Social life at Fusion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sums up all of the issues that Fusion Faces at ALL of their locations...
https://www.aps1.net/DocumentCenter/View/9523/Fusion-SC-Meeting-April-2019

This is a bizarre list of complaints. Yes, there are fewer hours of direct instruction because every moment of direct instruction is geared to that student. I guarantee that no student in public school is getting 27 hours a week of teacher attention. The complaints about the content of health ed would be irrelevant to me and most parents looking for a school for a struggling student. And no private school, even the most elite, have licensed teachers, so we clearly don't take that as an indicator of quality in other settings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sums up all of the issues that Fusion Faces at ALL of their locations...
https://www.aps1.net/DocumentCenter/View/9523/Fusion-SC-Meeting-April-2019

This is a bizarre list of complaints. Yes, there are fewer hours of direct instruction because every moment of direct instruction is geared to that student. I guarantee that no student in public school is getting 27 hours a week of teacher attention. The complaints about the content of health ed would be irrelevant to me and most parents looking for a school for a struggling student. And no private school, even the most elite, have licensed teachers, so we clearly don't take that as an indicator of quality in other settings.

Actually, many private schools in the DC area require teachers to have licenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sums up all of the issues that Fusion Faces at ALL of their locations...
https://www.aps1.net/DocumentCenter/View/9523/Fusion-SC-Meeting-April-2019

This is a bizarre list of complaints. Yes, there are fewer hours of direct instruction because every moment of direct instruction is geared to that student. I guarantee that no student in public school is getting 27 hours a week of teacher attention. The complaints about the content of health ed would be irrelevant to me and most parents looking for a school for a struggling student. And no private school, even the most elite, have licensed teachers, so we clearly don't take that as an indicator of quality in other settings.

Actually, many private schools in the DC area require teachers to have licenses.

Between my two kids, we've attended 5 private schools, mainstream and SN, and none have required their teachers to have licenses or teaching degrees (most teachers at the mainstream schools had degrees in whatever they were teaching).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sums up all of the issues that Fusion Faces at ALL of their locations...
https://www.aps1.net/DocumentCenter/View/9523/Fusion-SC-Meeting-April-2019

This is a bizarre list of complaints. Yes, there are fewer hours of direct instruction because every moment of direct instruction is geared to that student. I guarantee that no student in public school is getting 27 hours a week of teacher attention. The complaints about the content of health ed would be irrelevant to me and most parents looking for a school for a struggling student. And no private school, even the most elite, have licensed teachers, so we clearly don't take that as an indicator of quality in other settings.

Actually, many private schools in the DC area require teachers to have licenses.

Between my two kids, we've attended 5 private schools, mainstream and SN, and none have required their teachers to have licenses or teaching degrees (most teachers at the mainstream schools had degrees in whatever they were teaching).

This makes zero sense as all public school teachers are required to be licensed and many are required to have master's degrees.

Wouldn't you be better off just paying individual tutors in each subject?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I spoke with them extensively over the summer and they were high sales pitch. I did not want my kids going back in person this fall so we were looking at a bunch of different options. The program was very concerning. It seemed much more about buy a degree than actual education and they didn't have a set curriculum and like written teachers made it up as they went. If you need your kid to graduate, it seems like a good program if you aren't worried so much about high level academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

Why is it necessary to resort to name calling? You sound defensive. It reflects on you and your desperation to have your child in a program, any program as long as it fits with your view of an ideal program. The feedback and research on Fusion is out there, which you are free to ignore if it is a fit for your child.

[Anonymous]

NP. And using words like desperation and criticizing a parent who wants their child to be safe and happy or to judge someone’s situation you know nothing about is exactly what an a hole does.

Go back under your “holier than thou” rock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

Why is it necessary to resort to name calling? You sound defensive. It reflects on you and your desperation to have your child in a program, any program as long as it fits with your view of an ideal program. The feedback and research on Fusion is out there, which you are free to ignore if it is a fit for your child.

The PP poster (and really you too) made it personal when attacking parents for making choices best for their children and showed their true colors. Call me desperate or whatever other name you want. I doubt there is any systematic research out there that proves or disproves that the Fusion model may work best for certain kids. For certain kids, trying something different is the best option. These attacks on parents trying to do what is best for their children is inappropriate for this board and justify the inappropriate language in response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

Why is it necessary to resort to name calling? You sound defensive. It reflects on you and your desperation to have your child in a program, any program as long as it fits with your view of an ideal program. The feedback and research on Fusion is out there, which you are free to ignore if it is a fit for your child.

The PP poster (and really you too) made it personal when attacking parents for making choices best for their children and showed their true colors. Call me desperate or whatever other name you want. I doubt there is any systematic research out there that proves or disproves that the Fusion model may work best for certain kids. For certain kids, trying something different is the best option. These attacks on parents trying to do what is best for their children is inappropriate for this board and justify the inappropriate language in response.

It probably isn't the best option but the only option. If they had to leave multiple other schools, their child probably has severe behavioral, mental health or academic challenges where the publics and privates just cannot meet their child's needs. And, they just need their child to graduate at this point.

This isn't a school where you'd send a child who doesn't have serious SN or academic issues. Its the school of last resort to make sure they graduate.

I would think its better to register as a homeschooler and pay private tutors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

Why is it necessary to resort to name calling? You sound defensive. It reflects on you and your desperation to have your child in a program, any program as long as it fits with your view of an ideal program. The feedback and research on Fusion is out there, which you are free to ignore if it is a fit for your child.

The PP poster (and really you too) made it personal when attacking parents for making choices best for their children and showed their true colors. Call me desperate or whatever other name you want. I doubt there is any systematic research out there that proves or disproves that the Fusion model may work best for certain kids. For certain kids, trying something different is the best option. These attacks on parents trying to do what is best for their children is inappropriate for this board and justify the inappropriate language in response.

It probably isn't the best option but the only option. If they had to leave multiple other schools, their child probably has severe behavioral, mental health or academic challenges where the publics and privates just cannot meet their child's needs. And, they just need their child to graduate at this point.

This isn't a school where you'd send a child who doesn't have serious SN or academic issues. Its the school of last resort to make sure they graduate.

I would think its better to register as a homeschooler and pay private tutors.

I agree. It appears to be for parents desperate for their children to have a diploma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

Why is it necessary to resort to name calling? You sound defensive. It reflects on you and your desperation to have your child in a program, any program as long as it fits with your view of an ideal program. The feedback and research on Fusion is out there, which you are free to ignore if it is a fit for your child.

The PP poster (and really you too) made it personal when attacking parents for making choices best for their children and showed their true colors. Call me desperate or whatever other name you want. I doubt there is any systematic research out there that proves or disproves that the Fusion model may work best for certain kids. For certain kids, trying something different is the best option. These attacks on parents trying to do what is best for their children is inappropriate for this board and justify the inappropriate language in response.

It probably isn't the best option but the only option. If they had to leave multiple other schools, their child probably has severe behavioral, mental health or academic challenges where the publics and privates just cannot meet their child's needs. And, they just need their child to graduate at this point.

This isn't a school where you'd send a child who doesn't have serious SN or academic issues. Its the school of last resort to make sure they graduate.

I would think its better to register as a homeschooler and pay private tutors.

I agree. It appears to be for parents desperate for their children to have a diploma.

You cannot blame parents for want their kid to get a diploma but I'd worry the kids would come out without an education. I really wanted to like it for a year or two but it wasn't an equal education to a traditional school and we worried our kids would fall behind academically.

Given majority of the school districts have virtual, I would think that might be a better option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a very seasoned educator, someone who works in the field of disabilities, and has been in almost every private and public school in the area serving special needs children, I would never recommend Fusion. The teachers do not have teaching degrees, the tuition is high but teachers are paid very little and therefore, there is high turnover. You should ask Fusion about their staff turnover rate- both in teachers and administrators as well as the number of certified teachers. Let's face it, most teachers who have a teaching degree will teach at public schools because it is a MUCH higher salary and the health/retirement benefits are great. Fusion is VERY expensive and what it gives you is not at all worth the money. I have seen students come out of Fusion much worse they went in. They come out behind in academics- everyone gets A's and B's at Fusion- even if they are far below grade level. In addition, social life is lacking. Many children at Fusion have social/emotional needs and being in this type of environment only reinforces their issues and anxieties. I have had clients come out of Fusion who are afraid to enter a classroom or go to college because they have been in a one-on-one environment for so long. Please remember, this is a money-making operation. everything at fusion costs extra- tutoring, counseling. etc. I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. there are many other schools that will be able to meet the needs of your child for far less.

“As a very seasoned educator,” I am not surprised you don’t recognize how hard it is for parents to find a school that can meet their special needs child’s particular needs. The standard non-profit special needs focused schools all serve a narrow group of students and public schools can be a crap shoot on whether they can meet the students’ needs. Fusion offers another option to special needs parents regardless of whether the educational establishment wants to attack it because it is for profit and the political bent of its owners. I am not saying you do not raise red flags about Fusion but our experience so far is that it’s a caring place and our child’s first few months there have been so much better than my child’s public school experience (and his last private school experience).

This is a tutoring service not a school.

Do you have a kid who goes there? My kid would be very offended to hear that the community of students he belongs to isn't actually a school.

I think your kid would be more offended if he knew his parent did not conduct adequate research on a program that does not meet the education standards of a 6-12 curriculum. You are doing him a disservice especially if you have hopes of him going to college.

DP: my Fusion student child, I am sure, is happy to be in a learning and social environment that he can manage better than public school. I am not going to feel guilty that some anonymous ahole message poster thinks Fusion parents are doing their child a disservice by choosing to have their children attend Fusion rather than a public or standard private school environment that does not fit.

Why is it necessary to resort to name calling? You sound defensive. It reflects on you and your desperation to have your child in a program, any program as long as it fits with your view of an ideal program. The feedback and research on Fusion is out there, which you are free to ignore if it is a fit for your child.

The PP poster (and really you too) made it personal when attacking parents for making choices best for their children and showed their true colors. Call me desperate or whatever other name you want. I doubt there is any systematic research out there that proves or disproves that the Fusion model may work best for certain kids. For certain kids, trying something different is the best option. These attacks on parents trying to do what is best for their children is inappropriate for this board and justify the inappropriate language in response.

It probably isn't the best option but the only option. If they had to leave multiple other schools, their child probably has severe behavioral, mental health or academic challenges where the publics and privates just cannot meet their child's needs. And, they just need their child to graduate at this point.

This isn't a school where you'd send a child who doesn't have serious SN or academic issues. Its the school of last resort to make sure they graduate.

I would think its better to register as a homeschooler and pay private tutors.

I agree. It appears to be for parents desperate for their children to have a diploma.

Wow - this is a super simplistic summary of what you seem to "know" about me and my kid. This post was started as a question posed - I'm guessing to parents who have first hand knowledge - about what kind of social life kids at Fusion have. There are parents - who have kids at Fusion - giving feedback and they are, for the most part, happy and feel like their kids are being served well by their experience at Fusion.

And then there are the people who are judging the school, its students and their parents.

The thing that is most disturbing about this thread is the judgement placed on "these stupid, desperate parents who think their kids are getting an education when they actually aren't - what a bunch of fools." This is the kind of BS that is rampant on other parts of DCUM. Generally, the Special Needs parents are aware that each child's situation is unique, and that all of us, as parents, are just trying to do the best we can given often challenging circumstances.

Fusion has served my child extremely well. Kid was extremely anxious about school and now kid is not. Kid is paradoxically a very strong student and is learning "more in a week than in a month" than at kid's previous school - a very prestigious private. I'm sure not all teachers at Fusion are awesome but that is true of any school.

It seems like there are individuals on this thread who are gunning for Fusion. To you folks, I say don't send your kids there. But to trash a good program that works for lots of kids does a disservice to those parents who are in tough situations, weighing different options. To you parents, I say check it out. Visit and get a feel for the vibe, the atmosphere and make a good choice for your kid.

[Anonymous]

The red flag for me is the suggestion by one poster that they don’t have a set curriculum. Is that really true ? if you are subject to the whims of a teacher (instead of a set curriculum with teachers who artfully improvise as needed but get the kids through an agreed upon set of material ) then that’s seriously concerning for an organization that uses the term “ school “ to describe itself. Could someone with experience there elaborate ? Is there a curriculum and when/ how is it presented to the parents and kids ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sums up all of the issues that Fusion Faces at ALL of their locations...
https://www.aps1.net/DocumentCenter/View/9523/Fusion-SC-Meeting-April-2019

This is a bizarre list of complaints. Yes, there are fewer hours of direct instruction because every moment of direct instruction is geared to that student. I guarantee that no student in public school is getting 27 hours a week of teacher attention. The complaints about the content of health ed would be irrelevant to me and most parents looking for a school for a struggling student. And no private school, even the most elite, have licensed teachers, so we clearly don't take that as an indicator of quality in other settings.

Actually, many private schools in the DC area require teachers to have licenses.

Between my two kids, we've attended 5 private schools, mainstream and SN, and none have required their teachers to have licenses or teaching degrees (most teachers at the mainstream schools had degrees in whatever they were teaching).

This makes zero sense as all public school teachers are required to be licensed and many are required to have master's degrees.

Wouldn't you be better off just paying individual tutors in each subject?

Being licensed means you passed the licensing test, not that you are a better teacher. In our experience, tutors don't know how to create an entire curriculum, but fusion teachers do.