Green Acres

[Anonymous]

Green Acres can be a really great learning environment for a child. It's not perfect for everyone and that's why I think they want to make sure that the kid/family is a good fit. Our daughter started in PK - could read already and was beginning to write and the school was able to support that and still challenge her in other ways. In lower and middle school she would take assignments and turn them into complicated and creative work and the school nurtured this. Our son didn't read until much later - and the school worked with him on his reading - and challenged him successfully in science and math (his passions). The teachers are for the most part very good and are committed to progressive education - the school is mission driven - and it works for most (not all) kids.

Students can be challenged in the program - and are able to compete successfully at fairly competitive middle school and high school programs. It's hard for the parents some times - it's definitely not anything like the public schools I attended 30 years ago!

[Anonymous]

How would a child who needs some "encouragement" fit in? My DC needs constant prodding for things that don't interest him (writing, etc.). But excels at subjects that interest him with almost no interaction. We are thinking about applying next year...

[Anonymous]

The environment at Green Acres encourages students who are curious and think for themselves. It's not a pressure cooker but it is rigourous and challenging. A great fit for our child, who would not thrive at in a high-pressure highly competitive environment.

[Anonymous]

The admissions lady told me that "there is no academic rigor at Green Acres". I think she was just testing me to see what my response would be, but it is a silly thing to say.

Anyway, the family that I know that left there angry, had a child with a reading problem, maybe dyslexia, and they were upset that GA never picked up on it. They just kept saying that every child moves at his/her pace. Finally, in MCPS in two weeks they were being evaluated, and an IEP was in place.

[Anonymous]

My son also had minor learning disabilities. Green Acres spotted them and recommended that we have an assessment done. We did - and the school has been supportive in working with the educational consultant on implementing the recommended changes.

My daughter is in one of the GT mont. county middle school magnet programs. It is a high-pressure environment compared to Green Acres. I suppose the magnet program has "academic rigor". I think Green Acres does as well - it's just not high pressure.

I don't think that Green Acres is perfect. I would talk to the school about how it would "encourage" him in subjects he's not interested in. We have the same issue (especially with writing!). I just tell my son to suck it in and do the work. It has been inspiring to watch him in the science program at Green Acres - they provide an environment that really allows him to explore and develop his passion for the subject.

[Anonymous]

We are considering applying to Green Acres next year, and will visit it in the fall. DC has a speech delay but has made lots of progress with speech therapy. Do therapists come to GA, because it looks like they have a long day and there may not be enough time to go to therapy.

[Anonymous]

This is a question to put to the AD.

[Anonymous]

But you can't ask the AD because then he or she will know you have a kid w/ a speech delay.

[Anonymous]

FYI, I expressed some concern about my DC in regarding to a learning issue and my DC got in anyway.

[Anonymous]

I think they've had to reduce number of sections of classes in the later years due to declining enrollments. This may not be across the board, but it can be demoralizing.

Also, weren't they highlighted last year in a magazine or Post about how they were having trouble w/ enrollments?

I just have the sense that it has quite a number of enthusiastic teachers but there is a lot of tension boiling beneath the surface and kids aren't always protected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The admissions lady told me that "there is no academic rigor at Green Acres". I think she was just testing me to see what my response would be, but it is a silly thing to say.

Not if your goal is to weed out parents who are looking for academic rigor! Or if it is to make someone who is somewhat more open-minded question why they are framing what they want for their child as "rigor" rather than, say, "challenge."

[Anonymous]

Yeah - I think they play all these games to try to figure out the fit -- do you fit and will you be a pain. When applying to MS a couple of years ago, the doubletalk was incredible. On the one hand they spoke of "challenge," but they blanched at anything that asked about specific challenge. For a so-called "progressive" school they take a very paternalistic attitude insofar as they are sure they know what is best for your child without even knowing your child. Actually, it is more that they have a very rigid system, dressed up under the moniker of "progressivism."

[Anonymous]

To continue the above: they loved my kids and admitted them, but my kids were bored out of their minds when they visited. Just felt there was nothing going on in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah - I think they play all these games to try to figure out the fit -- do you fit and will you be a pain. When applying to MS a couple of years ago, the doubletalk was incredible. On the one hand they spoke of "challenge," but they blanched at anything that asked about specific challenge. For a so-called "progressive" school they take a very paternalistic attitude insofar as they are sure they know what is best for your child without even knowing your child. Actually, it is more that they have a very rigid system, dressed up under the moniker of "progressivism."

ITA. This is the best characterization that I have read.
They seem very controlling.
The fallout came years ago when a few parents were dissatisfied with the academics in the MS. Kids moved on without grounding in language arts especially. This is why I sometimes believe that private schools should have to submit to some kind of standardized testing. The results should be made available to the parents, but the schools should not be sanctioned by the government for poor results. Yes, it could lead to some teaching to the test, but there has to be some kind of "dip stick" to get a feel for what you are getting for your money. We have only their word of "all our kids do fine". Then they will tell you about the few that gor into Yale or Harvard.

The Green Acres atmosphere seemed like it could have been more complicated than we saw on the tour.
I am not sure why they got a new head of school, but hopefully he can change things.

[Anonymous]

This "controlling" idea - seems like it may still be there with the new head. Sometimes cultures are very hard to change, and if a new person comes in they sometimes have to conform to the norms of the school (expected, not bad) but also to the pleasures of teachers, especially old line folks who may survive various heads.