Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my closest friends just went on a visit and tour of Field for 9th grade and had all of the same red flags on their visit that we had on ours six years ago, and eleven years ago, with our two children. Everything from inexperienced teachers to chaotic classrooms to easily obseved odd behavior by students, she flagged everything that made us wonder so many years ago why anyone would send their child there. Honest question to Field parents. Why do you put up with it?

Because the Field model works best for their kids? Maybe what looked like red flags to you fit their child’s learning style best but wouldn’t work for you and your family.
I’m tired of people criticizing schools on here. You don’t have a clue what a school day looks like. I’m a teacher (at another private) and I know Field tries to do what’s best for their students.

I agree. Field has been changing its ways the last year or two. Give it a chance for some of the improvements to start to take root. Time for a little more patience and a lot less criticism.

Anonymous wrote:One of my closest friends just went on a visit and tour of Field for 9th grade and had all of the same red flags on their visit that we had on ours six years ago, and eleven years ago, with our two children. Everything from inexperienced teachers to chaotic classrooms to easily obseved odd behavior by students, she flagged everything that made us wonder so many years ago why anyone would send their child there. Honest question to Field parents. Why do you put up with it?

Because the Field model works best for their kids? Maybe what looked like red flags to you fit their child’s learning style best but wouldn’t work for you and your family.
I’m tired of people criticizing schools on here. You don’t have a clue what a school day looks like. I’m a teacher (at another private) and I know Field tries to do what’s best for their students.

Anonymous wrote:My concern with Field is that it seems to be a magnet for kids with special needs or learning disabilities, but at least when we looked at it, didn't seem to have the resources or experienced teachers to meet the needs of so many students. I found our visit stressful and my DS asked to leave his shadow day early because he couldn't see himself learning there.

Anonymous wrote:My concern with Field is that it seems to be a magnet for kids with special needs or learning disabilities, but at least when we looked at it, didn't seem to have the resources or experienced teachers to meet the needs of so many students. I found our visit stressful and my DS asked to leave his shadow day early because he couldn't see himself learning there.

I’m not sure when you visited, but it wasn’t too many months ago that somebody on this chat board was deriding the school for turning its back on what they felt was its obligation to be a school for kids with special needs. At the same time we found the support to be worth every penny. My kid graduated, but the evolution and improvement in the school was very obvious in recent years. I think it’s a great school for families that want to be there. And it’s fine if that’s not everyone because there are a lot of choices in the area. But the entire middle school now stays for the upper school, which wasn’t the case when we were in middle school. The waitlist for the upper school does not move, which means the applicants they want in the school are choosing to be there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my closest friends just went on a visit and tour of Field for 9th grade and had all of the same red flags on their visit that we had on ours six years ago, and eleven years ago, with our two children. Everything from inexperienced teachers to chaotic classrooms to easily obseved odd behavior by students, she flagged everything that made us wonder so many years ago why anyone would send their child there. Honest question to Field parents. Why do you put up with it?

Assuming that is the true, which I doubt, a troll can have that perspective about any private school in the DMV area. The question would be why do you think about that school if you don’t have your kids there. I would be more worried about incompetence in public schools. In private schools the parents are the one in charge of oversight and monitoring the quality of the school.

+1. Oh, but the troll heard it from one of her closest friends! And was so disturbed that she had to find solace in the comfort of anonymous people at 11 PM!

Anonymous wrote:One of my closest friends just went on a visit and tour of Field for 9th grade and had all of the same red flags on their visit that we had on ours six years ago, and eleven years ago, with our two children. Everything from inexperienced teachers to chaotic classrooms to easily obseved odd behavior by students, she flagged everything that made us wonder so many years ago why anyone would send their child there. Honest question to Field parents. Why do you put up with it?

Assuming that is the true, which I doubt, a troll can have that perspective about any private school in the DMV area. The question would be why do you think about that school if you don’t have your kids there. I would be more worried about incompetence in public schools. In private schools the parents are the one in charge of oversight and monitoring the quality of the school.

As a parent of a current Field student my child is very happy, feels supported, and is thriving with the project based learning model. I did hear that their geometry class was overwhelmed yesterday by a very large tour group - that may have caused some chaos in and of itself.

My concern with Field is that it seems to be a magnet for kids with special needs or learning disabilities, but at least when we looked at it, didn't seem to have the resources or experienced teachers to meet the needs of so many students. I found our visit stressful and my DS asked to leave his shadow day early because he couldn't see himself learning there.

Anonymous wrote:Outdated education models that require obedience, silence, and no autonomy don’t work for most children. What looks chaotic to you likely works better for children. Turns out, when kids are seen as individual humans, they respond better.

Not OP, but you're setting up a straw man. No independent school in the DMV requires "obedience, silence, and no autonomy." That's silly. They are all far removed from that model. But something is amiss at Field as chaotic is a pretty good description, and the results and experience by any measure, seem to be at the bottom. But as long as the buyer is aware, then to each their own.

Anonymous wrote:Honest question to you, OP, why do you care so much? Get a life.

+1. Such a weird use of your time in the middle of the night. I don’t think you or your alleged friend would be missed from the applicant pool or the waitlist.

Anonymous wrote:Outdated education models that require obedience, silence, and no autonomy don’t work for most children. What looks chaotic to you likely works better for children. Turns out, when kids are seen as individual humans, they respond better.

This.

I’m not a parent at Field but I appreciate the approach and would choose it over any super traditional educational model.

It clearly works fine for the school and the population of students that choose to attend. It’s ok if the school isn’t a good fit for everybody. It wasn’t a good fit for our DC for different reasons than you note, OP, but we have a friend whose kid loves it and is doing great.

Outdated education models that require obedience, silence, and no autonomy don’t work for most children. What looks chaotic to you likely works better for children. Turns out, when kids are seen as individual humans, they respond better.

Anonymous wrote:Honest question to you, OP, why do you care so much? Get a life.

Good answer!

Honest question to you, OP, why do you care so much? Get a life.

One of my closest friends just went on a visit and tour of Field for 9th grade and had all of the same red flags on their visit that we had on ours six years ago, and eleven years ago, with our two children. Everything from inexperienced teachers to chaotic classrooms to easily obseved odd behavior by students, she flagged everything that made us wonder so many years ago why anyone would send their child there. Honest question to Field parents. Why do you put up with it?