Would you leave a review?

[Anonymous]

If you were taking your child out of an independent school, would you leave a review on a site like Great Schools or Niche?

Say, for example, that you discovered several things while attending that might have influenced your decision one way or the other had you known before enrolling?

I know that people who are unhappy leave reviews, and also people who are over-the-moon. Would you bother submitting a middle-of-the-road review that carefully lays out what you consider to be the pros and cons for other parents to consider?

Or would you just take your child and your money and leave?

[Anonymous]

Take your money and leave. If it’s that bad, report your issue to the proper authorities (police, AIMS, State Nonpublic Approval department, county health department, etc).

[Anonymous]

As a prospective parent I would love to see more balanced reviews. Both by those that leave and by those that stay.

[Anonymous]

But as with any reviews, how would you know it is truly accurate or just someone with an axe to grind? For my money and my kids’ education, I will rely on people I talk with directly, not some anonymous review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But as with any reviews, how would you know it is truly accurate or just someone with an axe to grind? For my money and my kids’ education, I will rely on people I talk with directly, not some anonymous review.

This. When someone offers a vague and subjective criticism, how helpful is it really? "The teachers aren't very good" "The math isn't rigorous enough" "I didn't like the writing instruction" "teacher are too strict" "the music program is weak" "the lacrosse team sucks" and so on. What does any of that really mean? You have no idea what ideal such a person has in their head and how realistic or unrealistic it may be. They could mean 5th graders should allowed to take linear algebra, thus the math isn't rigorous enough. Or they are mad their kid wasn't first violin and so decided to trash the music program. Or it turns out that the "too strict" teacher isn't what you may have imaged by such a review, one who yells, and doesn't let children laugh or smile, rather one who gives a zero when homework isn't turned in on time. Or it may be that kids are punished by being placed in closets - who knows?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But as with any reviews, how would you know it is truly accurate or just someone with an axe to grind? For my money and my kids’ education, I will rely on people I talk with directly, not some anonymous review.

This. When someone offers a vague and subjective criticism, how helpful is it really? "The teachers aren't very good" "The math isn't rigorous enough" "I didn't like the writing instruction" "teacher are too strict" "the music program is weak" "the lacrosse team sucks" and so on. What does any of that really mean? You have no idea what ideal such a person has in their head and how realistic or unrealistic it may be. They could mean 5th graders should allowed to take linear algebra, thus the math isn't rigorous enough. Or they are mad their kid wasn't first violin and so decided to trash the music program. Or it turns out that the "too strict" teacher isn't what you may have imaged by such a review, one who yells, and doesn't let children laugh or smile, rather one who gives a zero when homework isn't turned in on time. Or it may be that kids are punished by being placed in closets - who knows?

I can't speak for everyone but this helps me flag items that are best to ask multiple people about. I'm not going to ask every source/contact every question. Or perhaps more follow up questions, especially if the answers seem vague.

Also, your deal breakers are not my deal breakers.

[Anonymous]

Get real. Good reviews on Niche are ignored, and bad reviews are assumed to be written by weirdos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But as with any reviews, how would you know it is truly accurate or just someone with an axe to grind? For my money and my kids’ education, I will rely on people I talk with directly, not some anonymous review.

This. When someone offers a vague and subjective criticism, how helpful is it really? "The teachers aren't very good" "The math isn't rigorous enough" "I didn't like the writing instruction" "teacher are too strict" "the music program is weak" "the lacrosse team sucks" and so on. What does any of that really mean? You have no idea what ideal such a person has in their head and how realistic or unrealistic it may be. They could mean 5th graders should allowed to take linear algebra, thus the math isn't rigorous enough. Or they are mad their kid wasn't first violin and so decided to trash the music program. Or it turns out that the "too strict" teacher isn't what you may have imaged by such a review, one who yells, and doesn't let children laugh or smile, rather one who gives a zero when homework isn't turned in on time. Or it may be that kids are punished by being placed in closets - who knows?

I can't speak for everyone but this helps me flag items that are best to ask multiple people about. I'm not going to ask every source/contact every question. Or perhaps more follow up questions, especially if the answers seem vague.

Also, your deal breakers are not my deal breakers.

That's the point though, you have no idea what they actually mean.

[Anonymous]

No. The admissions director, if they see it, will know who posted it. And they all tend to talk amongst each other.

I'd want to let it lie in case I needed to get into another school in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But as with any reviews, how would you know it is truly accurate or just someone with an axe to grind? For my money and my kids’ education, I will rely on people I talk with directly, not some anonymous review.

This. When someone offers a vague and subjective criticism, how helpful is it really? "The teachers aren't very good" "The math isn't rigorous enough" "I didn't like the writing instruction" "teacher are too strict" "the music program is weak" "the lacrosse team sucks" and so on. What does any of that really mean? You have no idea what ideal such a person has in their head and how realistic or unrealistic it may be. They could mean 5th graders should allowed to take linear algebra, thus the math isn't rigorous enough. Or they are mad their kid wasn't first violin and so decided to trash the music program. Or it turns out that the "too strict" teacher isn't what you may have imaged by such a review, one who yells, and doesn't let children laugh or smile, rather one who gives a zero when homework isn't turned in on time. Or it may be that kids are punished by being placed in closets - who knows?

I can't speak for everyone but this helps me flag items that are best to ask multiple people about. I'm not going to ask every source/contact every question. Or perhaps more follow up questions, especially if the answers seem vague.

Also, your deal breakers are not my deal breakers.

That's the point though, you have no idea what they actually mean.

"We left because the school did not address my child's need for learning accomodations." Not a deal breaker for me.

"We left because I was never informed of my child's progress in reading, writing, or math despite repeated outreach to the teachers and division head over the course of six months." This would be a deal breaker for me.


Agree that a lot would still be vague but at least it would be more helpful than this thread with a lot of shade being thrown at mystery schools...

[Anonymous]

How could you tell which, if any, of the reviews accurately reflected the school?

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Sick of seeing fake reviews by staff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But as with any reviews, how would you know it is truly accurate or just someone with an axe to grind? For my money and my kids’ education, I will rely on people I talk with directly, not some anonymous review.

This. When someone offers a vague and subjective criticism, how helpful is it really? "The teachers aren't very good" "The math isn't rigorous enough" "I didn't like the writing instruction" "teacher are too strict" "the music program is weak" "the lacrosse team sucks" and so on. What does any of that really mean? You have no idea what ideal such a person has in their head and how realistic or unrealistic it may be. They could mean 5th graders should allowed to take linear algebra, thus the math isn't rigorous enough. Or they are mad their kid wasn't first violin and so decided to trash the music program. Or it turns out that the "too strict" teacher isn't what you may have imaged by such a review, one who yells, and doesn't let children laugh or smile, rather one who gives a zero when homework isn't turned in on time. Or it may be that kids are punished by being placed in closets - who knows?

I can't speak for everyone but this helps me flag items that are best to ask multiple people about. I'm not going to ask every source/contact every question. Or perhaps more follow up questions, especially if the answers seem vague.

Also, your deal breakers are not my deal breakers.

That's the point though, you have no idea what they actually mean.

"We left because the school did not address my child's need for learning accomodations." Not a deal breaker for me.

"We left because I was never informed of my child's progress in reading, writing, or math despite repeated outreach to the teachers and division head over the course of six months." This would be a deal breaker for me.


Agree that a lot would still be vague but at least it would be more helpful than this thread with a lot of shade being thrown at mystery schools...

+1000. There are ways to say real feedback

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a prospective parent I would love to see more balanced reviews. Both by those that leave and by those that stay.

Here’s a start.
When someone says XYZ is such a good school, ask for some examples of what makes it “good.”

When someone says XYZ has such a great reputation, ask how so and for what or which grades.