Stratford School

This is the second year for my son at this school. My kid stayed pre-school and pre-k here. I feel that the school emphasized only on academic performance, which is not quite right for this age of kids, in my opinion. I also doubt if this is the reason that the teacher's quality become worse and worse. The teachers are not very consistent at this school site. For example, there are some good teachers who may be gone(left or transfer) the next year. The principle for preschool also changed. My feeling is that they cannot guarantee the teachers quality either.In these two years, I felt the teachers for preschool is OK, but not great. I can also tolerant pre-k teacher until one day something ridiculous happened. The school allows kids to either bring their own lunch(teacher help to warm it) or buy hot lunch. There is one single day that I forgot to bring fork with my kid for his lunch. My kid asked the teacher twice that he doesnot have a spoon. The teacher listened and didnot say anything. Later my son has to eat his lunch with his finger. (In the first year, we forgot the spoon several times and the teachers gave him spoon each time because each classroom does have spare spoon for hot lunch kids.) The next morning I checked with the teacher, she doesn't feel sorry at all but apparently prepared for this. She said she didn't notice my kid ate with finger until he finished.(Isn't it a stupid lie???? There are two teachers in the classroom and the lunch time is about half an hour. Where was she during that period if she didn't watch the kids?) She then said my kid didn't ask. (Lie Lie Lie... I still remember the day before last, I had a parent conference with her and she said my kid is very smart and he does ask each time he wants anything. I also can tell my kid didn't lie because I checked with other kids later on. ) She then said we'd better bring our own fork since their forks are for kids who ordered hot lunch. What kind of teacher is this?? We shouldn't have a single accident or mistake, otherwise, the kid will be punished ?? I remember the other day my son was late for school since we went to a dentist, the teachers were quite unhappy. The class was doing a drawing project and my son didn't like to jump in the middle. The teacher just dragged him and put him on his chair. My kid left the chair and cried. The teacher dragged him again on the chair angrily. I felt a bit shocked because she did this in front of a parent! Later I politely asked the teacher if my kid can sit at the story area and read some book until the drawing project is finished. The teachers said it is OK with weird expression. I checked with other parents, their feeling is also similar. There are some parents who told me that the teachers here tried to avoid responsibilities. If the kids lump his head or get hurt. They won't tell parents at all. But sometimes parents found out and check back with the teachers, most likely they will say they didn't see.The school should really focus on ethnics for teachers when they are hiring especially for 4-5 yrs old classroom.

Posted 03/24/09 | Report Abuse

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Ive visited Stratford School in Palo Alto a while ago as a rec from another mom and because of the nice location.

BUT the pre-K academic program is almost frightening, it brought all the worst memories from my school and this is definitely nothing that Id like for a 3 year old, 20 mins ABCs, 20 mins 123s, 20 mins play, 20 mins that, 20 mins another thing everything controlled by teachers, everything just perfect&efficient like in a factory

http://myfriendisyourfriend.wordpress.com/2007/02/10/stratford-school-a-definite-no-for-my-pre-k-kid/

Posted 02/10/07 | Report Abuse

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