If you want your children to have lives, don't send them to St. Albans, or Sidwell!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the OP is not a former STA parent. Someone has been continually trying, on multiple threads, to connect STA and the other top area schools with GP. While GP is no doubt a good school, it is not STA or Sidwell in terms of academics. And that is fine. GP attracts very few of the hyper competitive members of the DC law/media/political world. Having been around private schools in DC for decades, I know very few people who who would apply to both STA and GP, even those interested in single sex schools. Different schools, different strengths, different parent populations.

Oh, my gosh. You are so ridculously wrong on this. Not just any portion of your post, but every element of it.

[Anonymous]

This thread is detetiorating. There are a number of comments coming forth that are simply serving to self-actualize school choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the OP is not a former STA parent. Someone has been continually trying, on multiple threads, to connect STA and the other top area schools with GP. While GP is no doubt a good school, it is not STA or Sidwell in terms of academics. And that is fine. GP attracts very few of the hyper competitive members of the DC law/media/political world. Having been around private schools in DC for decades, I know very few people who who would apply to both STA and GP, even those interested in single sex schools. Different schools, different strengths, different parent populations.

This is a pretty arrogant comment, poster. Frankly, I happen to know no less than three families who viewed that Georgetown Prep was a superior pick to the self proclaimed big 3. I also know two others who very specifically picked Potomac over St. Albans (one last year, one this year).

Why would you be so taken back that other schools are competitive at that level?

[Anonymous]

Now if you keep your child at a top-tier school that is too difficult simply because you're preoccupied with being at one of the Big 3, then you have no one to blame but yourself...

Here's the deal, for real, from someone who knows: if Sidwell is actually, honestly too much for your 9th or 10th grader -- truly too difficult -- then this will be apparent to the admin. via the teachers. And they will counsel you out. Mom and Dad don't get to decide that they'll "keep" Jacob in although he's failing.

But maybe the quoted material is hyperbole?

[Anonymous]

No one has said that she thinks that Sidwell or STA is too difficult for her DC. What people have said is that they think these schools (and/or others) have structured their workloads in ways that are unduly burdensome not (just) for kids who are struggling but for kids who are doing quite well academically.

The response, then, is "well, if your kid can't cut it..." Which functions to shut down discussion or steer it into some stupid competition rather than actually talk about what we mean when we say we want high academic standards, what we want the lives of ambitious and academically-oriented teens to look like, what constitutes preparation for success in college and/or life, etc.

[Anonymous]

In spite of the fact that the OP began this thread with an inflammatory statement the issue is a critical one. I don't think it has anything to do with private school. The real issue is " Are the expectations we have for our 16 and 17 year olds developmentally appropriate?"

They get up at 6:00 am leave for school around 7 and EC's keep them out until a minimum of 5pm more often closer to 7pm. Weekend EC commitments, test prep, college visits. They are exhausted. God forbid they get sick. They will not stay home. They will insist on going to school and infecting everyone else.Junior year is a grind and as a parent you are just hoping for them to hold on. I have been having this discussion with parents for years.
And before some of you start chiming in with declarations of how my kids were not up to par, trust me they set the standard and still I don't feel good about it.

I wish they had more fun. I wish I could have enjoyed them more. An although I don't like the way the OP said it, I do wish they had had a more balanced life.

I think workload discussions are critical at all schools. Teachers have come to rely on kids self teaching. I think mental health days need to built into the calendar so that the kids believe that adults understand the pressure they feel.

[Anonymous]

I would be interested to hear what other parents think would help. I'm not sure where I would make the cuts, if given god-like powers. Mostly push for better coordination among different teachers, so the load is more even.

[Anonymous]

I would not want the teachers to coordinate with one another to even out the workload over several days. These schools are meant to prepare students for college, where teachers do NOT coordinate with one another to even out the workload. Upper-schoolers need to learn to manage their time, to prepare for the realities of college.

[Anonymous]

But many graduates report being overprepared for college, which suggests that upper schools are pushing them unnecessarily hard.

[Anonymous]

22:21 Have you had a kid in high school or college in the last decade? I do not believe you understand the current realities of high school or college. 22:27 is correct. Many of these students report being over prepared.
What is the real benefit of this extra work? In many cases busy work.
22:11 I don't have in all subject areas but I was extremely sure that dd's english class could have cut one third of the reading and still done a suoerior job. Here is my two cents-

Many of these courses are being taught at a freshman college level. Unfortunately, the students are going to school for six hours a day not three. Hence the time squeeze. No teacher is going to willingly adjust their course for my emphasis on depth instead of breadth. But they could.

[Anonymous]

pp here. wow, lots of typos . Time to sleep.

[Anonymous]

How can anyone possibly be "overprepared" for college--assuming it's a top tier or competitive college? I seriously doubt that a Sidwell/STA/NCS/GDS/Maret grad was overprepared for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. So please enlighten us. Where did you get your information and which high schools and colleges did these alleged graduates attend?

Anonymous wrote:But many graduates report being overprepared for college, which suggests that upper schools are pushing them unnecessarily hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the OP is not a former STA parent. Someone has been continually trying, on multiple threads, to connect STA and the other top area schools with GP. While GP is no doubt a good school, it is not STA or Sidwell in terms of academics. And that is fine. GP attracts very few of the hyper competitive members of the DC law/media/political world. Having been around private schools in DC for decades, I know very few people who who would apply to both STA and GP, even those interested in single sex schools. Different schools, different strengths, different parent populations.

Oh, my gosh. You are so ridculously wrong on this. Not just any portion of your post, but every element of it.

I agree with the original quote here. I understand that GP spent $80 Million on athletic facilities, while STA just opened its renovated $80 Million classroom building. GP sends a good number of kids to Notre Dame, Georgetown and Boston College, while STA sends a good number of kids to the Ivy League schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that the OP is not a former STA parent. Someone has been continually trying, on multiple threads, to connect STA and the other top area schools with GP. While GP is no doubt a good school, it is not STA or Sidwell in terms of academics. And that is fine. GP attracts very few of the hyper competitive members of the DC law/media/political world. Having been around private schools in DC for decades, I know very few people who who would apply to both STA and GP, even those interested in single sex schools. Different schools, different strengths, different parent populations.

This is a pretty arrogant comment, poster. Frankly, I happen to know no less than three families who viewed that Georgetown Prep was a superior pick to the self proclaimed big 3. I also know two others who very specifically picked Potomac over St. Albans (one last year, one this year).

Why would you be so taken back that other schools are competitive at that level?

I agree with the original quote here, even if it is arrogant. Picking Potomac over STA makes perfect sense, especially if prefers a coed school. I am not sure I would say the same about GP over STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:21 Have you had a kid in high school or college in the last decade? I do not believe you understand the current realities of high school or college. 22:27 is correct. Many of these students report being over prepared.
What is the real benefit of this extra work? In many cases busy work.
22:11 I don't have in all subject areas but I was extremely sure that dd's english class could have cut one third of the reading and still done a suoerior job. Here is my two cents-

Many of these courses are being taught at a freshman college level. Unfortunately, the students are going to school for six hours a day not three. Hence the time squeeze. No teacher is going to willingly adjust their course for my emphasis on depth instead of breadth. But they could.

22:21 here. Yes, I do understand the realities of high school and college. As an alumna interviewer for my college, I know what high-school students' schedules are like. I also am the parent of a child who will enter 9th grade this fall.

You say that many of these students report being prepared. Please cite your source for this bald statement.

I can assure you, high-school grads do not arrive at Harvard over-prepared.