What Parents Say
Thank you for taking the time to sit with me today. Every thing you observed was exactly what I see in (my children). Thank you for your insights, they are invaluable to me. As a parent, we watch our children grow and change, we wonder if we are doing everything we can every day to make them the best person they were meant to be. After reading your observation reports, it is crystal clear to me what I need to do for my children, to make them the best person they were meant to be. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Parent seeking public elementary school
Faced with a poor public school district and our growing family, my husband and I decided it was time to move. Finding the right home in Seattle is hard, but pairing that decision with buying in the right school district, the challenge became all the more difficult. We finally find the perfect house, but it was in an area that we hadn’t researched and I needed to make a decision, and fast. Anoo was a great go-to resource and education expert. Thanks to her quick response, knowledge and connections, we were able to make the best and most well-informed decision for our family. Thanks Anoo!
Parent of three seeking new Seattle neighborhood
When we approached Anoo to seek her advice on a good school for our 4 yr old daughter, we only had only a vague idea of what we meant by a “good” school. Anoo helped us crystallize our ideas on a good education. She took it into account our daughter’s individual strengths and helped us find a school that’s a good match for her. Anoo is passionate about education and truly believes in the potential of every child. It was a pleasure working with her.
Parent of 4 year-old choosing Elementary sch
I met (with Anoo) for one hour today. She sent me some very precise questions before our meeting that helped me put down my notions & thoughts into words and clarified my concerns into distinct and clear questions and when we met, she answered all those questions and more. She has armed me now with specific choices that will work for my family and my kids and now all I have to do is go observe these handfuls of choices, ask the questions she has told me I will need answers to and make a decision. My kids are only just starting on their learning journey …. we’ll spend thousands of dollars on their education from this point on and it is important to spend those hard earned dollars wisely to provide the best advantage for them in their whole life.
One-time consultation client
I found this workshop extremely useful and thought provoking. I thought I have done a decent research of schools in this area but after listening to Anoo, I realized that her research is far more advanced and helped me understand various choices at various phases of the life of kids. She is very passionate about education and kids and it reflects in how she presents the workshop and interacts with you.
I would recommend this to every parent no matter what the age of your kid is. In fact I felt that 2 hours wasn’t enough and I wanted to hear more and more from her. I came back with great ideas on how to choose schools for my kids and how can I add value as a parent in this process. She is simply amazing and I am so glad I attended this workshop.
Workshop attendee, Elementary school choice
Anoo was my son’s advisor at school, and provided a wonderful source of support and guidance for my son Kellen and our family as we worked through the challenges of his last several years of high school. She helped my son sort through what he felt was blocking him, and through that exploration, he came to understand and own the choices that were keeping him from being where he wanted to be. All the while, Anoo’s caring and complete respect for Kellen and his needs was always in the forefront. He could feel and trust her belief in him, which helped him to be open. In working with Anoo, I appreciated and treasured her openness and warm heart, and her connection with Kellen and deep compassion for him at a time when he was struggling. Rather than try to quickly “fix things,” she worked closely with Kellen to understand what his needs and goals were, and then, together with the other staff members and us, to help him be successful in the long run by fostering and supporting his own abilities to be successful.
Parent of student
Anoo has cultivated an intuitive understanding of human development with the ability to express it, quickly putting both children and parents at ease. Her teaching style, therefore, is natural and warm. People feel better about themselves for having been with her.
Andy Smallman, Director of PSCS
“… (Anoo’s) workshops are not referendums on private schools but rather a means to identifying what type of learner is your child AND what values matter to you as a family. Friends who attended with me and were already sending their daughter to public school were so grateful to be given a lens/questions on public school tours (we still have a choice…) and also be aware of what to look for as it relates to your child & what to advocate for if it’s missing. Anoo seems to have found her calling. I left feeling like I knew my child, my spouse, and my educational values better. Highly recommended!
Preschool Director, Parent of preschooler
Anoo, thank you for the class last night! It was a wealth of information and you’re an amazing presenter. We certainly appreciated it and have much more of a grasp on how to move forward with this process.
Workshop attendee, Elementary school choice
Anoo opened our eyes to the vast choices available and had a keen ability to find the appropriate choices for our daughter. Her knowledge and understanding of the education system of today has been invaluable in steering our future academic decisions. Of the four preschools we applied, and were accepted into, we had only heard of one before meeting Anoo.
In the Media
A perfect resume does not necessarily pave the way to a dream college. What really matters? This interview answers these questions:
What does it come down to — GPA, test scores? What really matters?
How has college admissions changed?
How important is the college essay?
How can you even think about relaxing as a high school senior?
How do you decide if your child is ready for Kindergarten?
Kindergarten is more academically focused than it has ever been. Teachers are not however looking for academic skills to gauge readiness. This interview answers these questions:
How has Kindergarten changed?
What does readiness mean?
What can you do if your child is anxious about the transition to Kindergarten?
The process of finding the right preschool can be complicated and expensive. What should parents consider? This interview answers these questions:
When should parents start looking for preschool? What age does the child need to be?
Can you enroll your child in preschool at any time of year?
What should parents focus on when considering different preschools?
What factors matter most in terms of preschool learning?
What is the cost for attending a preschool?
Redshirting is controversial. In a TV interview (click image on the right to watch it) we discussed the key aspects that make it so sticky.
A term once reserved for college athletes, it describes the growing trend of holding back a child from entering Kindergarten at age 5 and instead delaying entry till age 6.
Choosing the Right Elementary School
In a conversation on King5’s Parent-to-Parent, I addressed these questions:
What matters most: Relationships, Competence, Finding an interest and School-home partnership
Public v/s Private: Why parents choose each type of school. Read a detailed article on this.
What to look for on a school visit: Walls, Materials, Assessments, Homework, Schedule
What parents can do: Start early, Know your options, Talk to parents, Visit schools
Significance of Play and Preschool Choice
In a conversation on King5’s Parent-to-Parent, I addressed these questions on the Significance of Play in early years:
Do children not play in preschool?: How preschools are changing.
What play is intricately woven in with learning?: What is this play that is so integrated in with learning?
What do children learn through play?
Open Enrollment at Seattle Public Schools
In Seattle, parents have choices even within public schools. What must parents consider in applying to an Option School and how can they weigh Option schools against default neighborhood schools?