Burke MS vs HS experience
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Anonymous
| We are currently in Burke’s MS. The school community is lovely but we have been underwhelmed by the academics. My child (who is no genius) is not being challenged any more than when they were in public. This year was obviously unusual, with it being the first year back after COVID. But we are seriously considering a move after MS. We keep hearing that it gets more rigorous, but hard for us to get a true sense of whether that’s accurate or not. My child is still coasting along, just like they were in public. |
Anonymous
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Parent of an upperclassman who started in 6th. You don't say which grade your kid is in (which is fine) but I do think 6th grade has a different workload than 8th. I also think the school has been very intentionally focused on the social-emotional aspect of getting kids back from covid so across all years there has been a tempering of expectations.
My kid has had a rigorous experience, particularly in the humanities and science. (This kid is less of a math kid so I can't speak to that). We have a child at another private school in the area as well. Burke workload always seems more nuanced and carefully chosen compared to the other school which sometimes seems to assign work for work sake. FWIW, I think the other aspects of the program (leadership training, hands on learning, field trips) have been a differentiator for the Burke program as well. I feel like my kid is really thriving and reaching their potential in a way that I had hoped but was by no means a sure thing. |
Anonymous
Agreed. In 6th grade, for example, everyone takes the same math class. But in 7th grade there are two options, and in 8th grade there are three. So the options for challenging class keep building up as they go. Just a thought: if your child is particularly into science or history (just making this up), consider talking to those department chairs and ask what your child can expect in the high school. |
Anonymous
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Agreed. My Burke kids were not overwhelmed by homework in high school, but they were challenged by the work. They have ended up at top universities and more importantly they are well prepared in terms of their writing skills, study habits, and taking ownership of managing their time. As a small school Burke can also make sure that when kids are feeling stressed they can find or hone the skills they need to manage the challenge.
What Burke won't do is force a kid to take the hardest possible classes if that is not something the student has as a priority. |
Anonymous
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And another agree.
My recent HS grad thrived in the MS and greatly benefitted from the academic approach and the opportunities for social and emotional growth. In HS he was challenged, learned how to self advocate, had amazing mentors and teachers, took rigorous courses and while he describes it as hard, he wasn't drowning in homework or busywork. He's doing well at a selective SLAC. My current HS kid is finding HS to be quite rigorous, but is a dedicated student and appreciates all the leadership opportunities. This has been a hard two years for these kids, especially this year, just when they were getting back into the groove. The school is taking all of that into account as they help the kids manage their work load. |
Anonymous
| OP here- this all sounds great and helpful. Sounds like the last 2 years were anomalous (hopefully). What my kid needed was not less work/rigor (= more screen time and boredom), so I’m glad to hear that things will pick up in HS and hopefully 8th. |
Anonymous
| Burke offers a little more customization (tracking) in HS. It does get much more rigorous. The rigor never gets to the intensity of Big 3 but it's still rigorous. Strong students can take hard classes. |
Anonymous
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OP, I agree that some schools equate less rigor with more focus on mental health. It's the opposite for my kid. They like to be challenged and boredom makes it more likely they will have mental health issues.
It was frustrating at another school last year for this reason (not Burke). |
Anonymous
Right. (OP here). I respect that everyone is different but the assumption that mental health means low standards/ no work is not true for everyone. Like not having regular school for 2 weeks (obviously that was for many reasons), then shortening the school day for another 2 weeks, plus no homework for the rest of the year…. Means more lying around, playing video games, watching endless TV. This is also bad for mental health. Not everyone has parents who have time / ability to WFH, figure out activities for kids, etc. |
Anonymous
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1. I’m sure the early dismissal has helped students and staff meet with trauma therapists without missing any classes.
2. Do you expect schoolwork to fulfill all of your child’s time? I don’t know any private school that markets themselves this way. My experience as a private MA teacher at another local school is that kids your child’s age are playing multiple sports, practicing musical instruments, seeing a therapist regularly, completing service projects, attending classes related to their family’s religion (like Hebrew School or Catechism classes), getting tutored in a specific subject (including Russian Math and Kumon), helping wit JJ younger siblings and chores around the house and have a very active social life through friends at school and in their neighborhood. I taught one 7th grade that even ran his own business! 3. What your child does in your home is your responsibility. Take away the video games and the TV remote. Change the wi-fi password so your child can’t use it without your permission. This is not the school’s responsibility. There are therapists that provide parent training online and in person if you need help establishing boundaries with your child and building a healthy relationship. 4. My experience as a private school teacher is that workload is based a lot on the parent feedback of each grade. I’ve seen workloads be vastly different from grade to grade simply because one grade had a group of vocal parents begging admin to reduce the workload for their anxious and/or over scheduled children. |
Anonymous
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Most Burke kids make excellent use of the extra time they have. Some take a ton of AP science classes. Some play sports.. Some make art.
Some perform music. Some just play video games or get high. |
Anonymous
No different than any other HS student. |
Anonymous
| Oh my gosh, yes. I remember when my daughter was in 8th grade at a small DC private there were a bunch of girls involved with some sort of hip hop dance program out of Bethesda and those moms made such a stink about needing the teachers to cut the workload so their daughters could prep for competitions. They finally demanded that the class trip to NYC be changed but the teacher put his foot down and the class went without them. In private school parents have a lot of power. |
Anonymous
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"like not having regular school for 2 weeks (obviously that was for many reasons), then shortening the school day for another 2 weeks, plus no homework for the rest of the year…"
Are you even for real? Many students and near all of the faculty experienced in incredibly traumatic event and trying to process and recover. Have a little grace, please. |
Anonymous
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Rigor increases a bit in high school but most kids we know who chose Burke did so because they didn't want rigor. It's a feature, not a big of the school.
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