Oakland, CA
Chatham School

Director's Comments

Question to director: Do you have any additional thoughts on what parents should consider when looking at your school? Is there any advice that you would like to provide to prospective parents?


Child does not go home clean, children are outside 50% of day rain or shine.

Parents' Comments

Parent #1
My daughter (now 8) went to the 39th st campus and my son is now in the toddler room at Redwood campus. We love it! The kids are happy and safe there. My daughter was shy when she started and really blossomed there. My son who was born early and has some delays was having a hard time in a home based daycare was much happier at Chatham. He is always helped and dealt with with induvidualized learning plan. Moreen and the teachers have been so supportive! We love Chathem!

Parent #2
My kids have all gone to Chatham and love to go there. They are excited to go to school every day. My kindergartener more than ready for school when she started this year. Yes, some disfunction with administration, but there is no question the director and the teachers love and care for my children

Parent #3
We were abruptly dismissed after 6 weeks (along with 10 other families per teacher report) due to the director's overenrollment error (which she admits to having done in the past). We were given 1 day notice by general form letter in our child's folder that was not even addressed to us specifically. The director was not on hand to discuss the situation and no staff addressed either our needs or those of our child's in regard to the transition. The letter did state the there were openings at another facility that was run by the director's friend. The other facility does not seem to have a good reputation per Berkeley Parents Network postings from the recent past.

Parent #4
Strengths: Full time and part time options available, including extended care. Play-based curriculum really helps the 2-3 year old group develop social skills.

Weaknesses: Teachers provide very little and unspecific feedback on child's development and even just day-to-day activities. The school has twice had a history of "over enrolling" and kicking out students with zero notice to the parents.

Parent #5
Our boys have been attending this school for over 4 months, and we received a typed general notice this evening at 6 pm that the school is over-enrolled and the boys are not to come tomorrow or ever again because of their mistake. No phone call, no notice, no nothing. Poor management of the overall program. Disgusting!!

Parent #6
The strengths of this school are the caring,engaged, and experienced teachers. The weakness lies in the administrative operations and management. Parents are not informed of state licensing violations/citations.

Parent #7
The teachers were loving and attentive. The director was dishonest and a terrible communicator. She deliberately over-enrolled the school, and when she had the opportunity to correct the situation, chose not to do so. The developmental program that was promised was not delivered, possibly due to the over-enrollment situation.

Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Trace around your child's foot, with shoe on, on a piece of white construction paper or card stock. Have child cut out the shoe print and add a spooky face. Glue it to a popsicle stick and you have a ghost stick puppet!

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