The Clariden School

I have 3 children at Clariden and have been at Clariden for 5 years. In my tenure, there has only been two new teacher additions and one attrition. That seems AMAZING for any school. In addition, the new teachers are incredible, one of whom brought a huge following of parents from her prior school. I believe that it is important for the school community to work together to support a school. The Clariden community is amazing and the teacher, staff and parents really care. That is what makes it special.
--Submitted by a parent

Clariden School is a great school. The teachers are exceptional, the leadership is first rate and we have been satisfied since day one. This is our first year in this school. The head of school is a nationally known educator and best-selling author and she has done a wonderful job with the communications. Every time we had a question, she personally contacted us and made sure we felt satisfied with the results. Our son is a primary student and he is learning math and loving the method for teaching it. We came from a public school that was only focused on testing and at Clariden they are focused on developing a love of learning and it shows. This school is everything it says it is and more.
--Submitted by a parent

Excellent school, caring teachers. We have been at Clariden for the past 4 years, my daughter has really grown, learned and become self confident.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have spent their entire careers at Clariden and am I very happy with their individualism, their capability, and their happiness and self-confidence. It's true that you won't see tests or rote memorization. But my kids have always surprised and impressed me with their ability to work out a problem, even if they don't know the traditional words that we learned for it. I have often attended the in-class experience for adults, where we can actually have the same lessons are children learn, and every single time I have learned something that public school did not teach, or did not explain. The teaching methodology is fantastic, it and the faculty are caring and respectful of students. I abhor the treatment of our children by public schools as lesser humans, and Clariden does not follow the pack. Kids are given the freedom and the respect to make their own decisions. They are not without guidance, and when their own decisions or motivation falters, the faculty is right there to set them back on track. I am looking forward with keen interest as the upper school program develops and grows, as I am very happy with the lower and casa programs my children have experienced.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers are ok, but most of the exceptional teachers are gone. I highly suggest not enrolling your child in this school.

This is our fourth year at The Clariden School and I can not say enough wonderful things about the faculty of this school! My child thrives in the learning environment here and is excited to go to school each morning. We have been very pleased each year and are excited for the new opportunities for The Clariden School with this new leadership team in place.
--Submitted by a parent

I disagree with the bad reviews and that the good reviews are coming from parents who receive some kind of favoritism because of donations. We are not in the position to donate anything over the standard fees, nor do we have the time to "get in" with the faculty through volunteering due to demanding careers, but we feel that our child has thrived there since moving from a public school. Every year her grades have gone up, and her SAT scores went up 300 points between two years at Clariden. At public school she was unhappy and failing miserably, but here she is happy, engaged in her work, and now excited about her future. She has been encouraged to become a leader, and independent, and the teachers while supportive will be tough when they think a child is not living up to their potential. Yes, last year was a little rocky, but this is proving to be promising as they implement their new program in the upper school, and I am personally excited about the new project curriculum as it is teaching the kids to be independent thinkers. It may sound like an easy way to get an A, but I've never seen my child so enthusiastic, or work harder than this year
--Submitted by a parent

I'm very surprised after reading the last few postings, as I've been heavily involved with The Clariden School for 7 years, & have seen it through many of these changes mentioned. It has never been a place where the child did not come first. The staff & faculty have always practiced excellence to the Clariden families, & though it isn't a perfect place (because no such thing exists), it is a safe, caring, & nurturing environment for a student. If such a setting as a small, private school hasn't worked for your child, that is no reason to turn around & make false or elaborated accusations toward the school. The families that belong at Clariden are those that WANT ownership of their education, WANT their child's strengths to be nurtured & cared for, & WANT close relationships & open lines of communication within the community. As in any institution, there will be growing pains, but the support of one another through those times is what holds a community together. I'm disappointed in those that gave Clariden a bad wrap; it's always been & IS a place that fosters respect of self, each other, & the community, all while striving for excellence academically, socially, & personally.

Our children have a special bond with their Clariden teachers. They miss their teachers in the summer and want to invite their teachers to their birthday parties. When we drop them off they are smiling and when we pick them up from school they have a smile on their faces. They are happy, well-rounded, well educated and loved at Clariden.
--Submitted by a parent

We have been part of the Clariden community for 6 years. We have never received favoritism, nor have we witnessed any. We have paid our fees, like all other families according to the school's standard principles (just like any other private school) and in exchange we have received a superb education in a nurturing and caring environment. We couldn't be more pleased with the teachers and the new head of school. We live in Southlake, and have Carroll schools at our disposal. Regardless, year after year, we do the assessments and end up at Clariden for the superior Montessori education and the embracing environment driven by the teachers and faculty.
--Submitted by a parent