The Peninsula School 920 Peninsula Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025

"Awesome for some kids awful for others. Unfortunately, it attracts the kids that it's least equipped to serve. Pros: * I was literally brought to tears when I first visited, it was the only school I'd seen where the staff and parents so obviously respected the children as "equal human beings". That really appealed to me. * Campus is awesome unless you have a problem with dirt. * There's a picture of the Dead from the 60s performing on the front steps of the main building. If you lean hippie in any way, this place will seduce you. Brace yourself. * Some of the staff are just incredibley wonderful, caring, and wise people, small talk at drop off was a pleasure. These people made me feel lucky to be there. * Strong, hands on, arts program. Cons: * Bullying. Their secular humanist philosophy makes blinds them to the cruelty that all kids can sometimes have and some kids always have. This makes them completely and utterly ineffective at dealing with bullying. Their faith (belief without proof) in the goodness of all children and philosophy that children should learn to self advocate is a recipe for disaster. * Bullying. Deserves two bullet points. Every year a family leaves because of it. * Ineffective at dealing with any child that has special needs. The endearing chaos that is Peninsula is torture for an anxious child. Dyslexia goes unrecognized far too long. Speaking of dyslexia, I'm going to stop here. I could say more, but words... Overall: if education were an easy problem all schools would be the same. This school could be awesome for your child or set them back for years. You might fall in love with it. It might break your heart. Advice: if this is your plan A, I hope it works for your child. But you better have a plan B."

"You have to visit Peninsula School to understand the level of trees/dirt/kindness/beauty/aspirations/love that your children will carry for the rest of their lives."

"Amazing campus, teachers, and philosophy. We're enrolling our child there this year, and we're so lucky she was accepted :)"

"Our whole family loves this school. If your top priority for your child is memorizing multiplication tables at the youngest possible age while avoiding any exposure to dirt, this may not be the school for you. But if want your child to learn about citizenship, being part of a community, taking responsibility and making good choices, all while developing a life-long love of learning, then you've come to the right place. Maybe the shortest convincing testimonial comes from a fellow parent, a teacher at a local high school, who observed that his most engaged, most dynamic, most with-it students came disproportionately from Peninsula School... so that's where he sends his daughter."