What is Sojourner Truth like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My now 6th grader was admitted last year through the lottery and they had an admitted families tour and let the kids do a shadow day. It was all really helpful and my kid was able to really see if it felt like the right place.

We did not choose to attend but the set up allows motivated and capable students to work ahead on more advanced curriculum so a good student not challenged at their IB may find it a good fit.

It’s not actually a good thing to just ignore advanced (or even grade level) students to “work ahead on more advanced curriculum” with no actual instruction. Kids should all receive instruction on their level.

You should seriously consider Truth if you want kids to receive instruction on their level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do tell about the bad open houses.

SH is having their open house Thursday evening. I don't think DCPS allows for school time visits. Again, a school which I'd like to see the student body in action and not just the invested teachers give their pep talk.

I assume your kid isn't at an SH feeder, but just in case they are, SH feeders have "step up" days where 5th graders get to go to SH for the day, see real classes, experience a pep rally, etc and parents have traditionally been allowed to come along as chaperones. Our 4th grade feeder also successfully pushed for a scaled down version for 4th graders last year, since that's the year that families are traditionally making the choice re: whether to pursue charter options.

[Anonymous]

That is great to now. We are at SWS but zoned for SH, yet technically SWS feeds to EH so we are looking at our options. Maybe I can see if they'll allow my child to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do tell about the bad open houses.

SH is having their open house Thursday evening. I don't think DCPS allows for school time visits. Again, a school which I'd like to see the student body in action and not just the invested teachers give their pep talk.

John Francis just has a school time visit this morning, so I think this is principal discretion.

[Anonymous]

My family visited, and I really wanted to like it as the location is super convenient for us! Unfortunately, for my late-developing son, I was too concerned about social issues in the model where in middle school they are with the same two teachers and 25 kids in a room all day, and the 25 is a mix of 6th, 7th, and 8th. My son also lags behind academically and I was very worried about Truth's lack of homework.

[Anonymous]

One of my parents is a Montessori teacher and my children attended a well regarded Montessori school. I would not send my child to a Montessori middle school under any circumstances. I truly think Stuart Hobson/Eliot Hine are not good schools either, but they would be preferable in my book to any Montessori middle school. Truth in particular values laziness in its students. There is no rigor of any kind. I don’t mean to say you shouldn’t choose it if you’re looking for academic rigor. I’m saying straight up you shouldn’t chose it unless you’re looking for child you’re ok with goofing off all day and playing with the chickens. Sorry for my bluntness but I truly think it’s a terrible choice. Frankly when confronted with the choice between Stuart Hobson, Eliot or Truth, I would pack my backs and move to Maryland or Virginia.

[Anonymous]

This is a reason to go to the open house, to learn about and see if the montessori model would work for your child in middle/high school. They do go into this in great detail, or did when we did the open house a couple years ago. I felt it would not work for our child, but can imagine how it would for others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding from one kid I know is that kids are instructed in small cohorts of students at the same level. Instead of say all 6th graders having the same math class and some being allowed to work ahead or on "special projects," some 6th graders will be in a cohort with older kids and instructed in 8th grade math, then take algebra the following year.

Correct. They're not on their own to "work ahead." There are cohort groups for instruction (algebra and/or geometry for example).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my parents is a Montessori teacher and my children attended a well regarded Montessori school. I would not send my child to a Montessori middle school under any circumstances. I truly think Stuart Hobson/Eliot Hine are not good schools either, but they would be preferable in my book to any Montessori middle school. Truth in particular values laziness in its students. There is no rigor of any kind. I don’t mean to say you shouldn’t choose it if you’re looking for academic rigor. I’m saying straight up you shouldn’t chose it unless you’re looking for child you’re ok with goofing off all day and playing with the chickens. Sorry for my bluntness but I truly think it’s a terrible choice. Frankly when confronted with the choice between Stuart Hobson, Eliot or Truth, I would pack my backs and move to Maryland or Virginia.

What an impressively decisive statement. You seem to know a lot about the school itself. Do tell your relationship to the school and the intel behind your scathing review.

[Anonymous]

How do the mixed age classrooms work out for middle school? Is there a lot of bullying at Truth? Such a huge difference between 6th and 8th graders...