The Prentice School

18341 LASSEN DR

North Tustin, CA 92705

12 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 20, 2022

We have been at Prentice for a year and I am really excited about the progress we have made. My son struggles with reading and language comprehension and the curriculum at Prentice seemed like it was made for him and turns out it really is. From a social standpoint, we got more than we expected. Social skills and social problem solving is another added benefit of this school and even bullying situations (which happen everywhere) are handled well not only from a discipline standpoint but also from an emotional learning standpoint too. We are really happy overall and would definitely recommend this school to any family struggling to learn under the standard models at most schools.
Submitted by parent on June 12, 2019

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am that my wife and I found the print to school. It has completely changed our child’s approach to school. They get it! If your are reading this and have a child with learning differences I highly encourage you to take a visit. There is no need to get shame or your child to get shamed for their learning differences.
Submitted by teacher on June 11, 2019

It has a fantastic and one of a kind program tailored to those who learn differently.
Submitted by teacher on November 15, 2016

The administration is more concerned with appearances than what the students are actually doing in the classroom. Administration is constantly wanting to try new ideas that they think will make the school LOOK good, but they don't think it through or give teachers time to actually properly prepare. Teachers are not being fairly compensated for the tremendous amount of work they are expected to do. There is a revolving door for teachers and staff because of all this. If parents want an emotionally safe place where their child can build confidence, Prentice is great for that. The teachers really do care about the kids. The potential for an amazing school is there and they are trying.
Submitted by principal on February 27, 2016

Welcome!Over the last thirty years, The Prentice School’s highly qualified and compassionate faculty uses research-proven teaching strategies geared toward each student’s unique talents, strengths and needs. As in the last 30 years, students of The Prentice School continue to cultivate academic and social success through our specialized intervention curriculum in a safe and nurturing learning environment.At Prentice, we employ an adaptive approach coupled with our many years of experience to confidently embrace the challenges and opportunities precipitated by change in the field of education. We believe in engaging a wide network of experts, professionals, and long-standing partners to ensure our program stays relevant, efficient and effective. We honor the investment of precious time, resources, and hope our families entrust in us by delivering on our pledge to lovingly educate and challenge our students. Our vocation is developing effective citizens who are critical thinkers, creators, innovators, effective communicators and collaborators, technologically-proficient, self-directed learners. Prentice is led by a highly committed administrative team focused on demonstrating a model of excellence in educating children with learning differences. We are a close-knit community united by a shared belief that our students are bright, competent learners with tremendous potential. As Prentice faculty and staff, we are constantly touched and motivated by the academic and social progress – and joy – our students exhibit on a daily basis. Again, welcome to Prentice! Since 2013, it has been my honor to serve as Executive Director of such an exceptional and impactful learning community. I am passionate about education, and as a mother of two I understand a parent’s commitment to his/her child’s academic, social and emotional development. I invite you to contact us today to find out how we can support you and your child on their academic journey, or how you might get involved in supporting our mission and transforming lives.Warm Regards,Alicia
Submitted by other on August 26, 2015

My daughter needed to build both her confidence and reading skills. She found a strong social group and jumped 3 levels in her reading fluency and 2 levels in her reading decoding. She tells everyone she knows how much she loves the school.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2015

My child has been at Prentice for 4 years now. I could not be happier with the quality of the program, teachers, staff, and administration. Before Prentice, my son hated going to school. He struggled in the classroom and felt badly about himself. Since coming to Prentice his reading and writing has improved, as has his self confidence. I am very grateful to have found Prentice. I cannot imagine where my son and family would be without it.
Submitted by parent on August 24, 2015

Prentice is not the great school it once was. They do use a multi sensory curriculum that is helpful to the struggling learner. However, when the new director arrived 1 1/2 years ago, 60% of the staff left the school, red flag! We remained long enough to watch diminishing morale among teachers begin to affect their communication and teaching skills. We had our child's records transferred to a new school, where I was told my child's "records had been padded", that the reading level had been lowered significantly to reflect an improvement in speed and comprehension. Do your research. Prentice is no longer an effective school that puts the child's success above all. It has become a corporation, that is managed as such.
Submitted by other on June 16, 2015

Prentice teaches in a way that my child understands. The teachers and staff are caring and compassionate. Everyone is there for the good of the kids. It's the first time in a long time that my child looks forward to going to school and comes home smiling. My family is so fortunate to have found Prentice. We couldn't be happier.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2015

Prentice is the only school of its kind in Orange County. Ask around for another school that is fully accredited by WASC and Certified by The State of California as a Nonpublic School for students with an IEP. They have both credentialed special education and general education teachers and a team of specialists. My child has struggled for years and the public school offered little support. I am glad that I found Prentice.
Submitted by parent on June 09, 2015

With her decades-long background in education and dyslexia, Carol Clark had a deep understanding of the emotional journey and dedication of Prentice families, many of whom sacrifice financially, commute long distances, and volunteer many hours. This mutual respect between parents and the administration created a sense of community, camaraderie, and partnership with the school. In sharp contrast, the new leadership seems inexplicably adversarial, even counseling parents for their attitudes and for voicing their opinions -- as if they were employees or petulant teenagers. In my opinion, the disbanding of the Parent Alliance will even further limit parents’ input, involvement, and opportunities to ask questions, when other schools encourage just the opposite. To be fair, anyone would have a tough time walking into the top leadership position of a specialized school with a business degree, an 11-year career break and no experience with learning disorders (according to the iRelaunch bio). But, I believe that being so dismissive of parents whose daily lives are impacted by their children’s learning issues - and who pay $20,000 a year - lacks basic business (and common) sense.
Submitted by principal on May 22, 2015

As Executive Director I am glad to have the opportunity to address the specific comments about our wonderful school posted by a parent on May 4, 2015. There is not space here to address everything, and anyone who would like to discuss any or all of these topics should feel free to reach out to us and we would be thrilled for the opportunity to discuss our school. Prentice is now, as it has been for its 30+ year history, devoted to children with learning differences, with a strong focus on children with language learning challenges, often called dyslexia. To be sure, our earliest marketing focused on dyslexia, and in recent years we have adjusted that message to reflect the broader set of challenges that we have always addressed. There has been no change in our goals or mission. A foundation of our educational process has been a teaching method known as Slingerland, and it has served our students extraordinarily well over the years. We remain as committed today to the use of this effective tool as we have been for the past three decades, and are thrilled that our well-respected prior director, Carol Clark, continues to lead our Slingerland teacher training.For decades, Prentice served as a nonpublic school, accepting students from school districts who determined they could not fulfill their needs. Several years ago the faculty at Prentice felt the demands of the school districts were interfering with our ability to serve our students, so we gave up our status as a nonpublic school. Last year, we became confident that we could once again serve as a nonpublic school and are proud to renew our partnership with public school systems in the education of children who are best served by the wonderful faculty at Prentice, and our specialized programs.Prentice is growing enrollment, extremely strong financially, and improving every day. Just this month we received a six-year renewal of our accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the maximum possible accreditation period and a great vote of confidence in our program from a third party.We always encourage all existing Prentice parents to take advantage of our open door policy, where any questions about our operations can be answered. And we encourage any parent seeking a solution for their child’s learning challenges to contact us to learn more.
Submitted by principal on May 22, 2015

My experience at this school has been excellent! It is amazing to see how children start smiling all over again and wanting to attend school. That is the greatest testimonial any school could ever get.
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2015

In 2013, well-respected director, Carol Clark, retired from Prentice - formerly a school for those with dyslexia. Parents should ask: Is Prentice now a nonpublic school, accepting special needs children from public school districts? Are IEP s and free speech therapy offered to those who pay privately? Why did previous principals, psychologists, many teachers and office staff leave? What happened to the parent guild, the high school, and librarian? What was the annual enrollment for the last 5 years? Can I get references for those who attended Prentice during the transition? Where does the school explicitly state its class sizes, services/programs, field trips, teacher credentials, types of special needs, behavioral plans, tuition increases? Why does the handbook now state: If a parent/guardian has a concern about their own child, they are to go to the principal to discuss the matter not other parents. What is the definition of parents actions that impair a positive and constructive relationship resulting in the child s dismissal? Is Slingerland still a core class? What is the financial viability of the school?
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2011

My 8th grade son is dyslexic and has some other learning differences and so far 2 months at the school and we see improvement. We commute very far to get there. Wish they'd expand to the Malibu area!!