Teachers with college degrees. Daily lesson plans. Creative play. Parent-approved food. And thorough, unannounced inspections from the franchise’s national headquarters. “One year they got me for serving Nutri-Grain bars,” says Ted Robertson, who owns two local Goddard locations. High standards and attention to detail — that’s what makes parents love the Goddard School.

goddardschool.com

Second Place: Primrose Schools

Third Place: Weinstein Jewish Community Center