Sheridan School- Tell me your experiences!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeahhh-responding only as I was called an unknowing troll in earlier post. I saw that other confirmed that Sheridan posts not only where alumni go to college but of course where they are accepted for HS (it is kind of the job to sell the school to track results on students! I think you'll find that at every private no matter whether they have HS or like Sheridan as a K-8.) As I stated in my original - I have pretty much zero interest in whether or not my kid goes to a ivy, coveted school, whatever but I do think it pretty interesting that we are paying $34,000 a year (yep-I am a real parent and know our renewal is due!) for K-8 and except for a very very nice 9 years - it doesn't SEEM to be setting up our kids for amazing colleges later. Of course the acceptance to the local private HS has good showings spread across all the expected. My point was that the kids, 4 years after Sheridan are not going to Ivies at a high rate (esp given all the legacies in the parent population) or even schools you'd think, given crunchy granola/political demographics, places like Oberlin, Kenyon, Hampshire, Davidson, UChicago. It seems alumni more run of mill which to me is just fine if good fit for my kid and colleges not why I sent DC or hopefully #2 either!

Maybe different families had different priorities and objectives. Maybe some kids received scholarships to some of these schools. I see that some years have Yale and Princeton destinations and some years have only one Ivy destination (gasp). It already sounds like the 2013 Sheridan class will have more Ivies than 2012 if that's something you care about. What is clear is that Sheridan has decent outplacement to high schools. Why don't you let that be your first hurdle and then take it from there? In the past, Sheridan has produced GDS valedictorians. If you're not getting what you want, you can switch or go to public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeahhh-responding only as I was called an unknowing troll in earlier post. I saw that other confirmed that Sheridan posts not only where alumni go to college but of course where they are accepted for HS (it is kind of the job to sell the school to track results on students! I think you'll find that at every private no matter whether they have HS or like Sheridan as a K-8.) As I stated in my original - I have pretty much zero interest in whether or not my kid goes to a ivy, coveted school, whatever but I do think it pretty interesting that we are paying $34,000 a year (yep-I am a real parent and know our renewal is due!) for K-8 and except for a very very nice 9 years - it doesn't SEEM to be setting up our kids for amazing colleges later. Of course the acceptance to the local private HS has good showings spread across all the expected. My point was that the kids, 4 years after Sheridan are not going to Ivies at a high rate (esp given all the legacies in the parent population) or even schools you'd think, given crunchy granola/political demographics, places like Oberlin, Kenyon, Hampshire, Davidson, UChicago. It seems alumni more run of mill which to me is just fine if good fit for my kid and colleges not why I sent DC or hopefully #2 either!

I think a previous PP raised this, but the broader issue is simply that you can't buy this anymore--college admissions have changed, and the number of students applying has ballooned while the number of spots at the "elite" schools has remained pretty constant. I'm an HYP alum and interview for my school and can tell you that while the caliber of kids coming out of the big schools hasn't changed, the number getting in (at least of the kids I interview--maybe I need to write stronger reports!) has absolutely fallen. Even 10 years ago, if I had an amazing kid and gave a strong "you want this kid!" type of rec, it was pretty likely that the admissions office would see the same thing and the kid would get in. Now it's 50/50 at best. We have also been short of interviewers for the last several years because so many students are applying, and most years I get some little follow-up at the end of the admissions season exclaiming that the number of applications shattered the previous record (set all of a year ago, usually...) It's just incredibly competitive, and admission is less and less a reflection on which schools kids are coming from than on the fact that there are dozens of others coming from similar schools with similar qualifications and there just aren't enough seats. (The good news is that my alma mater, at least, is expanding for the first time in many years, so is expecting a slightly higher acceptance rate this year, but it's barely enough to matter.)

Exactly. There is an abundance of alum from these schools, particularly the Harvard graduate programs like HBS and HLS. Additionally, whereas just getting a degree was at one time an achievement in and of itself, now it seems it MUST be an Ivy or bust. The bar is so high now (e.g., speak 9 languages, develop cure for Guinea worm at 9) that it's becoming farcical. Some of these Ivies used to be a combo of an old boys' club and a draw for the best and the brightest. And now they are attracting freaks of nature, tiger children or kids of uber wealthy donors.

There is such a keep-up-with-the-Jones' culture that it permeates down to preschool and finding that feeder to a Big 3, which will ultimately pave the way to HYP. Is this race to the top sustainable? Does the pressure help or hurt the kids (striving for excellence versus erosion of confidence)?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard any more about class of 2013 college destinations or class of 2017 hs outplacement?

[Anonymous]

Sheridan parent here.
School is mixed. School is still transitioning from head of school of 13 years who spent the last 2 years of his tenure barely there, and the school sort of limped along. Verdict is out on new head, but signs are not all positive:

1) Admin to teaching staff is 30 admin to 22 teachers (some teachers are also admin)
2) Tuition increases 5% last year, over 3% this year
3) Under current head of school, who is only in her second year, at LEAST 4 kids have left abruptly in the middle of the school year (1 8th grader, 2 7th grader and 1 3rd grader), all parents decided it was so bad they'd forfeit tuition money, and in one case, the 3rd grader, even pay a second tuition to leave. Given how dramatic this move is for a child, that seems to suggest a lot. Also, strange that head purports to be an expert of middle school, yet these problems happen with her and 3 of the 4 kids were in middle school
4) NO mapped out curriculum. Teachers decide what kids learn year-to-year so there's overlap, it isn't deep and it is a bummer for $35K a year.

5) School does a great job of placing in 9th grade, but mediocre college acceptances. (School used to publicize the college acceptances with the fundraising requests. School tracks this. If interested you can get it and see outcomes. Occasional IVY acceptance, and the rest are middle tier schools.) This is because kids aren't sufficiently prepared for 9th grade and it is a bust year in the more rigorous DC high schools. Counts for college ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sheridan parent here.
School is mixed. School is still transitioning from head of school of 13 years who spent the last 2 years of his tenure barely there, and the school sort of limped along. Verdict is out on new head, but signs are not all positive:

1) Admin to teaching staff is 30 admin to 22 teachers (some teachers are also admin)
2) Tuition increases 5% last year, over 3% this year
3) Under current head of school, who is only in her second year, at LEAST 4 kids have left abruptly in the middle of the school year (1 8th grader, 2 7th grader and 1 3rd grader), all parents decided it was so bad they'd forfeit tuition money, and in one case, the 3rd grader, even pay a second tuition to leave. Given how dramatic this move is for a child, that seems to suggest a lot. Also, strange that head purports to be an expert of middle school, yet these problems happen with her and 3 of the 4 kids were in middle school
4) NO mapped out curriculum. Teachers decide what kids learn year-to-year so there's overlap, it isn't deep and it is a bummer for $35K a year.

5) School does a great job of placing in 9th grade, but mediocre college acceptances. (School used to publicize the college acceptances with the fundraising requests. School tracks this. If interested you can get it and see outcomes. Occasional IVY acceptance, and the rest are middle tier schools.) This is because kids aren't sufficiently prepared for 9th grade and it is a bust year in the more rigorous DC high schools. Counts for college ....

You have no idea what you are talking about in regards to college acceptances. Unless you think Columbia, Hopkins, Tufts, UVA and Penn are middle of the road schools (all kids from ONE Sheridan class)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sheridan parent here.
School is mixed. School is still transitioning from head of school of 13 years who spent the last 2 years of his tenure barely there, and the school sort of limped along. Verdict is out on new head, but signs are not all positive:

1) Admin to teaching staff is 30 admin to 22 teachers (some teachers are also admin)
2) Tuition increases 5% last year, over 3% this year
3) Under current head of school, who is only in her second year, at LEAST 4 kids have left abruptly in the middle of the school year (1 8th grader, 2 7th grader and 1 3rd grader), all parents decided it was so bad they'd forfeit tuition money, and in one case, the 3rd grader, even pay a second tuition to leave. Given how dramatic this move is for a child, that seems to suggest a lot. Also, strange that head purports to be an expert of middle school, yet these problems happen with her and 3 of the 4 kids were in middle school
4) NO mapped out curriculum. Teachers decide what kids learn year-to-year so there's overlap, it isn't deep and it is a bummer for $35K a year.

5) School does a great job of placing in 9th grade, but mediocre college acceptances. (School used to publicize the college acceptances with the fundraising requests. School tracks this. If interested you can get it and see outcomes. Occasional IVY acceptance, and the rest are middle tier schools.) This is because kids aren't sufficiently prepared for 9th grade and it is a bust year in the more rigorous DC high schools. Counts for college ....

Wow. This is not our experience at all, especially #4. The curriculum is well thought-out with many connections between homeroom classes (reading, writing , math) and "specials" (science, art, music). The school is heading in a great direction under the new head, who is well-versed, and experienced in progressive education.

Also, there is no way that there are 30 administrators there. I count seven between the Head, lower and middle school heads, admissions staff, development office. Add in the school nurse, front office person, a few reading specialists, and the cafeteria folks, and I am not sure that even gets you to 30.

[Anonymous]

My child is in third grade. No one has left in the middle of the year.

[Anonymous]

Last year, 5 third graders left, and one of the 5 left middle of the year without a tuition rebate for another private. All 5 kids went to other DC area private schools.

[Anonymous]

The school is only 225 kids. No way are there 30 admin types. There's the head. The lower and upper school heads. Two admissions staffers and two development staffers and the front desk. I wouldn't consider the nurse, the school counselor, the learning specialists, technology specialists or the after school team to be admin as they directly interact with and support students. So maybe you meant non-teachers, but I still think 30 might be a stretch. I'm grateful each of them is there as it's part of what makes the school,special.

I can imagine the any changes at the school might be harder for those who came in under the previous head and signed up for his approach. We came after that and love the current direction. The only thing that's bizarre is the hermetic seal surrounding the previous head's departure. That's a little weird. But the curriculum, the warmth, the energy, is everything we wanted. I feel like we are fortunate to be part of one of the strongest lower school programs out there. I am hopeful that our middle school experience will also be strong. I'm excited to see what the head will bring to that program.

I also take some comfort in knowing that the outplacement team only handles 24 kids and that means every kid is known and there's little possibility that anyone will be overlooked or left behind.

For the class of 2013 college admissions, I've heard of two: Yale and Penn. I think each year varies and as others noted getting into some schools is getting more and more competitive.

9:52 if you aren't happy, why do you stay? (Not catty, just curious.)

[Anonymous]

We had a child there and were very disappointed and pulled our child out. 30-50% of the kids in the older grades have tutors, that tells me the teaching staff is not strong enough. Jessica Lee is not a good administrator and neither was the gentleman that they hired to run middle school. His contract was not renewed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a child there and were very disappointed and pulled our child out. 30-50% of the kids in the older grades have tutors, that tells me the teaching staff is not strong enough. Jessica Lee is not a good administrator and neither was the gentleman that they hired to run middle school. His contract was not renewed.

Agreed - some issues in the lower grades as well with a particular teaching team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a child there and were very disappointed and pulled our child out. 30-50% of the kids in the older grades have tutors, that tells me the teaching staff is not strong enough. Jessica Lee is not a good administrator and neither was the gentleman that they hired to run middle school. His contract was not renewed.

So is it fair to say that you left because you didn't believe your child was academically challenged? My understanding is the head of upper school is leaving because the commuter was too much strain. Again, with no ill intent, how would you know much about either if you've already left the school? Last year was the head's first year and the middle school head arrived after you left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a child there and were very disappointed and pulled our child out. 30-50% of the kids in the older grades have tutors, that tells me the teaching staff is not strong enough. Jessica Lee is not a good administrator and neither was the gentleman that they hired to run middle school. His contract was not renewed.

So is it fair to say that you left because you didn't believe your child was academically challenged? My understanding is the head of upper school is leaving because the commuter was too much strain. Again, with no ill intent, how would you know much about either if you've already left the school? Last year was the head's first year and the middle school head arrived after you left.

Middle school head is a disaster, that is why his contract was not renewed. Jay Briar will be the new middle school head, arguably one of the best teachers at Sheridan. It will remain to be seen if they can find a replacement who matches him for the 8th grade. They are tending toward hiring far less qualified teachers now.

We have been at Sheridan for many years and I have never seen this level of dissatisfaction with leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a child there and were very disappointed and pulled our child out. 30-50% of the kids in the older grades have tutors, that tells me the teaching staff is not strong enough. Jessica Lee is not a good administrator and neither was the gentleman that they hired to run middle school. His contract was not renewed.

So is it fair to say that you left because you didn't believe your child was academically challenged? My understanding is the head of upper school is leaving because the commuter was too much strain. Again, with no ill intent, how would you know much about either if you've already left the school? Last year was the head's first year and the middle school head arrived after you left.

Middle school head is a disaster, that is why his contract was not renewed. Jay Briar will be the new middle school head, arguably one of the best teachers at Sheridan. It will remain to be seen if they can find a replacement who matches him for the 8th grade. They are tending toward hiring far less qualified teachers now.

We have been at Sheridan for many years and I have never seen this level of dissatisfaction with leadership.

As another poster pointed out up thread, there are, perhaps, some families who came in under the old head who do not care for the direction of the new head. We came in under the new head, and there is a lot of satisfaction with the school and the administration among the new families.

[Anonymous]

We're a new family and we're very happy with the direction of the school. What is the root of the dissatisfaction for those who have been there longer? Jay seems to be a good choice, for example. New playground is coming. There is a new literacy specialist, a new counselor. These all seem like good moves.