Reply to Tell me about Nora School

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As a parent who sent their child to TNS for four years, here are my take aways. The problem with the Nora School is that though it takes in many students who are on the spectrum, or as others like to say "spectrum adjacent"/ ADHD, they are not equipped in programming or staff to take on the targeted instruction/teaching and interventions to meet students needs. Their staff is not qualified to take on such students. They are a small school for students who need extra support, but lack in structure and accountability. This in my opinion creates a false sense of security and accomplishment for students who pass no matter what. I only saw the impact of this when my son graduated and went on to college. He had no tangible skills, and needed even more support in college than in high school. It is a grave regret that I continued to send my child here. Out of the class of 18 that my son graduated, 6 did not make it through the first year of college, and 6 did not graduate. How can you justify 132k dollars for such results? Point being, that TNS will get your child to college, but will they thrive once they are there?[/quote]

We toured this fall, and in hindsight I wish I had found this information earlier because it closely reflects the impression we had. I was able to observe several classes and interactions. I was pleasantly surprised by how aligned staff seemed on expectations and how polite and open the students were. However, the level of rigor and classroom culture varied significantly from class to class.

I heard students make comments suggesting that deadlines were flexible and that work could always be made up or offset with extra credit. That raised concerns about whether there may be an unintentional “pass-anyway” culture that weakens accountability. I was also struck by what felt like a limited emphasis on professionalism and preparation for life beyond school. Student dress and overall presentation felt quite casual, and when I asked about college interview preparation, internships, etiquette, or professional expectations, the responses seemed surprised or dismissive.

Having not lived in DC very long, the overall culture felt to me like a more liberal version of St. Andrew’s — a “pay and we’ll make it work” environment — rather than a school centered on structured preparation and high expectations. Additionally, athletics did not appear to be a significant institutional priority, which may matter to some families seeking a more robust sports program. While I value the supportive and safe environment the school offers, it ultimately did not feel like the right fit for our family. Our child is now at O’Connell in their LD program and is doing very well there.[/quote]

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