Educational Consultant Recommendation for general guidance, not to get my kid into Sidwell

[Anonymous]

I need some help determining the best educational fit for my 4 y.o. He misses the 9/1 cut-off so although he is in a 4's preschool this year, he will need another preK program next year. DH and I work full time and do not have the time or expertise to fully evaluate all the schools in the area, so we would like someone to help us evaluate our son and determine the best educational environment for him.

We live in the WJ cluster and we are considering a move which could put us in a different cluster (we've grown out of our house). We have also not ruled out private school for DS, if that would be best for him, but need to act fast if we are going to apply to any of the private schools for the PreK programs.

I have talked briefly to DS' current preschool teacher. I think they would like him to stay there for another year, but he's pretty astute and I think he will feel left back, given that he is the only child in his class not going on to K next year.

So I'd really appreciate any recommendations for resources to help us determine the best school fit for our son, I'd really appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

OP, the best fit for your child would be the school you like. Really. Studies show that kids are happy with their school when parents are happy. Begin the touring process now.

[Anonymous]

how much does he miss the cut-off by? DC's cut-off is 9/30, just as an FYI, if you are thinking about moving...

[Anonymous]

Does he have some special needs? I don't understand why you need a consultant.

[Anonymous]

Not that I have any rec's, but just wanted to offer a word of support. I can fully understand why someone would hire a consultant, if I had the extra cash, I would farm out some of my unwanted tasks (cooking would be at the top of the list!). Two parents who work full-time handling child rearing, household chores and necessities, weddings, must-attend birthday parties, funerals, meetings outside of work, etc...
Oh yeah, then there's the issue of maintaining the marriage...whew!! Who has time for the extensive research that goes into finding the right school. A consultant could provide valuable factual insight into the different area schools, allowing OP to rule out some schools without even so much as a visit to the website (e.g. XYZ school has little socio-economic diversity or ABC school doesn't offer a foreign language until fourth grade).

Sorry, not to ruin the thread with an off-topic debate (not my intent at all, I promise), but I just wanted to say, "I get it."

[Anonymous]

You might give Irene Shere a call. Her website is www.earlychild.org
I'm in no way affiliated-just had a similar concern and we used her and it worked well.

[Anonymous]

I know this seems silly but you might try posting this in the private school forum - even if you don't necessarily need a private school.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the recs so far. And thank you 21:30, for understanding. That's exactly it. I feel like I only have so much time to devote to DS' educational path and I want some help. I do have a few concerns about DS, but my gut instinct is that he is bright, articulate, and creative. However I also think he might have some anxiety issues (some might say shy, but I don't think it's shyness).

We have a window of opportunity in that we are considering a move anyway so we can pick our home based on the school boundaries, but I don't have time to understand all the public (or private) school options. I don't think it's as simple as looking at the school statistics--I want to put him in a school that best fits his personality and learning style. Maybe I'm over-thinking it and there really aren't that many options, but I think an educational consultant may also be able to help me prepare DS for K.

[Anonymous]

Theodra Washington from MEC Group is excellent. I have worked with her professionally and highly recommend her.

http://www.mec-group.org/index.htm

[Anonymous]

Honestly, you need to do this for yourself. A consultant can only do so much. I am not from the US and moved here recently so recently and so absolutely knew nothing abut the US system. There is an educational consultant where I work and while there was some help it was not anything I would have paid for especially id I was already from the US and understood the difference between public, charter, private, middle school versus junior high. We are also both working full time with extensive travel schedules, and also moving hosue, and we found the time to read the information on line on the DC public school website, montgomery county school website, attend open houses, playdates, educational testing, and it became very clear what we liked in general about schools and what we did not, what we were comfortable and not comfortable with..... This is really the most important decision and you need to do the research yourself. I would find something else to outsource.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I just read over my previous message and it does come across as well snarky.... it was not intended that way at all. Sorry for the tone. I really do wish you well with this very difficult decision.

[Anonymous]

OP - I am in a similar situation. My DS's birthday is 9/30. I knew that he was ready to start school and we were able to land a spot in one of the highly regarded charter schools. He is in Pre-K. That said, I am still exploring options. So many schools have cut-offs of 9/1 and many are very rigid about this timeline. It is time consuming to do the research and its a tough decision.

It is interesting how in many schools the cutoff date disappears at the first grade level.

So in summary I suggest you consider DCPS and the Charter Schools, the cutoff is 9/30. I also know of a family who loves MEC and had a wonderful experience. Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

My child ws born in late September, goes to Big 3 private school. Did NOT use a consultant. Did NOT push child ahead in grade. Go check out the schools, you do have time for that? Only you know what is best for your child, not someone who meets with him/her for an hour or two. Go with your gut.

[Anonymous]

I used Jean Baldwin for WPPSI testing and brief consultation only. She was very insightful about the question of how to determine readiness for K, my DC is August birthday. I think she focuses mainly on private schools, so may not have the knowledge of publics that you are seeking.

Good luck, I agree both with your sense of the usefulness of a consultant and with some PPs who have said you need to visit yourself. I think a consultant can help you generate a prescreened short list.

One comment about Baldwin -- in our one hour consultation she made a comment that made me think she is not supportive of bilingual education. If that matters to you. . . .

[Anonymous]

I second the recommendation for Jean Baldwin. She is a great tester, with superb insight about children and what the best match is for them at this point in time. She was the director of admission at St. Stephens St Agnes awhile back so is most knowledgeable about schools.