Anonymous
05/25/2019 18:52
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
From another thread, Landon vs Potomac School?
I will share some dislikes about Potomac.
1. Black box - They cannot explain what the purpose of their curriculum is nor their academic tracks. Some tracks are just harder, seemingly to show harder courses were offered/attempted so colleges can see. They make arbitrary decisions, such as which science to take for 9th graders, despite no science placement exam (they do placement exams for math and foreign language).
2. College prep - Everything is positioned as "this will help them for college". "Our school is so hard, college will be easy for them." Is this a reason for a school to be hard? I do not understand that. The school should be at an appropriate level of challenge for each student, not just hard for all. And that in turn is to help the student realize their potential while learning new subjects and skills, not to make it into a certain college. For example, what if a student wanted to apply to a certain college's journalism program, but because the high school was so hard, the student's grades are not as strong (though decent) and hence that journalism program does not accept them. Has the high school done well by the student or not?
3. Transportation system - joke. Nice to have all those buses but for goodness sake, any smart parent knows the value of that time in the car with your student. Talk about school, life, whatever.
4. Black box part 2 - random decisions with no reason giving. The head of school decided to give a day off yesterday May 24th. No reason other than not too many snow days. Great for part of the school (younger kids), but what about the high school kids? They just lost a day of review and meetings with teachers on fairly short notice and now walk into school on Tuesday after Memorial Day right into exams. Another one there, start exams on Wednesday so students can have that last day Tuesday for any last minute prep or questions of teachers. Nice call head of school!
5. Facilities - let's spend tens of millions of dollars on a new sports facility that students already say they do not want to walk across campus to or exclude some sports. Seems like it would have been a good idea to have a pool, but nope. You have one of the best softball teams in the state, maybe a nice field with consistent grass? Nope. Real baseball field at official size? Nope, let's have sparse grass and a shallow right field. This place does not think.
Can you tell this has been a long year at this school?
I will share some dislikes about Potomac.
1. Black box - They cannot explain what the purpose of their curriculum is nor their academic tracks. Some tracks are just harder, seemingly to show harder courses were offered/attempted so colleges can see. They make arbitrary decisions, such as which science to take for 9th graders, despite no science placement exam (they do placement exams for math and foreign language).
2. College prep - Everything is positioned as "this will help them for college". "Our school is so hard, college will be easy for them." Is this a reason for a school to be hard? I do not understand that. The school should be at an appropriate level of challenge for each student, not just hard for all. And that in turn is to help the student realize their potential while learning new subjects and skills, not to make it into a certain college. For example, what if a student wanted to apply to a certain college's journalism program, but because the high school was so hard, the student's grades are not as strong (though decent) and hence that journalism program does not accept them. Has the high school done well by the student or not?
3. Transportation system - joke. Nice to have all those buses but for goodness sake, any smart parent knows the value of that time in the car with your student. Talk about school, life, whatever.
4. Black box part 2 - random decisions with no reason giving. The head of school decided to give a day off yesterday May 24th. No reason other than not too many snow days. Great for part of the school (younger kids), but what about the high school kids? They just lost a day of review and meetings with teachers on fairly short notice and now walk into school on Tuesday after Memorial Day right into exams. Another one there, start exams on Wednesday so students can have that last day Tuesday for any last minute prep or questions of teachers. Nice call head of school!
5. Facilities - let's spend tens of millions of dollars on a new sports facility that students already say they do not want to walk across campus to or exclude some sports. Seems like it would have been a good idea to have a pool, but nope. You have one of the best softball teams in the state, maybe a nice field with consistent grass? Nope. Real baseball field at official size? Nope, let's have sparse grass and a shallow right field. This place does not think.
Can you tell this has been a long year at this school?
Anonymous
05/25/2019 17:12
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
There is no farce and if you notice, the teachers do not receive any negative assessment in the post. In fact it mentions that they make themselves available to the students, I consider that a nice strength actually.
The post simply asks an important question - for what reason does Potomac and other schools apply rigor? The common answer on campus is "this will make college easier". Is that the purpose of a high school education? If they said, our kids need it, then maybe. But I sense a consideration by the administration is where Potomac stacks up against other area schools. No crime in considering, but that might be secondary to the real purpose, how to best serve families?
And while I agree with the idea that the school openly outlines fees and names of classes, there is no way to understand it fully until you are there. I do not think it wrong to outline these concerns to others who read these boards looking for insight.
Perhaps my statement was a bit strong re sham, but I stand 100% by the idea that there are elements of the school that wish it to be rigorous for rigors sake and not the students. Maybe it is to compete with the D.C. privates or some other reason, but I do not think the school would be diminished if it were 5%-10% less challenging. You do not need to agree with this, but there are plenty of threads that express some variation of the same.
And I definitely stand by 9th grade bio, this is well known and many parents have discussed the last few years. Again you do not have to agree, but it seems like the tracks are too similar and there is no good "regular" bio track.
Thanks.
The post simply asks an important question - for what reason does Potomac and other schools apply rigor? The common answer on campus is "this will make college easier". Is that the purpose of a high school education? If they said, our kids need it, then maybe. But I sense a consideration by the administration is where Potomac stacks up against other area schools. No crime in considering, but that might be secondary to the real purpose, how to best serve families?
And while I agree with the idea that the school openly outlines fees and names of classes, there is no way to understand it fully until you are there. I do not think it wrong to outline these concerns to others who read these boards looking for insight.
Perhaps my statement was a bit strong re sham, but I stand 100% by the idea that there are elements of the school that wish it to be rigorous for rigors sake and not the students. Maybe it is to compete with the D.C. privates or some other reason, but I do not think the school would be diminished if it were 5%-10% less challenging. You do not need to agree with this, but there are plenty of threads that express some variation of the same.
And I definitely stand by 9th grade bio, this is well known and many parents have discussed the last few years. Again you do not have to agree, but it seems like the tracks are too similar and there is no good "regular" bio track.
Thanks.
Anonymous
05/25/2019 17:02
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
Anonymous wrote:I think this is an important thread re Potomac, and likely some other "top" schools in the area. Potomac seems to apply more rigor in some if not all areas, not for the sake of learning or helping the students, but to simply achieve the reputation of a rigorous school. That in turn is likely an attempt to compete with the schools in D.C. proper and also to show parents why Potomac should be chosen (and paid for) versus the high school just down the road. We have been at Potomac a few years and our misgivings have increased each year. Our student does OK, but likely would be happier and less stressed elsewhere, and with better grades. it is unfortunately late in the game to make a switch.
If that is not clear enough, I am basically one step away from saying this school is somewhat of a sham. The kids are nice, as are most families, there is a nice sense of camaraderie among the students. The campus and buildings are nice. The teachers for the most part make themselves available and seem knowledgeable. But underneath it seems like there is a goal to make it rigorous for rigor's sake, not to help the students. When the best answer that administrators can provide is "we do this so college will be easier", that is not a reason to pile it on.
And I agree with the poster re 9th grade bio. The teachers are not very good and the curriculum for the course is oppressive. Both in advanced and regular. The regular bio teacher(s) seem to think they should teach at advanced pace instead of forming a good foundation in bio and heaven forbid instill an enjoyment of the subject.
Sounds a very common problem in Potomac. Can more Potomac US parents provide their insights here? Thanks!!
Anonymous
05/25/2019 16:32
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
Anonymous wrote:I think this is an important thread re Potomac, and likely some other "top" schools in the area. Potomac seems to apply more rigor in some if not all areas, not for the sake of learning or helping the students, but to simply achieve the reputation of a rigorous school. That in turn is likely an attempt to compete with the schools in D.C. proper and also to show parents why Potomac should be chosen (and paid for) versus the high school just down the road. We have been at Potomac a few years and our misgivings have increased each year. Our student does OK, but likely would be happier and less stressed elsewhere, and with better grades. it is unfortunately late in the game to make a switch.
If that is not clear enough, I am basically one step away from saying this school is somewhat of a sham. The kids are nice, as are most families, there is a nice sense of camaraderie among the students. The campus and buildings are nice. The teachers for the most part make themselves available and seem knowledgeable. But underneath it seems like there is a goal to make it rigorous for rigor's sake, not to help the students. When the best answer that administrators can provide is "we do this so college will be easier", that is not a reason to pile it on.
And I agree with the poster re 9th grade bio. The teachers are not very good and the curriculum for the course is oppressive. Both in advanced and regular. The regular bio teacher(s) seem to think they should teach at advanced pace instead of forming a good foundation in bio and heaven forbid instill an enjoyment of the subject.
What a farce. Pull your kid if you are not happy and try the local public or another school. Being bitter about paying for a school that has no hidden agenda about its annual cost, its academic classes or your kid is silly. Contrary to your post, teachers at privates are not out to doom the kids to failure. Whether you agree or not, private schools in this area (Potomac included) do not need to ‘justify’ their costs against public. Parents are competent enough to evaluate their options and will vote with their pocketbook. These schools do not need to ‘compete’ for students no matter how much you want that to be the narrative. all have more applicants than spots (most have an acceptance rate hovering around 30%). Bottom line-if you are not happy (and some will not be)then leave for public..no one is forcing you to sign the contract. Your spot will be filled with plenty of people happy to deal with the grades, the advanced classes and the fees. That is just the reality of private schools in this area.
Anonymous
05/25/2019 16:09
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
I think this is an important thread re Potomac, and likely some other "top" schools in the area. Potomac seems to apply more rigor in some if not all areas, not for the sake of learning or helping the students, but to simply achieve the reputation of a rigorous school. That in turn is likely an attempt to compete with the schools in D.C. proper and also to show parents why Potomac should be chosen (and paid for) versus the high school just down the road. We have been at Potomac a few years and our misgivings have increased each year. Our student does OK, but likely would be happier and less stressed elsewhere, and with better grades. it is unfortunately late in the game to make a switch.
If that is not clear enough, I am basically one step away from saying this school is somewhat of a sham. The kids are nice, as are most families, there is a nice sense of camaraderie among the students. The campus and buildings are nice. The teachers for the most part make themselves available and seem knowledgeable. But underneath it seems like there is a goal to make it rigorous for rigor's sake, not to help the students. When the best answer that administrators can provide is "we do this so college will be easier", that is not a reason to pile it on.
And I agree with the poster re 9th grade bio. The teachers are not very good and the curriculum for the course is oppressive. Both in advanced and regular. The regular bio teacher(s) seem to think they should teach at advanced pace instead of forming a good foundation in bio and heaven forbid instill an enjoyment of the subject.
If that is not clear enough, I am basically one step away from saying this school is somewhat of a sham. The kids are nice, as are most families, there is a nice sense of camaraderie among the students. The campus and buildings are nice. The teachers for the most part make themselves available and seem knowledgeable. But underneath it seems like there is a goal to make it rigorous for rigor's sake, not to help the students. When the best answer that administrators can provide is "we do this so college will be easier", that is not a reason to pile it on.
And I agree with the poster re 9th grade bio. The teachers are not very good and the curriculum for the course is oppressive. Both in advanced and regular. The regular bio teacher(s) seem to think they should teach at advanced pace instead of forming a good foundation in bio and heaven forbid instill an enjoyment of the subject.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 22:22
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
I do not know Potomac's course or grading system, but for what it is worth OP, the most important thing is that your DC is establishing a strong foundation in math and science in order to understand each subject more deeply. If accelerated classes are moving too quickly for your DC, it does not mean your DC is less capable, it just means that they may need more time to truly understand the concepts. There is nothing wrong with this, and it should not discourage them from continuing to studying these subjects in high school and college if that is their goal.
If your DC stays in accelerated courses, it may be worth carving out time during the summer to work through the concepts and topics that your DC struggled with during the school year.
If your DC stays in accelerated courses, it may be worth carving out time during the summer to work through the concepts and topics that your DC struggled with during the school year.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 20:14
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
Anonymous wrote:You should be in touch with your DC's advisor, OP. Answering these sorts of questions is exactly what they are there for. Agree that a move down in math may be appropriate for next year.
-- former Potomac US teacher and advisor
PP, wanted to add to this that it makes sense that you would post here and you've gotten good responses -- but you are not taking advantage of the advisory system if you don't ask the advisor about these issues. Email the advisor and say something like, "I'm a little concerned about DC's interest levels dipping in some classes; I was hoping we could have a phone chat [or meeting if you prefer] to get a sense of what you're seeing." Hopefully the advisor's already been in touch regarding grades and placement for next year, but if you are still having these questions, that tells me that you could benefit from being in closer contact with the advisor. Don't be pushy/aggressive/entitled, but don't be afraid to reach out.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 20:09
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
You should be in touch with your DC's advisor, OP. Answering these sorts of questions is exactly what they are there for. Agree that a move down in math may be appropriate for next year.
-- former Potomac US teacher and advisor
-- former Potomac US teacher and advisor
Anonymous
05/17/2019 18:53
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
I have TJ junior and we have found that better SLAC's do not look at weighted GPA so don't worry about that. I would agree with getting your child down a level where you can and don't worry too much. That's what my kid did at TJ and it has worked wonders. Also the 9th grade classes are a drag - once they get up to jr year, they get to pick electives and are doing what they love.
Hang in there - and don't worry about college. There are great schools out there and your child will get in - just maybe not Ivy.
Hang in there - and don't worry about college. There are great schools out there and your child will get in - just maybe not Ivy.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 18:35
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
I like the grading at Potomac School
Anonymous
05/17/2019 18:32
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
4.) Private school kids' GPAs are not judged as lacking against those with higher public school weighted-GPAs (college admission folks know what is what and Potomac has a excellent reputation for rigor -see getting rid of AP thread). Its a non-issue.
Just wanted to co-sign this. Some private high school don't even formally calculate GPA, let alone weighted GPA, because it's just not a good indicator of the rigor of the course load or how well the student is doing; admissions folks are not going to make an apple-to-apples comparison to a weighted public school GPA.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 17:28
Subject: Re:Grading at Potomac?
OP, and PPs, thank you for posting this and for your thoughts. I have a 9th grader at another top private and have a similar story. The struggle is real! I'm a little relieved, at least, to know that freshman year grades will not kill them as far as college search going forward.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 17:25
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Potomac is starting to more like a “pressure cooker” to me
100%
--Parent of 2 upper school students there
And speaking of grading, does anybody else have a problem with the complete lack of transparency regarding grades? The only time I know anything about grades are when they’re bad. There’s no way to track progress like most schools do.
Most schools? My kids go to a different school. The only time I know about their grades are at their semester and end of school reports.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 17:18
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Potomac is starting to more like a “pressure cooker” to me
100%
--Parent of 2 upper school students there
And speaking of grading, does anybody else have a problem with the complete lack of transparency regarding grades? The only time I know anything about grades are when they’re bad. There’s no way to track progress like most schools do.
Anonymous
05/17/2019 12:40
Subject: Grading at Potomac?
Anonymous wrote:Potomac is starting to more like a “pressure cooker” to me
100%
--Parent of 2 upper school students there