Confused about MV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:as a mv parent who loves the school and has particpated in day to day "visits" to school through various events, I wonder what prospective parents were looking for. What did you need to be satisfied? I really wonder? What I love about the school is the see the kids engaged and speaking spanish in many different subjects. watching them cook and do art and be creative is a plus. all of this I have seen and that is what I see consistently. that is what wows me. Yes, even seeing a kid who needs moment to think outside the classroom is proof that they are meeting the students where they need to be met. I have seen that myself and find it encouraging....but everyone's ideal is different.
but really back to my sincere question, what were you hoping to see on an hour long tour that would have swayed you,impressed you and made you certain this was the right place for your child?

We made several attempts during the year to take a look at the school and to observe a classroom (our child would be coming in at K so we had some concerns about adapting to full immersion)...we were rebuffed at the open house stage...fair enough, MV has 100s of people clambering to get in.

We would have hoped that if offered a spot we'd be able to see a couple of classrooms before making a decision. Given where we are on the WL it is unlikely, but we wouldn't make and decisions without seeing it ourselves, so if we had similar experience to those who attends the pre-enrollment tour we would definitely not enroll.

[Anonymous]

This far and you're the first MV parent to ask this question. Hmmmmmmmm.

S/he is only the first to post the question publicly. I suspect s/he is more of an optimist or more of a glutton for punishment than many of the rest of us. I am a founding family at MV and have two children there. I -- like many others at MV and other schools -- have been around long enough to know that those who frequent these boards aren't the stuff of our community. So I, more often than not, choose to lurk rather than participate on MV topics in the interest of not feeding the troll. I suspect those even wiser and busier than me choose to skip these boards altogether. Rather than waste time (which, admittedly I'm doing here) on vagaries and rumors posted on these anonymous boards, committed families volunteer to speak directly with admitted families. I've attended open houses for admitted families and answered hundreds of questions over the years. I've emailed back and forth with prospective families; I've taken phone calls. I tell the truth - warts and all. MV isn't perfect, by any stretch. But it's a wonderful school for those families whose children are compatible with expeditionary learning, who want to do an immersion program, and who have an interest in sustainability. If you're worried about panhandling (which, I've not seen a single time on P St in nearly a year of drop off and pick ups on foot and on bike) and hiring full-time security guards, you're simply not going to get many committed MV families to take the bait. Or if you're worried that you didn't get the proper face-time with the principal during the tour conducted during school hours, then, yeah, your priorities might be a bit out of whack. The school, of course, cares about admitted families, but other priorities like dealing with budget shortfalls that affect students, buildings, and staff and possibly other events took precedence. Deal with it, find your information from another source, or move on. I'd bet my last dollar that the tour guide would have provided email or phone numbers for volunteer parents to answer any lingering questions. I know for a fact that the woman who gave the tour is well-spoken, highly knowledgeable, kind, compassionate, and bilingual, and is both a dedicated staff member and founding family. I know her personally and was within earshot of much of one of the tours last week that she conducted as I was there for a separate meeting. To the reasonable observer, she displayed the qualities listed, and was not underwhelming. Her main fault seems to be she wasn't Dahlia or Kristin.

So, to the point, the lack of response on these boards is indicative of nothing more than that many families know better than to engage in the back and forth on these forums. I know better, but took the bait anyway. Likely to my dismay. But if one admitted family thinks twice about the bullshit on these boards, then I guess it wasn't entirely for naught. The rest of you can feed off the herd and believe that MV parents are all unfortunate, self-entitled saps. I'll raise my glass with and to those unfortunate saps any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Another founding family here, and I agree with 21:36 100%. I think one issue is that prospective parents may not realize how many of these info sessions and tours have to happen and the logistics behind them each. If you have further questions, ask to talk directly to other parents. There are many of us who spend dozens of hours a year, year after year, giving tours, answering questions, hosting and attending new parent play dates etc. Plus, as it is a growing school in a new location, a ton of time and attention is paid by the administration and others to trying to incorporate new parents. It isn't easy, and there are some things that work better than ever, and it is a learning process. But it is the furthest from the truth that we don't try. If Kristin and Dahlia didn't delegate though, we would be at a standstill and the kids would not be educated, which is the actual point of the school.

I have personally heard the very knowledgeable woman giving the tour answer hundreds of questions about the school over the past four years. But she may not know everything, especially because some things aren't yet known. It is not the first year, but it is still growing, and there are still going to be changes when they are seen as helpful. This flexibility is one of the best things about the school and its administration. They are constantly reviewing policies and seeking input from the community to see if changes should be made. I know the guide to be an incredibly honest person who would never want to claim to know something that shs doesn't, and some decisions just haven't been made yet. Anyway, cut her some slack and ask for the name of another parent if you aren't gelling with her (which would surely be a temporary thing as I honestly can't think of a single person in the school that doesn't get along with her and value her presence and support). Or if you just have more questions. There are a lot of people at the school who love talking about it because it is such a unique and dynamic community.

[Anonymous]

We were on the tour for prospective families last Wednesday. We had done a lot of research on MV - as well as other schools we were interested in, and been on a tour in December before applying to schools. For questions that the tour guides weren't able to answer, we were able to seek out other administrators and other current parents to get our questions answered. I don't know what people are expecting- the answers are there for anyone willing to do a little research. I personally know a ton of families that would love to join MV, so for those that aren't enthusiastic about it I hope you will give another family the opportunity to go to MV.

[Anonymous]

21:36PM prior poster here. And this is to the 22:49PM poster. If you chose MV, I welcome you to the school and (while it doesn't seem you need any encouragement), I hope that you feel free to ask the school to answer any questions you have or put you in touch with others who may be able to help. And, I hope our paths cross sometime! If you chose another school, I wish you the best of luck! Any school would be lucky to have your reasoned voice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:21:36PM prior poster here. And this is to the 22:49PM poster. If you chose MV, I welcome you to the school and (while it doesn't seem you need any encouragement), I hope that you feel free to ask the school to answer any questions you have or put you in touch with others who may be able to help. And, I hope our paths cross sometime! If you chose another school, I wish you the best of luck! Any school would be lucky to have your reasoned voice.

Yes- we are looking forward to joining MV!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:36PM prior poster here. And this is to the 22:49PM poster. If you chose MV, I welcome you to the school and (while it doesn't seem you need any encouragement), I hope that you feel free to ask the school to answer any questions you have or put you in touch with others who may be able to help. And, I hope our paths cross sometime! If you chose another school, I wish you the best of luck! Any school would be lucky to have your reasoned voice.

Yes- we are looking forward to joining MV!

22:08 here. That's great! Welcome. Can I ask you what would make you feel most like a part of the community? We have previously done summer school wide and grade level play dates and tried to match people to sponsoring families (that was logistically difficult though). Is there anything else that you think would be helpful? We do periodic happy hours with whole families, would you be interested in one of those over the summer? Or do you have any other ideas? It is a given, however, that many are away during the summer so scheduling is hard. And I don't think the grounds will be ready for events (other than organized ones such as the recent gardening and tree planting days) so the use of other locations may be necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:21:36PM prior poster here. And this is to the 22:49PM poster. If you chose MV, I welcome you to the school and (while it doesn't seem you need any encouragement), I hope that you feel free to ask the school to answer any questions you have or put you in touch with others who may be able to help. And, I hope our paths cross sometime! If you chose another school, I wish you the best of luck! Any school would be lucky to have your reasoned voice.

Yes- we are looking forward to joining MV!

22:08 here. That's great! Welcome. Can I ask you what would make you feel most like a part of the community? We have previously done summer school wide and grade level play dates and tried to match people to sponsoring families (that was logistically difficult though). Is there anything else that you think would be helpful? We do periodic happy hours with whole families, would you be interested in one of those over the summer? Or do you have any other ideas? It is a given, however, that many are away during the summer so scheduling is hard. And I don't think the grounds will be ready for events (other than organized ones such as the recent gardening and tree planting days) so the use of other locations may be necessary.

Hi! Thanks for reaching out about ways to connect. I have some ideas - you can email me at boldsansserif at gmail dot com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were on the tour for prospective families last Wednesday. We had done a lot of research on MV - as well as other schools we were interested in, and been on a tour in December before applying to schools. For questions that the tour guides weren't able to answer, we were able to seek out other administrators and other current parents to get our questions answered. I don't know what people are expecting- the answers are there for anyone willing to do a little research. I personally know a ton of families that would love to join MV, so for those that aren't enthusiastic about it I hope you will give another family the opportunity to go to MV.

We are as soon as some wailists clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another founding family here, and I agree with 21:36 100%. I think one issue is that prospective parents may not realize how many of these info sessions and tours have to happen and the logistics behind them each. If you have further questions, ask to talk directly to other parents. There are many of us who spend dozens of hours a year, year after year, giving tours, answering questions, hosting and attending new parent play dates etc. Plus, as it is a growing school in a new location, a ton of time and attention is paid by the administration and others to trying to incorporate new parents. It isn't easy, and there are some things that work better than ever, and it is a learning process. But it is the furthest from the truth that we don't try. If Kristin and Dahlia didn't delegate though, we would be at a standstill and the kids would not be educated, which is the actual point of the school.

I have personally heard the very knowledgeable woman giving the tour answer hundreds of questions about the school over the past four years. But she may not know everything, especially because some things aren't yet known. It is not the first year, but it is still growing, and there are still going to be changes when they are seen as helpful. This flexibility is one of the best things about the school and its administration. They are constantly reviewing policies and seeking input from the community to see if changes should be made. I know the guide to be an incredibly honest person who would never want to claim to know something that shs doesn't, and some decisions just haven't been made yet. Anyway, cut her some slack and ask for the name of another parent if you aren't gelling with her (which would surely be a temporary thing as I honestly can't think of a single person in the school that doesn't get along with her and value her presence and support). Or if you just have more questions. There are a lot of people at the school who love talking about it because it is such a unique and dynamic community.

Going to risk the ire of hundreds and respectfully suggest that founding families don't have the best perspective on a school or its standing or reputation and aren't best positioned to figure out how to improve anything. The effort and commitment it takes to found get in on the ground floor is astounding; I know I'm not built that way. It is like giving birth or starting a company; once you go through that experience and get it up and running you probably lack perspective to know when your kid isn't perfect or when the company moves past the start-up stage into the next stage. It would be like someone taking issue with your daughter's work and you chiming in to say that you are her mother and you raised her and taught her how to perform and you are positive her work product is excellent. Are you the most credible source? Would you be better served getting an opinion from someone less emotionally connected?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another founding family here, and I agree with 21:36 100%. I think one issue is that prospective parents may not realize how many of these info sessions and tours have to happen and the logistics behind them each. If you have further questions, ask to talk directly to other parents. There are many of us who spend dozens of hours a year, year after year, giving tours, answering questions, hosting and attending new parent play dates etc. Plus, as it is a growing school in a new location, a ton of time and attention is paid by the administration and others to trying to incorporate new parents. It isn't easy, and there are some things that work better than ever, and it is a learning process. But it is the furthest from the truth that we don't try. If Kristin and Dahlia didn't delegate though, we would be at a standstill and the kids would not be educated, which is the actual point of the school.

I have personally heard the very knowledgeable woman giving the tour answer hundreds of questions about the school over the past four years. But she may not know everything, especially because some things aren't yet known. It is not the first year, but it is still growing, and there are still going to be changes when they are seen as helpful. This flexibility is one of the best things about the school and its administration. They are constantly reviewing policies and seeking input from the community to see if changes should be made. I know the guide to be an incredibly honest person who would never want to claim to know something that shs doesn't, and some decisions just haven't been made yet. Anyway, cut her some slack and ask for the name of another parent if you aren't gelling with her (which would surely be a temporary thing as I honestly can't think of a single person in the school that doesn't get along with her and value her presence and support). Or if you just have more questions. There are a lot of people at the school who love talking about it because it is such a unique and dynamic community.

Going to risk the ire of hundreds and respectfully suggest that founding families don't have the best perspective on a school or its standing or reputation and aren't best positioned to figure out how to improve anything. The effort and commitment it takes to found get in on the ground floor is astounding; I know I'm not built that way. It is like giving birth or starting a company; once you go through that experience and get it up and running you probably lack perspective to know when your kid isn't perfect or when the company moves past the start-up stage into the next stage. It would be like someone taking issue with your daughter's work and you chiming in to say that you are her mother and you raised her and taught her how to perform and you are positive her work product is excellent. Are you the most credible source? Would you be better served getting an opinion from someone less emotionally connected?

As a founding parent at a so-called HRC, I think you are onto something here. But at the same time I have been at time my kid's schools fiercest critic and most stalwart defender. Always a defender in public (or on anonymous message boards) but also not shy to point out areas needing improvement through the PTO or speaking directly to the Administration. Those of us in those first cohorts spent a lot of time 'defending' our then-unorthodox choices to friends, families and that habit can be hard to break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another founding family here, and I agree with 21:36 100%. I think one issue is that prospective parents may not realize how many of these info sessions and tours have to happen and the logistics behind them each. If you have further questions, ask to talk directly to other parents. There are many of us who spend dozens of hours a year, year after year, giving tours, answering questions, hosting and attending new parent play dates etc. Plus, as it is a growing school in a new location, a ton of time and attention is paid by the administration and others to trying to incorporate new parents. It isn't easy, and there are some things that work better than ever, and it is a learning process. But it is the furthest from the truth that we don't try. If Kristin and Dahlia didn't delegate though, we would be at a standstill and the kids would not be educated, which is the actual point of the school.

I have personally heard the very knowledgeable woman giving the tour answer hundreds of questions about the school over the past four years. But she may not know everything, especially because some things aren't yet known. It is not the first year, but it is still growing, and there are still going to be changes when they are seen as helpful. This flexibility is one of the best things about the school and its administration. They are constantly reviewing policies and seeking input from the community to see if changes should be made. I know the guide to be an incredibly honest person who would never want to claim to know something that shs doesn't, and some decisions just haven't been made yet. Anyway, cut her some slack and ask for the name of another parent if you aren't gelling with her (which would surely be a temporary thing as I honestly can't think of a single person in the school that doesn't get along with her and value her presence and support). Or if you just have more questions. There are a lot of people at the school who love talking about it because it is such a unique and dynamic community.

Going to risk the ire of hundreds and respectfully suggest that founding families don't have the best perspective on a school or its standing or reputation and aren't best positioned to figure out how to improve anything. The effort and commitment it takes to found get in on the ground floor is astounding; I know I'm not built that way. It is like giving birth or starting a company; once you go through that experience and get it up and running you probably lack perspective to know when your kid isn't perfect or when the company moves past the start-up stage into the next stage. It would be like someone taking issue with your daughter's work and you chiming in to say that you are her mother and you raised her and taught her how to perform and you are positive her work product is excellent. Are you the most credible source? Would you be better served getting an opinion from someone less emotionally connected?

This rings true to my experience at MV. Founding parents, who are wonderful people, try to shut down any criticism or questionining with a "just trust the administration", "stop creating a negative culture at our school", etc. It alienates. Questioning and pushing shouldn't make you a pariah. There are major issues to address and things to strengthen at the school, but discussion is drowned out by a round of how great the school is from these very well meaning founding parents. There is lots of positive, but a look at what is not working is needed.

[Anonymous]

Having friends with kids at MV, I feel like the school has great cohort in terms of educated, committed, dare I say "cool" parents, the language immersion, the teaching style. But prospective families and even ones already there should not brush their reservations under the rug. The school's location may be great for some, who live in NoMa or work near Union Station, but there is not a lot of greenspace, and the horrific string of intersections at North Cap and the drunks at Truxton Circle Park - it's just not a nice area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having friends with kids at MV, I feel like the school has great cohort in terms of educated, committed, dare I say "cool" parents, the language immersion, the teaching style. But prospective families and even ones already there should not brush their reservations under the rug. The school's location may be great for some, who live in NoMa or work near Union Station, but there is not a lot of greenspace, and the horrific string of intersections at North Cap and the drunks at Truxton Circle Park - it's just not a nice area.

Not to mention the open air heroin market a few blocks away.

[Anonymous]

Why did they pick that location? Especially since far from the spanish-speaking community.