Message
Anonymous wrote:Many schools get matching funds or pledges for additional amounts if everyone in a classroom contributes. It's always good to give something - it can be small.
I should mention that there are many ways to contribute to the well-being of a school - and not all in monetary means. Materials donations, access to resources and volunteer time all count.
I concur with this reply, and would add that it is incredibly powerful for schools to share with potential donors that a grade or division is at 100% participation. Giving begets giving. For a family receiving financial aid, a contribution given within the family's means is well appreciated, and it is a wholly separate creature from the financial aid process.
John
AISGW (The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington) has a joint statement with NAIS (Nat'l. Association of Independent Schools) on the topic of school ranking, found here: http://www.aisgw.org/school_resources/naisranking.asp. It's a well-written position on the inherent dangers of school ranking.
Take care,
John
Take care,
John
Anonymous wrote:
And should I be worried about the price tag? In this case, does a "cheap" school mean it's not as good as the more expensive ones? Why are they so cheap?
As the head of school of one of the "inexpensive" private schools listed in this thread, I thought I'd offer my two cents - I think it's within our budget!
Certainly the size of a school's budget will allow for more and varied personnel, as well as larger / newer real estate and facilities. But as has been talked about on this board at great length, quality of instruction (teacher quality, program quality) can be devilishly difficult to evaluate from the outside. Is the math program at $30k school twice as good as one in a $15k school? I think more interesting (and less discussed) is how schools, inexpensive or expensive, support their educators through professional development and supervision. How much time is spent in direct supervision? How much of the budget or endowment goes toward teachers' professional development? How frequently do faculty members lead or attend workshops?
Parents can certainly take the time to do the research for themselves on how schools use their income, by looking through audits, annual fund reports, and guidestar.org (for non-religious institutions). But I believe the hallmark of a self-reflective school is one which makes such data available to parents in a clear and regular manner. For example, my school (and others) will host a parent meeting annually which reviews the overall mechanics of governance and the budget - something like an "Everything You Wanted to Know About School Finances But Were Afraid to Ask" talk.
Take care,
John
Most interesting that these two articles appeared at roughly the same time. Truth be told, I was disappointed by the NYT article. While it was written for the Styles section, and thus had a less-news-than-entertainment-focus in its style, I still wanted it to delve deeper. For example, there was a great opportunity to report on families who have never sought financial aid, but are now asking in order to maintain private school enrollment. Let's hear from different families in different circumstances - the one with means but applying just to try, the one experiencing significant income reduction (such as the family in the NYT cover story moving from executive to hourly pay), the one anticipating future loss of income, the one trying to stay out of debt. Beyond the data and the statistics, how are these families faring?
John
John
I have no opinions to offer about the quality of math at Beauvoir, the original topic of this post, but as the subsequent discussion has wandered into math instruction in general, I thought I'd add an observation. It seems that a sure-fire way to generate heat and discussion in this forum is to debate the merits of math instruction!
My former school chose not to use Everyday Math as its textbook series, and spent more time emphasizing what is considered "traditional" methodology, such as quick mental mastery of math facts. Many students thrived under such an approach, but an inherent challenge was the need for students to translate these facts and calculations into real-life situations. In other words, 5x6 posed little problem, but if offered a word problem that required the same computation, it was more difficult. As a result, my former school spent more time emphasizing real-world problem solving with supplemental activities.
At my current school, we (like many) use Everyday Math as our main Lower School series, but have found great success supplementing with First in Math to emphasize memorization of math facts in a joyful way. There are also opportunities for students to compete in MathCounts, which emphasizes very quick (frightening quick!) mental math.
I taught Latin for years, and this same debate (writ smaller) played out in Latin classrooms. What good is it to have students memorize their Latin noun declensions and verb conjugations if they can't read a paragraph? Conversely, what good is it to have students dive into a paragraph and translate if they don't have the underlying grammar memorized? Through years of teaching, I tried to find the perfect blend - for each grade, for each student - of grammar mastery and reading approach.
So, as with many things, it's ultimately about balance. For a family that worries that Everyday Math doesn't provide enough requirement for routine memorization, it is worth asking the school / teacher / division director how this is addressed, for each grade, for each student.
- John Huber
My former school chose not to use Everyday Math as its textbook series, and spent more time emphasizing what is considered "traditional" methodology, such as quick mental mastery of math facts. Many students thrived under such an approach, but an inherent challenge was the need for students to translate these facts and calculations into real-life situations. In other words, 5x6 posed little problem, but if offered a word problem that required the same computation, it was more difficult. As a result, my former school spent more time emphasizing real-world problem solving with supplemental activities.
At my current school, we (like many) use Everyday Math as our main Lower School series, but have found great success supplementing with First in Math to emphasize memorization of math facts in a joyful way. There are also opportunities for students to compete in MathCounts, which emphasizes very quick (frightening quick!) mental math.
I taught Latin for years, and this same debate (writ smaller) played out in Latin classrooms. What good is it to have students memorize their Latin noun declensions and verb conjugations if they can't read a paragraph? Conversely, what good is it to have students dive into a paragraph and translate if they don't have the underlying grammar memorized? Through years of teaching, I tried to find the perfect blend - for each grade, for each student - of grammar mastery and reading approach.
So, as with many things, it's ultimately about balance. For a family that worries that Everyday Math doesn't provide enough requirement for routine memorization, it is worth asking the school / teacher / division director how this is addressed, for each grade, for each student.
- John Huber
Anonymous wrote:I agree the archives at DCUM is a good place to start. Also try Wikipedia's definition.
I would also encourage the original poster, as well as other readers of this forum, to pick up a copy of Choosing the Right Educational Path for Your Child (edited by Paula Carreiro and Eileen Shields-West). Chapter 7, titled "The Ends of the Spectrum: A Comparison of Traditional and Progressive Schools" gives a short, readable overview of the differences (and similarities) of traditional & progressive approaches.
- John
Anonymous wrote:Thanks, Mr. Huber. I was just curious. My kids are off and iit was announced/added to calendar fairly recently and I wondered if all the privates did the same.
-OP
That's why they call us "independent"!
John
Anonymous wrote:They are also looking to see how easily your child separates from parents. And what the parents do if the kid flips out. We did a playdate at Green Hedges in Virginia and my daughter got very involved with a toy in the waiting area and pitched a screaming mimi when it was time to go over to the playdate. I kept my cool and got her moving. She had a blast at the playdate and was accepted.
Both of the previous posters do a very good job to summarize some of the things that schools may be looking for in a playdate. We do expect 2 1/2 year old to act like, well, 2 1/2 year olds. And we understand that everyone has an off-day.
I can sympathize with the story of your daughter not wanting to join the playdate. I suffered a little mortification (after the fact) when I found that my oldest son, at the age of 2 1/2, would not agree to any of the activities or testing until he could have a snack - from the box of graham crackers he spotted up on a shelf in the classroom.
John
Anonymous wrote:I think all the schools are closed.
To my knowledge, the only independent schools in the immediate DC area that are open on Inauguration Day are Grace Episcopal (in VA) and Barnesville.
If the schools' websites and literature didn't make explicit their culture and values (or their statements were too generic) and I were a prospective parent, I would look for things like this -
* what gets placed in positions of prominence around the school? art? academic plaques? sports awards? annual fund charts? character words / value words / mission statements?
* are parents actively involved in the building? if so, where?
* what are the students permitted to wear?
* how much care is given to keeping the facility clean? what does the boy's bathroom look like at the end of the day?
* where has the school most recently spent its money on facilities?
* what are the rituals that are considered to be important - so important that they're taken as assumed?
* how does a student behave as s/he passes you in the hallway during a tour?
* where is the Head's office located and what does it look like?
* most basic of all - what does the mission statement really say?
I think these hints can give insight to a school's hierarchy, influence of wealth, embrace of diversity, etc.
John
* what gets placed in positions of prominence around the school? art? academic plaques? sports awards? annual fund charts? character words / value words / mission statements?
* are parents actively involved in the building? if so, where?
* what are the students permitted to wear?
* how much care is given to keeping the facility clean? what does the boy's bathroom look like at the end of the day?
* where has the school most recently spent its money on facilities?
* what are the rituals that are considered to be important - so important that they're taken as assumed?
* how does a student behave as s/he passes you in the hallway during a tour?
* where is the Head's office located and what does it look like?
* most basic of all - what does the mission statement really say?
I think these hints can give insight to a school's hierarchy, influence of wealth, embrace of diversity, etc.
John
Anonymous wrote:
I appreciate the care and thoughtfulness of this response. We have made significant efforts these past few years to share more about our curriculum to current and prospective parents via our website. It can devilishly difficult to compare curricula school-to-school, but we'd rather err on the side of providing more information rather than less. Our annual curriculum review committee (made up of teachers, administrators and parents) is charged with doing exactly what prospective parents are trying to do - make reasoned comparisons.
PS I believe the broken link is now working, thanks for the nudge!
Anonymous wrote:"Independent" is the new-ish way of saying private -- sounds less snooty, etc. No one really uses the term (independent) other than educators.
Indeed. The effort as I understand it is to emphasize our independence (independent governance, independent financing, independent curricula) rather than exclusivity. Hence the 'I' in NAIS, AIMS, AISGW, etc.
When asked about where I work by friends and acquaintances, I will often say "private school", because the term "independent" hasn't reached common public usage. In open houses, I'll go into greater lengths to discuss the features and importance of independence.
Anonymous wrote:The head, John Huber, was posting on DCUM for a while. Haven't seen a post from him lately, although I could have missed it...
Well, since I've been called out...
Good afternoon all! You're correct, I've been fairly quiet on this board for these last few months despite my desire to post replies more frequently. Chalk it up to the business of the school year. Right now I'm resting my eyes from reading report cards, so the excuse for a temporary break is appreciated!
I've been intentionally silent to this question for a few reasons. First, my original (and continued) intent in joining DCUM was to bring one head's perspective to educational issues that are raised on this board - and there are many substantive ones. Economic concerns, affordability, teacher quality, classroom size, substance vs. prestige - these are meaty issues that independent school leaders are all facing. Also, the collective feedback to my own questions has been an appreciated. Given all this, it was not my desire to utilize this board for admissions or marketing purposes, thus in my original post I left my school unnamed. Though I must admit to cringing when I read that the 2nd poster has "never heard of this school"!
Secondly, I believe parents come to this board for the "inside scoop" - a parent's perspective, not the official points brought out by a school's administration. I think discriminating parents considering independent schools want to know on many different levels that a school is "walking the walk", and DCUM fills that role in a technological age.
All this being said, original poster, I'd be happy to answer your questions about academics / diversity / extracurricular activities, either off-line from this board (by call / email / in-person) or on this board if you wish.
Take care,
John
The original poster uses the term "weeding out", I sense, as a hypothesis that a given school faculty / administration may be intentionally throttling enrollment by counseling out the least academically able students each year. I'm not familiar with a school that does so, and would find the process loathsome. Shades of "The Paper Chase"! To what end would this serve? And, as one of the previous posters notes, is the process of voting off the "weakest link" a financially sustainable course for any independent school? A healthy admission process will ensure that the fit between student and mission is strong. Of course, issues can arise as the child progresses and matures - would that every school had a Sorting Hat to tell us how a 3-year-old will fare as an 8th grader - which may lead to a school's decision to counsel out a child. That said, the process of counseling out can be immensely painful and take weeks, months, occasionally years. The issues can be much more complex that simple academic ability - what to do with the highly intelligent child who can't (or doesn't) complete daily homework? The sweet young student who, despite hard work and much effort, cannot meet academic requirements without one-on-one support? And, to a reader that believes the simple answer should be removal, what if it were your own child? The complexity of each student, each family, requires a great school to do what it can (within its mission) to support and nurture the student. And if the time comes that the child's success at the school is in jeopardy, it is incumbent upon the administrators to support the family as it looks for that better fit. Of the many responsibilities I have as a Head of School, this is one of the hardest and emotionally draining.
Anonymous wrote:This may seem like a dumb question Mr. Huber, but do most heads of independent schools read the education research?
There is no such thing as a dumb question, yes? It's a difficult question that I can only guess at. I know that head of schools whom I speak with read the research as they can, and, more importantly, get their teachers and division directors to examine the available research through professional development, workshops, and professional literature. I think an effective head of school should prepare the soil to allow for growth (and change), rather than throw seeds on the surface and shout "grow!"