Reply to Baltimore parents- can we talk about pre-first?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Talk to people whose kids are 16, not 6, about Pre-First. Ten years out, I've literally never heard a single person regret doing pre-First. I have heard a few regret not doing it.

It stinks now - expensive and, for some, a blow to the ego. But it is an investment that will pay you back. [/quote]

My son is 16 with a summer birthday. He was recommended for Pre-First, we opted to send him to first. The school felt we were making a mistake, but given our personal experiences and our knowledge of our child, we felt Pre-First would have been a mistake. He is doing very well. We have no regrets about not having him do Pre-First, nor does he. He remains at the school that recommended him for Pre-First, he is at the top of his class.

Ask the school to talk to families who took advantage of Pre-First and if possible families who didn't.[/quote]

I don't think it's optional in most cases. In other words, if the school tells you your kid should go to pre-first, either you do it or you leave. I have heard of a few families where the kid was on the bubble and they let the parents choose, but not many. The cynic in me thinks that [b]pre-first exists because it's a way for the schools to (a) get an extra year of tuition from that group[/b]; and (b) improve the performance of its students in college admissions. [/quote]

Maybe it's because I work in a school, but this always bothers me a little. Do you really think the kindergarten and 1st Grade teachers, the Lower School principal, and the Admissions Director and Business Office are all in a conspiracy to milk an extra year's tuition out of pre-first families? You know if they did away with Pre-First and just moved all those kids into an additional First Grade section, there would still be the same number of kids in the school, right? Or are they playing the long con, and eagerly planning the day they'll all cash in together 12 years down the line when that kid is still in school for that one extra year?

I choose to believe that the teachers at my kids' school have their students' best interests at heart, and are making the recommendations that they believe will help a kid most, even if that recommendation results in a difficult conversation with a family who doesn't believe their child could benefit from another year.

With my son walking out the door for college in 3 weeks, it suddenly feels like every moment together is precious. Aside from all the good pre-first did for him academically and socially, I'm very appreciative of the extra year he spent under my roof. He has grown into a kind, confident young man - so much more ready to be on his own than he was this time a year ago. Not only is he prepared to be successful in college, it was a special family year in a lot of ways. Instead of riding herd on a growing teen, it felt like we got to enjoy the company of a young adult. So, yes, I'm overly nostalgic right now, but I still believe pre-first has benefits that might not manifest themselves until a lot farther down the line. [/quote]

I appreciate everything that you're saying, and if my rising kindergartener is asked to attend pre-first, we'll send him and remind ourselves of how lucky we are to have an extra year with him. I also don't think anybody would dispute that pre-first has benefits.  Who wouldn't benefit from an extra year to mature and learn?  But your argument that its not a money-maker for the school because those kids would otherwise just go into first grade ignores the fact that class sizes at these schools are very carefully capped.  By diverting 15-20 kids a year into pre-first, those first grade spots are now available to more new students.  There are lots of top notch private and public schools around the country that don't have pre-first classes and still manage to provide an excellent education, so I don't buy that it is a crucial component.[/quote]

It's near universal in Baltimore privates, but no one is forcing you to attend,[/quote]

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