NORTH TACOMA MONTESSORI

We are here to share our experience with North Tacoma Montessori Center. Our children originally attended Our Innspiration (for 6 years) and NTMC bought the center when the previous owner retired in August of 2022. Our youngest child attended NTMC for 4 weeks under the new ownership. Our child attended the Ruston location; however this review reflects our experiences including executive administration for all 5 centers. These were our concerns: * Mandatory naptime length of 2.5 hours for children as old as 5 years old. * Security (lack of monitoring of people entering and leaving the center). * Parents not being allowed in the center to observe lessons and activities. Additionally, parents are not allowed into the classroom if it is after 9:00am. · Communication; specifically lack of communication between NTMC and parents during the first two weeks following the change in ownership. We expressed our concerns to building and executive administration but felt they were disregarded. As a result, we started to explore other childcare options. There was a misunderstanding in which NTMC thought we were recruiting for another childcare organization. We in fact had not done this at all and had only spoken with a few parents who had directly asked us our plans. Instead of talking with us to clarify what was happening, we were sent a termination of care email with one week notice until the last day of care. Our impression of NTMC is that it is run as a business first, and that the care of children, partnership with families, and quality of instruction are low priorities.

*be aware that MOST of these reviews were written by staff members of NTMC posing as strictly parents. We had a very bad experience with this school. We are a family of educators; we both hold masters in education, and consider ourselves fairly familiar with how schools operate and how teachers and educators should (and typically do) communicate with parents. Because we have moved several times in the last couple of years, this was our sixth daycare experience and the only one we have been dissatisfied with. Our perspective is that this center operates for profit first and is not concerned with building strong relationships with kids or families. The NTM UP Achievement center location doubled the size of the student body over the summer without the staff or space to support the expansion. Many times we witnessed 20 kids to one adult- which we are very aware is not legal. From what we witnessed, most of the staff seemed overworked and stressed and the children felt it. Our child was placed in a class he was too young for and developmentally unprepared for after we were told many times he would be placed in a younger class. When we expressed our concerns to the UP center director, we were told that the other classes were full and that if we didn’t like it, we could wait six months, and we were reminded for the third time in a month that they had a long waitlist. We had many health and safety concerns and generally felt our child could not be adequately cared for despite the fact that his teacher, Ms. Yolanda, seemed very capable and kind. When we left the school we agreed to pay the 30 days required but asked that it not be drafted from my bank account because of a switch in our bank. They agreed, in writing, not to draft the remainder but then did anyway. Communication on behalf of the school was always short and typically rude. I highly recommend you consider other options. We found a new school and are incredibly grateful we did- our child is doing so much better now and genuinely feel he is now cared for.

My two children have been at the Proctor location, and all the the teachers have been so wonderful and helpful for them. My son is high needs and my daughter is very sensitive. I love that I know they are in good hands when I leave them at NTMC. Teacher Chaska is attentive and great at communicating. Teacher Lisa is amazing as a Montessori teacher. Teacher Jolene and Teacher Molly are so kind and helpful, my daughter misses being there with them. And Teacher Rebecca has so much fun creating fun activities for all of the kids. I love that the NTMC staff love their job and the kids that they are there everyday.

North Tacoma Montessori takes great pride in caring for the children that attend their learning centers. The children become part of an extended family and are treated with such love and respect. The teachers and admin work together to provide great communication and work with parents to ensure comfortability as well as security in the daily lives of their children.

It saddens me to have read such a negative review, regarding North Tacoma Montessori. We have had such a wonderful experience, my granddaughter started at 12 months to kindergarten and still attended the school age program! North Tacoma Montessori is not just a child care center, this school is full of wonderful Teachers and Staff and they become apart of your family as well as take the upmost pride and priority in giving quality care, along with Teaching Montessori values to our community. We all can perceive things so quickly without taking time to see things in a different perspective. Thank you North Tacoma Montessori for giving us so many wonderful years, you will always be highly recommended to our community!