Esperanza School

My two years old daughter assisted Esperanza school for four days. She started the part time program on October 2013. We enrolled her on the lunch program that Esperanza school offers. My daughter was not fed for four days. Because of an administration mistake her name was not on the list of kids that received the lunch provided by the school. The teacher thought that the snack I had left her every morning was also her lunch even though I had a conversation with the teacher about my daughter being in the lunch program on the first day. So what they did was to use the left overs of my daughter morning snack like her lunch. We find out what was going on the fourth day after I ask specifically about a particular food that was in the menu they gave me ( I paid extra money for the lunch program). When I talked to the director she told me that the teachers had thought that my daughter lunch was strange but they didn't informed to anybody about it. My daughter was also very very thirsty after school and her cup was always empty. I do not recommend this place to anybody. more

This school does treat there staff very poorly and have no sympathy for there employees. They put on a front for the parents but noone sees what really goes on in that school. Some of the so called ""teachers"" get frusterated with the kids and yell at them call them names and even tug on the childrens arms!! When it is reported to the owner Ms. Alexander she completely ignores it and tells the parents it will be taken care of. When employees are sick they are still forced to come in and are told that they will lose there job if they dont come in. When employees first start the job the first 2 days are with no pay as apart of ""training"" but then they hire 10 girls at a time get the 2 free days out of these poor girls looking for a job and then theyre fired after that for no reason!! The owner does that to avoid having to pay she figures if she can get free help for 2 days without paying then why not! They are very under paid the tuition there is $1900 for one month! The employees are paid $7.25 an hour! Someone needs to do something!!!! more

The treat their staff VERY POORLY they are under paid yet they charge the parents these outrageous fees and the staff are paid like factory worker in a third world country. The office personnel are VERY CARING IF STAFF ARE SICK THEY ARE STILL EXPECTED TO COME TO WORK AND GET YOUR CHILD SICK YES! THE TURN OVER RATE IN EMPLOYEMENT IS SO HIGH FOR A REASON YOU CAN GO TO BURGER KING AND MAKE TEN BUCK AN HR THERE THEY PAY 8. 40 REALLY WHY ARE THE PARENTS PAYING SO MUCH THE OWNER IS LIVING LAVISH........... more

I can only judge the administration of this school, not the quality of care that the teachers provide. Unfortunately, my experience shows that Esperanza's administration lags substantially. My tour of the facility was scheduled one month in advance, only to be cancelled the same afternoon. When I called the school, the admissions counselor simply stated that she needed to be somewhere by a certain time (no family emergency) and felt it was easier for us to reschedule our tour. Her best offer was to wait another 3 weeks for a tour. I fully understand a waitlist for admission but 2 months for a tour? You've got to be kidding me. I emailed the president and director of the facility, notifying them of my disappointment. No response. more

I am sad to say that we had to leave this program as we became extremely disturbed by their employment practices. The daycare workers make minimum wage and do not receive significant benefits. I have no idea what kind of training they receive, if any. One of my children has a peanut allergy. Her epi was lost and the staff that was caring for told us they were never trained in administering them. She also got lice 3 times in a year. I took her out of after school there and she hasn't gotten lice once. The administrator admits that she has turnover and when we asked her why she could not respond. She does not appear to feel that this is an issue. My baby daughter had 6 different daycare workers in 12 months. They do listen to your concerns but nothing significant is done. They are not organized in their communication. The grounds are BEAUTIFUL and that I think is what can be deceiving. For $1200 a month at other schools in town the teachers are educated, paid fairly, and receive training. The school is so big that it truly appears they are going for quantity over quality. I have heard lots of other horror stories which I will not repeat because I did not witness these things personally....but I wouldn't be surprised. My suggestion would be to focus on improving quality of staff by offering a fair wage and benefits as well as providing training in some method of child care that they aspire to. more

I was a stay at home mom to my daughter for the first 3 years of her life and was very cautious to enroll her in a school when she turned 3 last year. I looked everywhere for a place that I thought would nurture, teach and love my daughter. I had extremely high expectations. When I toured many of the centers around town I found the children seemed in almost a trance-like state and the teachers were not very friendly. That all changed when I toured Esperanza. On my first tour all the children looked happy, came up and talked to my daughter and I (BIG difference from the other centers!!). They immediately wanted her to come play with them on the playground while I talked to the teachers. Many of the teachers have been there for years (something I look for from my experience working at a daycare in high school years ago) and are some of the most loving people I've ever encountered. My daughter (and I) had a hard time adjusting to her new ""school"" routine but her teacher (Ms. Abril) made the transition amazing- I honestly can never thank Ms. Abril enough for the role she played in my daughter's life during that time. I was able to call and check in on her during the day and received ""real"" reports of how she was, what she was doing, etc. It went a long way to make me feel more comfortable. She has now been at the school for a year- she moved up to her new class last August and her new teachers- Ms. Marilyn and Ms. Maria are also great and she adores them. She has learned so much since she has been enrolled. Every month I receive a calendar with what letters they are learning, math, science, crafts, concepts, etc. The new building is amazing. Every classroom is clean and bright with anything you can imagine to learn and play with. Outside the playgrounds are divided by age and the garden/ bunnies/ chicken huts are a lot of fun for the kids as well. It's also a comfort when I would say at least 95% of the staff there know who I am and who my daughter is. They great us by name every day, are always smiling and seem genuinely happy to be working there. (These are people beside my daughter's direct teachers- many just staff that we encounter in the halls) Every summer they have water play in the mornings outside- great idea for hot summer weather! She loved this last year, and they are very diligent about sunscreen, bug repellant, etc. I love that there is a PTA here and the parents are very involved in the school and the other families. Amazing school! more

I was skeptical about the new school, and while I wish it wasn't located right behind Washington-what's been done is nothing short of amazing. I saw the school when it was first purchased and it looked like a school from Communist Russia. What vision! My son (who went to Esperanza, but is now in preschool) never wants to leave when we pick my daughter up. Both my kids have gone to the school, and EVERY teacher they've had has been wonderful and very caring. Years later the teachers remember their names and are excited to see them. My son's favorite teachers are still Ms. Lydia and Ms. Eli (he hasn't been in their class for a year) whom he talks about frequently. more

My 3 year old son has been at Esperanza for almost 1 year, and we just love it. I picked Esperanza because I went there as a child for summer camp--now I'm a repeat customer! I moved my son to Esperanza after my job changed, and I only wished I had done it sooner! It made my son's first daycare seem a little shabby. Everyone in the school is so welcoming, and he has been happy there from Day 1. He is learning so much, and is very close to all his classmates. He loves his teacher, and I can tell she really cares about each child in her class. The school is very organized. They have an ""open door"" policy, and you can walk in anytime and you will find a calm classroom. (Really challenging for a group of 3-4 year olds!) I love it here, and we are expecting a second baby that will go to Esperanza. The other parents in my son's class say that I will love the infant program, too. more

I've just read what some other parents have written and I have to say that I have NO CLUE where they sent their child but it was not this school. I have had three children enrolled in all various programs from infant to after-school and we NEVER, not once had a problem - in fact it was the best situation for my middle child, who has since been diagnosed with a form of autsim. Although mild, they handled him easily from 18 months on and they did address all his needs. We toured almost every other school within miles of the heights and this was the only school that gave you that ""warm fuzzy feeling"" that you just knew your child was going to be okay - and all three of mine were. My son attended the Discovery Center and he refused naps and instead his teacher gave him quiet activities - my children were the most happy when we attended Esperanza. more

I'm not the kind of person who ever, ever writes reviews. I only write this one in response to the comments I've just read written by ""houstonmadre"" and ""downtownworkingmom"". My wife and I toured every daycare facility that could serve us in the downtown area where we both work. Our daughter started in Esperanza as an infant and now uses the afterschool program and attends their summer camp. We have many friends that also use Esperanza in all age groups currently. First, let me be very clear. They have never, ever, had 3 hour nap times. Second, the safety of the school and the emergency procedures are the best I've seen at any daycare we toured in the city. Esperanza has been one of the best decisions for our daughter that we have ever made. They prepared her, and more importantly, helped her have the CONFIDENCE to take the Vanguard test and score quite high. She now has excellent homework discipline and study habits that she was taught by the teachers at Esperanza. She loves drama because of the exposure that the summer camp has given her. She even learned to swim at Esperanza! So, before you take any of these critical comments from these few parents to heart, be sure you go and tour the school yourself. You'll decide that some people just can't be pleased, regardless of what area of life they are commenting about. When it comes to Esperanza, remember how much they've helped our daughter, and how much our friends who have infants and toddlers at the school currently just love it and would not go anywhere else. And pricing? We found Esperanza to be $150 to $400 a month less than comparable daycare facilities in the same area. But then, none of the competitors taught swimming, or offered piano lessons, or had professional drama and art programs. Nuff said! Check it out for yourself! Pros: curriculum, teachers, security, safety, Cons: wait list for infants more

I have had my daughter at this school for a number of years and find that it has gone down hill a little. The nap time for the older kids in the Discovery center is about 3 hours long! The kids have to stay on their mats - are coerced into doing so - during this entire time whether they are tired or not. This looong nap time is not what is recommended for their age group. If your child has special needs, the staff won't have time to get to know them. The doors really are open - good for parents, but an easy way for strangers to walk in and out at will. Pros: Mostly kind staff, open door policy, convenience Cons: Loooong nap times, not following policies, open door policy more

I am a previous employee of Esperanza who worked there for 8 years. I started out with the school @ their location on Lovett then transitioned over to the Heights. I can not say enough GREAT things about this school. It may not be the ideal place for most employees because of pay and benefits however, I believe every child who attends Esperanza is getting Excellent care and education. The curriculum is awesome and followed, unlike other schools I've worked for. It's a fun loving school and the teachers and staff's main focus is to make sure every child's daily experience is the absolute best. They DO follow the minimum standards rules and policy. It's been a few years since I worked there, but if a child is dropped off before 8 am they are allowed to have a dry breakfast. From 8-9 they have playtime outside so therefore the review before mine is VERY inaccurate. What I find sad and appalling is that not that you badger Esperanza with lies, but that as a parent if ANY of these things are true to you in your mind than you should be ashamed of yourself for keeping your child in that school and environment. Which brings me to believe that you are a scorned parent that didn't get your way in some form or fashion. You slam and look down at this school with all your accusation however, what sort of parent are you for not wanting, expecting the best for your son. If any of these things were true and you were a good parent you would and should have pulled him out IMMEDITALTY. There are other pre-schools in the heights. However, as you well know they can not compare to the level of excellence as Esperanza. They go above and beyond what any other school offers. I also worked their Rainbow Kids Club for the first 4 years of my employment there...another GREAT aspect of what this school offers. I could go on and on about the great quality of this school. Pros: Communication, Curriculum, Caring and well trained Staff. Cons: None for children and parents. more

I honestly do not see how this place keeps it's doors open. There are so many SAFETY violations that anyone could write a book! The owner is a nut-job. She over complicates everything and comes across as ""if you don't like it then find something else."" We would, however, this is about your only choice in the Heights! If only there were a decent Montessori school in Houston Heights, then we wouldn't have to subject our son to this chaotic and unsafe environment. SPECIFICS: My son moved to a new class recently. You would think that they would communicate with the previous caregiver...but for 3-4 days he didn't drink ANY LIQUIDS!! while in the ""care"" of Esperanza. Each day I would pick him up and he would be so HUNGRY and THIRSTY that I could barely get home fast enough to feed him. When I questioned why he wasn't given his bottle - they said he wouldn't take it. Come on, the child was starving! I kept questioning and I finally determined that they were just handing HIM the bottle to feed himself! He hasn't learned how to do that yet - and they didn't think to ask!?! Pros: Location Cons: Bad Communication, HIGH PRICE, Poor Quality ""BABYSITTING!"" more

Absolutely the best care and fun for kids. My child has attended Esperanza since she was 2 years old and is now 7. We now use their summer camp every year and she has a great experience with never a complaint. She enjoys numerous field trips and art projects. Most importantly, she is given tender loving care and disciplined with true respect. Pros: Caring and Qualified Staff - Kids love it Cons: Cannot provide after-school transportation to all North Elementary Schools more