St. Andrew’s for Support?

[Anonymous]

He would be much happier at McLean School down the road.

[Anonymous]

Bullis support is fantastic compared to St Andrews for upper school. You'll need a private tutor at St Andrews to get what Bullis offers inside their daily schedule for kids who need extra and kids who want to go deeper.

[Anonymous]

Run away while you still can. Your child will not get extra support at SAES. I can tell you from firsthand experience.

[Anonymous]

This is garbage. They have a wonderful support team in the upper school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is garbage. They have a wonderful support team in the upper school.

I agree that the Education Center itself is helpful. It's some of the teachers who are ready to classify kids with learning differences as less capable and less hard working. They may not realize that's the signal they're sending, yet they do and it's damaging.

Our bright, imaginative child is in the school and has always tested at the very top range of cognitive ability in the diagnostic evaluations. But she has significant difficulties with executive function and processing speed. She spends many hours every afternoon and night striving to keep up and do quality work. One teacher told me recently (after I saw her up until midnight several nights in a row) that "she needs to make more of an effort." My head was ready to explode. How can a professional educator be so obtuse? She works twice as hard as most of the kids to reach the same result. It pains me that this isn't understood, and that she sees herself through their eyes.

Don't get me wrong. We love so much about this school. But given its emphasis on faculty training, you'd just think they'd know better by now.

[Anonymous]

For current parents--do you see a difference in how teachers handle students who need more support in upper vs middle and lower school? We have a student in the upper school, but they came in 9th and do not need support. We are considering moving our younger DC over, but they need more support (primarily exec function type stuff) and we are trying to gauge if it will be as good a fit as it's been for their older sibling and whether the different divisions are stronger/weaker in terms of the support they offer.

[Anonymous]

Go to Bullis for support or hire a tutor.

[Anonymous]

This was years ago, but I will never forget a St. Andrews admissions person physically recoiling when we mentioned DC’s ADHD.

Obviously we went elsewhere.

PS - DC made it to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is garbage. They have a wonderful support team in the upper school.

I agree that the Education Center itself is helpful. It's some of the teachers who are ready to classify kids with learning differences as less capable and less hard working. They may not realize that's the signal they're sending, yet they do and it's damaging.

Our bright, imaginative child is in the school and has always tested at the very top range of cognitive ability in the diagnostic evaluations. But she has significant difficulties with executive function and processing speed. She spends many hours every afternoon and night striving to keep up and do quality work. One teacher told me recently (after I saw her up until midnight several nights in a row) that "she needs to make more of an effort." My head was ready to explode. How can a professional educator be so obtuse? She works twice as hard as most of the kids to reach the same result. It pains me that this isn't understood, and that she sees herself through their eyes.

Don't get me wrong. We love so much about this school. But given its emphasis on faculty training, you'd just think they'd know better by now.

SAES is nothing special. It is not St. Albans or Episcopal. It is a very average education.

[Anonymous]

I never know what a particular person neans by "support". Different people use that word to mean very different things. Only OP can know what supports they seek.

St Andrews school does not claim to be a school for students with special needs, because they aren't such a school. It is a school focused on neurotypical students.

For a student that is not neurotypical, another school probably is a better fit. McLean school in MD might be annoption for such a student.

If a parent thinks their student needs "supports", then it would be good to talk clearly and politely with whichever school about one's child, how the child's needs might vary, and ask if that school would be a good fit. Most schools, including StA, will try to give an honest answer, but many also will try to be polite and diplomatic. Try to listen to all of their answer.

[Anonymous]

SJC had the Benilde program that is specifically for kids with “learning differences”. It’s been very successful and have helped kids overcome the hurdles of their difficulties. I met one mom who’s kid graduated from the Benilde program a couple of years ago and is currently enrolled at Virginia Tech studying computer science or something there. Here’s the link on SJC’s website about Benilde:

https://www.stjohnschs.org/academics/benilde-program

[Anonymous]

Why does everyone keep putting “supports” and “learning differences” in quotes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never know what a particular person neans by "support". Different people use that word to mean very different things. Only OP can know what supports they seek.

St Andrews school does not claim to be a school for students with special needs, because they aren't such a school. It is a school focused on neurotypical students.

For a student that is not neurotypical, another school probably is a better fit. McLean school in MD might be annoption for such a student.

If a parent thinks their student needs "supports", then it would be good to talk clearly and politely with whichever school about one's child, how the child's needs might vary, and ask if that school would be a good fit. Most schools, including StA, will try to give an honest answer, but many also will try to be polite and diplomatic. Try to listen to all of their answer.

ADHD is not an uncommon thing. As previously stated, there are students at DC's top schools with it. The top schools have teachers that are better skilled at working with top performing ADHD students. St. Andrew's teachers are top educators. They don't have the skills to work with such students. ADHD is not special needs. St. Andrew's is not a top school in the area. Once again it isn't St. Albans or Episcopal. It isn't Sidwell, Potomac, or GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never know what a particular person neans by "support". Different people use that word to mean very different things. Only OP can know what supports they seek.

St Andrews school does not claim to be a school for students with special needs, because they aren't such a school. It is a school focused on neurotypical students.

For a student that is not neurotypical, another school probably is a better fit. McLean school in MD might be annoption for such a student.

If a parent thinks their student needs "supports", then it would be good to talk clearly and politely with whichever school about one's child, how the child's needs might vary, and ask if that school would be a good fit. Most schools, including StA, will try to give an honest answer, but many also will try to be polite and diplomatic. Try to listen to all of their answer.

ADHD is not an uncommon thing. As previously stated, there are students at DC's top schools with it. The top schools have teachers that are better skilled at working with top performing ADHD students. St. Andrew's teachers are top educators. They don't have the skills to work with such students. ADHD is not special needs. St. Andrew's is not a top school in the area. Once again it isn't St. Albans or Episcopal. It isn't Sidwell, Potomac, or GDS.

I'm sure you meant to write "St. Andrew's teachers are NOT top educators." I would agree. They aren't bad, but they are not the best.