Jefferson Houston alternatives

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Country Day is an expensive, mediocre alternative. But if I were facing J-H, I'd find the $30,000 tuition somewhere.

As an education expert who looked at Alexandria Country Day for her own children, I have to disagree with your characterization of the school as "mediocre." Pedagogically, they are very strong, and there is no other private in Alexandria that is as good at differentiation.

We chose not to attend for other reasons, but if we had decided to go private, we would have chosen ACDS.

Interesting. As a parent who researched the Alexandria privates I found ACDS to be the one who lacked any clear understanding of the type of education they were offering. It seemed like a public school with a private school label. The Country Day is supposed to imply a progressive type attitude but the school is more traditional but not traditional in the way Grace Episcopal or Immanuel Lutheran are. It seems they just have a mix and it depends on what teacher is assigned and what teaching style they have.

PP, the fact that ACDS did not label itself "traditional" or "progressive" confused you? While the progressive education is tied to a specific movement and core values, the label "traditional" carries no standard meaning.

ACDS is child-centered and offers more structure than a progressive, but still responds to individual children's needs and preferences in a way that many "traditional schools," such as SSSAS and Brown do not. Perhaps that blend is why you're confused. Burgundy also outperforms SSSAS and Brown on individualizing instruction.

As for being a public school with a private school label, you're radically mistaken if you think ACDS is similar to a public school. There is no way that you would get the level of individualized instruction in any Alexandria City public school. That's what ACDS parents pay for -- the quality of teaching. Aside from individualized, caring instruction based on each child's needs, the teachers and administration are on top of academic research. ACDS is the ONLY private in the area that has switched to Singapore math.

I admit their physical space is not as impressive as SSSAS, Brown, or Burgundy's, but the actual education the kids receive is hands down better.

I am the PP you were replying to and I bolded your statement because that doesn't clarify anything. Every single school is going to be "child centered" so that language is meaningless. And "responds to individual children's needs and preferences" - Again, that doesn't tell me anything. Every school will say they are responsive to a child's individual needs.

It's that lack of clear guiding philosophy that hurts them. If they clearly defined it and then practiced it, more parents might give it more serious consideration.

No, not every school is child-centered. Obviously, you don't understand what "child centered" means in terms of teaching technique, which is why you can't figure out the difference between the various schools under discussion.

In fact most public and traditional schools are not child-centered, and certainly do not respond to individual children's needs and preferences. SSSAS, Grace, and Browne are less child-centered than ACDS and Burgundy. SSSAS and Browne are more "traditional." Child-centered teaching means being able to adapt curriculum and scaffold learning for each child, based on where they are on understanding various concepts and skills. Child-centered teaching requires intensive differentiation, which is a skill that most teachers have not been trained to do well. Further, while every school may say they respond to an individual child's needs, the extent to which that is reality is what distinguishes high-quality teaching from mediocre schools. Among the schools that we looked at (read list above), if interested, ACDS was the best among the A
Alexandria private at implementing child-centered education. Burgundy was fairly strong, too, but they had not codified their assessments to the same extent as ACDS.

Blah blah blah re "child-centered learning" and the BS PhD pedagogy cited above. Look at the schools and make the right decision for each child that you know best. Personally, I think LCTA is child centered. Not because I have a PhD but because my child had received very impressive differentiation, both in the gifted TAG program, and for when DC was struggling earlier on in K and needed extra help and child-specific projects and individualized learning strategies that we worked out with his teachers. And we didn't pay $30k for it! So much of a child's success depends on the individual teacher, parent involvement, and not some pedagogy that may or may not be followed.

If you have a bright kid at Jefferson Houston, supplement with Kumon or other programs, sign the child up for lots of extracurricular activities like music lessons, chess, and sports, then that child will thrive.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I think LCTA is child centered. Not because I have a PhD but because my child had received very impressive differentiation, both in the gifted TAG program, and for when DC was struggling earlier on in K and needed extra help and child-specific projects and individualized learning strategies that we worked out with his teachers. And we didn't pay $30k for it! So much of a child's success depends on the individual teacher, parent involvement, and not some pedagogy that may or may not be followed.

Well, I can't speak to LCTA, but my children attended two other better regarded ACPS elementary schools, and while it worked out well for us, they were not what I consider "child centered." Yes, there was some differentiation, but not a great deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Blah blah blah re "child-centered learning" and the BS PhD pedagogy cited above. Look at the schools and make the right decision for each child that you know best. Personally, I think LCTA is child centered. Not because I have a PhD but because my child had received very impressive differentiation, both in the gifted TAG program, and for when DC was struggling earlier on in K and needed extra help and child-specific projects and individualized learning strategies that we worked out with his teachers. And we didn't pay $30k for it! So much of a child's success depends on the individual teacher, parent involvement, and not some pedagogy that may or may not be followed.

If you have a bright kid at Jefferson Houston, supplement with Kumon or other programs, sign the child up for lots of extracurricular activities like music lessons, chess, and sports, then that child will thrive.

One of the challenges teachers face is that everyone thinks that because they went to school, they know all there is to know about education -- certainly more than someone who spent years studying and researching within the field.

PP, if a K teacher were not able to differentiate, they would not be able to do their jobs. That's where differentiation is absolutely required and where, if you are lucky, you have a teacher who's actually up to the job. However, even when teachers are skilled at differentiation, classroom sizes limit the amount of time each teacher can devote to a particular child. A class size of 21 vs. 15 makes a huge difference in how well a teacher can differentiate instruction.

Yes, TAG programs tend to be more focused on individual children, but Alexandria City's TAG program is not of very high quality compared to other districts in NOVA. Sorry, Alexandria City's TAG is just not comparable to the better privates.

The fact that teachers may or may not follow best practices in pedagogy should be of concern to parents and the fact that you dismiss it as "blah blah blah" is typical and one of the reasons why our education system is in so much trouble. As education consumers, parents often have very little clue what they are consuming.

Supplementing with Kumon to mitigate for JH's weaknesses? Really? That's such a clueless comment, I don't know where to even begin a response. I think I'll spare myself the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Blah blah blah re "child-centered learning" and the BS PhD pedagogy cited above. Look at the schools and make the right decision for each child that you know best. Personally, I think LCTA is child centered. Not because I have a PhD but because my child had received very impressive differentiation, both in the gifted TAG program, and for when DC was struggling earlier on in K and needed extra help and child-specific projects and individualized learning strategies that we worked out with his teachers. And we didn't pay $30k for it! So much of a child's success depends on the individual teacher, parent involvement, and not some pedagogy that may or may not be followed.

If you have a bright kid at Jefferson Houston, supplement with Kumon or other programs, sign the child up for lots of extracurricular activities like music lessons, chess, and sports, then that child will thrive.

One of the challenges teachers face is that everyone thinks that because they went to school, they know all there is to know about education -- certainly more than someone who spent years studying and researching within the field.

PP, if a K teacher were not able to differentiate, they would not be able to do their jobs. That's where differentiation is absolutely required and where, if you are lucky, you have a teacher who's actually up to the job. However, even when teachers are skilled at differentiation, classroom sizes limit the amount of time each teacher can devote to a particular child. A class size of 21 vs. 15 makes a huge difference in how well a teacher can differentiate instruction.

Yes, TAG programs tend to be more focused on individual children, but Alexandria City's TAG program is not of very high quality compared to other districts in NOVA. Sorry, Alexandria City's TAG is just not comparable to the better privates.

The fact that teachers may or may not follow best practices in pedagogy should be of concern to parents and the fact that you dismiss it as "blah blah blah" is typical and one of the reasons why our education system is in so much trouble. As education consumers, parents often have very little clue what they are consuming.

Supplementing with Kumon to mitigate for JH's weaknesses? Really? That's such a clueless comment, I don't know where to even begin a response. I think I'll spare myself the time.

Your condescending and patronizing attitude are typical of an ego who has spent more time studying academics and pedagogy instead of learning about each school option, the way an informed parent should. If you had, you would know that Lyles-Crouch has classes with 15-18 in them. That Browne Academy is spelled with an "e", and that ACDS simply doesn't offer the best education for the tuition dollars required, academically or resources-wise. And mutiple PPs have said as much based on their experiences.

So, feel free to pontificate from your ivory tower as to your theories on child-led instruction, but you simply don't know basic facts about each school you claim to be inferior. And you blindly advocate for a school that just isn't that great.

[Anonymous]

Actually I have a question, what do kids from Lyles Crouch and other ACPS elementaries do for middle school? Do they stay in ACPS? I have been wondering if that is the case, will we see a turn around for TC?

As for JH, IDK what I would do. I feel like that is ACPS' designated high poverty school. I wish they would even it out a bit. Not fair to JH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually I have a question, what do kids from Lyles Crouch and other ACPS elementaries do for middle school? Do they stay in ACPS? I have been wondering if that is the case, will we see a turn around for TC?

As for JH, IDK what I would do. I feel like that is ACPS' designated high poverty school. I wish they would even it out a bit. Not fair to JH.

We went from Lyles Crouch to GWMS and have been very pleasantly surprised. I heard all these horror stories about it, but after touring the school and going to a few PTA meetings, as well as knowing some of the kids that go there, gave it a shot. It has been a great experience so far (DC is going into 8th). Latin teacher is a fave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the challenges teachers face is that everyone thinks that because they went to school, they know all there is to know about education -- certainly more than someone who spent years studying and researching within the field.

PP, if a K teacher were not able to differentiate, they would not be able to do their jobs. That's where differentiation is absolutely required and where, if you are lucky, you have a teacher who's actually up to the job. However, even when teachers are skilled at differentiation, classroom sizes limit the amount of time each teacher can devote to a particular child. A class size of 21 vs. 15 makes a huge difference in how well a teacher can differentiate instruction.

Yes, TAG programs tend to be more focused on individual children, but Alexandria City's TAG program is not of very high quality compared to other districts in NOVA. Sorry, Alexandria City's TAG is just not comparable to the better privates.

The fact that teachers may or may not follow best practices in pedagogy should be of concern to parents and the fact that you dismiss it as "blah blah blah" is typical and one of the reasons why our education system is in so much trouble. As education consumers, parents often have very little clue what they are consuming.

Supplementing with Kumon to mitigate for JH's weaknesses? Really? That's such a clueless comment, I don't know where to even begin a response. I think I'll spare myself the time.

Your condescending and patronizing attitude are typical of an ego who has spent more time studying academics and pedagogy instead of learning about each school option, the way an informed parent should. If you had, you would know that Lyles-Crouch has classes with 15-18 in them. That Browne Academy is spelled with an "e", and that ACDS simply doesn't offer the best education for the tuition dollars required, academically or resources-wise. And mutiple PPs have said as much based on their experiences.

So, feel free to pontificate from your ivory tower as to your theories on child-led instruction, but you simply don't know basic facts about each school you claim to be inferior. And you blindly advocate for a school that just isn't that great.



I'd say that people with your arrogance and willful stupidity are why the education system in the United States is in crisis. You believe that with no specialized knowledge or education, you know everything there is to know about teaching. Is spelling Browne with an "e" indicative of specialized knowledge? If so, more power to you.

The fact that Lyles Crouch has 15-18 kids in them says nothing about the quality of instruction it offers, although it is obviously one of the better ACPS schools. I merely stated that there is a huge difference between 21 kids and 15 kids in a classroom with reference to differentiation. Teaching quality is dependent on more than class size.

You really do have a problem reading if you think that I'm pontificating from an ivory tower. Yes, I have a Ph.D. in education, but I'm also the parent of three school-age children. I did my research on Alexandria City schools and decided to leave. Yes, we looked at Lyles-Crouch, and what it offered certainly didn't convince me to stay.

As for people commenting on ACDS, none have commented from experience, just perceptions. I remain bemused that people like you make judgments about the quality of education based on how well a school can churn out PR propaganda and based on the facilities. ACDS' PR is not as strong as SSSAS and Browne, nor are its facilities as large, but they do offer a higher quality of education.

Go ahead. As an "informed parent," keep asserting that you know best how to assess educational quality.

[Anonymous]

LCTA and other east-side schools feed into GWMS where we are. Like the PP, we have been pleasantly surprised by it. The music program is really amazing, so if your DC wants to do orchestra or band it is definitely the way to go.

[Anonymous]

Glad to hear that people like GWMS. I think there is hope for ACPS with involved parents and smart kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear that people like GWMS. I think there is hope for ACPS with involved parents and smart kids.

I'd hope ACPS is focusing on educating all children that come through their doors, not just those perceived as "smart" with "involved" parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear that people like GWMS. I think there is hope for ACPS with involved parents and smart kids.

I'd hope ACPS is focusing on educating all children that come through their doors, not just those perceived as "smart" with "involved" parents.

+1

[Anonymous]

I'd say that people with your arrogance and willful stupidity are why the education system in the United States is in crisis. You believe that with no specialized knowledge or education, you know everything there is to know about teaching. Is spelling Browne with an "e" indicative of specialized knowledge? If so, more power to you.

The fact that Lyles Crouch has 15-18 kids in them says nothing about the quality of instruction it offers, although it is obviously one of the better ACPS schools. I merely stated that there is a huge difference between 21 kids and 15 kids in a classroom with reference to differentiation. Teaching quality is dependent on more than class size.

You really do have a problem reading if you think that I'm pontificating from an ivory tower. Yes, I have a Ph.D. in education, but I'm also the parent of three school-age children. I did my research on Alexandria City schools and decided to leave. Yes, we looked at Lyles-Crouch, and what it offered certainly didn't convince me to stay.

As for people commenting on ACDS, none have commented from experience, just perceptions. I remain bemused that people like you make judgments about the quality of education based on how well a school can churn out PR propaganda and based on the facilities. ACDS' PR is not as strong as SSSAS and Browne, nor are its facilities as large, but they do offer a higher quality of education.

Go ahead. As an "informed parent," keep asserting that you know best how to assess educational quality.

Will you please just shut up! Not only are you irritating and condescending, but you don't have any skin in this game. The post was about alternatives to ACPS and you don't even live in Alexandria. A PhD doesn't make you any more knowledgable. Get over yourself! Please stop hijacking the thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear that people like GWMS. I think there is hope for ACPS with involved parents and smart kids.

I'd hope ACPS is focusing on educating all children that come through their doors, not just those perceived as "smart" with "involved" parents.

+1

I think ACPS has made a lot of progress in recent years. I would like to see that progress spread evenly around, but it is a positive development the people are choosing the middle school. ACPS will always be a diverse school system so hopefully it can continue to meet the needs of all of its populations.

As for JH, Have you talked to the PTA or other parents? Gotten a feel for it? I know they are making transferring out a little harder this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say that people with your arrogance and willful stupidity are why the education system in the United States is in crisis. You believe that with no specialized knowledge or education, you know everything there is to know about teaching. Is spelling Browne with an "e" indicative of specialized knowledge? If so, more power to you.

The fact that Lyles Crouch has 15-18 kids in them says nothing about the quality of instruction it offers, although it is obviously one of the better ACPS schools. I merely stated that there is a huge difference between 21 kids and 15 kids in a classroom with reference to differentiation. Teaching quality is dependent on more than class size.

You really do have a problem reading if you think that I'm pontificating from an ivory tower. Yes, I have a Ph.D. in education, but I'm also the parent of three school-age children. I did my research on Alexandria City schools and decided to leave. Yes, we looked at Lyles-Crouch, and what it offered certainly didn't convince me to stay.

As for people commenting on ACDS, none have commented from experience, just perceptions. I remain bemused that people like you make judgments about the quality of education based on how well a school can churn out PR propaganda and based on the facilities. ACDS' PR is not as strong as SSSAS and Browne, nor are its facilities as large, but they do offer a higher quality of education.

Go ahead. As an "informed parent," keep asserting that you know best how to assess educational quality.

Will you please just shut up! Not only are you irritating and condescending, but you don't have any skin in this game. The post was about alternatives to ACPS and you don't even live in Alexandria. A PhD doesn't make you any more knowledgable. Get over yourself! Please stop hijacking the thread.

Oh, poor baby. Can't put forth a coherent argument, so you now have to resort to saying, "Shut up"! How very mature and intelligent.

I 've hardly hijacked the thread. My original response suggested ACDS And Grace as an alternative to JH. While I no longer live in Alexandria, I did for 12 years and had children enrolled in ACPS, which is why I looked at private schools and public alternatives in neighboring areas.

Anyone who knows what an Ivy Ph.D. requires would never be stupid enough to suggest that it does not make someone more knowledgeable in their field of training. You epitomize a lack of respect for education and the anti-intellectualism that goes with it.

As for skin in the game, the fact that I don't have it makes me a neutral observer of Alexandria privates, as opposed to those who have been championing schools their children are attending or have attended. My knowledge of ACPS is recent and relevant. Few people actually bother to observe public schools before deciding whether to send their children. Even if they did, they lack the training to know what distinguishes a great education from a mediocre one.

[Anonymous]

Could both of you shut up?