Southern Magnolia Montessori School

My kids went here for 3 years. It's like the school is being run by housewives (my wife works 50 hour weeks and approves the title of "housewife" - I checked). My kid's education levels are below their grade level. The teachers even initiated a call my wife during the summer to initiate some absurd gossip about another student's parents! Several students have mental health issues, and I have to explain to my kids why they have gotten hit, punched, and bit by mentally challenged students, 4 times in 3 years. Kids say teachers get mood swings and take it out on the kids, INCLUDING the other reviewer and former teacher, Ms. Kathryn! Also, you are required to prepay 4 months before school starts, if you withdraw they will to keep your money, despite the contract stating, "In case of withdrawal from the school, parents/guardians will be charged a $500 withdrawal fee and will receive a 50% refund of the UNUSED portion of tuition." We withdrew before school started, and got a 50% refund.

It makes me nuts when I read a review about a place I love and adore that just isn't real. I especially hate when someone writes a nasty review when they are fully aware of a business policy and then are held to said policy. We have attended 3 different montessori schools in 3 states--SMMS is the ONLY one whose policy was to return ANY money if you dropped out before classes started. The. Only. One. Consider yourself lucky they gave you ANYTHING back.
SMMS is the real deal. they love your kids. They accept kids with learning differences and create an environment where children learn how to embrace these differences and face a world with total diversity. In the 3 years that my three kids were in attendance, we saw love, consideration, kindness, nurturing and a strong academic environment which prepared them for a new learning place in a new state (and found that they were even a bit ahead of their new Montessori classmates.) Five stars to rock star owners Val and Mindy!

Steve,

Since you've posted this same review on our Google page, it's clear that you are upset at being held to the tuition contract you signed months ago.

Using the term "housewives" with a negative connotation to describe those who have lovingly educated your children for years, including your own wife, is archaic, sexist, and inaccurate.

In our view, your children are on-level. We'd like to see how an education expert's opinion differs.

SMMS did not contact your wife about gossip.

I'll investigate your claim that your children were abused by "mentally challenged students." We do keep incident report records. I'd also like to know how you acquired a count of how many SMMS students have "mental health issues." For the record, SMMS would never discriminate against a child with a diagnosis.

Despite our "mood swings," you chose to send your children to us for years. In fact, they were quite sad today when they stopped by to take pictures with their teachers as a goodbye.