Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with ATS? It's special, apparently, but is that because of some special educational philosophy or just because everyone is there by choice and not by default?

Bingo.

So why is it perceived as a better - or more coveted, more special, etc. - school than the other choice schools (Montessori, Immersion, Campbell)? Is it the socioeconomic make up of the student body? Something else?

I would say that it is largely a question of convenience and familiarity for the UMC/MC families that keep the scores high. The model is not so different from nearby neighborhood schools that it’s much of a leap to try it out, unlike Montessori or immersion, and it’s not a shlep to get there for families in the north. The presence of UMC/MC kids boosts the scores, which in turn makes the school desirable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with ATS? It's special, apparently, but is that because of some special educational philosophy or just because everyone is there by choice and not by default?

Bingo.

It also stresses test scores and obedience (for lack of a better word), so in the messy world of child development, it provides tidy, measurable results (that don't actually matter in the long run, but to parents fretting about whether they're making the right choices, "Everyone reads by the end of kindergarten!" seems reassuring.