Reply to Top private (Sidwell, GDS) versus top public (JKLM) for early years: what are the differences?

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Reply to "Top private (Sidwell, GDS) versus top public (JKLM) for early years: what are the differences? "

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Public pluses and downsides: Jklm filled with bright motivated kids and parents; whatever is lacking is not having PE everyday is trust me made up after school, tons of sports and enrichment opportunities on campus. These kids get plenty of exercise. [b]Testing [/b]doesn't become a downside until third grade and[b] it does impact the curriculum for about two months a year[/b], but class sizes are totally manageable (we have twenty) and love being part of a neighborhood school and teachers are super responsive in fact I'd say more so because you see them every day at drop off and pick up as opposed to being in a car pool line. My teachers have always been super responsive.

Private downsides and pluses: more art is great, no testing provides more freedom in older grades, prettier facilities sometimes. And ... Smaller classes can be a plus or a minus. I can see it going either way. Sometimes privates are too small to find your tribe. Middle school is where there is a big divide that begins to take place. If money is any issue, apply in middle.[/quote]

2 months a year? Can that be right?[/quote]

No, not in my kids' experience.[/quote]

not at Mann,  and our scores are usually fairly high.

Although with the PARCC, the test is happening twice and the idea that third graders are going to be able to type out answers is ridiculous, so more time is being spent getting used to the computer experience - but again, my kids have no idea that the scores really matter and we never tell them what they get, so the person on the other thread who said that the kids feel the pressure of the test just would not be right in terms of our school, and I bet other JKLMs as well.

I think people are relaxed about the PARCC now because everyone has agreed it won't count?  Anyway, still not a lot of time being spent at Mann on test prep[/quote]

Yes, same at Murch.

And the PP who said her/his kids didn't go to Murch and gave three reasons for it sadly doesn't seem to know anything about his/her neighborhood school, except that they take standardized tests (and I'm pretty sure the PARCC isn't going to test my kids' ability to design, construct, diagram, label the energy transfers in, and video tape a Rube Goldberg, or ask DC to research and figure out what to pack for the trip on the Oregon Trail and then make life or death decisions along the virtual way; nor will the PARCC require them to design, implement, document and report on a science experiment of their choosing or create and act out an original play to illustrate a historical biography -- but those things are examples of what is in the curriculum and how the subjects are taught). But OP isn't looking at Murch, so no need to go into it further here, but letting that misinformation stand seemed really unfair to some excellent teachers. I will say that IME (K-5 with more than one kid there now), my answer to everything listed in OPs later questions ("does the school/does your child") is a resounding yes.

It is true that 5th grade has a fair amount of homework, but it is neither meaningless, nor crushing, and the subject-matter teachers coordinate the homework schedule to prevent overload from any one of them on a given day. In part, it is purposefully teaching time management, study, and organization skills, which they will need in middle school (e.g., certain assignments are due every other Monday or every other Friday or every Wednesday, so they have plenty of time to find the best time in their own schedules to get it done). It isn't always easy, and communication with teachers about how your child is managing the workload is encouraged and the amount of time to be spent on homework is expressly limited. If it is taking too much time, stop and talk to the teacher. If something isn't working, they are willing to make adjustments. The school expressly does not want the kids to feel crushed, but does want them to be engaged, responsible, independent learners. That's how I see it.[/quote]

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