Which school best supports children who are advanced academically?

[Anonymous]

I actually question whether the child at issue is no more than a very bright kid who no doubt would fit into most of the private schools in the area. She used the phrases "fairly advanced" above grade level. The top private schools are all teaching at the upper end or even above grade level. Teaching 4G math to a 3Grader is no big deal for most of these schools. Teacher 6G plus might be. That is when public magnet programs come in. Most DC residents think they have bright, even very bright, kids. VERY FEW are at the genius level.

[Anonymous]

Maybe she wants to start a school for the highly gifted (a la Nysmith) and is canvassing to see whether there's a market? That would explain OP's clinical, get-out-of-my-way approach.

[Anonymous]

Or maybe she's just overbearing.

[Anonymous]

Good point, pp. In additional to starting at a high level, the schools in question do differentiate by grouping kids for reading and math and by offering optional extra challenges, even if they don't accelerate to the degree that public gifted/magnet programs do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she wants to start a school for the highly gifted (a la Nysmith) and is canvassing to see whether there's a market? That would explain OP's clinical, get-out-of-my-way approach.

Its also called "doing research"!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually question whether the child at issue is no more than a very bright kid who no doubt would fit into most of the private schools in the area. She used the phrases "fairly advanced" above grade level. The top private schools are all teaching at the upper end or even above grade level. Teaching 4G math to a 3Grader is no big deal for most of these schools. Teacher 6G plus might be. That is when public magnet programs come in. Most DC residents think they have bright, even very bright, kids. VERY FEW are at the genius level.

I agree with this completely. I also think if the OP wants some sort of special treatment for her darling DC, who is reading one level above current grade or something, she is very quickly going to get the PITA label. I previously assumed she WAS talking about some kind of genuis kid, but the more she responded, the less convinced I became.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to hear only from parents whose children have gone through or are currently going through elementary school in Beauvoir, Maret, GDS, and Sidwell. I am also interested in hearing specifically from parents whose children are fairly advanced academically (above grade level in one or more areas), and how the school in question dealt with this. Did you feel your child was sufficiently supported, engaged, and accelerated? How much advocacy did you need to undertake versus the teachers "getting" it and acting proactively to provide enrichment and acceleration to your child? Did you find that things got better in terms of school support for your child as the child got older - or did it get more difficult? Conversely, if you had a particularly poor experience with one of these schools on this count, I want to hear that too. Thanks in advance!

Hey. OP -

How much did you pay an educational consultant to label your child gifted?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Seriously, some of these posters are disturbed. If you don't like the question, what on earth possesses you to write? I do want to thank again the people who answered in good faith. I think I got some fairly useful information. I am not checking back here, so all you ladies who feel you need to write nasty things, go crazy now.

[Anonymous]

I have a child at another independent, & found the post by the GDS parent interesting, and in line with what I value in science for children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe she wants to start a school for the highly gifted (a la Nysmith) and is canvassing to see whether there's a market? That would explain OP's clinical, get-out-of-my-way approach.

Its also called "doing research"!

It's called bullying people to find a narrow, almost pre-determined answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Seriously, some of these posters are disturbed. If you don't like the question, what on earth possesses you to write? I do want to thank again the people who answered in good faith. I think I got some fairly useful information. I am not checking back here, so all you ladies who feel you need to write nasty things, go crazy now.

You can clearly match all the other posters for sheer rudeness and the number of your insults. What makes you think people will respond to you nicely, when all your posts, starting from your first one, have been nearly or as rude as this one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I do want to hear if your child went through the elite private schools in DC and ended up in a magnet, and I want to hear about the process. But beyond that, it would be great if you stayed on the question. Thank you.

I started the magnet thing - sorry if it seemed off track. I had a child move from private to magnet, and it was great. But virtually nobody does that. One child also considered magnet HS seriously, and it was great, but stayed in private.

Cohort, cohort, cohort. I can't say it enough. In my experience, many private schools respond if there are enough kids. Othertimes they make exceptions for just one, but it takes a lot of work to have that happen, and schools are careful to find ways to argue it is not a precedent. Advancing one child can generate resentment from other parents who think their DC is also exceptional. I am not sure that is reason not to do it - just say that for full disclosure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I started the magnet thing - sorry if it seemed off track. I had a child move from private to magnet, and it was great. But virtually nobody does that. One child also considered magnet HS seriously, and it was great, but stayed in private.

We did this too. DC was actually bored in a private. Now DC is in a MoCo math-science magnet, and is really happy and challenged (I won't identify whether at a HS or a MS magnet, to keep our privacy because there really aren't too many of us who made this switch). DC is also challenged even on the social studies and english front in the honors classes.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you're getting answers, you just don't like the ones that you're getting. People are telling you to GO PUBLIC, because you won't get what you want from the privates that you mentioned. Instead of being snippy, because you don't like the answers, you should try listening to the advice that you solicited. Less attitude, more listening--that might be your winning formula.

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I have been around these boards enough to know that I would very quickly be told to look at the public magnets and would be asked whether we've already applied and to pursue this with the schools that accept. Fellow posters, I want to remind you that this is a discussion board. I have a very specific and pointed question, and I am still hoping to hear from more parents who have experience with the question I am raising. Once again, I know about the magnets and their superiority. I do want to hear if your child went through the elite private schools in DC and ended up in a magnet, and I want to hear about the process. But beyond that, it would be great if you stayed on the question. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I assumed that OP askd about those particular schools because she may live in an area (such as most of DC) where the public schools are NOT the best choice. Would you really continue to recommend public if she told you she lives in an area where the school are failing and there are no good magnets?