Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think the calendar will change? That is a big selling point for us.

Too many people in the neighborhood who do NOT send their children to the school CLAIMING it is because of the calendar.
The principal asking people coming to enroll their new kindergartners whether they've heard people complaining about the calendar.
New boundaries to be determined for 2019 which could then put people not currently in the attendance zone in the Barcroft district and therefore its calendar.
Claims that the current under-enrollment is because so many transfer out because of the calendar.
The calendar costs more - though that argument doesn't seem to threaten Montessori which has a very strong lobby group.
The current principal not being enthusiastically committed to it - it doesn't jive with her kids' schedules.
Superintendent's historical lack of support for it.

If it's a big selling point to you, then you need to make that known loudly and widely.

Just a quick note - Barcrofts calendar isn't any more pricey than immersion once the inter-sessions are factored in. My understanding is both those and montesorri are about the same.

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think the calendar will change? That is a big selling point for us.

Too many people in the neighborhood who do NOT send their children to the school CLAIMING it is because of the calendar.
The principal asking people coming to enroll their new kindergartners whether they've heard people complaining about the calendar.
New boundaries to be determined for 2019 which could then put people not currently in the attendance zone in the Barcroft district and therefore its calendar.
Claims that the current under-enrollment is because so many transfer out because of the calendar.
The calendar costs more - though that argument doesn't seem to threaten Montessori which has a very strong lobby group.
The current principal not being enthusiastically committed to it - it doesn't jive with her kids' schedules.
Superintendent's historical lack of support for it.

If it's a big selling point to you, then you need to make that known loudly and widely.

Why do you think the calendar will change? That is a big selling point for us.

Anonymous wrote:Why is the music / instruction lacking?

Multiple reasons.
One factor is fewer children taking private lessons, relative to more affluent school communities.
Another factor is, IMO, some instructors who are quite average or of minimal quality.
Another factor has been frequent changes and turnover with various music teachers over the years.
Another factor - until this year - has been less instruction due to the year-round calendar and sharing music teachers with schools on the traditional calendar who are not allowed to begin teaching until September which means they miss out on instruction all of August and the four weeks of intersessions; lengthy processes in getting the kids signed up and with their instruments to even start instrumental music lessons.
And yet another factor is changing how they structure the curriculum/classes/offerings every. single. year.
For example, last year, it was notably stronger all around. This year, they split instrumental music entirely by grade level; so if you changed instruments going from 4th to 5th, you were in with 5th graders who were second-year on that instrument. Which means the 2nd year students are still playing "Hot Cross Buns" for their second year. One year, everyone was required to take chorus, the next year it's optional. I personally thought the overall curriculum was stronger when the kids had an "elective" and could choose a class that had more music theory. Now, that class seems to be more "cultural" in order in homage to "our diversity." What will it be next year?

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is in the middle academically, your kid may get lost in the shuffle. I live in the neighborhood and decided on a choice school. I have several families tell me that they did everything they could to get their kid into the gifted program to ensure a good education. The PP with good things to say has a kid in the gifted program.... Perhaps the new principal will improve things, the prior one did a lot of damage to the school's reputation, which was on an upswing prior to the departure of a long-time principal.

Be aware that there are no buses to Randolph so you have to take your kid. I did not want to send my kid to Randolph and the Barrett option is still there, but you have to work directly with the super's office and have a non-racist reason for not wanting to go to Randolph. For me, it was the bus, I need a bus because my kid's grandma watches her after school and she does not drive.

That said, I have met some really nice kids who go there. Good cohort of local kids and their parents are really nice too.

I'm the poster and I do have kids who were identified for gifted services. But I did not have to request that. The school came to us and said they wanted to test for gifted identification. The Young Scholars program is also intended to help identify kids earlier, particularly disadvantaged kids who have been less likely to be identified traditionally. This is a proactive effort. Kids in the middle are often lost in the shuffle no matter where they are.

While I may have had a lot of good things to say, I also have expressed my share of negatives. But I think it's important to highlight the academic improvements I've seen during my family's time there because so many people who have not sent their kids to Barcroft continue to slam the school's academic performance. I still believe a child's academic experience in a high FRL school is not equal to a child's academic experience in a very affluent school. But that doesn't make the experience bad or insufficient. It's just harder for most people to accept because they see/hear/know what's available elsewhere in the system and feel they have to have it all or the most they can or whatever. If the other schools didn't have fancier stuff, it wouldn't be viewed so negatively.

If your kid is in the middle academically, your kid may get lost in the shuffle. I live in the neighborhood and decided on a choice school. I have several families tell me that they did everything they could to get their kid into the gifted program to ensure a good education. The PP with good things to say has a kid in the gifted program.... Perhaps the new principal will improve things, the prior one did a lot of damage to the school's reputation, which was on an upswing prior to the departure of a long-time principal.

Be aware that there are no buses to Randolph so you have to take your kid. I did not want to send my kid to Randolph and the Barrett option is still there, but you have to work directly with the super's office and have a non-racist reason for not wanting to go to Randolph. For me, it was the bus, I need a bus because my kid's grandma watches her after school and she does not drive.

That said, I have met some really nice kids who go there. Good cohort of local kids and their parents are really nice too.

Why is the music / instruction lacking?

Anonymous wrote:Any feedback on the school? The rating isn’t high, but I know that can’t be trusted. We are in bounds and I like the year round concept.

It is a good school. Currently under-enrolled, with a lot of that being due to the changes in principals within the past 5 years. 23-year principal retired and the next one was there for 4 years, making significant changes every year, and overall not doing a strong job but doing some good things to engage the Latino community more. New principal this year (though the new assistant principal is becoming the new principal at Hoffman Boston).

Current principal has brought a higher level of expectation to the school, in my opinion. With some consistency, the school will become stronger again - even though the "ratings" may never skyrocket by any means. There have just been so many significant changes every year for the past 5 years. Assuming the current principal commits to staying (I believe APS moved her from Ashlawn, she didn't seek it out), she is likely to create that consistency and stability. Despite all those changes, however, my child's last three years in particular have been quite strong academically. The kids don't experience the same quality music and arts program as at some other schools - though it had gotten stronger for a few years - and they haven't had the science projects or other project type assignments or effective creative uses for the iPad that I hear from other schools. That could change as the current leadership continues in place, perhaps. But the writing and the math and reading instruction (from my family's 3rd-5th grade perspective) has been strong. Test scores are much lower than most other schools; but it has a large ELL and ED population starting behind and with significant disadvantages.

The former RTG was EXCELLENT and is now in charge of the Young Scholars program there--a huge benefit for the ELL students in particular. I am not as familiar with the new RTG; but if she's working under the tutelage of her predecessor, Barcroft students are very fortunate. And again, my child's gifted academic instruction has gotten clearly stronger over the past few years.

The calendar is fabulous; but don't count on it being there much longer.

It is a welcoming community that values the advantages of its student body's demographics and being nestled in residential, highly-walkable community in exchange for the oft-perceived negatives of lower test scores and lack of higher-quality/glitzier enrichment opportunities and theater productions. The kids will still have those opportunities when they head to Kenmore and Jefferson and then high school.

Anonymous wrote:Okay; so Randolph is the other option for that boundary?

For now. It could change, as it used to be Barrett. They offered transportation to Barrett, but not Randolph, which has been an issue for some families I've known who instead applied to option schools w/transportation.

OP here. My kid who is School aged goes to Key currently, and hopefully my younger DC will too. But we are looking to move, and I just wanted to be aware of the boundaries/options. Though I guess many of the boundaries will change soon anyway.
Thanks for the info.

Any feedback on the school? The rating isn’t high, but I know that can’t be trusted. We are in bounds and I like the year round concept.

Anonymous wrote:Okay; so Randolph is the other option for that boundary?

You can also try for choice schools

Okay; so Randolph is the other option for that boundary?

You can go to Randolph

This is the one with the modified calendar, right? Are kids within that boundary compelled to go there, or is there an alternative if you don’t want a modified calendar? (Like ASFS used to be for the former Key boundary)?