Storybrook preschool? Other suggestions?
I am looking for a preschool for my 18 month old. Storybrook in Oakland has come highly recommended (with some caveats about staff turnover). We are expecting our second in February and so I was really hoping to visit and apply before then. I have literally called, emailed, filled out the online forms- attempted at least 10 different times to reach out over the past 4 weeks and I haven’t received any reply. Absolutely nothing. I have confirmed they are still in business and their website is still soliciting interested parents to complete an online intake form.
I have two questions: The first: is this normal? This seems like a major red flag in how organized they are and I’m tempted to give up. Should I? The second: assuming I never hear from Storybrook, I am looking for recommendations for preschools for an 18 month old that follows a Waldorf-esque philosophy, has lots of green space and time outdoors and play. Location is near lakeshore district. Redwood Garden looks magical, but it's a bit far and the hours are tough.
Any and all recs and thoughts welcome.
thank you!
Parent Replies
I can't answer your second question but as to the first, I'm afraid the lack of response may be normal. When we moved to the East Bay three years ago I called and emailed over 40 preschools and daycares and the vast majority never responded, including some of the most highly regarded ones. I think a lot of places just don't bother if they're already at capacity and have a comfortable wait list. The most responsive were the one-person shows -- one person watching five or six kids -- and I would expect them to have the least amount of time for call-backs. We ended up at a chaotic, friendly preschool that didn't adhere to any particular philosophy but was responsive and flexible. You might also consider, if you haven't already, some of the preschools attached to private elementary schools, which are generally more responsive and outreach-oriented, Good luck.
We had a similar experience with Storybrook, and based on my contact with other daycare and preschool programs, this is atypical. Their team had long lag times with communication throughout the process. We ended up going with a home based daycare in piedmont, in part because the communication was so unreliable and delayed on storybrooks end.
This is not normal! I’ve been looking for preschools for my daughter and have heard back from all of them within a few days to set up a tour. (Many of them you can actually set up the tour online.) I’d say this is a red flag 😬