The Rhoades School

141 South Rancho Santa Fe Road

Encinitas, CA 92024

34 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on April 12, 2023

We are so happy with Rhoades and have the faculty and teachers to thank for the positive developments we've seen in our child. It's clear that a love of learning has been instilled in them because our child is counting in multiples and practicing addition and subtraction, for fun! They enjoy memorizing names of countries, playing soccer, going on play dates with classmates, and is just living their best life. If you're fortunate to have the opportunity to enroll early at the preschool or TK grade level, go for it. We've toured many other private and public schools in the north county area, and also know families that attend those campuses, but Rhoades stood out to us because of their incredible teachers, like Ms. Cia who is definitely a bright spot and such a gift to the families who are lucky to have their children in her class. She cares deeply about creating an inclusive classroom where all feel safe and loved. For example, for birthday celebrations, instead of the typical cupcakes and birthday song, Ms. Cia invites parents to stop by and celebrate their child in a way that honors their own unique family traditions. Whether that's through sharing a second language when singing Happy Birthday, or by bringing in an activity or food that introduces the children to a different culture, Ms. Cia offers a very thoughtful approach to her teaching style where families can be partners in their children's learning. Our child is coming home and asking about things like self-advocacy, empathy, and kindness to self and others; important concepts that Ms. Cia introduces to her class and talks about regularly. How amazing is it to know your child's teacher is not just concerned with academics, but also wants to help mold a person of great character. We could not be happier!
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2023

We started our children in kindergarten and they stayed until 6th grade. The school started as a warm inclusive environment, with many gifted teachers that truly engaged the children. It has turned into a overwhelmingly for profit company that doesn’t communicate or take feedback from family’s. Many instances of bullying has always had the out come of the child that had been bullied leaving the school. The bullying situation is never resolved. Currently in the 7th grade class a family has left because of bullying. And another family has taken out a restraining order on the same bully. And the school refuses to take a stand on anti bullying. Save you’re self the headache and look elsewhere. This school has turned in a money making business that has no interest in your child’s education.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2022

We switched from public school having read pretty much all of the reviews that are online. We could not be more pleased with the decision we made to have our kids go to Rhoades. We love the small/close community, small classes, amazing teachers (AMAZING teachers) and the administration. Ms. Cia is the TK teacher who is everything we could have asked for in a teacher and more. The kids absolutely love her. She gets the attention of the class in a kind and fun way. My daughter loves going to school now and is excited about learning. That is exactly what I wanted. The kinder and first grade teachers are also all incredible. I have only heard wonderful things about all the teachers, but TK, K and 1st I have personally gotten to know. Dr. McDuffie (head of school/principal) is a kind and strong leader. She listens to the the parents when they have comments, concerns or suggestions. That in itself makes the school constantly evolving in a positive way. Leda Lester (vice principal) takes the time to get to know the parents and kids. She sat down with us at the beginning of school to help us make the transition for our son easier. She would check in on him throughout the day. Both of my kids love her. As for if it is a “gifted” school or not, I don’t know. Both of my kids read 3 or 4 grade levels above and they are advanced in some other areas. I don’t like to focus on that as much as I want them to 1) be excited about learning 2) understand that everyone is smart in their own way 3) develop a growth mindset. As far as I have seen so far, the school does that. I appreciate that the school does focus on teaching kids and helping them to advance beyond their grade level. I do wish there was a bit more differentiation with things like spelling. My hope is that the new owners, Spring Education Group, does not compromise the wonderful small community with a focus on advancement for the sake of additional profit. I don’t know much about them, so hopefully they do realize that the value is he people see in the school is the small class sizes and unique perspective on academics. Do I recommend the school? Yes, 100%! I would’ve started my kids in the preschool if they had it sooner.
Submitted by parent on December 13, 2022

My son is in the TK and we have been extremely impressed with the school. Ms Cia is by far the most incredible teacher we have met. The way she cares about each student and the time she spends with the parents is above and beyond. She is the most incredible person and we all just love her. My son has just thrived in her class— he went to 2 different preschools that he really enjoyed, but from day one in Cia’s class, he has felt so loved and every day comes home saying that Rhoades is the best school ever. The administration is nothing but wonderful and you can tell that they all want the kids not only to succeed, but to thrive. We were debating sending my son to public school, but in his first week at school he asked if he can go to Rhoades forever, so he will be staying, at least for kindergarten! We would definitely recommend Rhoades to everyone, especially if you have the opportunity to be in Ms Cia’s TK class.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2022

The Rhoades School has been a wonderful experience for my children, and this is in no small part due to the amazingly compassionate, dedicated and exceptional teachers. I would encourage you to tour and ask Mrs. Sugarman and Mrs. Ruppert about the importance of development of the whole child, or stop in and ask Mr. Molenkamp or Mr. Nolan about how they help children in their quest to develop a strong sense of self while still learning how to be good people. Additionally, the exceptional middle school teachers such as Mrs, Schramm, Mrs. Bologna, Mrs. Hunker, Mrs. Rozas, Mrs. Stanley, Dr. Watts, Mr. Dei etc. have been with the institution for many years and there is no finer group to help your child navigate a competitive curriculum and instill confidence in their application of knowledge. The faculty and administration at Rhoades have been phenomenal and their dedication and talent has been instrumental in my children’s development and academic journeys.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2022

I’d like to start off by saying how much we love Rhoades. We cannot believe how fortunate we are to have found a school that completely aligns with our values as a family, and an environment that constantly reinforces the holistic approach we are taking to guide our child in her growth and development. After being home for almost two years in this pandemic, it was quite a challenge for us to find a place that will do all of this, that will continue to nurture her love for learning, all while also making her feel safe and secure as a brand new TK student. After finishing our first school year at Rhoades, we are so happy with our decision, and are so excited to see our daughter thrive even more in this new school year. Her TK teacher, Ms. Cia had a huge part to play in our daughter’s growth in school. The way in which Ms.Cia is able to connect with the kids and bring out their best is magic. Her approach and philosophies in learning are exactly what we dreamed of for her teacher. We also love that she helps the kids apply the things they learn in their daily lives, while giving them an emotionally safe space to express themselves and simultaneously encouraging a growth mindset. Her communication style is truly top notch in my opinion, and we could not ask for more in a teacher. I feel so lucky that our kid got the chance to be in Ms.Cia's class as she begins her elementary years.
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2022

My experience with Rhoades school is quite mixed but has been getting worse and worse over the last 5 years that my daughter has been there. My daughter joined in Kindergarten and the only reason we have not left is because she has had some good teachers there and she has a great group of friends. The school had some issues to start with but they became much worse when it was acquired by Spring Education Group 4 years ago. It is a now owned by a for profit Chinese investment firm. As a result, the school is very focused on growth and profit and providing kids with a good education is secondary. The class sizes have grown and there have been noticeable budget cuts. Many excellent teachers have left & the administration does not care about parents and rejects all feedback. They keep growing the school (acquiring a separate middle school campus and now opening a preschool) and don't care at all about the teachers or kids attending the school, let along the parents’ paying tuition.The school focuses on providing advanced math instruction to kids who are gifted in math. Those kids get the smallest class sizes and the best teachers. Kids who are not math genius's get very little good math teaching and large class sizes. They are treated like second class citizens and no effort is made to make sure they understand and enjoy math. . The school provides almost no opportunity for kids to move between levels and when they do move kids up or down a level they do it with no warning or consultation with the parents. This is part of the theme of the school not communicating much with parents and certainly not involving parents in any decisions about their children's education. During the worst of Covid times the school provided less in person school time than all other area private schools and less even than some local public schools. The kids went to school only half the days in two thirds of the 2020-21 school year. Yet safety was not a true priority because there was no schoolwide testing program. The school's Covid rules were just being strict in areas where they could save money (like discontinuing all after school, fun events for families) but did not involve consistent efforts at keeping kids safe while providing a great education. They stopped all performances and the more fun parts of school and kept only the boring (easier and cheaper) driest of academics. The school does not care about kids, only profits.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2022

My son started at Rhoades in 4th grade and will be entering 6th grade there next year. Our experience at Rhoades has been nothing short of amazing. They are truly teaching children how to think and we’ve seen such a huge improvement in his academic progress compared to the years he spent prior in public school. We love the smaller class sizes, the thoughtful projects and the motivated teachers who have truly made school a place my son looks forward to going to each day. Rhoades was the best decision we ever made for our son.
Submitted by other on March 29, 2022

Once upon a time when Luann Kittle OWNED and ran this school, it was a special place. Now it is a dumping ground for spoiled rich kids to learn nothing from incompetent teachers (or good ones who have to suck it up and deal with the new reality). As long as that tuition is paid, everything is great and every child is "gifted". What a joke this school has become? I've seen the downhill slide over the last 10 years and it's sad. My only question is how much lower can it go?
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2021

An incredible disappointment. The application process touts curriculum and an environment built for engaged, high achieving students but in practice it is public school for people who want the cache of private. The elementary classrooms lack discipline or practices to encourage personal responsibility and the academic work follows the same standards (and worksheets) as their neighborhood boundary school counterparts. The classrooms are chaotic and the teaching staff (though nice enough) don’t set standards for behavior that may rock the boat with the paying clientele. What may once have been a school for exceptional learners sold out (literally, it’s for profit and owned by Spring Education Group). I am trying hard to find the community that was promised to us during the arduous admission process but it eludes us. For children who *do* love school and are high achieving Rhoades is not the answer it claims to be.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2018

Our Sons attended this school for 3 years and initially my husband and I were thrilled with this school as we believed it would academically challenge our Sons; however, we were soon disappointed. Little of what was touted during the recruitment actually manifested at the school.Lack of Teacher Supervision. As Professors, my Husband and I are accustomed to our peers reviewing our teaching. This is done to ensure that students are receiving the best education. At The Rhoades School there is no teacher reviews and consequently, there is little cohesion between teachers and growth of teaching methods.Teachers are not Participating in Yearly Trainings. Our knowledge about teaching is growing and training programs share new teaching methods to inspire students to learn. During our time at The Rhoades School, none of my Sons teachers took any trainings, resulting in outdated and archaic teaching methodologies. Bullying. Bullying is a big problem at The Rhoades School and little to nothing is done to address this. Discipline. The Rhoades School uses disciplinary methods that have been repeatedly shown to cause distress in students. Time out chairs and sending kids out in the hallway has been shown to cause anxiety in the student being reprimanded and the other students in the classroom.Gossiping. Teachers and parents gossip about the students at this school. One of the 4th grade teachers spoke about the negative behaviors of her students with another parent, who in turn told all the other parents about such negative behaviors. Student behaviors should only be discussed between the student and his/her parent.Unqualified to Teach. Teaching gifted and bright students is challenging and in my 3 years there, not a single teacher was qualified to teach bright and gifted children. I heard teachers yelling at students, sending them out to the hallway, and telling parents to hire a tutor. My purpose of writing this review, is to inform the public that The Rhoades School is ill equipped to handle gifted or bright children. Since pulling our Sons from this school, their academic performance has soared and they are 2 - 3 grades ahead in all their subjects. So if you are seriously considering sending your children to The Rhoades School, do your research as this may not be the best fit for your child.
Submitted by other on May 22, 2017

I'm am so disappointed in the schools in this area in general. We were having issues with our local public school, They were just unable to adjust and handle the different needs of the children in the class. We needed a specialized school for my daughter and this school has a really beautiful campus. But with is also comes a bit of a snobbishness of what you would expect at a private school in New York. It did put us off but we were willing to look past that annoyance to get the right fit for my daughter. This school however is different to other gifted schools I have researched in the US, because they they don't require you to get proper IQ testing such as the Stanford-Binet or the Wechsler Intelligence Scales. They make you take a test which also happens to be the same tests that private schools in NY like to give their pupils, the ERB AABL. Its not a real IQ test, and I can't believe a real gifted school would give this test to kids and judge them by that. It seems they are more aimed at the kids that do well in a traditional school set up and that are smart but not necessarily gifted. They don't seem to know much about gifted kids, such as the fact that not all gifted children learn to read at 3. You can be gifted and read late for many reasons. And this information is everywhere and not at all a phenomena. So its a red flag that they like to advertise themselves as a gifted school but they do not want any of the quirks that come with a child that is gifted. So I come to reason they want smart children and not gifted children.Secondly they don't allow for a child to advance at their own pace, you can't do first and second grade in one year for example. This again is not in line with what you would expect from a school that caters to the needs of gifted children. Down the road at Pacific Academy they allow for a much better curriculum for gifted children, but they unfortunately don't have a cool campus like Rhoades. Also they have quite a large teacher to Student ratio which is I think 1:18. Gifted children differ from one another, and its a bit of a high ratio to meet the differing levels that gifted children would have. I'm just disappointed that this gifted school can't be of help to my gifted daughter, they are a for show school, using the term gifted not knowing what it really is. This might mean for us a move to another State entirely.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2017

We transferred our daughter to the Rhoades School to complete her Kindergarten Year. She was enrolled in public school for the first few month of the school year, but we quickly realized it was not a good fit for her. We shared our concerns with some friends whose children go to Rhoades and they recommended that we tour the school as another option. Boy am I glad we did!!! Our daughter is doing so well at Rhoades! My husband and I are very excited to see how quickly and comfortably she has adjusted to her new school. It is an understatement to say that she is happier now. She loves Mrs. Ruppi (and Mrs. Sugarman “Shuggi") and her new friends at Rhoades. She comes home every day enthusiastically telling us about what she has learned and her attitude/behavior has noticeably improved at home. Transferring our daughter to Rhoades was by and large the best decision we could have made for her social and academic development and well-being!!! On top of that, the staff and parents at Rhoades are so nurturing and have made our family feel so welcome. It really is a special community and we feel blessed to be part of it.
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2016

Both of my daughters (6th & 3rd grade) attend The Rhoades School. My older daughter transferred last year from public because she needed a more challenging and stimulating educational experience, and it has been exactly what we had hoped for--and more. She went from dreading school to chattering away about the exciting things she is doing and learning. We were so impressed by Rhoades that we decided to enroll our younger daughter this year. She is also far more stimulated and has benefited from the smaller class sizes and outstanding learning environment, where the children are well-adjusted, kind, and intellectually curious. I only regret not sending both of my children there sooner! Particularly when compared with other private schools, I think the cost is quite fair, considering the quality of the education, the wonderful parent community, and the sense of belonging that the children experience.
Submitted by other on March 14, 2016

My sons attended the Rhoades school and have developed into wonderful men who continue to enjoy learning. The Rhoades school is a dynamic school and provides the academic, social and emotional skills necessary for a positive and successful educational experience. The entire school community is loving, helpful and friendly.
Submitted by parent on March 06, 2015

Whoever wrote the review about the school being a "money grab" because of mandatory tuition insurance is clearly uninformed and must have very little experience with private schools. Tuition insurance is the basic protocol for all private schools and it is there to protect those families who cannot finish the year for any reason. After much research I found the yearly tuition to be lower than any other comparable school in the area. Most all of the parents that I have spoken with understand the value of the school. My families experience has been nothing short of spectacular. The school has happy and bright students that can advance without limitations, available and excellent teachers, and a supportive parent group and community. Nowhere else compares.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2015

Both of my students attend Rhoades and I while I agree with many of the comments (profit driven, not only for gifted children), this school is a good school. I have one child that is "genius" and the other is average. If Rhoades were a school for gifted children my average student would not have gotten in. That said, I've scoured the city and the grass is not greener anywhere else. It's obvious they are trying to fill spots as we had second graders who couldn't read (which is fine in an "average" school); I've been disappointed with the lack of communication from admin to parents as well as the things that they have taken away from the students in the past year (computers for primary, performing arts limited to one performance, etc). The school has changed greatly since it's become a for profit school but I am opting to leave my children because my son's needs would not be met in a public school. You do have the benefit of the students in grades 3-6 being leveled for math according to their needs. That's about it as far as individual education goes.
Submitted by parent on January 27, 2015

The school is becoming a money grab. Here is the type of thing you can enjoy. For next year, not only are they requiring that all student purchase "tuition insurance" that names the school as the beneficiary in case you move mid year, they are also dictating what company you have to purchase it from AND the rate.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2014

I have a happy kindergartner at The Rhoades School. My child's intellect is valued and treated with enthusiasm and respect. The culture of learning is amazing! My daughter's teacher is on fire about what she's teaching- and this is her 18th year there. I feel peaceful when I drop my daughter off knowing she's in an environment that is nurturing, stimulating and principled. I find the other children well-mannered and bright, the other parents friendly, the administration and faculty communicative, warm and welcoming. The school has strong leadership- at the helm is a very smart and experienced educator.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2014

Our 2 girls attended Rhoades (KG and 1st), and both had a great experience. Teachers were caring, thoughtful and engaging. Parents were very involved and supportive. Our experience with administration was also very positive. Some of the comments about tuition and diversity are not unique to Rhoades, and would be true of almost all private schools. Although we ended up changing schools for other reasons, overall Rhoades provided a very good academic foundation for our kids, in a nurturing and supportive environment. We would recommend Rhoades to anyone considering a private school education for their kids in the north SD area.