Encinitas Country Day School

We will not be returning next year to ECDS. Most children do leave after 3rd grade due to the academics. My child brings a workbook home for homework and none of the homework assignments are actually taught in class, so I need to teach it. The tuition is very high for what your child actually learns. I think ECDS should stick to pre-school thru first grade only.
--Submitted by a parent

We have 2 children in the lower elementary grades (1-3). We are finishing our first year here and after much thought have choosen to continue sending our children here. PROS: We have found the teachers to be very aware of our childrens strengths and weaknesses. Third grade has small class numbers, and the students are exposed to great science and geography lessons; in addition to math and language. The children are taught to read books for enjoyment (and not just to take a computer generated test). ECD is helping prepare our children to be motivated learners. CONS: tuition is high and it is difficult to manage; however we feel the investment is worth it. And to be honest, I couldn't come up with any other cons. As far as some of the other CONs listed in other reviews, go look at the school and form your own opinion. We are thrilled with the school.
--Submitted by a parent

My niece entered ECDS three years ago comming from public school, where the environment was problematic. After two years at ECDS she went to her public high school and excelled. This middle school foundation helped enormously to prepare her for a very successful high school experience. This story is the same from parents that i know who have also taken an interest in the school. My advise is start with a visit to the school - and take the tour -- see for yourself -- then make an informed choice. What ever you choose, the 90 min will be informative and enjoyable.
--Submitted by Geoffrey, a parent

After seven years at Encinitas Country Day we have watched our children and this marvelous institution grow up together. I'm one of scores of proud parents who continue to be amazed at the learning and growth that takes place at this school. It's no wonder that even in this economy the enrollment keeps expanding, the campus keeps developing according to a master plan, and the staff continues to be refined, all with an eye toward creating an optimal educational experience for more than 300 students. Over the years, I've listened to parents who have taken issue with one thing or another, and have watched a subset of that group move their children to public or private schools for a host of reasons. During that same period, however, I've watched literally hundreds of families entrust their children, year after year, to the dedicated ECDS administrative and teaching staff and receive an exponential return on their investment.
--Submitted by a parent

This is the 6th year at ECDS for our 2 children. They've had a great educational experience, and I am so impressed with how much they learn every year at ECDS. The teachers and staff are wonderful. ECDS has been the perfect choice for our family, and I highly recommend it to any other parents.
--Submitted by a parent

We were new to the school last year for 2nd grade. Our child was ahead of the game when he entered ECDS. Unfortunately he did not get proper guidance with reading or math and I had to have him tutored over the summer. We ended up leaving and starting him at a new school for 3rd grade and he is very happy and the teachers are on top of it. One of the problems was there was no aid in 2nd grade. You definitely need an aid in a Montessori environment if there is over 10 children in a classroom at this age. I witnessed the children wondering around a lot and goofing off trying to figure out what they want to do next. Although my son had great friends there we had to move him. s

We removed are children from ECDS due to the poor education level. Our kids actually scored well on their SAT tests. In fact our 2nd grader got 7th and 8th grade level in language, listening and reading. Of course this is not reality so I actually can not trust or go by these SAT scores. Our kids also scored well on math but at their new school they are behind, so off to tutoring they go. Hopefully ECDS can start hiring teachers with actual teacher credentials in addition to their montessori certificates. For the tuition ECDS charges it is not worth it. Once you leave you realize what a real education is. I feel like we wasted so much money.
--Submitted by a parent

Our children have attended ECDS for 6 years and we couldn't be happier. Our children love their school, teachers, and friends. We would recommend ECDS to everyone.
--Submitted by a parent

I am the one who posted a comment last week about our son entering 3rd grade in the coming school year, and that contrary to recent postings on this site, ECDS students as a whole achieved high SAT test scores and demonstrated above average proficiency in math. I am a parent of two students attending ECDS, and am not the Director (or a teacher). I simply did what the disgruntled parent of the child challenged with math did not or would not do: I asked the principal to show me test scores for the entire school, and inquired about the math curriculum and its effectiveness. Apparently, this information has always been freely provided to parents of both students and prospective students. As I see it, every child has strengths and weaknesses, and as parents it is our job to take responsibility for monitoring and managing their education in conjunction with teachers and administrators. If the curriculum and/or teaching style at one school aren t a good fit, by all means move on to another institution. I think it is a disservice to your child and to others in the community, however, to act as though vitriol is somehow a virtue.
--Submitted by a parent

This site and it's posts are set up for people to express their satisfaction as well as dissatisfaction with an institution. I think the parent has every right to be "disgruntled" if their child is falling behind and the staff does nothing to alert the parents. It is the responsibility of BOTH parents and teachers. We did our part to recover our child's grades but the staff was a complete disappointment. OUR negative experience was mainly with the upper grade teachers. There was no follow-thru, extremely unprofessional (i.e. Using Fscebook during class time) and teachers actually gossiping about students with students. Lines were crossed over and over again. After years of Spanish "class" the children can not conjugate a verb, let alone write or read a sentence. If $1200/month gets you this type of education I'd rather send mine to another school - even public. I do want to state the teachers in the lower grades (K thru 2) were amazing. Very attentive & nurturing - a real positive experience.
--Submitted by a parent