Little Scholars Academy

My daughter attended Little Scholars Academy in Glendale for two years, and we had a mixed experience. On the positive side, the teachers were wonderful — especially Ms. Kelley, who was amazing with my daughter and helped her learn to read before Kindergarten. The classrooms felt clean and homey, and my daughter made lots of friends there. It was also one of the most affordable preschool options we found, which was a huge plus. That said, there were some real concerns. Communication and organization were lacking. Dates on the calendar would change, but staff often didn’t seem aware of the updates. The school’s app was very basic and only tracked sign-ins and sign-outs, without sharing anything about classroom activities. The only emails we received from management were reminders about holidays. We also experienced a lack of communication when it came to incident reports. On multiple occasions, my daughter came home with bumps, scrapes, or bruises, but we were never notified during the school day or given a report about what happened. As a parent, that was concerning because I want to know if she’s been hurt, even in small ways. Billing was another ongoing frustration. Invoices were frequently incorrect, and we had to constantly monitor the autopay system to make sure we weren’t overcharged. This added unnecessary stress on top of everything else. There was also a lot of turnover in staff. While the core teachers were great, it felt like new faces were constantly cycling in and out, which made the environment feel less stable for the kids. Safety and security were additional concerns. There were no cameras on site that I could see, and we once received a notice hours later about an incident where someone entered the gated playground in the morning. There was no follow-up on what changes would be made afterward. The parking lot also felt unsafe at times, with cars speeding through, homeless individuals passing by, and even a stolen car abandoned one morning while police investigated. Lastly, be cautious when looking at reviews online. Many of the 5-star reviews were part of a raffle the school conducted, which makes the feedback seem less reliable. Overall, the teachers gave my daughter a strong start, and I’m grateful for their care. But the lack of communication, billing errors, staff turnover, and security issues made me uneasy as a parent. I hope the school invests in improving those areas because it truly has potential.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ms. Lucia is absolutely outstanding at Little Scholars Academy! If you’re looking for a preschool where your child will thrive, look no further—Ms. Lucia is the heart and soul of this academy! From the moment we enrolled, her warmth, creativity, and genuine love for teaching have blown us away. She has an incredible gift for making learning **fun** and engaging, whether through hands-on activities, imaginative storytelling, or turning even the simplest lessons into exciting adventures. What truly sets Ms. Lucia apart is her ability to connect with *every* child. She celebrates their unique strengths, patiently nurtures their growth, and creates a classroom environment where kids feel confident, curious, and valued. My little one comes home every day bursting with stories about “what Ms. Lucia taught them” and can’t wait to go back—*that’s* the magic of a great teacher! Beyond her teaching skills, Ms. Lucia goes above and beyond to communicate with parents, offering thoughtful insights and creating a true partnership in our child’s development. It’s clear she doesn’t just see this as a job—it’s her passion. If you want a teacher who will inspire your child to love learning while fostering kindness and confidence, run to Little Scholars Academy! Ms. Lucia is a treasure, and we’re so grateful she’s part of our child’s journey. 💫 Enroll here—you won’t regret it! Best decision ever for our family! 👏🏼📚

Ms. Kelley has been a huge help getting our 4 year old to love school again. She is kind, caring, and super compassionate. My niece loves going to to school and learning and that is largely due to these teachers at this location! 10 out of 10 recommend!!!

Before trusting the 5-star reviews, know that Little Scholars offers tuition discounts in exchange for them. That said, the praise for Ms. Lucia, Ms. Kelley and Ms. Dania in those reviews is absolutely true—they’re loving, engaging, and truly dedicated. The real issue is the owner, who consistently fails to prioritize safety or address sexual predators targeting the school. Here's my story: 🔹 2022 – Day 1 My fully potty-trained 2-year-old had several accidents on his first day ever in a daycare. The director told me to “just put him in diapers.” I said absolutely not. A teacher followed up later that day and assured me he was doing better, stating it was their job to help him succeed, not set him back by putting him in diapers. That teacher later quit and the director was eventually fired. 🔹 2023 – Bite Incident My husband found a bloody bite mark on our son's back that we were not notified of. When we called, they admitted they knew and had failed to notify us. The director then backdated an “ouch report” and tried to get my husband to sign it days later. 🔹 1/18/24 – Sexual Predator on Campus At 6:30 AM, a man tried to force his way into the building via the playground door. When the teacher refused to open it, he dropped his pants and started jerking off in the window, trying to make her look. She ran to the kitchen, hid, and called 911. I showed up with my son 10 minutes later and stayed with her for 45 minutes until police arrived. My husband asked what was going to be done to make the school safe. The owner, Maria, called him and asked what HE thought she should do. He suggested motion lights, cameras, a panic button... She told him she was a “mama bear” and knew all about experiencing trauma, but did nothing except assign a second morning teacher and told them not to unlock the playground doors right away. Days later, a vague message went out to parents stating that "a man was on the property.” We followed up for months afterward, staff said she was “getting quotes.” After continued inaction from the school, my husband used his truck to pull out bushes growing against the fence behind the school that people could hide in, and reported illegal dumping and homeless activity to the city. They contacted the owner of the lot and had the trash cleared. 🔹 3/19/24 – Stolen Car A stolen silver Kia was running in the lot at drop-off, music blasting, windows down, back window blown out. I locked my son in my truck and called the police. It was confirmed stolen and abandoned. Still no security measures were taken. 🔹 4/16/24 – Abandoned Vehicle w/ Trailer A broken-down vehicle with a trailer sat in the lot for over a week. Possibly occupied. It was never towed by the school. Still no lights. Still no cameras. 🔹 7/21/25 – Man in My Truck At 6:30 AM, I dropped off my son. Three minutes later, I walked out to find a man inside my truck, rummaging around. I yelled at him. He backed off and drove away in a red SUV with no plates. That was it for me. I picked up my son that day and was told the owner would call me. She never did. I emailed, called, and messaged the school over a week's time to request half of July’s tuition back — no response. Eventually, I had to go to the school and ask in person. A check was cut, but no one ever followed up. 🔹 Days Later – Man on Playground A man matching the January predator’s description was found sleeping in a playhouse on the playground. That man is likely sleeping there regularly and at any time can leave drugs or needles behind for a child to find. Or just not leave before kids come out to play. The school is closed more days than public schools, yet parents still pay for those days—and extra for “camp days” just to keep childcare. Teachers don’t get paid for all those days off, even though we’re still being charged. The school is beautiful, and the teachers are incredible. But the owner has repeatedly shown she doesn’t care about the safety of children or staff—not enough to install a $50 motion light, basic cameras, or even notify parents when predators target the school.

This has been the best school for my daughter. The entire staff is very welcoming and loving to the kids. Her teacher Ms. Kelley has been such a blessing to us and helped my daughter to love learning! Highly recommend!