Jefferson Houston alternatives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky enough to transfer into a better ACPS public, but we applied to St. Stephens and St. Agnes, Burgundy Farm, St. Mary's, St. Rita's, and Blessed Sacrament, just in case (DC was accepted at all). Otherwise we would have moved.

FWIW, we did not apply to Alexandria Country Day. It costs the same as SSSAS and Burgundy but has neither the facilities nor academics of either. Plus ACDS is always trolling the Del Ray and Old Town Moms list servers trying to seek out applicants. They clearly are not competitive and need students. So it might be a good fit for a wealthy family who can afford $30k/year for private, but whose kids didn't get accepted to SSSAS or Burgundy. That was the vibe we got. Would not select ACDS over a good public like Lyles-Crouch or Maury, unless I had money to burn and insisted that my child be in "private" for whatever reason. It's a nice school but not academically better than public and certainly not worth the price. I would take it over Jefferson Houston but not after SSSAS, Burgundy, Browne, the Catholics, or good public.

PP, it seems you're confusing the physical structures and size of a school with its academics.

I find it amusing that you would characterize it ACDS as a back-up school to SSSAS or Burgundy. Your assessment is so off the mark that I can only conclude that you have no education background. We also looked at SSSAS, Burgundy, and Brown. In terms of academics, I'd rank the. Local privates as follows: ACDS, Burgundy, Grace, SSSAS, Brown.

Burgundy, SSSAS, and Brown have more impressive physical spaces, but that does not mean the teaching is better -- and definitely better than any of the publics in Alexandria City.

As for "trolling" on the listservs, ACDS has a lovely PTA whose members reach out to the community to announce open houses. That's hardly "trolling," and the fact that you would call it that suggests you have a rather mean spirited turn of mind. Actually, the way you describe the school and your overall tone suggests a grudge. Rejected were you?

OK, we get it. You have a child at ACDS who probably didn't get accepted at Burgundy or SSSAS. No shame in that. But let's not inflate ACDS as being better academically than SSSAS, Burgundy, or Grace for that matter. Browne, perhaps, but i would say tie. I agree with the PP who said it's probably not any better academically than a highly ranked public. Even Lyles-Crouch has more of an identity with its curriculum and academics than ACDS, and Lyles-Crouch and Maury have small classes, too. We don't know anyone who went the private school route and chose ACDS over SSSAS. We do know families who chose Maury or Lyles-Crouch over ACDS and St. Marys.

And I am a well informed and well educated parent who went to Exeter and Cornell afterward. And my children are not at ACDS though they were accepted.

[Anonymous]

Eh. A lot of ACDS kids end up at SSSAS for high school anyway. If I had a strong public option in Alexandria for elementary I'd go that route. Middle school is where it gets dicey. ACDS may be worth it at that point depending on the kid.

As for JH, the way the school board operates that school isn't going to improve anytime soon given Alexandria's predilection for congregating affordable housing in the same area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky enough to transfer into a better ACPS public, but we applied to St. Stephens and St. Agnes, Burgundy Farm, St. Mary's, St. Rita's, and Blessed Sacrament, just in case (DC was accepted at all). Otherwise we would have moved.

FWIW, we did not apply to Alexandria Country Day. It costs the same as SSSAS and Burgundy but has neither the facilities nor academics of either. Plus ACDS is always trolling the Del Ray and Old Town Moms list servers trying to seek out applicants. They clearly are not competitive and need students. So it might be a good fit for a wealthy family who can afford $30k/year for private, but whose kids didn't get accepted to SSSAS or Burgundy. That was the vibe we got. Would not select ACDS over a good public like Lyles-Crouch or Maury, unless I had money to burn and insisted that my child be in "private" for whatever reason. It's a nice school but not academically better than public and certainly not worth the price. I would take it over Jefferson Houston but not after SSSAS, Burgundy, Browne, the Catholics, or good public.

PP, it seems you're confusing the physical structures and size of a school with its academics.

I find it amusing that you would characterize it ACDS as a back-up school to SSSAS or Burgundy. Your assessment is so off the mark that I can only conclude that you have no education background. We also looked at SSSAS, Burgundy, and Brown. In terms of academics, I'd rank the. Local privates as follows: ACDS, Burgundy, Grace, SSSAS, Brown.

Burgundy, SSSAS, and Brown have more impressive physical spaces, but that does not mean the teaching is better -- and definitely better than any of the publics in Alexandria City.

As for "trolling" on the listservs, ACDS has a lovely PTA whose members reach out to the community to announce open houses. That's hardly "trolling," and the fact that you would call it that suggests you have a rather mean spirited turn of mind. Actually, the way you describe the school and your overall tone suggests a grudge. Rejected were you?

OK, we get it. You have a child at ACDS who probably didn't get accepted at Burgundy or SSSAS. No shame in that. But let's not inflate ACDS as being better academically than SSSAS, Burgundy, or Grace for that matter. Browne, perhaps, but i would say tie. I agree with the PP who said it's probably not any better academically than a highly ranked public. Even Lyles-Crouch has more of an identity with its curriculum and academics than ACDS, and Lyles-Crouch and Maury have small classes, too. We don't know anyone who went the private school route and chose ACDS over SSSAS. We do know families who chose Maury or Lyles-Crouch over ACDS and St. Marys.

And I am a well informed and well educated parent who went to Exeter and Cornell afterward. And my children are not at ACDS though they were accepted.

Nice try -- DCs were accepted at all schools they applied to, including SSSAS, Burgundy, Grace (we did not bother to apply to Brown), as well as Sidwell and Potomac. I've just been surprised and bemused at the number of people who are taken in by a school's physical qualities, rather than the actual academics. As I stated, we decided not to go private school in the end. We ended up moving out of Alexandria City. I have no dog in the fight, but it seems you definitely do.

However well-informed you are as a parent, unless you have an education Ph.D., you're less well-informed regarding what constitutes teaching quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky enough to transfer into a better ACPS public, but we applied to St. Stephens and St. Agnes, Burgundy Farm, St. Mary's, St. Rita's, and Blessed Sacrament, just in case (DC was accepted at all). Otherwise we would have moved.

FWIW, we did not apply to Alexandria Country Day. It costs the same as SSSAS and Burgundy but has neither the facilities nor academics of either. Plus ACDS is always trolling the Del Ray and Old Town Moms list servers trying to seek out applicants. They clearly are not competitive and need students. So it might be a good fit for a wealthy family who can afford $30k/year for private, but whose kids didn't get accepted to SSSAS or Burgundy. That was the vibe we got. Would not select ACDS over a good public like Lyles-Crouch or Maury, unless I had money to burn and insisted that my child be in "private" for whatever reason. It's a nice school but not academically better than public and certainly not worth the price. I would take it over Jefferson Houston but not after SSSAS, Burgundy, Browne, the Catholics, or good public.

PP, it seems you're confusing the physical structures and size of a school with its academics.

I find it amusing that you would characterize it ACDS as a back-up school to SSSAS or Burgundy. Your assessment is so off the mark that I can only conclude that you have no education background. We also looked at SSSAS, Burgundy, and Brown. In terms of academics, I'd rank the. Local privates as follows: ACDS, Burgundy, Grace, SSSAS, Brown.

Burgundy, SSSAS, and Brown have more impressive physical spaces, but that does not mean the teaching is better -- and definitely better than any of the publics in Alexandria City.

As for "trolling" on the listservs, ACDS has a lovely PTA whose members reach out to the community to announce open houses. That's hardly "trolling," and the fact that you would call it that suggests you have a rather mean spirited turn of mind. Actually, the way you describe the school and your overall tone suggests a grudge. Rejected were you?

OK, we get it. You have a child at ACDS who probably didn't get accepted at Burgundy or SSSAS. No shame in that. But let's not inflate ACDS as being better academically than SSSAS, Burgundy, or Grace for that matter. Browne, perhaps, but i would say tie. I agree with the PP who said it's probably not any better academically than a highly ranked public. Even Lyles-Crouch has more of an identity with its curriculum and academics than ACDS, and Lyles-Crouch and Maury have small classes, too. We don't know anyone who went the private school route and chose ACDS over SSSAS. We do know families who chose Maury or Lyles-Crouch over ACDS and St. Marys.

And I am a well informed and well educated parent who went to Exeter and Cornell afterward. And my children are not at ACDS though they were accepted.

Nice try -- DCs were accepted at all schools they applied to, including SSSAS, Burgundy, Grace (we did not bother to apply to Brown), as well as Sidwell and Potomac. I've just been surprised and bemused at the number of people who are taken in by a school's physical qualities, rather than the actual academics. As I stated, we decided not to go private school in the end. We ended up moving out of Alexandria City. I have no dog in the fight, but it seems you definitely do.

However well-informed you are as a parent, unless you have an education Ph.D., you're less well-informed regarding what constitutes teaching quality.

For someone who claims to be so well educated and so knowledgeable about the Alexandria privates, you should probably note that it's Browne Academy and not Brown Academy. You've made that spelling error in multiple posts, seeing how you criticized others' educations and credentials.

ACDS is mediocre. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky enough to transfer into a better ACPS public, but we applied to St. Stephens and St. Agnes, Burgundy Farm, St. Mary's, St. Rita's, and Blessed Sacrament, just in case (DC was accepted at all). Otherwise we would have moved.

FWIW, we did not apply to Alexandria Country Day. It costs the same as SSSAS and Burgundy but has neither the facilities nor academics of either. Plus ACDS is always trolling the Del Ray and Old Town Moms list servers trying to seek out applicants. They clearly are not competitive and need students. So it might be a good fit for a wealthy family who can afford $30k/year for private, but whose kids didn't get accepted to SSSAS or Burgundy. That was the vibe we got. Would not select ACDS over a good public like Lyles-Crouch or Maury, unless I had money to burn and insisted that my child be in "private" for whatever reason. It's a nice school but not academically better than public and certainly not worth the price. I would take it over Jefferson Houston but not after SSSAS, Burgundy, Browne, the Catholics, or good public.

PP, it seems you're confusing the physical structures and size of a school with its academics.

I find it amusing that you would characterize it ACDS as a back-up school to SSSAS or Burgundy. Your assessment is so off the mark that I can only conclude that you have no education background. We also looked at SSSAS, Burgundy, and Brown. In terms of academics, I'd rank the. Local privates as follows: ACDS, Burgundy, Grace, SSSAS, Brown.

Burgundy, SSSAS, and Brown have more impressive physical spaces, but that does not mean the teaching is better -- and definitely better than any of the publics in Alexandria City.

As for "trolling" on the listservs, ACDS has a lovely PTA whose members reach out to the community to announce open houses. That's hardly "trolling," and the fact that you would call it that suggests you have a rather mean spirited turn of mind. Actually, the way you describe the school and your overall tone suggests a grudge. Rejected were you?

OK, we get it. You have a child at ACDS who probably didn't get accepted at Burgundy or SSSAS. No shame in that. But let's not inflate ACDS as being better academically than SSSAS, Burgundy, or Grace for that matter. Browne, perhaps, but i would say tie. I agree with the PP who said it's probably not any better academically than a highly ranked public. Even Lyles-Crouch has more of an identity with its curriculum and academics than ACDS, and Lyles-Crouch and Maury have small classes, too. We don't know anyone who went the private school route and chose ACDS over SSSAS. We do know families who chose Maury or Lyles-Crouch over ACDS and St. Marys.

And I am a well informed and well educated parent who went to Exeter and Cornell afterward. And my children are not at ACDS though they were accepted.

Nice try -- DCs were accepted at all schools they applied to, including SSSAS, Burgundy, Grace (we did not bother to apply to Brown), as well as Sidwell and Potomac. I've just been surprised and bemused at the number of people who are taken in by a school's physical qualities, rather than the actual academics. As I stated, we decided not to go private school in the end. We ended up moving out of Alexandria City. I have no dog in the fight, but it seems you definitely do.

However well-informed you are as a parent, unless you have an education Ph.D., you're less well-informed regarding what constitutes teaching quality.

For someone who claims to be so well educated and so knowledgeable about the Alexandria privates, you should probably note that it's Browne Academy and not Brown Academy. You've made that spelling error in multiple posts, seeing how you criticized others' educations and credentials.

ACDS is mediocre. Period.

The former head of ACDS used to hand out a little book called "The Basic School," explaining ACDS's "philosophy" of only offering the most stripped-down program that it could. It took a full recruiting session before I realized that ACDS was offering materially less than publics. I simply don't get the appeal. It seems like the sole purpose is to exclude general enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky enough to transfer into a better ACPS public, but we applied to St. Stephens and St. Agnes, Burgundy Farm, St. Mary's, St. Rita's, and Blessed Sacrament, just in case (DC was accepted at all). Otherwise we would have moved.

FWIW, we did not apply to Alexandria Country Day. It costs the same as SSSAS and Burgundy but has neither the facilities nor academics of either. Plus ACDS is always trolling the Del Ray and Old Town Moms list servers trying to seek out applicants. They clearly are not competitive and need students. So it might be a good fit for a wealthy family who can afford $30k/year for private, but whose kids didn't get accepted to SSSAS or Burgundy. That was the vibe we got. Would not select ACDS over a good public like Lyles-Crouch or Maury, unless I had money to burn and insisted that my child be in "private" for whatever reason. It's a nice school but not academically better than public and certainly not worth the price. I would take it over Jefferson Houston but not after SSSAS, Burgundy, Browne, the Catholics, or good public.

PP, it seems you're confusing the physical structures and size of a school with its academics.

I find it amusing that you would characterize it ACDS as a back-up school to SSSAS or Burgundy. Your assessment is so off the mark that I can only conclude that you have no education background. We also looked at SSSAS, Burgundy, and Brown. In terms of academics, I'd rank the. Local privates as follows: ACDS, Burgundy, Grace, SSSAS, Brown.

Burgundy, SSSAS, and Brown have more impressive physical spaces, but that does not mean the teaching is better -- and definitely better than any of the publics in Alexandria City.

As for "trolling" on the listservs, ACDS has a lovely PTA whose members reach out to the community to announce open houses. That's hardly "trolling," and the fact that you would call it that suggests you have a rather mean spirited turn of mind. Actually, the way you describe the school and your overall tone suggests a grudge. Rejected were you?

OK, we get it. You have a child at ACDS who probably didn't get accepted at Burgundy or SSSAS. No shame in that. But let's not inflate ACDS as being better academically than SSSAS, Burgundy, or Grace for that matter. Browne, perhaps, but i would say tie. I agree with the PP who said it's probably not any better academically than a highly ranked public. Even Lyles-Crouch has more of an identity with its curriculum and academics than ACDS, and Lyles-Crouch and Maury have small classes, too. We don't know anyone who went the private school route and chose ACDS over SSSAS. We do know families who chose Maury or Lyles-Crouch over ACDS and St. Marys.

And I am a well informed and well educated parent who went to Exeter and Cornell afterward. And my children are not at ACDS though they were accepted.

Nice try -- DCs were accepted at all schools they applied to, including SSSAS, Burgundy, Grace (we did not bother to apply to Brown), as well as Sidwell and Potomac. I've just been surprised and bemused at the number of people who are taken in by a school's physical qualities, rather than the actual academics. As I stated, we decided not to go private school in the end. We ended up moving out of Alexandria City. I have no dog in the fight, but it seems you definitely do.

However well-informed you are as a parent, unless you have an education Ph.D., you're less well-informed regarding what constitutes teaching quality.

For someone who claims to be so well educated and so knowledgeable about the Alexandria privates, you should probably note that it's Browne Academy and not Brown Academy. You've made that spelling error in multiple posts, seeing how you criticized others' educations and credentials.

ACDS is mediocre. Period.

So nice of you to correct my spelling. However, it's speaks volumes about your discursive and intellectual abilities that you need to stoop to such a petty diversion, rather than respond on point. Since you fail to adduce any other evidence to support your assertions, but simply repeat yourself, it's rather obvious you do not hold a Ph.D. in education.

You also have some difficulty reading and interpreting text. I did not criticize others' education and credentials. I merely stated that unless you hold the same level of education in the field of education, you are not as well qualified to make an assessment about teaching quality.

[Anonymous]

Back to the original question about Jefferson-Houston, OP, I agree with others that you should wait-and-see. You have several years before you have to decide what to do. I don't have a kid at J-H, but I have heard positive things about the school and the improvements that have happened this year. Hard to say what the future holds. In the meantime:

1. If you have an opportunity to meet and get to know current J-H parents, do it. No one can give you then inside scoop - the good, the bad, the ugly - like a parent with a kid in the school.
2. Tour the school. I'm not sure what options there are in the fall, but I think all ACPS schools do tours in the springtime around when K registration takes place. Go check it out.
3. Attend a PTA meeting or a PTA social event or fundraiser. I went to a PTA meeting or two at our neighborhood ACPS elementary school when my kid was a year out from K. It was a nice way to see what was going on in the school and to meet people. Everyone there understood - they had all been in the same position years before. Fall is a great time to do this because there are lots of new-to-the-school parents attending and the meetings can be really informative.
4. Pay attention to the redistricting process and other ACPS news.
5. Try to separate fact v opinion in your mind when thinking about schools (whether public or private) and always consider the source. Particularly when it comes to schools, I find that people feel the need to justify their own choices by bad-mouthing alternatives to some degree. Every family and every kid is different. What works for one might not work for another. One person's "best" is another one's "worst". Be wary of absolute statements in either direction. Trust what you see with your own eyes.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky enough to transfer into a better ACPS public, but we applied to St. Stephens and St. Agnes, Burgundy Farm, St. Mary's, St. Rita's, and Blessed Sacrament, just in case (DC was accepted at all). Otherwise we would have moved.

FWIW, we did not apply to Alexandria Country Day. It costs the same as SSSAS and Burgundy but has neither the facilities nor academics of either. Plus ACDS is always trolling the Del Ray and Old Town Moms list servers trying to seek out applicants. They clearly are not competitive and need students. So it might be a good fit for a wealthy family who can afford $30k/year for private, but whose kids didn't get accepted to SSSAS or Burgundy. That was the vibe we got. Would not select ACDS over a good public like Lyles-Crouch or Maury, unless I had money to burn and insisted that my child be in "private" for whatever reason. It's a nice school but not academically better than public and certainly not worth the price. I would take it over Jefferson Houston but not after SSSAS, Burgundy, Browne, the Catholics, or good public.

PP, it seems you're confusing the physical structures and size of a school with its academics.

I find it amusing that you would characterize it ACDS as a back-up school to SSSAS or Burgundy. Your assessment is so off the mark that I can only conclude that you have no education background. We also looked at SSSAS, Burgundy, and Brown. In terms of academics, I'd rank the. Local privates as follows: ACDS, Burgundy, Grace, SSSAS, Brown.

Burgundy, SSSAS, and Brown have more impressive physical spaces, but that does not mean the teaching is better -- and definitely better than any of the publics in Alexandria City.

As for "trolling" on the listservs, ACDS has a lovely PTA whose members reach out to the community to announce open houses. That's hardly "trolling," and the fact that you would call it that suggests you have a rather mean spirited turn of mind. Actually, the way you describe the school and your overall tone suggests a grudge. Rejected were you?

I think someone is desperately trying to justify their tuition bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the original question about Jefferson-Houston, OP, I agree with others that you should wait-and-see. You have several years before you have to decide what to do. I don't have a kid at J-H, but I have heard positive things about the school and the improvements that have happened this year. Hard to say what the future holds. In the meantime:

1. If you have an opportunity to meet and get to know current J-H parents, do it. No one can give you then inside scoop - the good, the bad, the ugly - like a parent with a kid in the school.
2. Tour the school. I'm not sure what options there are in the fall, but I think all ACPS schools do tours in the springtime around when K registration takes place. Go check it out.
3. Attend a PTA meeting or a PTA social event or fundraiser. I went to a PTA meeting or two at our neighborhood ACPS elementary school when my kid was a year out from K. It was a nice way to see what was going on in the school and to meet people. Everyone there understood - they had all been in the same position years before. Fall is a great time to do this because there are lots of new-to-the-school parents attending and the meetings can be really informative.
4. Pay attention to the redistricting process and other ACPS news.
5. Try to separate fact v opinion in your mind when thinking about schools (whether public or private) and always consider the source. Particularly when it comes to schools, I find that people feel the need to justify their own choices by bad-mouthing alternatives to some degree. Every family and every kid is different. What works for one might not work for another. One person's "best" is another one's "worst". Be wary of absolute statements in either direction. Trust what you see with your own eyes.

Good luck!

Hey, what are you doing on this thread, with your calm, reasoned response?

OP, this person is right on the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Country Day is an expensive, mediocre alternative. But if I were facing J-H, I'd find the $30,000 tuition somewhere.

As an education expert who looked at Alexandria Country Day for her own children, I have to disagree with your characterization of the school as "mediocre." Pedagogically, they are very strong, and there is no other private in Alexandria that is as good at differentiation.

We chose not to attend for other reasons, but if we had decided to go private, we would have chosen ACDS.

Interesting. As a parent who researched the Alexandria privates I found ACDS to be the one who lacked any clear understanding of the type of education they were offering. It seemed like a public school with a private school label. The Country Day is supposed to imply a progressive type attitude but the school is more traditional but not traditional in the way Grace Episcopal or Immanuel Lutheran are. It seems they just have a mix and it depends on what teacher is assigned and what teaching style they have.

PP, the fact that ACDS did not label itself "traditional" or "progressive" confused you? While the progressive education is tied to a specific movement and core values, the label "traditional" carries no standard meaning.

ACDS is child-centered and offers more structure than a progressive, but still responds to individual children's needs and preferences in a way that many "traditional schools," such as SSSAS and Brown do not. Perhaps that blend is why you're confused. Burgundy also outperforms SSSAS and Brown on individualizing instruction.

As for being a public school with a private school label, you're radically mistaken if you think ACDS is similar to a public school. There is no way that you would get the level of individualized instruction in any Alexandria City public school. That's what ACDS parents pay for -- the quality of teaching. Aside from individualized, caring instruction based on each child's needs, the teachers and administration are on top of academic research. ACDS is the ONLY private in the area that has switched to Singapore math.

I admit their physical space is not as impressive as SSSAS, Brown, or Burgundy's, but the actual education the kids receive is hands down better.

I am the PP you were replying to and I bolded your statement because that doesn't clarify anything. Every single school is going to be "child centered" so that language is meaningless. And "responds to individual children's needs and preferences" - Again, that doesn't tell me anything. Every school will say they are responsive to a child's individual needs.

It's that lack of clear guiding philosophy that hurts them. If they clearly defined it and then practiced it, more parents might give it more serious consideration.

[Anonymous]

I went to Jefferson Houston as a kid and now I have a doctorate from Columbia University. My parents always emphasized getting a good education and I was a motivated, curious student. That is what mattered, not the elementary school I went to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Jefferson Houston as a kid and now I have a doctorate from Columbia University. My parents always emphasized getting a good education and I was a motivated, curious student. That is what mattered, not the elementary school I went to.

Congratulations on your doctorate. Regrettably ACPS Jefferson Houston Elementary is now on year 3 of non-accreddation by the Virginia Department of Education. Just as your Columbia University doctorate required departmental as well as personal performance standards, so does Jefferson Houston Elementary. Here it's not just about the individual, its about Jefferson Houston administration and the ACPS School Board. Alexandria City children deserve better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Jefferson Houston as a kid and now I have a doctorate from Columbia University. My parents always emphasized getting a good education and I was a motivated, curious student. That is what mattered, not the elementary school I went to.

Good for you. Many schools in NoVA that were great in their heyday are now cesspools of underachievement. Things change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I think someone is desperately trying to justify their tuition bill.

Another non-reader. Those who read the posts might recall that I shared we decided not to go private and moved out of Alexandria City. No dog in the fight, remember?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Country Day is an expensive, mediocre alternative. But if I were facing J-H, I'd find the $30,000 tuition somewhere.

As an education expert who looked at Alexandria Country Day for her own children, I have to disagree with your characterization of the school as "mediocre." Pedagogically, they are very strong, and there is no other private in Alexandria that is as good at differentiation.

We chose not to attend for other reasons, but if we had decided to go private, we would have chosen ACDS.

Interesting. As a parent who researched the Alexandria privates I found ACDS to be the one who lacked any clear understanding of the type of education they were offering. It seemed like a public school with a private school label. The Country Day is supposed to imply a progressive type attitude but the school is more traditional but not traditional in the way Grace Episcopal or Immanuel Lutheran are. It seems they just have a mix and it depends on what teacher is assigned and what teaching style they have.

PP, the fact that ACDS did not label itself "traditional" or "progressive" confused you? While the progressive education is tied to a specific movement and core values, the label "traditional" carries no standard meaning.

ACDS is child-centered and offers more structure than a progressive, but still responds to individual children's needs and preferences in a way that many "traditional schools," such as SSSAS and Brown do not. Perhaps that blend is why you're confused. Burgundy also outperforms SSSAS and Brown on individualizing instruction.

As for being a public school with a private school label, you're radically mistaken if you think ACDS is similar to a public school. There is no way that you would get the level of individualized instruction in any Alexandria City public school. That's what ACDS parents pay for -- the quality of teaching. Aside from individualized, caring instruction based on each child's needs, the teachers and administration are on top of academic research. ACDS is the ONLY private in the area that has switched to Singapore math.

I admit their physical space is not as impressive as SSSAS, Brown, or Burgundy's, but the actual education the kids receive is hands down better.

I am the PP you were replying to and I bolded your statement because that doesn't clarify anything. Every single school is going to be "child centered" so that language is meaningless. And "responds to individual children's needs and preferences" - Again, that doesn't tell me anything. Every school will say they are responsive to a child's individual needs.

It's that lack of clear guiding philosophy that hurts them. If they clearly defined it and then practiced it, more parents might give it more serious consideration.

No, not every school is child-centered. Obviously, you don't understand what "child centered" means in terms of teaching technique, which is why you can't figure out the difference between the various schools under discussion.

In fact most public and traditional schools are not child-centered, and certainly do not respond to individual children's needs and preferences. SSSAS, Grace, and Browne are less child-centered than ACDS and Burgundy. SSSAS and Browne are more "traditional." Child-centered teaching means being able to adapt curriculum and scaffold learning for each child, based on where they are on understanding various concepts and skills. Child-centered teaching requires intensive differentiation, which is a skill that most teachers have not been trained to do well. Further, while every school may say they respond to an individual child's needs, the extent to which that is reality is what distinguishes high-quality teaching from mediocre schools. Among the schools that we looked at (read list above), if interested, ACDS was the best among the A
Alexandria private at implementing child-centered education. Burgundy was fairly strong, too, but they had not codified their assessments to the same extent as ACDS.