The Dorris-Eaton School

I agree with the other 5 star reviews. Started at a large private religious school where my child was bored and did not enjoy being there. Went to Dorris-​Eaton & just blossomed. Loved the teachers and lots of opportunities to get involved in after school activities. Staff was very flexible when I had to pull my child out of school for a few days due to different reasons. Love that they stress ethics and honesty. Because of Dorris-​Eaton, my child had a safe, personal & happy school life. The entire school staff took an interest in my child & knew my child by name. My child still enjoyed being a kid with lots of interests outside of DE — not just studying. My child really got the foundation needed to prepare for high school & college. The study habits, confidence and enjoyment of learning helped my child get into a Top Ten college & even my child says it is because of the foundation that DE gave him. Not to mention a lot of very close friends from all walks of life. Yes they do challenge the child but DE is for children who want the challenge and can keep the pace. I checked out many schools and have had experiences with four schools and DE was definitely the best experience for my child and for our entire family.

My son graduated Dorris-​Eaton in 2015. He attended this school from 6^th to 8^th grade and came from a public elementary school with raiting 10. By the end of the 4^th grade he was really bored in school. He needed something more challenging. That’s when we started thinking about enrolling him into a private school with higher academic standards.
I visited two private schools — Seven Hills and Dorris-​Eaton. Wasn‘t impressed by the academic standards of the 1^st one. But here in Dorris-​Eaton I found what I was looking for.
I disagree with a person who said kids are raised to be robots in this school.
Yes, the rules are strict. Standards are very high too. But my son was able to fit in. He was struggling for the 1^st 6 months because the gap between skills he got in public school and requirements of this school is huge. Also he had some slight behavior issues because kids are not allowed to fool around in the class (which was normal in public).
I consider this as pros not as cons. He is not a robot at all :) He has grown to a very independent person, with his own point of views which he can really prove, encislopedically smart, his logic amazes me. Teachers in the Dorris-​Eaton are strict but fair. Most of them have a really good sense of humor and understand that kids are kids. My son was taught to independently study, make researches, use logic, use manners, respect others and to be organized.
Debates team is a great addition to the school program.
Also, if your child needs support, you don’t need to pay for a tutor. Teachers are working with students in the morning before school starts free of charge. You can do it every day if you feel your child needs help.
There is also math and science club, both competitive and are included in tuition.
So, now when my son started a high school he has straight A grades. Dorris-​Eaton prepared him really well. He is not a «nerd» or «robot». Normal teenager. Funny and easy going.
Now, looking back at three years in Dorris-​Eaton, my son thanks me for making this decision and enrolling him there.

You only make a difference in education by making a difference with individual students. With Dorris Eaton the whole place feels like a robot factory rather than a school where kids need to be nurtured and guided to a fulfilling future. Teachers are only focused with making kids conform, there is no left or right. All students are expected to fit in to a mold which is extremely rigid and narrow minded. This leads the kids to become like robots with their true self lost. When you look at your own kid, and other kids, you will see how their spirit and personality has been completely drained from them.
It’s truly a heartless place where teachers forget their own purpose in a child’s life. This place feels like a correctional facility rather than a school. The whole purpose of education making a difference is totally lost with a pretentious and overly judgmental staff. They bombard parents with each and every nonsensical tidbit of information regarding your child that they cannot handle. Which is pretty much everything. From talking out of turn to not being able to sit still, you can be assured that you will have many multiples of meeting with teachers and administration. Simply inefficient, unacceptable, and ridiculous.
Paying 25 grand hoping your child goes to an Ivy League because of an education at Dorris Eaton is totally ridiculous, hope in a made believe world. If you fear your child is too outgoing or lively, do not send your child here. You will not be able to deal with the stress, and neither will your child. You and your children deserve better. If academics is the ONLY thing that matters to you, then please send your child here. If you are a loving parent that wants your child to flourish in this world, they do not belong in this school.

Dorris-​Eaton is a wonderful school. We have tried public schools in the Peninsula and East Bay (Roy Cloud in Emerald Hills & Happy Valley elementary in Lafayette), and most recently another top private school. But we decided to return to Dorris-​Eaton. The 3 main reasons are:
1. the teachers
2. the students that are well behaved and eager to learn
3. an administration that runs the school incredibly well
When our son transferred to Dorris-​Eaton in 1^st grade he was behind vs his DE peers — didn’t know his math facts as well, how to spell/​write as well, or read as well. This was something that his public school simply didn’t teach. He was a top student at Happy Valley but initially an average student at Dorris-​Eaton. The school was patient with him and worked with him to help him get equipped with the habits/​fundamentals that Dorris-​Eaton teaches. A few months into it, he emerged as a top student and couldn’t believe the type of stuff he was learning and how capable the kids were to learn this at such a young age.
We had been considering moving out of state for the last few years, and we had our kids tested at both public school and private schools. Both kids tested 1 – 2 years above their public/​private school peers. This isn’t because they were the smartest, or the hardest working. It simply came down to the fact that Dorris-​Eaton did a wonderful job teaching the kids the fundamentals.
Last, I didn’t know that so many private schools fundraise to help cover their costs. Dorris-​Eaton does no fundraising at all! To me, I want our teachers/​administrators focused on teaching the children — not who is giving $ and are you hitting your fundraising targets. At our last school, I felt harassed by the amount of fundraising — it came in email, flyers home, sign up tables. There was grandparents day, special friends day, walkathon. I am so happy and impressed that Dorris-​Eaton is able to retain the teachers they have, keep the classrooms small, and not ask for another dime outside of the tuition.
PS. The new campus is wonderful! And the bus system has reduced the dropoff/​pickup traffic. Everything is just so easy now, and the location couldn’t be better. Near everything. Tree lined streets. A bus option. Brand new building.

My daughter joined the Dorris-​Eaton in 7^th grade at the new spacious location. While the academics are outstanding just as I thought they would be, the most amazing thing about this school is not in its extremely high test scores, college-​level writing skills or that High School challenges are easy for DES graduates.
DES faculty really care about developing solid study, organizational, learning, and critical thinking skills in their students. The love the teachers have for their subjects shows in their work and in my daughter’s renewed excitement about learning.
The teachers make an effort to get to know each child’s challenges and won’t rest until they figure out a way to help (as it was in our case). The English teacher, for example, regularly gives up her lunch time to work with students who need help with grammar. Asking for help when needed is an important skills DES develops in their students. (By the way, DES has 4 teachers who cover the the typical CORE Language Arts: Writing, English, Literature and History).
Besides teaching their main subject, many teachers are involved in organizing after school activities like sports, debate, Science Bowl and even dance parties :)
Our daughter made many new friendships and seems to enjoy every activity the school has to offer. Even though the education is rigorous and is very different than what she is used to, our kid is very happy!