Montessori School at Emory

As a current parent, I've tried hard to make this work for our family. The administration is a serious letdown - there is where a huge breakdown occurs, regardless of how great the teachers are or are not. I would not recommend this school to anyone. They use the Montessori method as a farce for charging ridiculous tuition.
—Submitted by a parent

I was not familiar with the Montessori environment until we came to this school. Now I am a true believer. It's amazing to see how much and how quickly my children learn when they take a more active role in their studies. I have had children at every level in this school and whether they were toddlers or in elementary, the teachers and staff have worked with me to help them succeed. I also like that the school pays attention to the whole child. Physical activity is also important, and the school has an excellent pay area and gym. I have recommended this school to other parents and will continue to do so.
—Submitted by a parent

Being a product of a Montessori education myself, it was important to me to find a school that I could identify with that reminded me of the environment I was enabled to love learning in. I found that at Emory Montessori. The administration and teachers are outstanding, very open to ideas, questions and concerns. My 4 year old and 2 year old are excited every morning to go and are happy to share their day with me at the end. Being a working mom I love the added options of year-round school and limited school closings. My kids love the gynasium. I am happy and confident with the decision to have our children here. I highly recommend it to anyone evaluating a Montessori education for their children.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 2 children at this school including one in the toddler community. We have had a wonderful experience at the school over the 5 years our family has been there. My children's teachers could not be more caring and professional and I have found the administration very open to my questions or concerns. I truly feel confident in our decision to have our children there and would recommend it highly. I have seen the amazing growth of this school and look forward to having my children there for years to come. They have plans for a middle school school so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
—Submitted by a parent

Honestly, if I could give them a negative star, I would. I should have read the reviews here before enrolling my child. We had the worse experience ever! The staff and administrators do not care about the parents/child's needs. They left our son in 99 degree weather on the playground crying! When my husband picked him up, the teacher shrugged her shoulders and said she wasn't sure how long he was crying. When we got home, his temperature was 103.7! Our pediatrician was very upset about this whole situation as well. PLEASE BEWARE OF THIS SCHOOL! They appear to have it all together when it is clearly not the truth! We had paid for the month but we are not longer with the school. They ONLY WANT YOUR MONEY!
—Submitted by a parent

Our son started at MSAE in 2011 when he was 3 yrs old - going into one of the primary classes for 3-6 year olds - and we are very happy so far. Montessori can take some getting used to - the classroom environment is very calm and quiet, and can seem a little 'cold'. But it became clear so quickly how happy and stimulated our son was, and he has acquired so many skills, especially concentration and fine motor. He loves his teachers, and has responded positively to the structured environment and the mixed-age class. I'm not sure Montessori is for every child, but if it suits yours, this is a great school, with a friendly atmosphere. They organize playdates for each class, and really foster a sense of community. When you see all the children playing together outside the classroom, you realise that they are just as exuberant as any other group of kids, but somehow in the classroom they are able to be so calm and focused. I can't speak to some of the bad experiences mentioned in these reviews (it is true that teachers have been allowed to bring their babies in if they are practising attachment parenting), but the parents I know at the school are all pretty happy.
—Submitted by a parent

I would give a half star if I could. This school was horrible and they treated my 16 mo old son like a felon. The toddler teacher actually told us during our class open house that she didn't like the younger kids as much as she did the 3yr olds (they're classrooms are for 15mo- 3yr) because the younger kids we're harder to work with. My son was actually suspended for biting (he's 16 mo old). Once we made the move to Suburban Nursery he hasn't had any biting incidences. This school is a Montessori farce. You'll get a horrible vibe from adminstr.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had two kids there and unfortunately put up lack of structure, high teacher turn over, lack of oversight adn accountability of the teachers. This past year was generally disappointing. We had to put up with his teacher having her INFANT in the class daily for the first 1/2 of the year. This was put on us at the start of the school year when we had no other option other than our local public school, which had its own issues. This teacher had very little oversight over our son and his work mainly consisted of art, coloring other kids work. His journal at the end of the year was essentially blank except cartoon drawing. We contemplated removing him to our local public school and in retrospect wish we did. Would avoid this school entirely. Don't waste your child's time or your money
—Submitted by a parent

We have a 3-year old who started here. She really has grown and blossomed into a smart, self-sufficient child. I'm confused about all the turnover comments as she has had the same teacher the entire time in toddler and in primary. Then I looked at the dates and saw they were old posts because I feel like I know ALL the teachers, not just my child's. It's a great school with good structure but doesn't feel like boot camp. Love it there.
—Submitted by a parent

Our family has been with Montessori School at Emory for almost nine years. Overall, we have had a very good experience and our two children have received an excellent education. In Montessori, children learn to work independently, each doing different age-appropriate activities . It may LOOK like 'controlled chaos,' but as you see your child sew at age 3, learn place value to the thousands at age 4, write their first story (in cursive!) at age 4 or 5, read Harry Potter at 6, long-division and oral presentations at age 7, and consistently at the top of their class when they transition to traditional schools (with a love of learning to boot!), you see there is method to the Montessori madness. Learning IS happening--this is NOT daycare. However, Montessori is not for every child. Though many kids thrive, a few benefit from more traditional programs.
—Submitted by a parent

I worked for this school at one point and unfortunately the negative reviews are all accurate. The teachers are way under paid. I think this results in the extremely high turnover. I was working with some over qualified people as well as some under qualified, unprofessional individuals. We all made the same measly amount. I made There was very little unity among the staff. Lots of cliques and drama. I witnessed a child being passed back and forth between two assistants who didn't want to change his diaper!!! Also, there are subs all the time! These children see a revolving door of faces weekly, and it is sad.
—Submitted by a teacher

The school is poorly run. The school is not centered around true Montessori learning. I agree with other posters in that the school is more like a daycare than a private school. There have been some good teachers, but retention has been a real problem.
—Submitted by a parent

We had two children in the Montessori School at Emory and we were hoping it would be a positive experience. Unfortunately, it was not. The staff turnover was ridiculous. Teachers would be introduced, become familiar to the children, and then leave weeks later. They were constantly short staffed and there was near zero feedback on what was going on with the class and your child. Unless, of course, they happened to act like an exuberant child. Then, you would be called in for a conference, and the offending behavior examined like a pathology. It was emotionally exhausting worrying that our children were not good enough for Montessori. We left after six months and have not looked back.
—Submitted by a parent

Not enough supervision or resources. More of a day care than a school because learning really isn't happening. School is geared more towards profits than product, and the well-being of the children. Also gives parents limited rights. There are much better schools in the area for a similar price.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has also been going to this school since he was 20 months old and we have had a great experience. His teacher has always been available to answer questions and work with our child. The director coffees once a month let me connect with the administrators and get my questions answered. There is always room to improve. Maybe more e-communication for parents to get info on-line. Our experience has been great and we plan to have our child attend through his elementary years as well.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has been going to this school since she was 20 months old (she is now 4 1/2) - we love this school and so does she. While her learning and love of learning has progressed wonderfully, I see the spirit of Montessori come through best of all through her interactions with her peers and children outside of school. The year round program suits my work schedule, and the adminstration works with parents very well. The only reason don't give five stars is because ALL schools could so something better, and in this case, I'd like to see more outisde activities come in (Zoo Mobile, etc.).
—Submitted by a parent

This school needs a lot of work. The children aren't interviewed properly and evaluated to see if the child can benefit from the montessori method. Therefore, children attend 1 year there and only go home with biscuits every day. If the child is not smart, some teachers don't want to work with them. The turnover is tremendous and money is the only motivation. The REAL montessori method is ignored by the heads also unknown by the heads. The teachers are underpaid and underestimated, therefore unproductive. The student-teacher ratio is always beyond regulation because they seem to always be short staffed. I have met children so well behaved as they enter, and after 2 weeks, they feel the unorganized environment and feed off of it. The teachers really try and care about the children, but as a whole, for such a small school, the communicative feel could be a lot higher.

Our daughter has a wonderful teacher, but the school is not very inviting to parents. Additionally, there is not a very strong school community.
—Submitted by a parent

We love this school! Our son began the toddler program 4 months ago and we've watched his language skills explode and we are thrilled at how excited he is to go to school everyday. His teachers are warm, caring, expereienced in Montessori methods and just lovely people.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son attended the school for 3 years.The teachers were wonderful and professional.However, the owner of the school is not Montessori trained and it shows in the running of the school.
—Submitted by a parent