Duck's Nest Preschool 41st Street
Community SubscriberOakland, CA
To see Department of Social Services records on this facility, click on its DSS Facility License # below.
- Prior to 2014 this preschool was located on Piedmont Ave. license # 010213969
- See also Duck's Nest Berkeley and Duck's Oakland on Telegraph.
Parent Q&A
Parent Reviews
Parents, please Sign in to post a review on this page.We also really loved our time at Duck's Nest on 41st. The teachers were absolutely fantastic and we really loved the Reggio (emergent curriculum, where they really take note of what the kids are interested in and design activities and lessons around those, to encourage curiosity and a love of learning). We had a good level of ethnic diversity in our teachers, less so in the kid population, but I think the class younger than ours was when they really stepped up in prioritizing diversity in the enrollment process. We graduated the year the pandemic started, so I also can't comment on pandemic stuff. Overall we were incredibly happy there and would highly recommend it!
We loved our time at Duck's Nest on 41st--my older child came in just after the issues in the negative reviews (which occurred nearly 10 years ago, before the school moved to its current location) so we were a bit nervous as well, but we found that the leadership had done a great job addressing the concerns, including thoughtful design of the play yard in the new location. Our kids graduated ahead of the pandemic so I know less about about how they have handled COVID, but we know families whose younger kids are still there who continue to be happy with the program and with how things have gone over these crazy couple of years. I also really appreciated how intentional the school was about naming challenges around and attempting to address diversity, although I think like many private preschools, the cost continues to be a huge barrier to true socioeconomic diversity. (Duck's Nest does offer need-based financial aid and works with BANANAS on subsidies, but I don't know that it makes a huge dent in a systemic challenge.) The teaching staff was quite diverse while we were there, though I know there have been some transitions due to retirements and the pandemic, so not sure what it's like today. We also loved that there were a number of male teachers--a rarity at many preschools.
If you're able to get in, Duck's Nest on 41st Street is a magical place, and walking distance from you. They take kids at two, but most kids start in the fall, so if you have a child turning two mid-year, it just depends on whether there are any openings at that point.
We are at Duck's Nest 41st and have friends who've been at My Own Montessori and Holding Hands, and all are great options.
I will caution that you may find some nap challenges at any preschool, though, because California licensing requires preschools and daycare centers to have a quiet nap or rest time for all children. So while a school can certainly offer alternatives to nap for children who do not fall asleep during that time, they are required to have them rest for a period of time before moving on to other activities. (Some strategies our school uses to accommodate non-nappers include placing children who do need to nap in quieter areas of the room; having non-nappers play outside before coming in for the required rest period at the end of the nap block rather than resting at the beginning, so that they can get up again as other children start to wake; and having quiet activities that children can take to their rest areas to do instead of sleeping.) We also know some kids who don't nap at home ever who nap daily at preschool, though, so be prepared for that too--a full day of school can be exhausting!
Re: Duck's Nest 41st specifically, enrollment is very fluid, so although it is "full" they do always take a few kids over the summer as people's plans change (and usually 1-2 during the year, too). It is always worth calling to check. Although many children start at 2, they do take a number of kids at 3/3.5 too given how they split their classes. Again, call early and often if that is something you're interested in. If you are near Holding Hands, though, you might find drop-off and pick-up to either Duck's Nest or MOM a bit of a grind over time. I would definitely look carefully at schools close to home too, since you have a number near you. Good luck with the search!
Hi! Responding to your query about Ducks Nest on 41st: It's a great school! They handled our slow-to-transition, very mama-attached 2 y/o in a beautiful, caring way. And there were always kids in his classrooms (even at 2 and 3 years old) who didn't nap, and I don't remember it being a huge deal. However, I worry you won't get a spot for your daughter as a 3 y/o, because most of the 2 y/o class (Ducklings) goes on to the 3 y/o class (Wood Ducks), and if one or two students do move away or leave for whatever reason, those spots are nabbed so quickly. Maybe just go ahead and get on a waitlist for 2020-21 anyway? Best of luck!
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Feb 2015
Hello all, I recently visited Ducks Nest on 41st and was very impressed with the campus, the quality of the classroom spaces, and the projects the children are working on. However, reading some previous reviews of the school in the BPN archives has given me pause. Can anyone provide a more recent review of the school? My daughter would be one of the youngest in the class (not quite 2 when starting in September), so I'm particularly keen to hear from the perspective of that age group, although all feedback is very much appreciated. Anxious Mama
We're a very happy Duck's Nest 41st Street family. We came in just after the turmoil chronicled in the prior reviews (with a great deal of background on it from a few friends who were there at the time) and decided to take a chance on the school since it checked all of our other boxes. I'm so glad we did! Our child's teachers have been phenomenal and it does seem that the school overall has transitioned well to the new campus and made some changes in communication protocols and playground supervision to address some of the past issues. Communication could be further improved, but it is very clear that both teachers and administration are working on this and I don't think it is much different from most other preschools, based on friends' experiences. One teacher in our child's room did leave mid-year, but we were pleased with how the school handled this. My only teeny issue is that the class size is quite large in the older age groups--a side effect of consolidating from five classes into four when the school moved. This works for some kids but might not for others. (The ratio is great but it is a large group setting for sure.) The thing I've been most impressed with is how well the Reggio Emilia philosophy is implemented in our child's room. The school doesn't call itself a Reggio school, but it absolutely is (or at least it is in our room!), which I was so pleased to see, since we were deciding between Duck's Nest and another preschool with a very explicit Reggio Emilia approach. Learning is very child-led with skillful scaffolding from the teachers, some of whom have been at the school for decades.
I can't speak to the Duckling class generally, but the teachers that we know from that room are terrific, and I wouldn't hesitate to place a child there. (It also has fewer kids than the other classes, too.) Good luck with the decision! A Duck's Nest parent
June 2014
I'm hoping to get current parent reviews of Duck's Nest Piedmont Ave (41st St) or Duck's Nest Broadway for my four-year-old. I've read the very mixed reviews of Duck's Nest on BPN but on some reviews it's unclear which Duck's Nest campus they are referring to, or if the review is for all three locations. Any info is helpful. We are new to the Oakland area and require a school with longer hours, so other full-day preschool recommendations are welcome. Thank you! New to Oakland
We've had a great experience at the Duck's Nest 41st St Oakland campus (last year located on Piedmont Ave) and have been with this school for almost two years now. My daughter started at 2 yrs 3 months and has absolutely loved it and is thriving. I worried at the beginning that it might be too big for her, but actually the ratio of teachers to kids is excellent (3:1 for the 2's and 3's and then it changes gradually). I was also pleasantly surprised just weeks into her first year that teachers of other classrooms knew her name.
Positives: I have found the teachers to be warm, well grounded in emergent curriculum/play-based approach and always attuned to my child's development and changing needs. The campus is truly engaging for kids (gardening, bunnies, chickens, art stations, sand box, and space for several interesting play structures). I have found the administration to be receptive to parent feedback and great at helping form community. At that, the parent community is a source of both support and enjoyment. Not everyone is looking for that, but we've formed many new lasting friendships. (Of note, I have been involved with the parent association for the past two years.)
Not so stellar: Those same, very nice administrators have been sloppy in the past with handling of a few issues- some relatively innocuous, and others of greater debate among families and the school that made it on to this list. That said, I think they are trying hard to change. A group of active parents stepped up this past year to help bridge parent concerns with administrators' approach to handling of issues that crop up, and admin communication feels like it's improving.
Ultimately, it's what happens in the classroom that matters most to our family and we give DN an enthusiastic thumbs up on that count. If you would like to hear more feedback, feel free to get my contact information from the administrator of this list. Satisfied Duck's Nest parent
We are second year Oakland/41st Duck's Nest parents (our daughter is 4.5 yrs old) and we are planning to enroll our youngest daughter next year as well. I toured almost a dozen preschools in the Rockridge/North Oakland area, and Duck's Nest was in our top 2. We have been so happy with our choice! We were most impressed with the emphasis on creating beautiful and inspiring and loving spaces for young children to learn and grow. We also felt that the Reggio Emilia/emergent curriculum approach was a good fit for our child.
The new campus on 41st (they moved there in Jan of this year) has been transformed and made into a wonderful place. The well-established garden of the old campus has been missed by everyone, and the school is making lots of effort to bring back that wonderful garden environment (though plants take some time to grow!). The new outdoor painting/art area is awesome. The teachers we have had are GREAT as have the projects and topics they explore in the classroom. We love that there are live animals (tortoise, chickens, frogs, etc.) and varying enrichment activities such as yoga, dance, music, spanish, science, etc.
I think that there have been some criticisms in the past about the poor communication between the administration, teachers and parents- but as part of the parents' association for 2 years now, I have witnessed the amazing and positive change in that respect, and the genuine effort on all sides to improve transparency and sharing of information, etc. In addition to the daily classroom log, we get weekly emails recapping the highlights from that week as well as announcements and reminders for the next week. During the lead up to the move to the new campus, the parents were given continual updates and the teachers in each classroom prepped their kids (as appropriate for each age group).
Our teachers have been very approachable and easy to talk to. We have seen some teacher turn-over, but not much. One teacher said that he had worked for many preschools in the past, and he has chosen to stay for so many years at Duck's Nest because the teachers have input into the process and programs, have good benefits (not always the case at preschools) and it's a great community to be a part of.
We feel very lucky to have been part of the Duck's Nest community ourselves. -Duck's Nest parent
I wanted to offer a review of Duck's Nest Preschool located near Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. I should say that like many new parents I poured over BPN reviews before selecting a pre-school. Duck's Nest was originally my 2nd choice, and we sent our son to a smaller preschool. That school was charming, close to BART (good for our work commute), and the Director said all the right things about early childhood pedagogy. Needless to say, we started school a week late because of summer vacation and 3 days into the program were asked to start picking-up our almost 3 year old son up by 3pm. For a total of seven days we received negative feedback about our son, everything from him knocking over someone's blocks to pushing a child. It was very traumatic for us as a family because we really wanted this to be the right school and never imagined this scenario and a school that did not seem interested or perhaps capable of working to help socialize him.
We pulled our son and enrolled him in Duck's Nest. They were amazing about working with us as a family and making the extra effort to help him modify his behavior, which he did both as a function of age and extra effort on the part of teachers and us as parents (I do think parents need to work with schools).
The Duck's Nest teachers are loving and very creative. I have come to appreciate that what they may not articulate in academic terms, they clearly understand both from training and time spent in the classroom. It is a creative play based emergent curriculum and they introduce music, movement and even have Lawrence Hall of science come in the Spring to teach. My son is asking me about volcanos and marine life and I have seen how their art projects and story telling are influencing his questioning and world view. The school just moved into a new three building campus and has great outdoor space. I also love the community the school creates with festivals and plenty of opportunities for families to convene. We have made so many new friends as adults, it is great!
I do think the school is more laid back and allows for more rambunctiousness, e.g. dance parties to get energy out. At times this creates a less controlled environment and I know it not right for every family. I am happy to recommend Duck's Nest whole heartedly and my only advice is that what you may think is right for your child, may in fact not be the right fit. Trust your gut and their happiness. Luckily, the East Bay has many options. Elizabeth
Considering Duck's Nest for 2 and 4 year olds
August 2013
Hi Parents, I am now hearing mixed reviews about Duck's Nest and am reconsidering placing our 2 and almost 4 year olds there in September. We are looking for a warm, nurturing environment that isn't too large -- does Duck's Nest fit the bill in your opinion? Thanks for any advice people can share.
I cannot recommend Ducks Nest on Piedmont Ave. The school has some great teachers, but there has been quite a bit of chaos there this year. Teacher turnover is very high, with four or five leaving this year alone. As previous reviewers have noted, the yard continues to be ''rough''. As for supervision, sometimes when picking up our child, we would find him/her playing alone or with another child in an area of the yard or classroom unattended by an adult. In the spring, all the parents in our child's classroom (3- and 4-year-olds) received a notice of incidents of inappropriate touching among a handful of children. The letter also reminded us that children's sexual curiosity is natural. The school held a meeting with all the parents, mediated by a psychologist. The Director promised to implement several changes in the yard design and supervision schedule and admitted that mistakes had been made. However, the administration also continued to suggest that we as parents were overreacting. Because one of the aforementioned incidents was reported to the state, a state inspector visited last month and found four citations on the day of their visit. (The school was required to provide written notice of these citations to all parents and to all parents of incoming students for the next 12 months.) Ducks Nest parent
I have lots to say, but will cut it short due to the character limitations. My kid attended Duck's Nest for two years and we are not going back. She had an issue with a boy in her class the year before of him biting, scratching, and hitting her. The teachers assured me this was normal behavior for the age group. This year she increasingly asked not to go to school due to the same boy and I talked to the teachers again and they said they thought the two were progressing in their ''friendship''. I found out a month ago that this boy went from hitting her, to touching her vagina repeatedly. When confronted the school they said we didn't understand this culture and that we were making a big deal about it. The school administration does not read email regularly and so does not respond to parents' concerns in a timely way to address situations properly. My family needs to be at a school that actually watches the kids to make sure they play appropriately together, as well as being transparent to the parents. They don't allow parents to talk to one another if there is an issue; they specifically ask you not to contact each other and to let them deal with it if anything arises. I can't recommend this place.
As a Duck's Nest parent with a child about to begin their second year, I wanted to provide an alternative perspective on the DN experience. From Day 1, my child was excited to go to school, see teachers and friends. I pick up at 3, and few parents pick up then, so it's a great time to observe what's going on in the yard. By the second week, every teacher from every classroom said goodbye to my child by name. Yes, communication from the administration could be improved, but the director committed to making several changes and these commitments were delivered upon from that point forward. Three teachers departed this year. While this is high, it's worth noting that preschool teaching as a career is low paying and there tends to be high turnover thoughtout the industry. I'm not suggesting that Duck's Nest is perfect, but then again, no preschool is. My child is happy and thriving there. Returning DN Parent
My daughter is 3 3/4 years old and entering her second year at Duck's Nest preschool - Piedmont Avenue. She loves it there and during the weekends and summer break she is constantly asking when she can go back to preschool! Just prior to enrolling at Duck's Nest, my beautiful daughter was sweet and loving but also painfully shy, fearful, unusually risk-averse, and barely communicating verbally. Now, a year later, i hardly recognize her. She is talking up a storm, climbing trees, excited to meet and play with new children and generally loving life. Duck's Nest is on the bigger side, relative to other East Bay pre-schools, but the teacher-student ratio is better than most. This year my daughter's class has 14 kids and 3 teachers. Plus, the school has a beautiful outdoor space, chickens, bunnies and a garden; as well as science, music and drama classes. I like the fact that there are school-sponsored activities to help build community and an active parent's association. The teachers are genuinely happy to be there and i have found the Administration to be open, receptive to feedback and sincerely wanting and willing to make the kind of changes that parents want. I highly recommend it and would be happy to talk more to prospective parents about my positive experience there. Janet
We've been at the school for a year and we and our son all love it. Why? (1) great teachers, (2) great curriculum, (3) great physical space (which is going to get even better when DN moves to a bigger space in January), (4) great, kind kids and down-to-earth mostly relatable parents. You have to be into a play-based, emergent curriculum approach, and not uptight about your kids getting dirty--he or she will spend the day chasing live rabbits, chickens and a rooster; making pancakes; playing with water; and just generally getting good and dirty. Also you have to be OK with a mixed playground (2, 3, 4, and 5 year olds all playing together--it's rough and tumble but great fun). We feel really lucky to have found Duck's Nest! Kathleen
April 2011
RE: Preschool with great outside space?
Duck's Nest Preschool in Oakland at the end of Piedmont Ave has one of the better outdoor spaces. They also go to the meadow next door on occasion to let the kids run long distances. K
Duck's Nest in Oakland on Piedmont Av
Dec 2010
My husband and I both work full-time outside the home and moved to Piedmont this past year. We are planning to place our boy/girl twins in preschool in the fall (they will be 3 and 1/2 then) but the co-ops in Piedmont with PT schedules are not an option for us. Their primary childcare to date when we are working has been in our home with my mom and/or a nanny. We need something convenient in terms of location in order to pick up and drop-off timely with our work schedules. Schools we are considering and would love current input on are: Duck's Nest on Piedmont Avenue (a few negative reviews on BPN concern me, though appear under old director? My son is definitely not a big boy so some of the comments are of particular concern); [...] Any input, positive or negative, on the above and/or any other schools I may be missing that are less than 3 miles from ''lower'' Piedmont would be much appreciated!! Thanks! -Piedmont Mom of Almost-Preschooler Twins
In response to your inquiry about Duck's Nest, I wanted to give some input. My daughter is in her 3rd year at DN and I am enrolling my younger daughter as well next year. Both will have begun school there at 2.5 years-old. Our experience has been very positive and I am puzzled by the more critical recent reviews.
My child went through the following classrooms but there are others depending on the kid's age: The younger ''Duckling'' class for the 2-3 year-olds is a really warm and caring environment for little ones. Two of the three teachers have been at DN for many years and the third is just lovely. It is a small but cozy classroom with developmentally appropriate activities. The middle class ''Wood Ducks'' is a jump in curriculum with many very cool and creative projects. Kids have multiple ''stations'' to choose from. I often felt that I wanted to stay there and do their amazing projects rather than go off to work! That year was more structured and less loosely play-based overall. The third year ''Mandarin'' class, which is a shared space with the slightly younger ''Mallards'', has been a very welcomed environment for kids and parents. There are higher level ideas being discussed, as guided by the kids' interests, and the teachers are phenomenal. Very sensitive, communicative, attuned to the kids' individual needs and personalities. I have no doubt that my daughter will be kindergarten ready after this year at DN.
Through the years we have not had any problems with aggression at the school in the yard or otherwise. I am often in the rather magical play yard and always see several teachers dispersed throughout monitoring the activities. Overall, when conflicts do occur between kids, the teachers use a conflict/problem resolution model of talking things out. If one kid is rough with another (within the normal range of kids stealing toys, acting out, etc.), they talk it through and have all involved focused on helping the kid who felt hurt, etc. I find the teachers to be ultra-sensitive and patient, sometimes more than I am myself. They give kids lots of respect and find ways of redirecting them rather than being negative or punitive.
I do know that some of my peers have had frustrations at times with a teacher or administrator here and there in response to their own kid's individual issues. However, I do think that feedback was given on both ends to improve communication and problem-solving so that issues resolved themselves.
I really love the DN environment and am happy to be continuing within their community in the coming years with my 2nd child.
Hope this is helpful in future decision making! Happy DN Parent
Reviews of Duck's Nest on Piedmont Av
Feb 2010
Hello, I am interested in reviews from current or former Duck's Nest (Piedmont Ave) parents. We would like to enroll our 3 year-old full-time. Can you recommend the afternoon program? Are there many full-time families? Thank you! anon
My son has attended Duck's Nest on Piedmont Ave for 3 yrs ( since he was 3 yrs old) We've been really happy with the school, teachers, director ( though the director changed this year, we are happy with the new director as well), and their response/resolution to any issues with my son. There is a good balance of full-time and part-time families. If your child is full-time there would be plenty of children to interact with in the afternoon. In a
Hi, I currently have two kids at Ducks Nest 41st and we’re very happy with it. My kids sometimes have problems at drop off but that is a lot more about my leaving than the school, they are always happy in the classroom. The classes are on the bigger side but the student teacher ratio is low, 20 kids to 4 teachers. The classes all mix in the yard which seems overwhelming because there are so many littles running around, but when I stop and watch individual kids, you can see they all have an opportunity to engage with what the want to do and enjoy themselves. I appreciate the chance for the kids to learn from the other age groups too
The teachers are amazing! I think that as parents we sometimes have unreasonable expectations of how the classes and kids relationships should work at a certain age but the DN staff has the child development backgrounds to really help each child thrive. My kids have special connections with teachers in their respective classes but also have relationships with every teacher at the school. The school administration and teachers are always open to connecting with parents. I encourage parents that have concerns to reach out and I think they’ve all received positive responses and help.
We also have a vibrant parent and family community which adds to the warm, cozy feel on campus.
I have only good things to say about Duck's Nest 41st. We were there for 3 years until graduating to elementary school this year. Class size average based on our experience was 18-20, with some of the children attending for only part of the day or only a few days a week. Typically each class has 3 teachers but occasionally 4. Total of 4 classes, in 4 separate areas. There’s an onsite art teacher they work with weekly in the outdoor art studio. As well as a stable group of teachers who substitute.
The teachers know the kids very well. My child would tend to gravitate towards one favorite teacher each year, but loved all of them. The school makes an effort to move one teacher from a class up to the next level class with the group the following year, for continuity. And many of the teachers have been there for years.
Whenever there was an issue we wanted to discuss, teachers were available and interested in helping figure out how to address it and help with it. If you do end up there, I would recommend reaching out ahead of the start of school to discuss strategies for the first weeks / month. They send some ideas in a parent welcome packet about it, but I’m sure they would be willing to work with you directly about how to make the transition easier for a sensitive child.