Did you hire an edu consultant?

[Anonymous]

If so, I'm curious if you found the consultant helpful and would recommend to others. I'm asking this question now since the application process is over and the results are not yet in.

[Anonymous]

no

[Anonymous]

Did not use one for middle school, didn't think we needed one, had a few choices and don't regret not spending the money on that.

[Anonymous]

no, sounds like a racket to me -- feel like I have a good handle on what the various schools are like from friends, school visits, websites, etc. might be useful for a newcomer to the area.

[Anonymous]

No -- just bought the Georgia Irving book about the best schools in the Greater DC area. It worked.

[Anonymous]

No. We can read, write, talk and network.

[Anonymous]

Yes bcse I had just moved to DC and didn't have a lot of time to figure out the landscape. I only used them for the initial evaluation of dc and discussion of schools not for help with the application process. Even still, I thought it was a gigantic waste of money (in hindsight of course).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no, sounds like a racket to me -- feel like I have a good handle on what the various schools are like from friends, school visits, websites, etc. might be useful for a newcomer to the area.

agree totally.

[Anonymous]

I think ed consultants would be good for folks who may not realize they should use one. Some kids may need a different type of school than what their parents are prepared to accept. But my hunch is that they don't realize this until after DC is shut out everywhere or DC doesn't work at new school. The ed consultant may also be helpful for parents who may not know how competitive PreK/K admissions are and that they need to diversify their applications.

Yes, I think folks don't necessarily need an ed consultant for those things, but, alas, some folks are not able to draw those conclusions on their own.

[Anonymous]

On the flip side, the ed con said that my son wouldn't do well on the WPPSI (after spending an hour with him) and that we should stay away from certain schools bcse we didn't have a chance and then he got 99.9 across the board (and this is not a DCUM exaggeration, just saying to make the point). When we called them back they were very odd and even more unhelpful. Maybe they didn't like us, maybe they didn't like him, but in the hour evaluation they had a totally different response to him then any one else who has had contact with him (teachers, coaches, friends, etc.). We were put off.

[Anonymous]

Just like therapists, doctors and other professionals, there are a lot of different types of consultants who have different styles. Maybe it takes a couple of calls to find one you connect with and who understands your child and family.

[Anonymous]

We had a very similar experience to 17:59. We were strongly encouraged by a well-known, book writing consultant to apply only to those schools that did not require testing. We were encouraged not to test at all because, if our DS took the test, we might be asked about it and requested to provide the results. I left this meeting in shock. Some things the consultant said seemed to indicate that she had a good sense of our son, but her views on his intelligence and lack of testing ability came as a complete surprise.

Well, two months later our son took the WPPSI, and scored in the high 90s. Frankly, though, it was a lesson well worth learning before our son starts elementary school. I've now had a kick in the pants and realize quite clearly that not all teachers, consultants or other professionals know WTF they are talking about. They all, and we all, view children from our own vantage points, make highly subjective assessments, and are colored by our own assumptions.

I'll never forget that I cried, I actually cried, when I was told the news about our DS while sitting on the consultant's couch. I'm so glad this process is almost over, and I hope I don't forget my lessons learned.

[Anonymous]

Its a racket. And the consultants pick and choose their favorites, promoting them.

One exception is consultants for kids with special needs. We used one of these and she was a real lifesaver, pointing us in the direction of a school that could serve DC's needs.

[Anonymous]

21:00 I was shocked and freaked out too. The other lesson that I learned though was that not all teachers, consultants, etc are going to have a positive reaction to my child and that's just life. But that I don't have to internalize every interaction. (Although this one was being paid to have an opinion so at the time it was horrible.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the flip side, the ed con said that my son wouldn't do well on the WPPSI (after spending an hour with him) and that we should stay away from certain schools bcse we didn't have a chance and then he got 99.9 across the board (and this is not a DCUM exaggeration, just saying to make the point). When we called them back they were very odd and even more unhelpful. Maybe they didn't like us, maybe they didn't like him, but in the hour evaluation they had a totally different response to him then any one else who has had contact with him (teachers, coaches, friends, etc.). We were put off.

I am 17:52. My suggestion is based on an ed consultant who would look at WPPSI scores, observe kid in preschool, etc. before making an assessment. I really don't know how one could make any recommendations based on just one meeting in an office.