Leaving a K-8 School

[Anonymous]

For those who have ever left a K-8 school, did you meet any resistance from the school about leaving? Is there an unofficial nod that the current school needs to give prospective schools?

[Anonymous]

If the idea is that your rising second grader is looking to "transfer" after next year, or similar, I would think the school would be okay with helping out, as it will make them look good if the resulting school is a good one as well.

[Anonymous]

I doubt you would run into resistance, though the school will probably want to understand your reasons for leaving. It is best for you to be upfront with the school about why you are considering other options. If you want your current school as a backup option, you will need to place a deposit to hold your child's place as you hear about schools to which you apply.

[Anonymous]

you will need teacher recs, transcripts etc so you have to be upfront. Our school required that these requests go through the admin office, not directly to the teachers. That being said, kids leave for all sorts of reasons so I suspect your school will be perfectly prepared to provide whatever you need to complete your applications.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Would a school ever give your child a lukewarm review so you can't transfer because they need your tuition dollars? There is no duty on anyone's part to ensure that your child is placed well, right? So why should the current school speak glowingly about your child just so you can take your tuition dollars and go to a competitor school. Assume for sake of argument you have no valid reason to leave.

[Anonymous]

If you wish to leave a school, then by definition you have a valid reason no matter what it is! I have no personal experience on this, as I am not a private school employee, however I cannot imagine it would be a good idea for a school to be less than helpful to a family who wishes to leave for any reason. Imagine what families who remain would think of such behavior ... and these existing families provide word of mouth marketing, contribute to annual giving, volunteer time, and so on. I imagine schools understand that acting professional and in the best interest of the children is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. I think the family sets the tone by how honest and upfront they are to the school personnel.

[Anonymous]

We left a PreK-12 grade school for a new 9th grade, merely because my DC wanted a change of schools after so many years at the same school with the same kids. I was disappointed that there were a few teachers who were not nice to my DC once they found out we were applying. Shocking comments such as “you’re leaving because your parents can’t afford our school” and “the schools you’re applying to aren’t as good as ours” did occur. Fortunately, the teachers who were required to give recommendations (Math, English, + 1) were nice to DC – “We’re sorry to see you leave but we want the best school fit for you”. I was shocked at the comments and thought that it was very weak directing them to my DC vs. the parents. (Interesting, no one from admission gave us an exit interview asking us why we were transferring.) We also did get the cold shoulder from many administration and staff at the 8th grade EOY festivities. AISGW does require the heads of school to notify that they have received an application, so the heads could give you a negative comment. Good luck – it just matters how professional the adults you’re dealing with are.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Doesn't it depend on the circumstances? If you are leaving because of a long commute or because another school is a better match, the school should be supportive. Also if the school is in-demand, it won't have problems finding a student to fill the slot. If it's an underenrolled school and if your reasons are that you think the school is inadequate, you might face some bumps. 9:55's experience is pretty shocking!

[Anonymous]

PP about the bad reaction of the school - proves you were correct in leaving! Ugh. My DD is changing schools and all I got were comments about how the teachers were sad she was leaving and they were going to miss her (and even a couple I hope you come backs).

[Anonymous]

OP, there was a really good thread on this exact topic about 9 mos ago. Try to look for it, because there were a number of insightful responses from parents who had actually done, or attempted to do, what you are asking.

FWIW, I have the same concerns. Wonder if we're at the same school.

[Anonymous]

We left a k-8 school early and were surprised at how uninterested the school was in knowing our reason. We paid full tuition, child was a top student and we were very involved in the school so it was nothing re wanting us to go. Go figure.

There are channels that every family must go through in applying out so that your school isn't surprised at the end of the year. Our school was professional in the process yet we felt they were doing nothing to help our child get into another school.

OP, it is wise for you to be the advocate for your child and not depend upon your current school for help. Also, when you think about it, it is the rare family that stays at a school for the entire time - many families leave for one reason or another.

[Anonymous]

We decided to pull our 3 kids out of our K-8 school this year (3 full tuitions, plus thousands donated each year). We were unhappy with the school, and felt that it was not meeting the education needs of any of our kids. One of our son's teachers (2nd grade) - who we loved and who was extremely helpful with recs - said that the teachers had been encouraged by the Head of the School to not assist kids in moving to new schools. (He also asked the room parents to post favorable comments about the school in popular internet forums). Our son's 2nd grade teacher had decided to leave the school b/c of unhappiness with admin so she did not have any worries about repercussions with helping us. I am a big believer of voting with your feet - we are super happy everything has worked out for us and our 3 boys will be at new schools in the fall.