San Francisco Public Montessori School

My son has attended SF Public Montessori for the past 4 years. He began in the pre-school program at the age of 3 and is now in the 1st grade. My son has been doing very well in the multi age class rooms and enjoys working with the 2nd and 3rd graders during the work periods. The school has gone through major growing pains over the last 2 years and we are very glad to see a marked improvement and sense of stability in the school this year. The building renovation work is almost complete and the new teachers and principal have worked hard to establish a strong school community. This year s PTA has done a great job fundraising and the school library is really coming together in a great way. We are excited to see SFPM grow from the original 2 room pre-school into a thriving and successful elementary school that cultivates a love of learning in each child.
--Submitted by a parent

SFPM is an amazing school! My daughter is finishing her first year attending as a kindergardener and I can't say enough about how impressed I am with what she has learned. She struggled with preschool but loves school now. The families and staff at SFPM are great. The principal, David Shilt, Phd. is a great mentor for teachers, excellent leader for the school and the kids love him! I suggest placing SFPM at the top of your list and hope you get in. This is the only Montessori Public Elementary school you will find in the San Francisco. It is a true gem.
--Submitted by a parent

My son attends Pre-K here. Beautiful facility (though it is in the throes of renovation), superb teacher, adequate classroom resources which include the full complement of Montessori tools. Great principal, wonderful school secretary. Most of all, freedom for my son--to fall in love with learning at his own pace, according to his own interests.
--Submitted by a parent

Great pedagogy, teachers, principal, and community of families. My child has been in this program for 3 years now and we are liking this school more and more and finally we see things really taking off this year. The school is new and innovative for SFUSD, but the Montessori method is time-tested and is an amazing alternative to traditional teacher-centered schools. So happy to be part of a great group of parents and students and excited to see how Montessori education really shines at the Elementary level. The new principal is wonderful and has lots of experience in public Montessori school.
--Submitted by a parent

Abysmal school in an equally abysmal school district. Social engineering on steriods...with the performance results you would expect....horrendous. Stay as far away from this school district as possible. I truly do feel a great deal of sadness and the level of disfunctionality in this school and school district. I really do not have any ax to grind. I have seen this school and school district up close. It is so bad, my kids could hardly read or write a thing upon entering second grade.
--Submitted by a parent

My son started at this school two years ago when he was in preschool. He is now in first grade. The first two years were difficult for two reasons. On our end, he had undiagnosed Sensory Processing Disorder that was causing some severe behavior problems. Secondly, there was some serious disfunction amongst the administration and staff. This year is entirely different. The school has a new principal, new teachers, even the building is being renovated, and my son is also getting the help he needs outside of school for his sensory issues. His teacher this year has been extremely cooperative, accommodating his needs while remaining firm in her expectations of his behavior. The academics are challenging and by the end of the school we expect to have a wide array of after school enrichment activities for the children to choose. We have a strong PTA that is dedicated to making this a truly great school.
--Submitted by a parent