Cedars Montessori School

9704 Circle Drive

Austin, TX 78736

23 Reviews

School District
Grade

n/a
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 28, 2024

We love Cedars. We have been a part of this jewel of a community for 6 years. Our daughter is thriving at this nature based, Montessori school. She is seen, heard and supported by her guides, her classmates and the administration. The director is approachable, responds to our emails in a timely manner and as parents we also feel seen, heard and supported. Our child is dyslexic, and the school has made accommodations to support her and her education. She will now read in front of people and has taken up theatre. She is independent, confident, and a natural leader. Before Cedars, I would describe her as shy. I actually said this about her to the director when touring the school. The director said my daughter was an observer. This was 6 years ago, and that simple statement changed the way I saw my child. Wilderness class, chickens, goats, gardening, all school community book fairs, spring festivals, end of the year picnics and bon fires, to name only a few reasons what makes this place so special. We are very grateful that we have the opportunity to send our daughter to this school.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2024

After a few years in one of the best-rated public schools in the area, we realized that our daughter was not thriving in the high structure, high pressure environment that is public education. In an effort to find a schooling alternative that would feed her curiosity and creativity, we embarked on a tour of a handful of private elementary options in the south Austin and Hays County area. Because of the long commute and high financial commitment, Cedars Montessori did not rank high on our preliminary list. During our tour of their beautiful campus, Cedars offered us the opportunity to sit in a classroom and quietly observe our daughter’s prospective class. What we experienced was absolutely magical: Three grade levels of children working independently, in partners, and in groups; teachers completely focused on their students; a warm, organized but cozy classroom with seating options to meet every child’s needs. If you have ever spent time in a public school classroom, you know that it’s usually either silence or chaos. The vibe just felt peaceful and productive. When we took the leap and moved our daughter into Cedars Montessori’s Lower Elementary, we were thrilled to watch her love for school blossom. She has lots of opportunities for play and exploration. She’s learning valuable skills during wilderness, gardening, and handwork classes. And she’s finding an internal motivation toward writing, math, and research projects. We wish this type of learning environment could be available for everyone and feel so immensely privileged to have our child in this program. If you are looking for something different and wonderful, Cedars Montessori is truly an incredible school and a magical place to send your child.
Submitted by parent on August 27, 2024

We couldn't be happier with our experience at Cedars. From the moment we enrolled our child, it’s been clear that this school is something special. The campus is beautiful, and the staff is caring and compassionate about what they do. What I love most about Cedars is how they connect kids with nature. The outdoor activities are incredible—our son is always excited to go to school, especially on days when they get to work in the garden or head out for wilderness class. He has learned so much about the environment, plants, and even how to grow his own food! In addition, Cedars focuses on the whole child, not just academics. Our son has grown so much, not just in reading and math, but also in confidence, social skills, and independence.The sense of community here is also fantastic. The staff, other parents, and even the kids themselves all contribute to a positive, inclusive atmosphere. We’ve met some wonderful families and feel very connected to the school.Overall, we’re so grateful to have found Cedars Montessori. It’s been a joy to watch our child thrive here, and we can’t recommend this school enough to other parents. If you’re looking for a place where your child will be nurtured and inspired, this is it!
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2024

We spent three years here: one in primary and two in lower elementary. We felt so grateful to find this place our first year. We were very happy with the teacher and the programming, and the school offered many opportunities to build community. At the end of the first year, there was a large change in leadership, and conditions have deteriorated considerably. It became apparent to our family that the administration was no longer acting in the interest of the children.The school is owned and run by a family. It is a for-profit institution with no oversight or accountability. The current leadership’s actions indicate the school’s purpose is to support themselves and maintain a bizarre class structure for the benefit of the family’s children. The nepotism has become so overt that even our young children are expressing examples. Funding favors advertising and recruiting new students over recruiting and retaining qualified staff or providing quality programming. All community-building opportunities have been undermined or dismantled. Parents are shut-out. Communication is abysmal, unprofessional at best. Concerns are gas-lighted. Grownups behave poorly and do not lead by example. There are no benchmarks for academics and children are assessed as behind at other institutions. The teachers withhold recess as punishment. The focus on the outdoors, how much time the children spend outside, the children interacting with animals, how nature is incorporated into the curriculum: it’s a facade. Now that we have begun anew at a new school, we remember the excitement and hopefulness that we once had for our children at Cedars before we became habituated to wild disorganization, dysfunction, and dread. Some really amazing families and staff have held on through some very challenging times with memories of what it once was and with hope that things would get better, that our children could still thrive there. Yet the school is rehiring failed staff and even more family. There is now a mass exodus of both students and quality staff, with the realization that our children don’t have any more time to waste on selfishness, greed, and gross ineptitude.
Submitted by parent on July 02, 2024

"We enrolled our daughter at Cedars Montessori when she was three-years-old. She is now ten and we are proud of the person she is becoming. Cedars Montessori has provided a solid educational experience for her. The campus is absolutely stunning with an abundance of nature providing a magical backdrop for her educational journey and friendships. During her time at Cedars, she has engaged with a variety of classrooms and teachers. Cedars has a high standard of quality and each teacher has exceeded those standards. Our daughter is a self-motivated learner and interested in exploring many topics. Cedars has nurtured our child's curiosity. Cedars provides a plethora of opportunities to engage with other community members. We are proud of the relationships and friendships we have established during our time with Cedars. Based on the continued success of our daughter's experience at Cedars, there was no question in our minds when it came time to enroll our youngest son in a Montessori program - we selected Cedars for his educational journey as well. We highly recommend Cedars Montessori."
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2024

As a mother that values a strong sense of emotional intelligence development, I was seeking a school that felt like an extension of our home. Cedars provided a deep sense of community for the whole family. In addition to that, I wanted a school value system that encouraged self agency and autonomy for my three boys. And they delivered. In our time there I saw my boys awareness of self and others expand exponentially. This happened through a beautiful blend of their nature programs and creating opportunities inside and outside of the school campus for their students to learn through the role of a leader, a student and an observer.Being from a public school previously, it was comforting to join a school that has a high moral compass for inclusion and respect for all walks of life. Overall, I recommend this school if you are wanting a school that values nature and academic excellence.
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2024

First, the school has no parameters or accountability- except for reviews at the end of year from teachers. I found out, from another school that I was trying to get into, that my child -equivalent of a 2nd grader, is 2 years behind level…never discussed with me and NOT transparent in this family run FOR PROFIT school.Nepotistic, insular and elitist.
Submitted by parent on April 21, 2024

Over the years we were here, there was a lack of communication between the classroom and our family. Emails were usually ignored, requests for meetings were often met with no response. We tried to collaborate with the school to support our child, but largely were not able to. We were proactive, communicative, and implemented all suggestions that the school made, but we didn't get feedback from the classroom that would let us know whether supports/strategies were helping. At one conference, we were told that no records had been kept for our child in the classroom database they used to track all the other kids' progress. Our kid wasn't even in it. We never had a clear idea of how things were going: all-negative reports one conference, then vague all-positive ones the next semester when re-registration was due. We never really felt welcome as part of the school community, or valued as collaborators (or even as paying customers- the amount of money we sunk here is outrageous considering what we got for it). Without our knowledge or consent, the director entered our preschool child's classroom every day for two weeks and (in director's words after) "put a lot of pressure" on our preschooler to see if child could "perform at a higher level" with pre-academic work, while simultaneously not allowing child to access familiar activities. During this period, child suddenly began to cry every day at dropoff and stopped eating at school. Emails we sent asking if anything was up were, as usual, ignored. At the end of this "assessment", they suddenly asked us to leave, with only two weeks notice. Teacher said that our child was not disruptive in the classroom. Director described our child as "just not a good fit for Montessori!" We know multiple other families who have had similar experiences here. Retrospectively, it was a gift, because now our child is doing well in a better school environment.There is lots to say about nepotism, or about preferential treatment of some families but not others, but other reviewers have already said it. If your child doesn't have any struggles and you don't mind a general lack of transparency, organization, compassion, or communication, Cedars might be a good fit for your family: there are some good teachers here, and the campus is pretty. But especially if your child is wired differently, look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2023

My child has been at this school since before turning 3 and is now a first grader. We could not be more pleased with the culture, his advanced level of learning, and the overall environment. The social/emotional attention to the child in particular was important when our family went thru a traumatic year. My child was stalled in development in every way that year and but they never gave up on us and consistently supported my child thru this time. The natural setting and constant availability of freedom of movement IN that environment has been wonderful for our family. I could not support this school more!
Submitted by parent on September 09, 2022

Both of my children attended Cedars Montessori School through Kindergarten. It was an amazing experience for both of them, and they were easily able to transition to public school with the skills and independence that allows them to thrive. My daughter loves to help younger children and my son loves to read and has a great mathematical mind based on the type of hand's on learning.
Submitted by parent on August 16, 2022

I had high hopes for Cedars as they have a beautiful campus. Unfortunately, our experience with their administration team was very poor and lacked transparency. It appears there is an unspoken culture and you're either in or out. I'd recommend showing up unannounced to the campus several times before enrolling.
Submitted by parent on April 04, 2020

I would rate the school a 1 or maybe 2 out of 5
Submitted by parent on December 01, 2017

We enjoyed a few years there until we complained about a teacher speaking harshly to someone else's child. After that the administration and some staff did everything they could to make us feel unwelcome.
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2015

The grounds, the other families and children, and most of the teachers here are really wonderful, but that didn't make up for the problems we eventually had (and other families have had as well). My child was happy here the first few years so the very serious systemic problems were originally masked by those things. There are mysterious staff disappearances (firings?) without warning or explanation (and after they get your deposit money). I never thought much of this until something very troubling happened to my child there. The reaction from the administrator was not with concern to my child at all, but rather blame, finger-pointing at me and my child, and accusations of lying (after years with no complaints or issues to or about the school). I believe it may be like another poster said, a product of a family business that is too insular to realize huge flaws that hurt students in their approach.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2015

Both of our children have attended Cedars since primary level. They are now in upper and lower elementary. We absolutely love Cedars and the education that our children are pursuing there. The physical environment is amazing and provides such a unique setting for learning and growth. The staff and administration are truly committed to the Montessori way and consciously create an environment that provides the right balance of structure and freedom. Both of our children have thrived in that environment, developing a genuine love for science, math and literature. The community of children is exceptional -- I've been amazed at the deep level of care and support that classmates demonstrate for each other.
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2015

While it is true that the school encourages the students to handle their conflicts privately, this is a predictable corollary to an environment where each child sets an accomplishes their works. My son's class is comprised of highly dissimilar individuals who are well on their way to developing the skills they will need to successfully identify and complete the studies that interest them most. The 'Lord of the Flies' analogy is apt, but my son's class seems far more intent on building something together rather than excluding anyone. The work is hard, the educational theory is solid, the staff is committed and the kids can look you in the eye and have a conversation. We are happy here.
Submitted by parent on March 11, 2015

Friendly school community, incredible outdoor environment-- my son is thriving here! In addition to solving cube root problems & writing his own novel, my 5th grader really enjoys planning the garden, planting & harvesting the vegetables & trying new recipes. Every day is an adventure in learning.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2014

Hardly a Montessori environment. i agree with the previous review, it is more of a daycare, with a Lord of the Flies twist. The administration caters to a select group of 'in' parents; if you fall outside of that group expect your child to be treated unfairly and with little respect. Recess? Expect little supervision. Children are given few basic playground accessories to entertain themselves, so in the absence of having a ball to toss around, they choose to throw sticks and rocks. We made the mistake of trying to make things work, trying different classrooms and teachers, and it went from barely adequate to horrible the last year. No communication from the teacher - ZERO. No response to emails, no given phone number. No updates on progress. Our child did NOTHING for two months, and we were never notified, nor did the teacher address the issue. Every behavioral discussion, which were frequent given the horrible environment our child was subjected to, was handled at the director level. The one meeting that included the teacher resulted in said teacher walking out of the discussion. Apparently it's a privilege to pay tuition to this school. My only regret is not leaving sooner.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2013

This place can hardly be called a school. It is more of a daycare environment into the lower elementary grades. Most students will need to repeat a year of study to transfer into another school, public or private. My son went thru 3 years here including graduating Kindergarten without knowing the alphabet. When he took a reading test for a public school, he was classified pre-K. He is 6.5 years old. His teacher purposely misled us, and was quick to reassure us how hard he was working when we showed concern about his progress. The owners were not concerned. We invested a lot of money into this place, without any return at all. We are spending a fortune this summer to catch him up to where he needs to be. He is not alone. This seems to be very common at Cedars. My husband and I are very discouraged and upset that we were deceived. His final report blamed his slow progress on him! His teacher did not take any responsibility
Submitted by parent on May 28, 2013

We sent both our children here, and invested over $40,000 in the course of three years. When our children graduated from Kindergarten we learned that one of them would not qualify for 1st grade, but would have to repeat kindergarten. During the course of the year, when we checked with his teacher she would reassure us he was working very hard. When he was finished with kindergarten, she said he had not learned a single sight word. She blamed this on him! When I spoke to the director about it, her attitude was ambivalent. We feel we were purposely deceived in our children's progress so we would not remove them from the school. We also had difficulties with feeling our child was being bullied. The teacher repeatedly denied any awareness of our son being punched in the stomach, and tripped. When I spoke with the primary administrator about it. She again blamed our son, saying he needed to learn to stand up for himself. Since this has happened I have spoken with other parents who have had similar experiences. They do not seem to follow any standard guidelines, and there is not any quality control. I would not recommend this school.