract with this school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school. We have been here for 7 years and absolutely love it. The faculty is outstanding and the parents are dedicated, warm and friendly. Joseph Bruno Montessori Academy is outstanding!!!
—Submitted by a parent

We also had horrible issues with the administration at this school. It is a beautiful campus and the teachers we dealt with, all of which have also now left the school, were wonderful, but the administration is severely judgmental, non-cooperative, and lacks all professionalism. Extremely disappointing for a Montessori Academy. We expected so much more.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school especially if you can start your children out in the preschool. The staff is dedicated. If you are a veteran of Montessori, this is your place. If you're thinking of Montessori, read more about it and then come here. I have 3 children at this school and couldn't be happier nor could they.
—Submitted by a parent

I do not recommend this school to anyone because of the administration. When visiting, she assured us that she could work with our child and meet their needs. Once enrolled, it was the exact opposite. Afterwards, she was unprofessional and made rude comments about our child. We have learned that other parents have removed their children from the school and teachers have left because of the administrator and her actions. I believe this school will become a better institution once a change in administration has taken place.
—Submitted by a parent

all 3 of my boys used to go to this school and they LOVED IT!!! Ms. Sue was the BEST TEACHER EVER...HANDS DOWN!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

I am tremendously pleased with the progress my grandchildren are making at JSB Montessori. The administration and teachers take in account individual learning and emotional needs of each child and are innovative in meeting these.

We recently moved to Birmingham and have been very pleased with the montessori method of learning. The teachers are all wonderful and the student body is very diverse and accepting.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and staff were wonderful. I was very pleased with the academic aspects of the school and the school had many extracurricular activities for the children. The problem is the administration. She discourages parent involvement and is critical in front of the children. My child now attends a different school with a similar philosophy and he is thriving. I think if/when Bruno Montessori undergoes a change in administration it will once again be a wonderful school.
—Submitted by a parent

I attend jsb. I am in 8th grade, and I love it! I have been there for 3 1/2 years. Its hard to leave, because I love my teachers and friends!
—Submitted by a student

Our 2 yr old attended JSB Academy 2006-2007. If you're looking to enroll your child in a school that will facilitate his/her holistic educational process you've found it. The quality of the toddler program is ideal. Our son's teachers provided individualized assistance to all the students in their class. They were gentle, kind & loving toward the children and stern when the need arose(Thx K & A). Not to take anything away from genetics, but our son has the cognitive ability of someone much older than himself. This is the least of his abilities but, he not only knows his numbers & letters, but he can identify them and place appropriately! We were active parents and were pleased that our involvement was encouraged. JSB has much to offer; strong Montessori based program that offers extracurricular activities such as music, arts and many other opportunities for your child to flourish.
—Submitted by a parent

My children came from the Public School System and starting in Montessori in the 2nd and 3rd grade. We were at a dissadvantage because we did not start in preschool, but did not take long to see the results. I am very please with the student/teacher ratio. I had never been exposed to the Montessori methods, but we will not return to the public school systems.
—Submitted by a parent