The Khabele School

Our children attended the Khabele School, and we had a terrible series of experiences. My children were physically beat up on the playground by other students. One of them had bruises all down the back of his arms where the older kids pinched him when teachers were not looking. The other was held down in a pit and sat on, kicked and hit. He had bruises on his cheeks, forehead and his arms. He said he closed his eyes and thought he was going to die. The teachers response was scripted. «He said he was fine, so we thought he was okay.» The teachers did not notify the other parents and accepted no responsibility. When I pulled them out 2 days later, they charged us for the rest of the school year. I wrote a letter to the board, and never heard a response. They would not take my phone calls or acknowledge us at all. The Khabele School is a failed social experiment. It institutionalizes favoritism. They are rotten behind the motto A Community for a Peaceful World.

The primary program appears to be in disarray, with ½ the staff and the Director leaving their posts at the end of the 2014 – 2015 school year. We found the school weak in standards, extremely weak in conflict resolution, and quite poor in communication between parents and teachers/​admin. We’ve chosen to remove our children from this school.

Don’t bother applying. They will take your application fees and never return a single call, even after you’ve contacted them and been told «oh yes, you’re next on the waitlist» and when you follow up a few months later, they act as though your child never existed. Clearly, they have their own politics at play, not something I want to get enmeshed with, personally.

We love Khabele/​Primavera! Our family has been a part of the primary and elementary community for 6 years. Our children have received an excellent Montessori-​based education tailored to fit each of their individual needs and personalities. We also love that the school combines other methods with Montessori to create a rich and unique curriculum. The teachers are so wonderful, there is just no way to put into words how much I appreciate them and the daily gifts they have given my children and family. Beyond providing a solid academic foundation, the teachers truly nurture the whole child and also excel at teaching conflict resolution. The classrooms, facilities and materials are always well maintained and beautiful. We have had such a wonderful experience here and are excited to see what the future will bring as the school continues to grow!

best of intentions
poorest of follow-​through
very expensive to attend and not very diverse
(i speak from experience as a parent who used to send my children there)