Children's House

This place is extremely hit-and-miss, with many locations and classrooms MiNO (Montessori in Name Only).We had our daughter here for over a year, and in the end I really regret it. We were on the fence, because once we started having misgivings, we worried that she'd made friends she'd miss. Even after knowing two families who pulled their children and told us how glad they did, we left her in. I think it was a mistake.We started at one location, where my normally very outgoing daughter cried every time we dropped her off. We switched to another location, where I was told that the first location was just acquired, so they'd revamped the classroom with Montessori materials, but none of the teachers were trained.While the second location was better, I noticed that many very normal Montessori conventions weren't followed. (I have two older kids who were in several Montessori schools for 10+ years, so I know the drill.) Teachers don't shake hands with kids when they arrive. No parts of the plant, no living/non-living signs, no land and water forms, no Montessori birthday celebration(!). At four years old, my daughter said she and several other kids had completed works that kids normally can't do until late in kindergarten, which leads me to believe that the work wasn't being done properly. Assistant teachers rotate regularly, and I never heard of a single one that was Montessori certified. In the end, the teacher we'd been with for over a year was fired without notice. Either she's way less dependable than I thought she was, or they didn't manage something well. After calling and demanding more information, they admitted that neither teacher in the classroom was Montessori certified _or even had any training_.This is a big company. They are good at (and focused on) making money, but they are not providing Montessori education except in hit-or-miss ways. In the end, we went to another community-based Montessori school with certified teachers that was actually cheaper. It's under new management now, but there are a lot of locations and classrooms and teachers that need addressed. I'm sure some people have good experiences here, but we most certainly did not. I hope others make sure they know what their teachers training and background is before sending their kids here.