Desert Garden Montessori

"Ive been at Desert Garden Montessori for 8 years. This school is difficult to review, only because there are quite a few good aspects of it. The travel opportunities are great, the primary(preschool/kindergarten) and elementary programs are quite good. The problem is the lack of organization, and direction. Pros: - Big trip is an incredible experience for students in 4th to 12th grade. - High school is started to get some cool internship opportunities. - Some of the teachers are really great. - The lunch is organic (I personally don't like it but a lot of people love it.) - There is a sense of community among to students and staff. - the no-homework approach is nice. (We do still have homework sometimes, but overall its pretty good.) Cons (Most of these only apply for the last couple years, when things started falling apart. Before then, I actually liked the school for the most part): - Elective programs are a complete disaster - Many teachers/staff aren't hired based on experience but instead because of connections - They DEFINITELY cannot handle students with learning disabilities such as ADHD, and the limited support they do provide costs extra and isn't followed through upon. - Teachers are replaced what seems like every month. Staff leave or are let go ALOT. This has to say something about the school. - Tuition is unbelievably expensive. Going to NAU is actually cheaper. - There is no music program whatsoever. The MYHS Rock band elective is in complete shambles and doesn't even teach instruments. - Teachers are way overworked. in the past, Some teachers have had to teach up to 4 DIFFERENT subjects at the same time. - the IB program is an illusion. We may go though an IB curriculum, but we are not able to receive IB certificates upon completion. - The Workload is extremely light. We have to do very little work and are graded extremely generously for them. - There is no accountability for students. If we don't complete assignments, we aren't punished at all, and can simply turn it in WAY late and still receive full credit. This is a terrible habit and doesn't prepare us for college or the real world at all. - The staff doesn't care about the parents, and will snake out of any situation with manipulation and lies. - They force you to take useless electives you don't sign up for (which you are graded on), while you could be using your time for something more productive. These are all things I have witnessed first hand. I don't recommend this school, and I believe i would be more prepared for College, and the job force, if I went to another school, since they actually offer many curricular classes."

"Wonderful school. They engage with parents, foster community, and make newcomers feel like part of the family. The school campus is really beautiful and supports the students from babies through high school. The teachers work really hard. We couldn’t be more pleased to have found this school."

"My son attended this school and when he was forced to go to another school for middle school and high school he would talk very fondly about his days here. Ms. Dawn, Ms. Jill, and Miss Lisa were the best teachers ever. All the staff members were so helpful and accommodating. Being a working parent is hard but thanks to the after care program it made life easier. Love this school."

"As a parents of 4 children that attended and are currently attending its been the best decision for our family. The kids have learned they have have a voice and that they matter. Our children have flourished as kind, giving, nurturing & loving human beings. We love the village created at Desert Garden it's amazing! Students make long life friends and so do parents. You owe it to your children to tour the school, meet teachers and see for yourself the environment the children get to learn in which, starts from infant to middle school. You will be amazed as we were when we toured back in 2004! The Crouch Family"

"I will be totally honest, my mother owns this school. I went here for the majority of my life and graduated from this school. The creativity, diversity, community and education from this school was and is still invaluable. The programs include organic lunches, one-on-one learning, early Spanish Education, infant through high-school programs and much more. Come visit anytime, we are always welcoming newcomers!"