We built what's been missing.
Over twenty-five years of witnessing what children are capable of — and refusing to accept anything less.
Education through the eyes of children.
Our story begins in 1995, when Peter Hernandez — an MBA-trained executive at AT&T — left the corporate world to become a first-grade public-school teacher. After completing his training and teaching the mandated curriculum, something quickly became clear: too many young children weren't truly connecting with what they were learning.
Classrooms were teacher-centered, instruction was one-directional, and children — confined to their desks — were expected to sit still, listen quietly, and memorize. The results were all too familiar: children struggled to read, hesitated to write, and felt defeated by math.
A top-down system left joy behind.
The heart of the problem was clear: too many decisions about how children learn were made far from the classroom — by distant officials and academic theorists who rarely stepped into one. The result was scripted, one-size-fits-all curricula with little room for creativity or connection. Teachers were told what to say. Children were told what to do. And somewhere along the way, joy and curiosity were lost.
Meet our Excelementary instructors.
Excelementary is a family program in the most literal sense — the Hernandez family built it, runs it, and teaches in it. From our family to yours, partnering with you would be our greatest privilege.
Small by design.
Excelementary is a home-based early learning program in Irvine, California — an intentionally small, nurturing, and supportive learning environment. Operating in our home lets us keep ratios low to support every child's unique needs.
Irvine, California · ages 3–5 · tours by appointment. The exact address is shared when you book a visit.