Hearst vs. Janney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the smaller feel of Hearst. I know families at Janney who are looking for other options.

Also - if there is any chance that your child has a learning difference (Adhd, dyslexia) the Janney is known for being horrible. Their head of Special Needs does things her way and no one (not even teachers) will challenge her.

I have a child with an IEP at Janney and our experience has been positive. The student support staff that my child is actually working with is great.

The staff is good (OT/Speech etc)- they really try to help the child.
The Student Support Services Coordinator has a reputation.

I know she does, but we have found her supportive as well. Not everybody has problems with her, and it hasn't affected my child's experience. I understand others may have different experiences, but I also get the impression that there are some people on this forum who are out to get back at her.

It is not personal. It is about fully understanding the landscape.
There are many parents in the community who went in thinking the stories were due to difficult parents only to learn that was not the case.
The harm done to the students goes beyond their days at Janney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the smaller feel of Hearst. I know families at Janney who are looking for other options.

Also - if there is any chance that your child has a learning difference (Adhd, dyslexia) the Janney is known for being horrible. Their head of Special Needs does things her way and no one (not even teachers) will challenge her.

I have a child with an IEP at Janney and our experience has been positive. The student support staff that my child is actually working with is great.

The staff is good (OT/Speech etc)- they really try to help the child.
The Student Support Services Coordinator has a reputation.

I know she does, but we have found her supportive as well. Not everybody has problems with her, and it hasn't affected my child's experience. I understand others may have different experiences, but I also get the impression that there are some people on this forum who are out to get back at her.

It is not personal. It is about fully understanding the landscape.
There are many parents in the community who went in thinking the stories were due to difficult parents only to learn that was not the case.
The harm done to the students goes beyond their days at Janney.

Can you be more specific?

[Anonymous]

Having a great experience here at Hearst, especially with the special needs team. Our DC doesn't have major SN, but the team has been helpful and responsive. Very surprised to hear another poster say that Hearst is "off the rails." I hear about a fair degree of nonsense among the students and I'm sorry that it's so extreme in that poster's grade/experience. From where I'm sitting, things are addressed quickly and managed well, although that does not negate what someone else is seeing.

[Anonymous]

We have been very pleased with Hearst!

[Anonymous]

Hearst has a diverse and tight-knit community and caring teachers. It’s a lovely school and my child has thrived there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the smaller feel of Hearst. I know families at Janney who are looking for other options.

Also - if there is any chance that your child has a learning difference (Adhd, dyslexia) the Janney is known for being horrible. Their head of Special Needs does things her way and no one (not even teachers) will challenge her.

I have a child with an IEP at Janney and our experience has been positive. The student support staff that my child is actually working with is great.

The staff is good (OT/Speech etc)- they really try to help the child.
The Student Support Services Coordinator has a reputation.

I know she does, but we have found her supportive as well. Not everybody has problems with her, and it hasn't affected my child's experience. I understand others may have different experiences, but I also get the impression that there are some people on this forum who are out to get back at her.

It is not personal. It is about fully understanding the landscape.
There are many parents in the community who went in thinking the stories were due to difficult parents only to learn that was not the case.
The harm done to the students goes beyond their days at Janney.

Can you be more specific?

Parents who raised concerns about children's learning needs and were brushed off for 1st / 2nd and 3rd grade. Classroom assessments were a little low but always on the border. Told it is not a learning disability - it is ADHD. School did not do full assessment. When PARCC results were available in fall of 4th grade and child scores a "1" in reading section - parent goes back to school and asks again for a full evaluation. This time school determines it is warranted and child identified as having a LD.

I know multiple families with a variation of this story. These families put their trust in the expertise of the professionals at the school. They did not know that they were being given wrong information by the Student Support Services Coordinator.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much to everyone who provided feedback and shared both positive and negative experiences. Both schools seem like fantastic options overall, and I really appreciate all the insights. I welcome any additional perspectives!

[Anonymous]

Does Janney welcome out of boundary students? Surprised to learn that most kids tend to walk to school when they have busy parents rushing to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Janney welcome out of boundary students? Surprised to learn that most kids tend to walk to school when they have busy parents rushing to work.

Huh? They walk to school and then their parents get on the metro in Tenleytown.

[Anonymous]

Huh? Most parents are teleworking anyhow!

[Anonymous]

We have a kindergartener at Hearst and are very happy there. Our kiddo's teachers are excellent and very communicative, and the parent community is very down-to-earth and welcoming. We don't have any experience with Janney so can't speak to that, but we do like the small size of Hearst -- it feels like we know almost all the kindergarteners (3 classes total) at least a little bit by this point in the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the smaller feel of Hearst. I know families at Janney who are looking for other options.

Also - if there is any chance that your child has a learning difference (Adhd, dyslexia) the Janney is known for being horrible. Their head of Special Needs does things her way and no one (not even teachers) will challenge her.

I have a child with an IEP at Janney and our experience has been positive. The student support staff that my child is actually working with is great.

+1 child with an IEP and we’ve had a positive experience as well. We love the walkability, school community, after care/enrichment programs, and the overall organization and administration of the school. And Janney isn’t as big as it used to be at the moment. I think enrollment was around 680 this year down from
780 the prior year. I suspect they will lose more kids this year to covid relocations/moves, etc. I’m guessing that’s how you got a lottery spot for both of your kids.

And yet there are still 24 kids in my kid’s class. Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Janney welcome out of boundary students? Surprised to learn that most kids tend to walk to school when they have busy parents rushing to work.

The in-bounds demand for spots has, up to now, taken up such a high percentage of the available seats that there just aren't that many out of boundary students to welcome. But my kids know a handful in two different grades, and I haven't noticed any reason to think they're not welcome.

As for the walking surprise: People who can still telework are heavily over-represented in the parent population at Janney, so a lot of people are just rushing back home to work -- but the Metro right across the street makes for a really easy commute if you live within walking distance of the school, even in pre-pandemic times.

[Anonymous]

I would go with the school that your neighbors and kids closest to you will attend. Having school friends that live within one or two blocks is a HUGE benefit of attending your IB school.

[Anonymous]

What is the part about hitting teachers and starting fires? Umm??