Alameda TK advice: Love or Nea
Hi there, my son is starting tk in August. He will be turning 5 shortly after. He currently attends a 100% outdoor nature school in alameda that has an immense amount of freedom and creativity. We cannot afford to send two kids so he will be starting public tk. He is autistic and verbal. I am so worried about the transition as he’s never been in a classroom or really knows what it is.
Does anyone have insight into their kids experience at Nea or Love? We are leaning towards Nea because of the hours and smaller vibe. I am in the process of ensuring he has an IEP and speech services (he’s been in speech for years) at both, depending which school we go to. Please share any experience or helpful tips for us as we take this leap.
Mar 7, 2024
Parent Replies
Hi there - my child currently attends Nea (we are zoned for Love) and we've loved Nea for TK. We also chose it for its smaller size, project based learning and flexibility, although it's worth mentioning class sizes are going up next year for TK (20 to 24) with a teacher and full-time paraprofessional. Both TK teachers are wonderful, one of the full-time paraprofessionals spent 7 years in special ed & is the most kind soul to have alongside our children. We have witnessed first had how Nea worked through an IEP and has a full-time dedicated aide for a nuerodivergent child in our classroom, they work extremely hard to ensure the same access to learning. Overall Nea seems quicker to move in supportive services than Love (learned that when we made the choice for my hearing-sensitive child).