Interesting engaging alternative schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is super smart but has had a hard year academically and socially. He's in 9th grade and his grades have tanked this year. He hates school at this point. All his teachers talk about how smart he is. He has a few friends but they are really bad influences and not very nice to him. I'd really like to get him into a positive school/social situation. I can't afford super high tuition but am looking for affordable private schools that have a warm social environment and an engaging academic program- but that would admit a kid with dismal grades but high test scores. Does this exist?

I'm hesitant to post this because I'm sure someone will call me a plant or troll. But who cares.

My DS is at Fusion (we're in a different state), and loves it. We love it too. It's a 1:1 format, where you have one student with one teacher - so he's getting an education truly tailored to his needs. There are other students on campus at the same time, so there are ample opportunities for socializing. The environment is very nurturing, and the students come from all different walks of life including competitive athletes, actors, and kids with specific learning needs such as my DS who has ADHD.

There's a campus in DC and in Rockville, and I think they're opening one in NoVa somewhere.

In terms of tuition - it's not "cheap" but totally worth it to us because our DS was miserable at his public so it's worth it to us.

I taught at a Fusion. It has its issues but I do think for some kids, it's the best option. Very expensive though and there is definitely a sense among the kids hat their parents paid a lot of money for them to avoid worknid they want and basically no kid can get less than an A because that doesn't mean they didn't do work, it means you didn't customize the class enough.

There's three in Virginia so far- Alexandria and Tysons and Loudoun.

Fusion parent here. That's not accurate. My kid HAS gotten less than an "A" in some classes. His courses are very customized to his style of learning, and he's getting more of an education now than he ever did in public. Also, he works very hard in his classes - so I'm not sure what you meant by "paid lots of money for them to avoid working"? In terms of it being expensive, I did mention that in my original post. It is NOT "cheap", and is more on par with what you would pay at a typical private in the DC area.

It is accurate. I worked there and have no reason to lie. It may not be accurate for your particular fusion or child but it was at the one I worked at and they are all very different. It was a big deal that one of my students received a B and I had to prove that he had basically not submitted any work and didn't attend homework cafe or stay for all of Friday school and still a B was as low as it could go and it was a whole thing with the parents. But I had seriously almost no work to show for this kid. I had other kids who were very bright and motivated but had other things like athletics or school anxiety that made a public school not a good fit. They did well. But some kids definitely viewed it as "my place to play, I can't believe you expect work from me."

what you just described is what happens at every single school - public or private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is super smart but has had a hard year academically and socially. He's in 9th grade and his grades have tanked this year. He hates school at this point. All his teachers talk about how smart he is. He has a few friends but they are really bad influences and not very nice to him. I'd really like to get him into a positive school/social situation. I can't afford super high tuition but am looking for affordable private schools that have a warm social environment and an engaging academic program- but that would admit a kid with dismal grades but high test scores. Does this exist?

I'm hesitant to post this because I'm sure someone will call me a plant or troll. But who cares.

My DS is at Fusion (we're in a different state), and loves it. We love it too. It's a 1:1 format, where you have one student with one teacher - so he's getting an education truly tailored to his needs. There are other students on campus at the same time, so there are ample opportunities for socializing. The environment is very nurturing, and the students come from all different walks of life including competitive athletes, actors, and kids with specific learning needs such as my DS who has ADHD.

There's a campus in DC and in Rockville, and I think they're opening one in NoVa somewhere.

In terms of tuition - it's not "cheap" but totally worth it to us because our DS was miserable at his public so it's worth it to us.

I taught at a Fusion. It has its issues but I do think for some kids, it's the best option. Very expensive though and there is definitely a sense among the kids hat their parents paid a lot of money for them to avoid worknid they want and basically no kid can get less than an A because that doesn't mean they didn't do work, it means you didn't customize the class enough.

There's three in Virginia so far- Alexandria and Tysons and Loudoun.

Fusion parent here. That's not accurate. My kid HAS gotten less than an "A" in some classes. His courses are very customized to his style of learning, and he's getting more of an education now than he ever did in public. Also, he works very hard in his classes - so I'm not sure what you meant by "paid lots of money for them to avoid working"? In terms of it being expensive, I did mention that in my original post. It is NOT "cheap", and is more on par with what you would pay at a typical private in the DC area.

It is accurate. I worked there and have no reason to lie. It may not be accurate for your particular fusion or child but it was at the one I worked at and they are all very different. It was a big deal that one of my students received a B and I had to prove that he had basically not submitted any work and didn't attend homework cafe or stay for all of Friday school and still a B was as low as it could go and it was a whole thing with the parents. But I had seriously almost no work to show for this kid. I had other kids who were very bright and motivated but had other things like athletics or school anxiety that made a public school not a good fit. They did well. But some kids definitely viewed it as "my place to play, I can't believe you expect work from me."

what you just described is what happens at every single school - public or private.

No. I am a public school teacher now. I have no expectation of passing a kid despite receiving no work. They get the grade they earned because there's no expectation that a grade was paid for.

[Anonymous]

Have you looked at Blyth Templeton?

[Anonymous]

"New School" in Arlington as well as Sycamore.

[Anonymous]

I was also going to recommend Blyth-Templeton. I don’t know all that much about it but what I know makes it sound like a good fit for your son. It’s on the Hill.