What’s Something About Your School You Would Have LOVED To Know Before Enrolling

[Anonymous]

At Madeira, students take seven intensive five-week modules or "mods" instead of two semesters or three trimesters. A full year of a subject is made up of three mods. I assumed that my child would have the same teacher for the three mods in a particular subject. For example, I assumed that she would have the same history teacher for her three mods of history. Nope. She had three different history teachers. It's hit or miss. Sometimes you get repeats, sometimes you don't. It's a question I didn't think to ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

You can EASILY go through these high schools having never received your top 3 choices for any English or History class. Then you're paying $56K for super specialized stuff that your particular kid doesn't care about: a year of Asian history or a year of Shakespeare. My history loving kid is having to take African American Culture as a history class (which I'm sure will be great but this kid would have killed for a spot in an actual history class).

African-American history is American history, so your kid is taking an actual history class.

Exactly. Thank you for calling this out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will go first. Would have loved to know that:

1) School does not allow students to take home their graded quizzes and exams. Student may only review them in class.

2) School does not allow students to view their grades at anytime. Grades are open and viewable for a couple of days per month and even viewable for less time for parents.

3). You get ONE grade for each class at the end of the year.

We would have still enrolled but these were interesting aspects that we were not aware of prior to enrollment. And, my DD loved it.

As a parent who tutors her child in one subject, the first one really makes me mad. What is the reason? Teachers don't want to come up with new tests each year?

I think bc freshmen are mostly taking the exact same classes (except math and a handful of foreign language), it’s so tests aren’t circulated to students who haven’t taken it yet. DD is under the impression some departments use the same test across different teachers but depending on the rotating schedule and how a particular section is pacing, they could take tests days apart. The teachers, however, seem incredibly open to working with the girls and families so if you really wanted/needed them, I have no doubt they’d work with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Madeira, students take seven intensive five-week modules or "mods" instead of two semesters or three trimesters. A full year of a subject is made up of three mods. I assumed that my child would have the same teacher for the three mods in a particular subject. For example, I assumed that she would have the same history teacher for her three mods of history. Nope. She had three different history teachers. It's hit or miss. Sometimes you get repeats, sometimes you don't. It's a question I didn't think to ask.

Hmm, that's odd. We looked at Madeira and assumed it would be the same teacher across the board if it was a year long course. That means you have to get used to the teaching style of three teachers for one course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will go first. Would have loved to know that:

1) School does not allow students to take home their graded quizzes and exams. Student may only review them in class.

2) School does not allow students to view their grades at anytime. Grades are open and viewable for a couple of days per month and even viewable for less time for parents.

3). You get ONE grade for each class at the end of the year.

We would have still enrolled but these were interesting aspects that we were not aware of prior to enrollment. And, my DD loved it.

As a parent who tutors her child in one subject, the first one really makes me mad. What is the reason? Teachers don't want to come up with new tests each year?

Our school doesn’t allow students to take home midterm or final exams, but all other tests and quizzes come home.

[Anonymous]

Wish I had known that there were so many vocal Trump supporting families and country club members.

Is this at Visi?

I have not seen this at Visi - how are families politically vocal at a HS anyway?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

You can EASILY go through these high schools having never received your top 3 choices for any English or History class. Then you're paying $56K for super specialized stuff that your particular kid doesn't care about: a year of Asian history or a year of Shakespeare. My history loving kid is having to take African American Culture as a history class (which I'm sure will be great but this kid would have killed for a spot in an actual history class).

African-American history is American history, so your kid is taking an actual history class.

Exactly. Thank you for calling this out

The class is African American culture. Not history but it's the only history class this kid will get for the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

You can EASILY go through these high schools having never received your top 3 choices for any English or History class. Then you're paying $56K for super specialized stuff that your particular kid doesn't care about: a year of Asian history or a year of Shakespeare. My history loving kid is having to take African American Culture as a history class (which I'm sure will be great but this kid would have killed for a spot in an actual history class).

African-American history is American history, so your kid is taking an actual history class.

Exactly. Thank you for calling this out

The class is African American culture. Not history but it's the only history class this kid will get for the year.

Listen, I'd be just as frustrated with "Asian Culture" or "Native American Culture" as my kid's history class.

Don't make this into a race thing.

[Anonymous]

That behind the scenes, the Board was moving in the direction that it ultimately took and blindsided parents by firing (“not renewing”) several veteran and excellent white staffers who had been doing a great job. These people, ultimately about %20 of the staff were replaced by Black staff. Then the school went all equity and woke, all the time. The curriculum was overhauled and they began doing classroom exercises like the “oppressor / oppressed sorting game”. Shakespeare was no longer on the reading list for the specific grade where it had been for years.



This was years before George Floyd. The school was early to the DEI party and started paying outside contractors large sums to consult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That behind the scenes, the Board was moving in the direction that it ultimately took and blindsided parents by firing (“not renewing”) several veteran and excellent white staffers who had been doing a great job. These people, ultimately about %20 of the staff were replaced by Black staff. Then the school went all equity and woke, all the time. The curriculum was overhauled and they began doing classroom exercises like the “oppressor / oppressed sorting game”. Shakespeare was no longer on the reading list for the specific grade where it had been for years.



This was years before George Floyd. The school was early to the DEI party and started paying outside contractors large sums to consult.

Lordy. What school is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That behind the scenes, the Board was moving in the direction that it ultimately took and blindsided parents by firing (“not renewing”) several veteran and excellent white staffers who had been doing a great job. These people, ultimately about %20 of the staff were replaced by Black staff. Then the school went all equity and woke, all the time. The curriculum was overhauled and they began doing classroom exercises like the “oppressor / oppressed sorting game”. Shakespeare was no longer on the reading list for the specific grade where it had been for years.



This was years before George Floyd. The school was early to the DEI party and started paying outside contractors large sums to consult.

Lordy. What school is that?

Sheridan

[Anonymous]

That DEI would be so all encompassing. Even as a mixed family, it is just overwhelmingly omnipresent. The school needs to pay attention to what's happening around the country (e.g., U of Michigan), take note, and modernize vs digging in. I'd much rather see the kids participating in actual civic engagement. DC would rather this, as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

You can EASILY go through these high schools having never received your top 3 choices for any English or History class. Then you're paying $56K for super specialized stuff that your particular kid doesn't care about: a year of Asian history or a year of Shakespeare. My history loving kid is having to take African American Culture as a history class (which I'm sure will be great but this kid would have killed for a spot in an actual history class).

African-American history is American history, so your kid is taking an actual history class.

Exactly. Thank you for calling this out

I believe the point is that a culture class and a history class are not the same thing, certainly not to colleges tha require a set number of history classes, as opposed to social studies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

You can EASILY go through these high schools having never received your top 3 choices for any English or History class. Then you're paying $56K for super specialized stuff that your particular kid doesn't care about: a year of Asian history or a year of Shakespeare. My history loving kid is having to take African American Culture as a history class (which I'm sure will be great but this kid would have killed for a spot in an actual history class).

African-American history is American history, so your kid is taking an actual history class.

Exactly. Thank you for calling this out

The class is African American culture. Not history but it's the only history class this kid will get for the year.

Has anyone looked at the syllabus for this course - the readings, lecture topics, etc.? Teaching AA culture without historical context could be done, but it's like putting blinkers on and covering your ears so you don't see and hear most of the real picture. I would be very surprised if this isn't a course strongly rooted in history.

[Anonymous]

Most of these complaints are obvious things that happen at any school.

Classes are capped, electives are offered based on student interest with priority to older students, you get a single grade the end of the year. Would be more interested to see what schools don’t do those things cause that is all very normal…