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Private & Independent Schools
For those who might be considering one of the top schools in the District (Lowell)
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Anonymous
Dear Former Employee, This is such bs and you know it and you posted it on other threads. When you trash a school in this unfair way, you are trashing also the kids that go there. I'm so glad you are a former! And I hope that Debbie fired you! |
Anonymous
You may disagree with me, but at least I've presented facts. Where is your evidence? And I have not, in any way, trashed the students. It is the administration that has failed the students. They have taken in students they are not equipped to support, all in the interest of filling seats. They have retained students under the arrogant belief that they are the sole school that can provide for them, denying an opportunity for those children to have their needs met. I have seen them lie to teachers and parents alike to cover up such mistakes. All of these go far beyond the typical criticisms and suggest legitimate ethical questions about how the school is being run. If you have reason to believe otherwise, please share it. I was not fired (though several teachers were due to low enrollment... you'll know this was the reason why when you see that they were not replaced) and left of my own volition to pursue work that was truly focused on providing for children. My family is thankful to be elsewhere. |
Anonymous
| People-- there is no proof that the OP or the disgruntled teacher are who they say they are. Please make decisions based on people you trust. |
Anonymous
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I can't speak from the perspective of teachers. But I can present my view as a parent and the views of the other parents in my kids class, with whom I talk a lot. All the parents I know, and they have been there for 6 + years, love the new administration and respect the decisions that are being made. In fact, the majority of the families in fifth grade have decided to stay for the extended middle school because they are impressed by the curriculum and are trusting that it will continue to provide their kids with the excellent education and ethics. I trust those parents more than I trust you simply because they do care a lot about their kids and they are very hard to satisfy. If there is a lower enrollment I haven't noticed it in my kid's grade, and the one new kid admitted into the grade has been a wonderful addition. I participated in the open houses for prospective parents and in the orientation sessions I got no inkling that the school is desperate in any way and is lowering its standards of admission just to fill up seats. The different learners kids in my DC's class have been there for years and from speaking to their parents they feel their kids have been accommodated. I know of at least one kid from years back that needed special support that the school encouraged the parents to find a more suitable one that meets that kid's needs, which they did. The teachers who were let go were the ones that didn't want to upgrade their credentials (I learned of that on this board). You may be well meaning, but I don't see that your post has provided any specifics that would alarm me as a parent. But it does create the impression that there are MAJOR problems and ethical concerns.
I'm sorry, but my experience and that of DC has been positive. This is not to say that there isn't room for improvement in many departments. But which school doesn't have room for improvement? Let me add that I really value the teachers at Lowell and I do hope that they are well treated and valued because as far as I'm concerned they are the best. |
Anonymous
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As a current employee at Lowell I find our assessment strategies to be working! Not 5 years ago but currently! Former employee you are way behind the times. We teachers at Lowell are working hard and playing hard too! There is a camaraderie at Lowell that makes me smile, something that we had lost for awhile but is back! The administration is organized, compassionate and is as focused on the children as it is on the teachers.
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Anonymous
The fact that most of Lowell's students go on to good schools does not negate the possibility that some (or many) of Lowell students have specials needs. Specials needs could refer to many different things, not just intellectual disabilities but also such things as behavioral/attention problems. Attention and behavioral problems may be minor, or so severe that they disrupt the learning environment for other students. |
Anonymous
| There are special needs students at every school, inclding the "big 3". |
Anonymous
| I am a parent of a first grader and will be looking to move at the thrid grade. I find the school to be wonderful in some aspects but having a hard time dealing with so many disruptive children. I'm not just talking about the occasional sever year old acting silly. I'm talking about children with serious emotional and behavorial issues. Every time I go to the school to observe the disruptive children seem to be getting so much one one one attention. I just don't feel like the $ 28,000 in tutition is well spent for a child without special needs. |
Anonymous
What you described in exactly what you will see in a good public school: Good teachers, good teaching, and a few kids whose behavior is so severe that it makes it difficult for the other kids to get any attention. As time progresses, the kids who don't have behavior problems learn that acting out is acceptable (since the other kids are doing it). They learn that acting out is a good way to get the teachers' attention. |
Anonymous
Oh yes, this happens in all the public schools. Even, as you say, at the "good" ones. Not. 
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Anonymous
Oh yes, this happens in all the public schools. Even, as you say, at the "good" ones. Not.
What's your point? That having more than a few kids with behavior problems in a classroom does not disrupt the learning process and provide a bad model for other kids? |
Anonymous
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Poorly Behaved Children Lower Learning For All
http://www.parapundit.com/archives/005487.html |
Anonymous
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What have the enrollment rates been over the last few years? What has the admission rate been? What is the teacher turnover rate? How many positions have been eliminated?
In my experience, I saw a 10% drop in enrollment (far outpacing the losses many schools experienced in the economy) which could not be made up by a near 100% admission rate (meaning students whom the school could not support were accepted to fill seats). Many teachers left voluntarily and more still were fired and not replaced because of dwindling enrollment, especially in the younger grades. |
Anonymous
| What is the point of bashing a school this way? Lots of schools had admissions down during the recession. In every school there are disgruntled parents who leave because they are not happy with something at the school. It's not just Lowell. |
Anonymous
Why is preventing unfavorable facts "bashing"? This is the reality at this school. Why am I only talking about this one? It is the one I am most familiar with . Why am I bringing up these points? Because if I was a parent looking at a school, these would be key criteria I would examine to get a sense of the stability of the administration and the school's ability to meet my child's needs. |