Marin Day Schools – Sherith Israel Preschool

Our child has been attending for two months now and we are very pleased. The teachers in the butterfly classroom are wonderful! Very patient and welcoming and helped our little girl transition into preschool. The parents have created a community with playdates outside of classroom so that parents can get to know each other better. We are so happy and glad to be part of his school!

Bright Horizons/​MDS Sherith Israel Branch is a mainstream, corporate school. They are process led vs the individual child and it isn’t very free. The creativity in classes is underwhelming and similarly the amount our child was stimulated intellectually was mediocre. Some of the teachers in the most demanding age group class, like Giraffes, are quite young and inexperienced. This was a concern.

We are in the Caterpillar (two’s) class at Marin Day School Sherith Israel, and it has exceeded all our expectations. I was worried that my son would have a difficult transition to preschool, but he teachers have been so amazing and helped him adjust quickly. Now, a month later, he is so happy to go to school each morning and talks excitedly about his teachers when he comes home from school.
The communication from school is excellent. There is a weekly newsletter about the curriculum and the teachers update us every day during pickup about what my son did and how he was that day. The curriculum is very creative and stimulating – last week the class learned about different forms of transportation and this week they will learn about food groups and healthy eating.
Most of all, I am impressed with the teachers who are so nurturing and loving. They are so engaging with the children and are patient and kind. My son loves his teachers so much; his face lights up at the mention of their names. I am very impressed with Marin Day School and I have complete peace of mind when I leave for work that my son will be well-​cared for and well-​loved here.

Reviews on Unilocal for this school are under Marin Day Schools (the one at 2266 California)…be sure to read them thoroughly

You are absolutely correct Annie about the teachers, they are not treated well and yes it is a well oiled money driven organization with little concern for teachers or students. For the most part they treat the parents well, they are the people paying the tuition. You are also correct about teacher turn-​over. Teachers do stay at their jobs for long periods of time if they are treated well. The better educated teachers that can do better move along.

5 stars for the teachers who try to hold on to their best standards and keeping the children happy and fulfilled. It is an extremely tough job and hats off to the teachers who have stayed on.
1 star for the administration and back office. Most of the messages I left in the office didn’t get to the teachers as I have requested.
I can’t agree more with Annie’s assessment with the Director.
We miss you Flora!

There is good and bad with this school. Both my children attended here, and so i feel I have a good insight into this facility and how it is run.
THE GOOD: I do think the teachers care, some of them were absolutely amazing. They have freedom to teach the classroom in the way they want, and therefore have some great projects that focus on the children’s interest. There is no judgement about potty training, so the kids can do it in their own time, which is wonderful. The flexibility of the schedules… you can leave your child or drop him/​her off earlier and just pay an extra hourly rate. There is a religious and nonreligious option, which is great for the parents to reinforce particular beliefs.
THE BAD: I feel the teachers are not supported well by the administration, who in turn are not supported by the larger corporation, Bright Horizons, who own the school now. The current director, Kathleen, is not qualified to lead the school. She does not have any people skills, she hides behind the desk, and when you ask her anything about the private or public kindergarten process, she gives you a blank stare, or worse, and uneducated answer. She can’t communicate well at all. Anyone who knew her as the assistant director warned the outgoing director not to choose her, but I belive she was chosen because she was next in line, and that’s how a big company works. You can see by the huge turn over of teachers that that there is discontentment with the administration. The excuse they give is that «preschool teachers don’t get paid well anywhere, so of course they move on,» well, look at some of the other schools in San Francisco (esp the ones that are not corporate) …they hold on to their teachers for decades. What is the difference here? Additionally, if you have a problem, as one of my friends did with an uncaring teacher, they just moved this woman to another facility. The problem wasn’t addressed, just covered up. Finally, there is a big charity event for the school every spring. Thousands are made, as they urge the parents to spend, spend spend. They claim they are «nonprofit,» but this is a technicality, since you pay through the nose (tuition went up 75% in 4 years). What did our school get for all this charity work? A new Kenmore refrigerator for the teachers! Yippee!
All in all, I think my kids received a decent education, and we made some great friends there. I just wish it was a nicer place to be… it feels more like a machine, with everyone going through the motions, than a place of happy learning.