River Montessori Elementary Charter School

3880 Cypress Drive

School District

Old Adobe Union
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:22
Type

charter

School Map for Old Adobe Union School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by other on August 22, 2023

after waiting decades for a school like this one to be offered to the public ...as a public school ..I have been delighted during the last three years to see in action the Montessori method and philosophy applied to elementary students at this fantastic location with its excellent staff!!! ....... River school has earned a place In my heart as a wonderful learning environment . and has been such.for my three granddaughters .....socially the Montessori method has seemed to manifest in the student body .. as their being embedded with a very caring social attitude there at River School ,,,, and for me , grandparent of two girls enrolled now ,,,and my eldest grandchild observing the general demeanor of the children is refreshing and worthy of praise in that as I visit the school , I can feel the friendliness and openness of the students ..,,,,also I am very happy to say the design and layout of the campus is artful and conducive to the principles of Montessori .....all the Wonderfull learning materials and musical instruments that are there for the children to use ,,,,,I say its a fantastic school and I am so glad that it was brought to life !!
Submitted by parent on January 05, 2023

We have been at this school for years and both children (who are different learners) have thrived. All of the teachers we have had in K and Lower El are really motivated and inspired by Montessori learning, rather than just "dialing it in."The Montessori style of education allows the accelerated children to not get bored and it never leaves behind the kids with special needs, either.Montessori does a good job with "peace talks" and they have a way for kids to work out their problems.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2021

We have now been a part of River for over 4 years with one student now in upper elementary and one in lower elementary. Our experience with the guides, assistants, staff, and leadership has all been fantastic. With the direction and encouragement of his incredibly patient and supportive guides, my upper elementary student has blossomed into an avid reader, a lover of research projects, and a wiz at math. My little one is having the same experience so far even though we are only a couple of years in.
Submitted by parent on July 12, 2020

Having our children at River was the worst experience of our lives. It took two years after leaving to support our child back into being the happy person she naturally is. Her confidence was shattered at River, academically AND socially. The damage done to our child's self-esteem is the legacy from River that we still regret. Thank heaven for the kind PCS staff where we moved who have worked so hard to rebuild our child's confidence. She left second grade at River testing at pre-Kindergarten levels in all subjects and could not read, yet they never met their obligation to identify her learning challenge, nor provide adequate supports; there was a lot of blaming the victim all the way up to the level of the principal. The teacher acknowledged that our child "pretended to read" with great agitation, yet they never offered any support or encouraged proper evaluation. They never once were curious about why she was not motivated to learn – something that should have been a clear red flag based on Montessori principles that children are inherently motivated to learn.At a new school, our child jumped 2.5 grades in math alone last year with the tools she needed to succeed. In her first two months after leaving River and going to PCS, she learned to read with great pride and joy. If you wonder, hmmm maybe this family needs a 1:1 aide or extreme support, let me say she has minimal small group support, less than 4 hours a week and that has transformed her as a person and as a learner. Please be very thoughtful and cautious as you consider this school; I write this not with resentment but hope that it may help another family avoid the trauma we experienced. You never think it will be your child with a learning disability, but the world can bring you unknowns. It is hard to spot in Kindergarten so if you choose River, and things seem “off” – TRUST Yourself. If your child is an independent learner who needs little to no support, it may work for you. Rating: unimaginably poor.
Submitted by parent on February 13, 2020

My children love this amazing school. The administration is wonderful, and alway extremely helpful. Best decision my family made was to move our kids to River.
Submitted by parent on July 26, 2017

My daughter is entering her second year and enjoying her experiences!
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2017

As a founding parent of River Montessori Charter School, a parent of 2 children who spent a total of 5 years at the school and one who also served on the fundraising board (RMF) of the school, I am both dismayed and appalled at the state of River Montessori today. It had so much promise and so many amazing parents supporting its success...We whole-heartedly believe(d) in and wanted a Montessori education for our children. However, issues directly affecting my children along with the lack of the experiential learning in the form of field trips, art and music – that I feel are core aspects of a true Montessori education – had us not returning this year. In the end it became clear that the best interests of the children were not at the forefront of this school any longer.
Submitted by other on September 25, 2016

We couldn't agree more with the previous two reviews. After having our children at the school for years, we grew tired of the continued missteps by school leadership. A handful of the teachers have not had the proper/legal certification to be classroom teachers and it has shown year-after-year. Additionally, the upper elementary has consistently been inconsistent. It was downright horrible last year. From botched field trips due to lack of teacher organization, to teacher disagreements (in front of students), to zero music instruction--it was simply an awful year. While we pulled our kids from the school, we really hope it makes it in the long run. We appreciate the monumental task of opening and running a school on what amounts to a shoestring budget, we could no longer tolerate the corner-cutting and "make do" nature of the situation. We were not confident that the administration had the leadership skills to take the school from start up mode to a long lasting, stable program worth sending your child to.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2016

We whole heartedly believe in the Montessori method and were excited to have our children continue through the 6th grade. However, after several great years in both lower and upper elementary, we chose to withdraw our children due to an overall feeling of instability and concern for the future health of the school. There are exceptional teachers at this school, but there also have been devastating missteps of hiring completely unqualified staff, and sadly those bad decisions impacted some children and families in an extremely negative way. It boils down to a crisis in leadership and lack of oversight and accountability. Our family just couldn't risk our children's education any longer. We believe it can again be the great program it once was, but not without considerable bumps along the way, and we are no longer up for the ride. We hope to see this school thrive again and the public Montessori movement continue to grow, but there is a need for significant change and more critical oversight at this school at this time.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2016

U.E Teacher in Klamath for the 2015/16 school year exhibited unacceptable behavior for an adult and even more exasperating since they worked with children. This teacher will not be returning in the 2016/17 year, however, the amount of pain and energy wasted for my child in that year was heartbreaking. As a group, of parents and students, we approached the director from week one in 2015 and attended multiple board meetings to express our concerns in UE. We got nowhere. Many families left due to the lack of response to our concerns for our children's mental health and lack of proper education (reading, writing, arithmetic, etc) .I cannot recommend RMCS at this time. There are some gems and good things but not enough to outweigh the bad.New leadership is required.
Submitted by other on December 30, 2015

I've been really disappointed with this school. I've found River to be extremely unorganized in their record keeping and communications. Important information has not been delivered or was delivered in an incorrect or inappropriate manner.I agree with another reviewer who mentioned the school attracting a wide array of students. By "wide array" I don't mean culturally or socioeconomically diverse, I mean kids who didn't thrive at other schools because of behavioral issues, in addition to those who are there for the Montessori curriculum. My son has mentioned bullies on multiple occasions. After speaking with other parents, I know he is not the only one to experience this. However, because the school "teaches peace" they seem to turn a blind eye and refuse to believe such a thing could be happening at their peaceful school. The director will just gloss over the issue with a "we all make mistakes" attitude. Art and PE are severely lacking. While a lot of parents loved the mixed age classrooms, they are not for everyone. Don't think that your child will automatically be in a more challenging and thus more educational environment because they are working with older kids. Same goes with the supposed amazing organizational and time management skills they'll develop. Not all children are Type A personalities who are driven to complete their work because they have a deadline. They're kids, and some will procrastinate and not complete their work. Because River doesn't really discipline or enforce completion of work, this just perpetuates the issue.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2015

When compared to the other experiences in elementary school available in our community, this school continues to be my first choice for my child! She feels supported, recognized, challenged, appreciated, valued, and a belonging that she did not feel at her other schools.
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2015

It's hard for me to articulate how much I love this school. It started as excitement for tuition-free Montessori education (yippee!), then turned into an appreciation for its surroundings (Ellis Creek and Schollenberger Park are lovely teaching tools), and then concluded with a deep gratitude that my kids continue to WANT to go to school every day. And not just school itself, but also the River Crew before and after school program. The teachers, assistant teachers, staff and parent volunteers (everyone there!) is helping me raise my children to WANT to learn, encouraging them in a caring warm environment every day. Every day! This is my kids' life. This is my life. I couldn't be happier.
Submitted by parent on June 14, 2015

One word-Horrendous! From the Board all the way down to the families attending this school! Our children will not be returning next year for many reasons but mostly because the academics are terrible. We have high academic standards and have been disappointed by this school. Maybe that's the reason more than half of the teachers were fired a few weeks ago! Or maybe it is due to declining enrollment. This school is in major need of strong leadership!
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2015

Yikes beware of this school. It seems to attract children and families who cannot thrive at other schools which creates an odd environment. The academics are poor and the open concept classrooms are challenging to say the least. Take a tour with eyes wide open!
Submitted by parent on March 30, 2015

My kids are very different yet have had an excellent experience at River. Recommended for high academic expectations in classrooms with fun-to-use learning equipment (cursive writing and four-digit addition in transitional kindergarten all the way up to algebra and thesis-like reports and presentations in 6th grade!) and great support for personal growth. I like that River teaches self-advocacy with compassion for others so that kids know when and how to use their voice and feel safe and supported when handling the inevitable ups and downs of childhood friendships and social scenarios. My kids love going to school everyday and are doing more meaningful, relevant, and advanced work compared with kids we know from other schools. Hardly any homework is a bonus for family life, too. River is our definition of a great school!
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2015

River Montessori Charter school is a heaven sent for my child and our family. It is a safe second home, where children s concerns are taken seriously and issues are worked out among peers, with adult guidance. Children are treated with respect and dignity, and are looked after emotionally at River, in addition to educationally. River allows children to work as they are comfortable (they can lay on the floor, sit next to a friend, or even sit in another workspace or classroom all together, as long as they are focused and working away). Children create a work plan for the week, literally choosing when in the day they will do different subjects. And there is little to no homework! The theory being that nurturing and loving your child in the 3 precious quality time hours we have with them after school creates a more confident, secure and ready student, rather than completing a ton of worksheet pages, which leaves little to no time for nurturing. The general environment is one of community support, comraderie, and communal living rather than the top down power structure found in the public school. Oh, did I mention that this fabulous school is tuition FREE!!
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2015

Over the 9 years my kids have been in the elementary education system we were always happy, but it wasn't until moving to River that we realized how much we were missing! School was fine before, but it's great now! I really wish we had made the change years ago!
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2015

My son is in TK at River and he absolutely loves it. He had Montessori preschool and feels very "at home" with the classroom and environment. He loves his teachers and friends. And I love that he is showing clear progress in language and math, and he is having a great time doing it. Some of his favorite parts of the weekly routine includes "buddy reading" with an older River student and hiking around Shollenberger. I feel very lucky to have access to free Montessori education for my kids.
Submitted by parent on February 05, 2015

We have a second grader in his second year at River. We came from a Montessori preschool and are familiar with Montessori (why we chose the school). I think we have a phenomenal teacher, at times she appears gruff with the parents (a complaint I have heard from many), it is because she puts 100% of her energy into that classroom and those students. My son does (unlike others in prior revues) does NOT want to go to school on off days, however when I pick him up he is exuberant, he adores his school and teacher (called a guide) and more than enthusiastic about what he is learning. He still struggles with some work but is not behind in the least. There are kinks, the school is no more perfect than any school could be. Nor is it perfect for everyone. My complaints have nothing to do with the education my son is receiving. His whole education. I do wish we had more money coming in (to pay for a music teacher etc). Perhaps as the school grows our donations and reserve will grow. Our experience so far (with the 1st-3rd grade classroom) has been positive. It is a public school. There are kinks. I am happy. My son is doing well and has a positive attitude tawdry his learning.