Carden West School

I also agree with the comment made about the facility being nice and the after school programs being a nice edition for working parents. Again, other than that, it is REALLY not worth any amount of money paid here and the parents attitudes (which are really very rude overall) and the favoritism and targeting of children to get them out of the school because their parents stand up to the administration and question them, is beyond something out of a ""Housewives of Atlanta Series". Pure Drama!! and simply unjust and morally reprehensible. I am so disappoinyed in the whole thing and very sad that I exposed my kids to this type of stress and FALSE example of a leader and role model.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been at Carden for many years now since kids were in preschool program. Kids have learned a lot. Biggest problem we have run into with elementary school part is the teacher turnover. Lost both 1st grade teachers from last year and just lost the 3rd grade teacher. Hard to judge school based on past test scores if the teachers that got those test scores are no longer there.
--Submitted by a parent

We love Carden West! My son has been in this school since he was 18 months old, starting in the Toddler Program, then the 2s, 3s and is currently in the Pre-K Program. We have had great teachers who all take the time to really care about my child. Carden West emphasizes the "whole child". It is also academic but not hardcore. This has been a great fit for my child. The parents, teachers and administration have all been great as well. I feel there's a real sense of community here. The campus is beautiful too!
--Submitted by a parent

Carden West School has wonderful, dedicated teachers that continue to foster the child's love for learning. My daughter started at Carden West in the 3's program and has continued on to the elementary school. With small class sizes, the teachers have the opportunity to get to know each and every student. At the end of each day, the teacher has something meaningful to tell me about my child's day. Not just that she had a good day but something concrete and tangible that shows my child is engaged. All the specialty classes such as computers, art, music, P.E. and science give the students a well rounded education. The kids enjoy being there so much that it's hard to get them to leave each day. Walking into the classrooms, of any grade, you will see the students happy yet engaged. They are pushed to excel without being stressed. Despite financial trouble over the years, the school continues to deliver a quality education. The school finally has a stable leader who has a background in education and it shows in in the curriculum development.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a teacher at Carden West and I love the sense of community with the families and teachers. I love watching as the siblings are born and enter the school and move up. A real community feeling!
--Submitted by a teacher

I just got back from our winter concert and just wanted to share how much we love this school! They have a fantastic programs like music, computers, Spanish and library even at the preschool level. We chose Carden West several years ago for my older son and we looked for alternatives for our younger son, but could not find a school with the same balance between academic and social skill development for young kids. The facility is AMAZING, the teachers are second to none and I feel so lucky that we are part of such a fantastic organization. Thanks Carden!
--Submitted by a parent

I love Carden West School. It is true the school is going through some financial issues, but I will say it has not affected the dedication of the faculty or the quality of the school. I did a lot of research prior to selecting Carden West School for our son. He began Carden West School as Kindergartener this year. Unlike public Kindergartens which received about three hours of curriculum per day, my son receives six hours. Also, unlike some public Kindergartens, Carden West's curriculum includes computer lab, choice of foreign language, social studies, science, art, music, reading, language, math, P.E., and weekly trips to their library. We all want to make the right choice when making life decisions for our children and I know that I made the right education decision when I enrolled my son in Carden West School.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have been at this school for 3+ years now, starting in the 18-mo toddler program on up, and I can attest without any equivocation that the quality of the education is not what it was when we first started. Teacher turnover has been a growing problem. My son's pre-school teacher was let go one day without courtesy notice or explanation to us. For the next week we had no idea if he had a teacher and still don't know what happened to his teacher he liked so much. The school filed for voluntary bankruptcy protection in early November 2011. Shortly thereafter I learned the school had not been paying its property lease for at least 2 months?? The administration, former and current, has run the school into the ground. In my opinion this stems from an unacceptable level of communication that is pervasive throughout the administration. I used to support the school at every function but am so disheartened that I can no longer be bothered. As another parent reviewed, there is an issue of mistrust that I am seeing first hand. I also believe they have lost the pricipals upon which the school was founded (Carden method) as the current and former principal have never uttered such.
--Submitted by a parent

We have had at least one child at Carden West since 2007, in toddler and pre-school programs. Both of my kids benefited tremendously in developing their social and academic skills during this crucial time. The programs, staff and environment are top-notch, and well worth the cost. It has also been a pleasure to participate with such a solid community of parents.
--Submitted by a parent

I love Carden west, We used to e here and then we left. and now I'm sorry for the time that we missed the school. Both my kids love to go to carden west now and we love the teachers , principal and all friendly environment.
--Submitted by a parent