Anonymous wrote:I have 2 kids in AAP, one 6th and one 4th. Both are doing fine (3s & 4s on report cards), but neither are particularly excited about schools. I have them shadowed a private school and they both loved it. Said that teachers at the private school are more enthusiastic and engaging, and kids are crazier and the classrooms are more fun. The 4th grader is happy that there is more attention from the teacher as the class size is significantly smaller. Given my 4th grader has a summer birthday, maturity is always a concern. If he continues in AAP, I imagine he will always be "average" or perhaps "below average" among his AAP classmates, even though I know he is very creative and smarter than what he shows in his school work. The 6th grader will need to change to middle school anyway, and our AAP middle school is new, so I have not idea how that is going to work out. Is finding a school that is more fun and exciting a good enough reason to change?
The engaged and enthusiastic teachers and smaller classrooms were two big reasons we switched DS to private (for HS). Not the only reasons, but selling points for me (DH was the one who was really pushing private).