"As soon as it was time to look at elementary schools for our preschool-aged daughter, we knew we had to first spend time with Leila to get her perspectives. Sure enough, her insight into the various public and independent elementary schools in the East Bay proved invaluable to us as we prioritized which schools to research, tour, and apply to amidst our busy work schedules. Leila took the time to really understand our goals for our daughter's education, our daughter's relationship to learning, and helped us understand which schools would be the best fit for all of us. She's also a wonderfully funny, down-to-earth, and thoughtful person to work with. I would recommend any Bay Area parent spend the money and time to get Leila's perspectives before embarking on the elementary school journey."

"Leila is not only a smart, intuitive guide to navigating the ins and outs of the East Bay school systems, preschools and daycares but she is just a fantastic and caring human being. Her background as a former teacher, knowledge of schools, inside connections and ability to listen to your needs to help you find the right match for your child and family is astounding and so very helpful. Above and beyond all of this, she is a kind and generous spirit who also offers a sound springboard for your concerns and a gentle hug to get you through the stresses of finding the right fit for the most precious parts of your life. 

I worked with Leila as we relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Berkeley and I could not have kept my sanity without her unwavering, calm and thoughtful guidance, key insights and constant sunny disposition. She went above and beyond the job at hand, offering to be my proxy while out of town to tour schools, speak on my behalf and even showed me around town once I made it there so I could feel more comfortable about the cross country move. Working with Leila is a delight and has been a lifesaver for my family. Her insights helped us to land in the schools that are perfect for each of my children and have set my mind at ease. She is a true gem."

"Leila made navigating the school decision a joy and opportunity when we were feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure. She was a knowledgeable resource for us about the various choices, both public and private, and helped us discern what would be the best fit for our family. Not least of all, she was a great listener and was encouraging and reassuring about us having the intuition to make the best decision, once we had all the information. We feel very comfortable with our choice, having partnered with her and vetted the pros and cons of several choices with an experienced educator."

"We knew we needed help to understand the educational unhappiness that our bright, “good-student” child was facing, but we had no idea the additional benefits and pleasures of having Leila visit our children’s school and observe them, the environment and their teachers. Leila is astute, direct, insightful, warm and full of good humor. She gave us a picture of our children when we are not around that we otherwise would never have—and she did it in a context of her deep understanding of how education can and should function, and her wise and experienced perspective on teaching strategies and the art of relating to, inspiring and directing children. Just for the clear-eyed, articulate consultation itself, hiring Leila was more than worth it! We are looking forward to having her as an ally as our family goes forward making educated and informed choices about what will serve our children best—about when and how to intervene and what does not deserve our worry. What a joy and what a relief!"

"I found myself in a difficult transitional situation when I decided to stay in Berkeley for the school year and had no knowledge of the local schools, either public or private.  While Leila is incredibly knowledgeable about the specific characteristics of all the schools, it was her more general assurances and reassurances about decision-making for my kid that were most helpful. She is a calm, supportive presence and I highly recommend her."