Desert Garden Montessori

Very nice teachers. Very expensive, so most of the parents are older and established. Given the price, too much time is spent fund raising. I think the student-teacher ratios are poor--- 1 to 15 for for 3-5 year olds! Must pay extra for all extracurricular activities, and the price per class is very high. Much better than standard 'daycare' in the area. I checked them all out. Especially nice for infants, who have free range rather than being penned up in a crib. Overall, I am glad that I have my daughter there; she has been there for 2.5 years.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attends DGM. All staff know children and primary parent by first name, making security and communication easy. The school generally follows the Montessori method. My son has learned to be orderly, focus on and finish a task, life skills, math, and pre-reading skills even though his just turned 5. The school atmosphere is calm and feels safe. Lead teachers keep great track of each child's progress and work well with parents. There is a low teacher turn-over. The downsides: If a child does not arrive before 9 am, he is not allowed to attend school that day, with exceptions for appointments. It is expensive. Parking can be an issue. The school has run out of space. Extra cirrucular, hot lunches, and special needs help costs extra.
—Submitted by Krista Krista, a parent

This is an excellent alternative to child care for young children and has the available benefit of continuing their education in the same environment up to 8th grade. Excellent faculty, well run and fosters a close knit community of students and parents.
—Submitted by a parent