Reply to Is there really nothing "specialized" about the HB curriculum?

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Reply to "Is there really nothing "specialized" about the HB curriculum?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We put four kids all the way through APS, two at HB and two at their neighborhood high school.  Our youngest graduated nearly a decade ago.  Irate parents made the same arguments that you all are making now -- it's not fair, they need to expand, blah blah blah.  Nothing ever changes.  The fact is, all of our kids got good educations, went to good colleges, and turned out fine.  I guarantee that, a decade from now, you are all going to laugh about how much time you wasted worrying about such trivial -- and, I have to say, snowflake -- stuff.  Take a deep breath . . .   [/quote]

Can you share what the differences were at that time, between the schools re: curriculum etc?  I get what you are saying, but would like to know since you had 4 kids go through, two at HB, if you could share if they felt there were differences, what those were, and which type of kids would benefit from HB (and why).  [/quote]

Well, since I haven't had kids in APS for nearly a decade I can't speak to what the curriculum at the schools are now.  But when my kids were in the system (basically from the late 90s through 2010) both HB and the neighborhood schools offered essentially the same classes, including lots and lots of AP classses that kids were expected to take f they were aiming for top colleges.  I can't remember how many AP classes each of my kids took, but I'd guess 7 to 10?  Back then HB was usually number 1 on Jay Matthews' "Challenge List."   While the typical HB student probably took more AP classes than at the neighborhood school, it wasn't because the neighborhood school didn't offer as many -- the student body had a higher percentage of less motivated/capable students.  But unquestionably any student at a neighborhood high school had access to the very same curriculum that the students had at HB.  I'm betting that's still the case today.

HB, in my opinion, was back then -- and probably is today -- a very good option for motivated, self-directed students who see themselves as outside the mainstream.  It probably offers an easier and more accepting environment for these types of kids -- smart, but not necessarily fully self-confident (at least not yet) non-jock/non-cheerleader/artistic types -- than some kids falling into this category might experience at their neighborhood high school.  But it's absolutely key that the student be both academic and self-motivated and that the parent be hands off, because HB gives a lot of leeway to its students and does not hold the parents' hands.  You do not want to send a kid to HB simply because he or she is bright.  If they're not self-motivated, forget it -- they'll likely be worse off than going to the neighborhood school because no one will coddle them and no one will give you a heads up when they're messing up.  That's how the system works.

In our day, top graduates of HB were more interested in William & Mary than UVA, and many also looked at SLACs.  Brown was the favorites among the Ivies.  VCU was favored over VT.  This is what might be expected given the type of student who elected to attend the school.

I would never in a million years send a kid to HB based solely on academics, because there's simply no question that the neighborhood offerings are just as good, the top students perform just as well, test scores are no different among the top students, and college placements are similar (although, as I said, college preferences are not).  I'd only send a kid there if it made sense for them socially.

[/quote]

Thanks so much[/quote]

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