Looking for Info on Goddard School - Clackamas

This Clackamas school is HORRIBLE. I used to work here and I can see why parents love it so much there....they are LIED to! While the parents think that their children are doing everything on the lesson plans...they aren't! Children rarely do anything that are on their lesson plans. Children are CONSTANTLY moved around in and out of classrooms and the director has NO IDEA where the kids are half of the time. The director lies to the families about what goes on during the day, they director and owners are beyond unorganized to the point where teachers, children, floaters, have no idea what is going on. I could go on for HOURS about different events that occurred during my time there. A pay check is a pay check. Luckily the teachers are fabulous, it is just the management. DO NOT send your children there. If the tuition was cheap I would say you are getting what you paid for but with the rates of tuition, you definitely are not.

That is so funny that you asked, because I have been slightly interested myself. I did receive, and you probably did too, a flyer in the mail about an open house that is coming up. I think I threw it away, so you may want to call and see what the dates where. I live in Gresham so the drive would be a long one for me, but I am still curious about what is so special about Goddard. I too have 2 1/2 yr old twin boys. Good luck and if you could possibly post what happened if you contacted the school that would be great. Thanks

We also went to the open house in August and I loved it. Unfortunately we aren't sending our son there right now (my husband was laid off and has been for a while). I love that it's more like school than daycare. We currently take him to a lady across the street from us a few days a week (really cheap) for extra kid interaction. When my husband gets back to work we will send him to Goddard for sure! They help facilitate in the potty training and keep the classes small and age similar. Jenny is the school director and seems to really know what she's doing. She's hired great teachers and has always been very prompt in getting back to me and keeping me posted on what's going on. I've been researching Goddard since before my son was born and he's 2 1/2 now. If my husband was working my son would be there in a heart beat. The pricing for me is worth the type of education that he will get, but I think that would go for most of us moms since we all care about our childs education. From what I've read online, Goddard kids (Montessori too) seem to be more in line with private school education than some of the other preschools I've researched. Good luck!

K.

I took a tour before they opened and it seems like a nice school. They are pricey though - it was $415 a month for two half days per week(I think that's right) and kids have to bring their own lunch. I like that the teachers have college degrees and go through specialized training - they are not just hired help. It think they try to notice when a child is interested in something and they encourage learning about that specific thing while the child is still interested in it,which is good. The teachers have lesson plans for each day. the kids nap at 1pm at the clackamas location. I liked the school but we decided to send our 3 yr old to a montessori school instead for not much more than this ($580 a month for 5 full days including lunch) and we are really happy with that so far. I think Goddard is a really good school but it just didn't seem as good as montessori to us. good luck! We have twin boys - that's funny that we all have twins so far:) D.

When my son was 5-weeks old, I signed him up for the Goddard School in Vancouver, thinking I would be returning to work. Their facility was vibrant, organized and clean. They pride themselves on child development, hiring only college educated teachers, keeping the teacher-to-child ratio lower than mandated and offering plenty of opportunity for activities that cater to a developing mind. In the infant classroom, I was told that they start teaching them Spanish. Being a Human Development graduate, I was very excited that they would be giving him targeted learning activities and that he wouldn't be in an overcrowded room with little attention. The cost for my infant was going to be $1200/month. Needless to say, I made the decision to stay home with my son shortly after returning to work. He never did go to the Goddard School. I've been home with him for two years now and love not missing any of his "firsts," his smiles, his hugs and kisses, singing and silly questions. However, if I had to return to work, I'd probably consider Goddard again. They're a bit more expensive, but the quality is exceptional. Hope this helps!

A.

Hi J.,
We have our 3-yr. old triplets at the Goddard School in Vancouver and have since they were a year old. They have always been very caring and very trustworthy. We have direct contact with the owners and they know all the parents. From Day 1, we have been impressed with the teachers and how much they really love our kids. I just took them to see their old teacher (they have moved up to the preschool class now) and we both almost cried as my kids gave her a big hug. It is expensive and you have to provide lunches but it is worth the money.

Welcome to Goddard =)
G.

I went on a tour and met J. and she was the best. I've been to four other schools and this was my 5th and I knew it would be my last school since I fell in love with everything. My daughter is two and no matter how many toys and things I do I knew it wasn't enough as being in a school setting. I really was happy with the overall way things would be done and taught and when it comes to making lunch I'd rather do it and know what my kid is eating rather than "hope" she is eating right by what is given to her. Just like kids are all different so it their eating taste. I'm very happy she is going there and I feel she will be in a safe and learning enviroment. The cost is a bit but it's worth it. I will be putting my son in once he is ready. I even compared the school to one in another state and this Goddard is so much better with more activities so no Goddard schools are the same.