Is starting a small private school in Alexandria a good idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another person chiming in that you need to:
a) Find out more about public schools in general, ACPS in specific, and how demographics might be changing (see excellent PP.)
b) Rethink your beliefe that "trouble" children only exist in the public school, and you will be able to keep them out. If you are brand new private school, and you have a family with the money, but maybe some kids with discipline issues (which could come from a host of reasons) are you just going to "kick them out"? You lose their money. Private schools have their own challenges.

I do not believe the demographics are changing in ACPS and certainly not that fast. The public housing that is being torn down is being replaced by other public housing buidlings ( higher rise). THe ACPS school system is a disaster and you are not going to convince me otherwise.

My kids may end up being a child with discipline issues. I do not expect perfect angels. I am talking about an approach as to how to handle this. Most private schools have stricter rules and consequences on discipline than public schools. THis is just a fact. I am not coming up with a new concept here, just going along with the private school norm.

[Anonymous]

Alexandria Friends School also had to close this past year due to under enrollment. However, they were a Quaker high school and then tried to change it to a middle school.

If you, as the parent, are involved and already have other parents on-board - go for it. For $10k a year, a lot of people would be interested. I don't think Browne, Burgundy or even SSAS are full right now but they charge a lot more.

[Anonymous]

OP, search "Alexandria Academy" and "T.R. Ahlstrom" for the history of last year's debacle.

It was a private middle school modeled after Washington Latin (which Ahlstrom started, and then was kicked out of).

Alexandria Academy was a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person chiming in that you need to:
a) Find out more about public schools in general, ACPS in specific, and how demographics might be changing (see excellent PP.)
b) Rethink your beliefe that "trouble" children only exist in the public school, and you will be able to keep them out. If you are brand new private school, and you have a family with the money, but maybe some kids with discipline issues (which could come from a host of reasons) are you just going to "kick them out"? You lose their money. Private schools have their own challenges.

I do not believe the demographics are changing in ACPS and certainly not that fast. The public housing that is being torn down is being replaced by other public housing buidlings ( higher rise). THe ACPS school system is a disaster and you are not going to convince me otherwise.

My kids may end up being a child with discipline issues. I do not expect perfect angels. I am talking about an approach as to how to handle this. Most private schools have stricter rules and consequences on discipline than public schools. THis is just a fact. I am not coming up with a new concept here, just going along with the private school norm.

Agree. I used to be in the "demographics are changing" camp too. But, not fast enough and it's not enough to overcome the systemic and cultural issues that are dragging ACPS down. We left.

[Anonymous]

I wrote about the changing demographics. It is correct that the demographic change is not going to happen for the next 2 -5 years. And that will be the beginning of the shift. But OP doesn't actually have kids in school so that timeline may be ok.

As far as the idea that private schools don't have "discipline" problems - LOL! OP is deluding him/herself. Where do you think the parents of discpline problem kids send them? "Johnny just needs a small class room ..." blah, blah, - tranlsation is my kid has issues that I can't admit and won't deal with but I expect the school to do so because I pay them.

My kid is in private school and the overwhelming majority of parents who live in the City and use private school all say the same - if they felt there was a good public school option, they would use it. The majority of parents would not pick private school whereas in other parts of the area parents do pick private over public even when public is a good choice.

As far as the challenging students, I think OP you just need to say that you don't want your kids to be a majority low SES school. It's really ok to say it and I get it. If I was in Old Town and found out Jefferson-Houston was my home school, I would be moving.

[Anonymous]

OP, I read this article and was really inspired, thinking along the same lines as you. Take a look at what these families did in Brooklyn. I live in DC and ended up going public for elementary for my oldest child, and I am really happy with it. My child could not have had as varied an experience in a co-op school although I understand what you are looking for and wish you luck if you go down that path. (But I do think that the Old Town elems would probably be a lot better than you think.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/t-magazine/22talk-jacobs-t.html?pagewanted=all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wrote about the changing demographics. It is correct that the demographic change is not going to happen for the next 2 -5 years. And that will be the beginning of the shift. But OP doesn't actually have kids in school so that timeline may be ok.

I was having the same exact demographic conversation 5 or 6 years ago and things haven't gotten better. Just saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

I don't want to move down the parkway. We have obviously considered this option.

many many people in this area are not happy with the "good" elementary schools and do not want to send their kids there.

we would not pay the teacher a lower salary than other teachers in the area.

"troubled" kids might not have been the right term. I know that many kids have all sorts of learning disabilities and challenges at home. I was thinking more about how to handle deliberate naughty behavior.

i don't mean that I think the school should be all work and no play. I think it should be a creative, artistic learning environment. HOwever parents will be very involved and that will be a key component of the school. If you don't want to put the time in then the school is not for you.

OP - nobody is telling you that you should move if you don't want to.

Listen, I'm the PP who moved down the parkway. I lived in Old Town for over 10 years. The only people I have EVER heard complain about ACPS are ones whose kids are slated to go to Jefferson Houston.

Of course, now people are up in arms about a possible lottery system, but not sure how that is being played out right now with current enrollment figures.

Honestly, you just come across as naive and a bit judgmental. This whole notion that private schools universally seem to have a better handle on "troubled" children is downright odd.

Why don't you and your lawyer friends just do a homeschool group if you are so unhappy with the elementary options in ACPS and refuse to move? I suspect most of you won't last a year (and when really being given the choice of your child going to - say - Lyles Crouch - and being homeschooled, I think you may lose some participants).

But I'm cynical.

If your group gains traction after a year or two, then perhaps you can start thinking about starting a private school. I think you'll find, though, that you can't do what you propose - have an excellent teacher, decent facilities, pay for all the extras that go into proper learning (books, supplies, etc.) AND still keep the price at a low $7-10k/year.

[Anonymous]

I am intrigued by your math. How can you charge $7K - $10K and pay "the teacher" the going rate? What about benefits? What class size is the break-even point? What parents and teacher(s) will want to sign on to a school that is going to re-evaluate at the end of the first year to see if it is worth continuing and that is founded on the vaguest of educational vision statements? ("good ole traditional," I think you said) Would you add a new grade, a new teacher and more space per year or expect it to be a one-room school? Are there going to be any specialist teachers (art, music, etc. or will your wonder-teacher be able to do it all?

From the sounds of it, what you are really thinking of is a home-schooling co-op, as others have said.

But if you continue to research small private schools, here are some examples of very small schools with moderate tuition that are surviving so far:

Feynman School in Bethesda (one class so far but intending to expand, operating out of a church) http://feynmanschool.org

Harbor School in Bethesda (35-50 students, up to grade 2, operating out of a church) - http://www.theharborschool.org

Seneca Academy in Darnestown (about half the student population is preschool; K-6 might be 60-70 students) http://senecaacademy.org

Pinecrest School in Annandale (preK-6, 60-70 students) http://pinecrestschool.org

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am intrigued by your math. How can you charge $7K - $10K and pay "the teacher" the going rate? What about benefits? What class size is the break-even point? What parents and teacher(s) will want to sign on to a school that is going to re-evaluate at the end of the first year to see if it is worth continuing and that is founded on the vaguest of educational vision statements? ("good ole traditional," I think you said) Would you add a new grade, a new teacher and more space per year or expect it to be a one-room school? Are there going to be any specialist teachers (art, music, etc. or will your wonder-teacher be able to do it all?

From the sounds of it, what you are really thinking of is a home-schooling co-op, as others have said.

But if you continue to research small private schools, here are some examples of very small schools with moderate tuition that are surviving so far:

Feynman School in Bethesda (one class so far but intending to expand, operating out of a church) http://feynmanschool.org

Harbor School in Bethesda (35-50 students, up to grade 2, operating out of a church) - http://www.theharborschool.org

Seneca Academy in Darnestown (about half the student population is preschool; K-6 might be 60-70 students) http://senecaacademy.org

Pinecrest School in Annandale (preK-6, 60-70 students) http://pinecrestschool.org

I agree with this. It will cost you close to 80,000 a year for salary, health care and retirement contributions per year for one teacher!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wrote about the changing demographics. It is correct that the demographic change is not going to happen for the next 2 -5 years. And that will be the beginning of the shift. But OP doesn't actually have kids in school so that timeline may be ok.

I was having the same exact demographic conversation 5 or 6 years ago and things haven't gotten better. Just saying.

I know, I know believe me I know but they have actually started construction and its moving along for Potomac Yards and the Beuregard plan has tear down of one of the apartment complexes for 2013. So 2 years out, Potomoc Yard residential will be built and at the start of the change to Beauregard will be under way.

[Anonymous]

Ah, 13:56, good luck with that pipe dream. You will come and go, the entrenched poor people in Alexandria will stay.

OP, how do you know your child won't be one of the so-called "troublemakers"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ah, 13:56, good luck with that pipe dream. You will come and go, the entrenched poor people in Alexandria will stay.

OP, how do you know your child won't be one of the so-called "troublemakers"?

read all of the posts before you respond

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ah, 13:56, good luck with that pipe dream. You will come and go, the entrenched poor people in Alexandria will stay.

OP, how do you know your child won't be one of the so-called "troublemakers"?

OP here. As I said earlier, my children may be trouble makers. I think they are better off in a private school with a smaller student to teacher ratio if they are.

http://privateschool.about.com/cs/employment/a/advantages_2.htm

[Anonymous]

I'm not a homeschooler but I do know several families involved in co-ops with some similarities to your idea (meaning they hire a teacher, meet in a shared space) but generally it's only part of their schooling--2 days per week, or only math and science. It may be possible to do a more expanded co-op while homeschooling, which seems immeasurably simpler than starting a private school.