Learn And Play(r) School, Pleasant Hill | Fees, Rankings, Address, Admission, Vacancies, Reviews & More

Our two kids have been at Learn and Play for 1.5 years. Our oldest is getting ready to move on to Kindergarten and I felt it was a good time to share our experience for others. There are two important components to this review:

1. Teachers/Staff
2. New Administration

As for the first, I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about the teachers here. They are warm, loving, and care so much about the kids and their families. We’ve had an incredible experience with so many of them – starting with Ms. Amani & Ms Brittany in the toddler house, then Anna, Danielle, Marisol, Nora in the 3’s classes, and Maria, Mercedes, Helen, Victoria, Yasmin, Beatrice in the 4’s classrooms. I would give these teachers 10 stars if I could. Many of them have been here for decades and have directly had a hand in creating a strong reputation in the WC/PH neighborhoods of what a family-first & community oriented school this is known for. The teachers are what have made this school so, so special through the years. We were ecstatic when we got a spot for our two boys in October 2022. Unfortunately, it appears that we got the last of the “good ol days” as the school was purchased by Learn and Play Montessori shortly after we started and we’ve noticed significant changes that make me hesitant to recommend it to others going forward.
This brings me to the second topic: the new administration. First, I want to start by saying I am a business person by nature, I completely understand the need to drive profits while minimizing cost. That said, there have been several “updates” through the last year+ that have caught parents off guard and/or weren’t communicated in a timely manner. Just a few to highlight:

1. They increased classes and total attendance significantly and have added more and more kids each month.
2. Tuition increased significantly for existing families once the new school year started and now includes extra fees such as diapering, annual registration, and extra charges DAILY for ad-hoc drop off before 8am (their hours are 7-6pm).
3. We were informed just last week (end of April) that starting in August they would no longer be offering the before/after school program that they always have, in which they coordinate drop off/pick up from PHE. This has been a HUGE selling point for the school previously. Note that this news came only 3 months before the school year starts and all of the existing childcare options are already full so parents are scrambling.

We were told that it’s due to the challenges of coordinating classroom space for kindergarten+. We believe this to be due to the “updated” approach of adding as many kids (and as many $$) as possible that led to being in this position. And, with all due respect, parents are not naive to the fact that they want to take the spots back from Kinder+ to be able to add more kids who need full-time care and can charge more for it.
Fundamentally, I understand. But, had this decision needed to be made under the former administration I would’ve expected that they would have offered a transition period, helped parents identify new potential options, and/or would have phased it in in the coming school year(s). Not taken a cold turkey approach. When I (and several other parents) went in to speak with the new school administration we were listened to, but ultimately they offered nothing other than to nod their head and say they understood.
It’s clear that the decisions are now being made to maximize the money coming into the hands of the owners. In time, this will erode the reputation that has taken these teachers and staff decades to build. And in time, they will see their headcount (and dollars) decline. I just wish it wasn’t at the expense of the families who attend and the teachers who work so hard day in and day out.
I’m not sharing this to speak ill of anyone. I only share this in hopes of helping inform other families in the future so they can make the choice that’s best for their families.

We’ve had a wonderful experience our first month and a half at LAPMS Pleasant Hill! My son’s teachers, Ms. Rose, Ms. Jordan, and Ms. Mercedes (and all the teachers that care for him towards the end of the day like Ms. Beatrice), are absolutely wonderful. They show a clear interest in his development and update me on how his day went when I pick him up.
Through their early childhood education expertise, they’ve even helped my husband and I navigate a tough situation separating our son from his security blanket, which may be impeding his social development.
He acclimated surprisingly quickly, which is a testament to the environment and caring staff at LAPMS. Chris, the director, has also been great through our whole enrollment process and with the day-to-day administrative communications. I often find her in the classroom at pickup, lending a hand to take care of the kids and to get to know them better.

We also greatly appreciate that LAPMS, which bought Play and Learn in late 2022, kept the school the way it was for decades instead of reshaping it into something it never was. We sought enrollment at Play and Learn before we found out that they were acquired because of how much the staff and philosophy has been beloved by our local community. We’re grateful for the opportunity to have our son benefit from this local gem despite the founder retiring. They recognize the importance of treasuring a treasure and this makes it a special place.