The Journey School

2430 Spencerville Road

Spencerville, MD 20868

5 Reviews

School District
Grade

1-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 26, 2024

While the teachers and assistants at The Journey School are excellent—a legacy they inherited from Nurturing Nest, which unfortunately closed in 2023—the administration and board have proven to be dysfunctional and unprofessional. Our experience with one of the administrators was particularly frustrating; she refused to investigate our concerns and instead deflected responsibility, placing all the blame on us. When we tried to discuss the matter further, we were redirected to their so-called 'independent' board— with two out of three administrators having husbands on the board... Needless to say, the 'independent' board was completely useless in resolving anything.The board’s response completely disregarded the actual issue at hand, opting instead to lecture us on unrelated policies. It makes me wonder how hard they even tried to understand. We even provided an entire document with screenshots from communications and the chain of events. This dismissive approach made it clear that both the administration and board lacked basic customer service skills, business acumen, and were more interested in maintaining control than resolving problems. When one parent mentioned that parents are customers, they were met with a defensive attitude. They like to think of themselves as childcare gods, an illusion which could not be farther from the truth. Since moving to a new provider, our experience has been a night-and-day difference. It’s refreshing to work in a truly collaborative environment where staff members prioritize partnership with parents. Unfortunately, The Journey School's administration and board come across as arrogant, dismissive, and authoritarian—triggering memories of the worst kind of bureaucratic indifference. We’re relieved to have left this toxic environment behind.After just 1 year of operating the preschool, the Journey School lost most families who chose to move on elsewhere, including ourselves. Only 6 families stayed behind in the 3-5 age group, and even then - some just didn't want to bounce their kids elsewhere for one more year of preschool. I hope this will help you evaluate your choices. The last straw for us was their new policy on drop off and pick up. If you are not there with your child by 8:30 am, you cannot drop off until after lunch, which is 12:30. Think about how much stress this will add to your morning.All in all, our experience there was a sad one and I cannot recommend them to anyone, despite the quality of teachers
Submitted by parent on May 24, 2024

I am a parent of an elementary schooler and recognize that the DC area offers a significant number of private schools but few are affordable- this one is! The upper elementary and middle school teachers are exceptional and seem to have good relationships with the kids and provide engaging learning activities. The lower elementary school teacher is challenging for parents and students to get along with, however, the students are learning in a safe and constructive manner. The community is still forming after a move to a new building and communication isn't always clear but they are receptive to clarification and questions. As a Montessori school there are flexibilities with the learning environment that are just not available to public school kids, such as kids learning at their own pace, more 1:1 and independent learning activities, greater autonomy, and choosing topics of interest to investigate.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2022

please let menm go there I want to go to journey school with the chicks I want the chicken stripes.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2018

The Journey School was a wonderful experience for my son. He was excited to go to school and learn because he knew he was in an environment that encouraged students and helped them to overcome their struggles. Not only do they learn, but they have fun doing it!
Submitted by parent on July 31, 2018

My daughter's experience has been wonderful at The Journey School! I can't say enough positive things about her growth- academically, emotionally, and socially!