Suzuki Learning Center

09/23/2008 Posted by SuzukiParent

Attention Parents! If you want to join Suzuki keep the following in mind: (i) it is an excellent school and you will like the teachers; (ii) the children learn a lot; (iii) it is expensive; (iv) you may not like the service as a parent. The school is great and many parents swear by the work they're doing with their children but they have made several PR blunders with parents this year as they grow. In essence, they have been insensitive to Secular parents (it's an increasingly Jewish Organization so brace for a kosher menu and the Jewish calendar even if you do not live in a Jewish area), they have added more and more days off while raising prices, and they tend to avoid direct/honest communication in favor of misleading communication if/when the news is unwelcome. At Suzuki, your children will be well cared for... probably the best in Atlanta. But I can only give them 4 stars because you will not be respected as the parent/consumer of their premium services as their growth aspirations now appear to trump respectful service. This is not a random rant... attend any Suzuki birthday party in Atlanta these days and listen to the Buckhead Parents for the inside scoop. They all stress the same things - great school (wonderful program)...did you see prices are going up again.... wow, yet another day off... do you think they realize we work for a living? In the end, I still recommend Suzuki because parents must always put the kids first and it is a great school. But if you find a suitable alternative you should consider it... for your sake. Yours... A Suzuki Parent

Pros: Excellent School

Cons: Increasingly Non-Secular Jewish Organization (Despite Claims to Contrary)

06/23/2008 Posted by Springer123

Though I've read some negative reviews here, it seems they come from people who are ignorant to how suzuki really works. The pod system prevents the "overcrowded" feel of the place, and I certainly never got that impression. The teachers are always very helpful and open about the children and very good communicators. The director knows each child by name and is very connected with the staff to promote good communication. Her daughter even went to the center when she was a child, so you know that the place is good if the director would trust her child here! Overall I give it 5 stars, and I'd give it more for its new location coming soon!

Pros: Director/Teachers are pleasing

Cons: Parking

12/11/2007 Posted by ss1275

My husband and I are currently looking for the best place for our child. I wonder...the person who said that Suzuki teaches her daughter AND her something every day has "piece" of mind? Do you mean "peace"? Yikes--the reviews on Suzuki are mixed, but if you are a Suzuki parent and allegedly learning and having "piece" of mind, I question how much you are learning. Maybe learn how to use piece vs. peace...is it just me?

03/01/2007 Posted by dmarkhamdir

This communication to all of you is the first in a series of updates on our construction, our move, out enrollment, and our initiatives. This school year continues to be one of many changes for Suzuki: a new school facility being constructed, continued focus on teacher recruitment and retention, and the lowest turnover of families we have experienced in over a decade. Some of the key changes we are addressing here include: •A strengthened focus on teacher quality, training and retention has reduced turnover and increased morale and personal growth. We have also refined the School’s collaborative instructional teams, in which our teachers discuss, challenge, and exchange ideas together. •We are taking advantage of our move into a new facility this summer to transform our brick and mortar classrooms into physical learning environments, which will better accommodate small group learning activities as well as stimulate independent thinking. •The bond between home and school has been made even stronger by our Parent Volunteer Association (PVA) through monthly conference calls with Parent Level Leaders (PLL’s). •A restructuring of our enrollment & staffing practices based on apparent shift in enrollment patterns of our families. Unlike past patterns, we are finding that 1) the majority of families who enroll now choose to attend 2) attrition is much lower than in the past, and 3) our children are with us for longer hours. To address this shift we are implementing automated attendance systems to better project and manage staffing and enrollment. As we move through the remainder of this very important year, I want to assure you that we will never waiver in our care and support of each child. As always, I am accessible to our families and happy to meet with them in person, by cell, or via email. Thanks to all the very supportive and vocal families for continuing to make Suzuki the best school for their children! Debra Markham

02/26/2007 Posted by johnsonlinda

My family recently moved to Atlanta and was very anxious about finding a new school for our son. We have been thrilled with Suzuki and would recommend it to anyone. My son loves to go to school and has grown academically in the time he has been there. I feel as though the investment is well worth it.

01/25/2007 Posted by dciraulo

My child has been a student for less than 3 months and I'm enjoying some aspects but not satisfied with others. The high turnover rate is a concern...I want my child to see a familiar face each morning. The classes are overcrowded, especially in the toddler room. We recently toured creme de la creme and I was blown away by the low ratios and the cleanliness of the rooms. I would also like more communication regarding my child's day..the photocopied sheets do not give me enough piece of mind. For what I'm paying, I would love to see lower ratios and the teachers given a reason to stay long term. I'm tired of hearing how we should wait until the new school opens, my child needs care now. But overall, the teachers are amazing and really do care for my child. If it weren't for them, I don't think we would be staying

Pros: Staff

Cons: overcrowded, no communication, management too far removed

06/14/2006 Posted by dmarkham

I have been both a teacher and Director for the Suzuki Learning Center for nearly 25 years. In that time, we have undergone many changes as we have grown from a modest preschool of 86 children to a well-known and highly respected school with approximatley 350 students; the most recent has been the expansion of our new School on Buckhead Avenue. Throughout the process, we have maintained our focus on excellence in education by strengthening the curriculum, recruiting increasingly skilled teachers and ensuring that children are thriving in the classroom. We experienced some initial growing pains, but the vast majority of our families were supportive as we overcame them. We welcome questions, and we can be reached by phone or would be happy to meet in person to discuss our School. In addition, our active Parent Volunteer Association is always willing to provide more information about the School from the perspective of the families who attend, many of whom have been at Suzuki for more than 5 years. Debra Markham School Director

06/05/2006 Posted by aeg555

Our daughter has been at Suzuki for over a year now & we have been happy. Her teachers are amazingly warm and caring. Yes there are issues w/ the new mgmt, but the Director is working hard to bring together the students, teachers, mgmt and parents. She works very hard to make sure that everyone is happy and taken care of. The education standards are extremely high. It's definitely expensive, but well worth it.

Pros: Caring teachers, Parent Involvement, Cirriculum

Cons: Parking, Price

05/23/2006 Posted by ss148

It's funny I read all of the good things about suzki. It seems to me that this is the same person responding about how great suzuki is maybe someone from the staff?? We found the pod system to be over crowed. Talking to parents that are still enrolled are not happy with the new owners who seem to just worry about the bottom line...money. We felt the school was over priced for a run down school needing alot of updating. One concern was that the school didn't have a sprinkler system. We where also told the school was accredited which it isn't. As far as the staff seem to be mostly hourly employes with very few educated teachers. We toured the school twice and noticed a high turn over rate with staff. With this and other things, we decided to pass. To some it up, we where really disappointed.

04/25/2006 Posted by rbd1114

Our daughter began at Suzuki last spring after 2 yrs at a higher-priced competitor, and we've been thrilled. Suzuki made the move to the "big school" exciting for our daughter. The pod system that they employ is great--our daughter gets to work in a small group for most of the day--6 students to 1 teacher yesterday-but still has 40 friends to share special events & outside play. This versus our old school, where she was in a large (nice) room with 40 kids w/4-5 teachers half standing around. Suzuki offers the best of both worlds.