Green Acres

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really, doesn't every school want people who have "drunk the kool-aid'? After reading this board it is clear many who post here have drunk the kool-aid about Sidwell...Beauvoir... GDS... Maret.... among others.

Not to the extent of GA.
Plus, there is a bit of irresponsibility there. How do you know how well you are doing if you don't test? I really liked the head of the Oneness School who said that he sees nothing wrong with testing, and it is necessary. They are granola there too, but more realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... and not that there's anything wrong with any of that. I'm just surprised that people seem so put out by Green Acres screening for fit the way traditional schools do.

Beauvoir would take a granola family and a tight assed one. GA would not take the tight assed family, just the granola.

[Anonymous]

I think the problem comes from the term "progressive" which is also used to signal people with liberal politics.

Progressive schools are something altogether different that just happen to have the same name. And while some aspects of progressive schools might mesh well with people with progressive politics, it's not the same thing.

I had a similar experience with Montessori, which is an approach I love. My kids went to a very by-the-book Montessori school (many of them are not). Some of their practices were a little hard to swallow at first (such as no parents in the classroom) even though they form the basis of important tenets in the Montessori approach. The school needed to make sure parents understood and were on board with this, otherwise there was a lot of conflict later on.

I had a couple of friends who were interested in this school and I recommended against it, because I knew that they just weren't going to be able to agree with some of the Montessori approaches. (I explained to them why.)

So that is probably what GA is doing. It's too bad it makes people feel bad -- I would bet that is not their intention.

(And no, my kids don't go there.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... and not that there's anything wrong with any of that. I'm just surprised that people seem so put out by Green Acres screening for fit the way traditional schools do.

Beauvoir would take a granola family and a tight assed one. GA would not take the tight assed family, just the granola.

Sounds like a cup of assumptions with a big squeeze of sour grapes. Not saying it is, but that's what it sounds like.

(I don't have a child at GA, but I have spoken with many teachers there.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the problem comes from the term "progressive" which is also used to signal people with liberal politics.

Progressive schools are something altogether different that just happen to have the same name. And while some aspects of progressive schools might mesh well with people with progressive politics, it's not the same thing.

I had a similar experience with Montessori, which is an approach I love. My kids went to a very by-the-book Montessori school (many of them are not). Some of their practices were a little hard to swallow at first (such as no parents in the classroom) even though they form the basis of important tenets in the Montessori approach. The school needed to make sure parents understood and were on board with this, otherwise there was a lot of conflict later on.

I had a couple of friends who were interested in this school and I recommended against it, because I knew that they just weren't going to be able to agree with some of the Montessori approaches. (I explained to them why.)

So that is probably what GA is doing. It's too bad it makes people feel bad -- I would bet that is not their intention.

(And no, my kids don't go there.)

There is the point, and they need to sit down and think about this. If you really believe in what you are doing, then all would be welcome. They are somehow saying that they aren't sure themselves, by screening in this fashion.
Ma Montessori on the other hand was confident that her methods would work with any child. Even though that is controversial, SHE believed in it.

[Anonymous]

PP: I think you are missing the point.

I'm sure progressive schools believe this is the best way to educate all children, just as Montessori believed in her method.

But if the parents don't buy it, it makes life miserable for everyone. So why admit kids whose parents are clearly going to push back at every turn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP: I think you are missing the point.

I'm sure progressive schools believe this is the best way to educate all children, just as Montessori believed in her method.

But if the parents don't buy it, it makes life miserable for everyone. So why admit kids whose parents are clearly going to push back at every turn?

I get what you are saying, but this seems to be complicated. The screening process has proven to be offensive and off putting to some. What's more, the screeners don't necessarily know what to look for. I turned them off, and I was a full fledged progressive supporter. I asked about assessments and so on, and I got a stare. Go down the road to Oneness Family school, and they aren't afraid of that question. BTW, OFS is not really a progressive school, but rather a combination of Montessori, Waldorf, and progressive. You can't be in the business of education if you have no good means of measurement. But that is a nother issue all together. GA has a strange cultish way of screening, and it is off putting. I suspect that the parents that you speak to give info back to the AD about conversations with applicant families ( I have been told that's what happens). All of this sillyness looks unprofessional. If it were a religious school, and you wanted everyone to be on board, you just say so. You don't try to figure out just how religious family X is before accepting them.

[Anonymous]

I guess I didn't really feel screened at all, so I'm not sure what you're saying. We're not granola, and I wasn't all that familiar with the approach. We were asked if we had had a chance to read about progressive schools and when we said we'd like more info, they explained it to us. I never felt screened. And we discussed testing issues in detail, although I won't say in what regard for confidentiality's sake.

Also, I think that if you look at each school, even ones like GDS and Sidwell that are highly in demand, some people are put off by the parent interview or other parts of the process.

So it seems like a strange controversy to me.

[Anonymous]

I'm only responding because this thread is most recent and on top.

To the person who had a miserable interview, and who didn't like the admission lady, and didn't like that her child wasn't admitted, and is happier now anyway at a top tier school:

Could you please just move on. I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading these threads and seeing Green Acres at the top of the board is getting really boring when all you're doing is whining about how they are so granola but they don't like you because you're not granola enough or too granola or they didn't tell you that their brand comes with oats but not honey. Please just move on and go be happy at your school. You've made it loud and clear that you don't like the school. We get it. Stop digging this thread up. It's getting so old!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm only responding because this thread is most recent and on top.

To the person who had a miserable interview, and who didn't like the admission lady, and didn't like that her child wasn't admitted, and is happier now anyway at a top tier school:

Could you please just move on. I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading these threads and seeing Green Acres at the top of the board is getting really boring when all you're doing is whining about how they are so granola but they don't like you because you're not granola enough or too granola or they didn't tell you that their brand comes with oats but not honey. Please just move on and go be happy at your school. You've made it loud and clear that you don't like the school. We get it. Stop digging this thread up. It's getting so old!!!!

OK, but there is not just one of us, so I can't speak for them.

[Anonymous]

Green Acres Granola? maybe up to 10 years ago or even more. Now GAS parents are anything but granola. The only granola in the school are the teachers, particularly the old timers with more than 15 years at the school. There are several teachers who have been in the school more than 15 years and many complain about how different the school is now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Green Acres Granola? maybe up to 10 years ago or even more. Now GAS parents are anything but granola. The only granola in the school are the teachers, particularly the old timers with more than 15 years at the school. There are several teachers who have been in the school more than 15 years and many complain about how different the school is now.

I was talking to parents of Green Acres alumni (graduated in 1990 and went to GDS), and they mentioned exactly what this poster says! These parents are still very involved in the , what they called "GAS" community to the day. Just wanted to comment on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the PP, but poster probably meant - at the time, was there a response? Article was posted in response to someone who said it couldn't be found. So, yes, is 2 years old. But some numbers about declining enrollments in the current environment would be nice. Remember, people are making decisions based on their current assessments of a school, which for some includes just status, but for others might include financial health of the school and ability to have a full program. If a school is having a hard time getting students, and therefore making cuts, it is pretty relevant. Thank goodness I don't have kids at the K-8 age!

I have a child who is at Green Acres for middle school after public elementary and I can say she has a full program and the school is fiscally sound. The core classes are rigorous, challenging, and engaging for a child who has excelled academically and has loved learning her whole life. Her science program, complete with labs, is more comprehensive and intensive than Montgomery County. Additionally she has a full arts rotation - music, visual arts, and drama, as well as a significant PE component. I'm not sure what cuts you heard about, but we haven't seen any. She is in core classes with 12 other students or so where teachers have time to conference regularly one-on-one with the students, as well as participate in group projects and field trips regularly. The balance sheet is healthy and there has been _no_ discussion about cuts, etc. The school isn't going anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, doesn't every school want people who have "drunk the kool-aid'? After reading this board it is clear many who post here have drunk the kool-aid about Sidwell...Beauvoir... GDS... Maret.... among others.

Not to the extent of GA.
Plus, there is a bit of irresponsibility there. How do you know how well you are doing if you don't test? I really liked the head of the Oneness School who said that he sees nothing wrong with testing, and it is necessary. They are granola there too, but more realistic.

You obviously don't have a child at GA because they do test. I do have a child there who spent an entire morning there being tested for admissions. During the school year, she has tests as part of her evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am considering for older (non-K) grades. What is the story with students who are leaving to create space in older grades (beyond normal attrition)?

I have a child who is at Green Acres in middle school and we think it is a terrific school. The students are welcoming and kids genuinely are happy to go to school there every day. If you are interested, give them a call as they have a cap on the number of students overall (because of zoning issues) but have flexibility at grade level. There aren't any financial issues and the community is supportive, open, and caring. My child has been so happy there.