Reply to Is starting a small private school in Alexandria a good idea?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I live in Old Town.  Everyone knows the school situation here.  I could either move out to the land of mcmansions and send my kids to a good public school, but I don't want to live there.  I could send my kids to private school (most likely SSSAS), but we would be financially strained and constantly worrying about money.  The other areas where I would like to live besides Old Town are in DC and I would still have to send my kid to private school. (I'm not interested in Arlington, no offense to you arlington peeps).  I have been talking with a few local people about starting a private school.  The tuition would be somewhere between 7-10K  per student.  We could rent an office space for the school. We could hire an excellent teacher(s).  Parents would have to be very involved and share in the workload of running the school.  Emphasis would be on strict academics and discipline.  If you can't make the grade or can't behave then you're out.

Thoughts, ideas, feedback?  Eventually this is going to happen right?  There is a need for more school options in this area at a lower tuition cost.[/quote]

What do you know about running a school?

It's not easy.  I am a teacher certified in administration, and I would NEVER think of opening a school.

Think about these items:
- What curriculum would you use?  What resources will you be providing?  You do realize that we teach multiple books in English, for example.
- Who's paying for the technology?
- food?  Are you asking them to bring bag lunches, or will you be providing lunch?  Where's your food sanitation certificate?
- discipline?  LOL!  What methods will you be using?  what philosophy?  Discipline is not an "add on."  It stems from good teaching - instruction that's engaging.
- So you're ready to kick out kids?  Do you realize that's a lawsuit waiting to happen?  What are your interventions?
- How will you observe teachers? In MCPS we have a protocol that took YEARS to develop, and only those in administrative positions are trained in this protocol.  
- With $7-10K per student, you'll be paying your teachers shit once you factor in rent and other expenses.  Honestly, OP, what teachers will you successfully recruit?
- What schedule will you follow?  yours?  the county's?  what about religious holidays?  
- You'll need to provide before and after care if you're interested in an elementary.
- what about a dress code?  Or will you use uniforms?
- Will this be an interdisciplinary approach to instruction?  If so, how will you set up a schedule to accommodate collaborative planning?  
- What are your grading standards?  There are so many ways to grade when you factor in weighted scores.

Unless you're a trained administrator, OP, I'd leave this pipe dream alone.[/quote]

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