I’m an entrepreneur. it took me more than 10 years of heartache, exhaustion, financial insanity, bad decisions, lessons learned and a bit of luck before we became profitable. And when we did, we were lucky enough to make up for lots of lost time very quickly. So, using your example, I challenge any entrepreneur to share the story of when they nailed it from the get-go with no pivots, no major changes, no major mistakes. Had my business been a school, I wouldn’t have wanted my kids to be part of the first iteration of it.

I don’t think this is a referendum on entrepreneurship. I’m all-in on that front. But if my choice is a well-established school with a demonstrable performance history versus the equivalent of a VC-funded throw downfield, I’ll take the former.

Good luck to those who see this as an education unicorn... I honestly hope you’re right. Just not willing to bet my kids’ education on it.

Anonymous wrote:Avenues is going to be opening in DC. Why would some do Whittle as a for-profit model, when they could do Avenues?

And your post reaks or I don't even know what. You didn't answer the question. Why would you pay $6,000 more for something totally new and untested FOR YOUR CHILD than something like Sidwell that has an established China program, if a China program is your priority?

I would never send my kid to a brand new school, totally untested, if I had the option. I would posit that I would send my kid to Wilson 100 times out of 100 before I sent them to a new Whittle.

Wow, you really have no concept of entrepreneurial investment, do you? Your comments are a perfect example of why so many once of influence fall behind
In mediocrity. To you it’s either old model or nothing. Have you not seen the complete demise of British influence? This isn’t ancient history but in our lifetime. Traditional US influence has already started down the same path. These new education models are the future. Oh, and no, I have no affiliation with Whittle or Avenues, other than that I’m considering Whittle next year for my child. It’s not a done deal and will depend on the terms of the offer. But you better believe I’ll consider it...

What grades are they starting with?

Anonymous wrote:Avenues is going to be opening in DC. Why would some do Whittle as a for-profit model, when they could do Avenues?

And your post reaks or I don't even know what. You didn't answer the question. Why would you pay $6,000 more for something totally new and untested FOR YOUR CHILD than something like Sidwell that has an established China program, if a China program is your priority?

I would never send my kid to a brand new school, totally untested, if I had the option. I would posit that I would send my kid to Wilson 100 times out of 100 before I sent them to a new Whittle.

Avenues is also for-profit, as are some other new schools popping up in NYC and elsewhere: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/nyregion/private-schools-startups-wework-wegrow-new-york.html

PreK-12 for-profit schooling is very common in the rest of the world and there are some large chains of for-profit schools in Asia and other places that are very successful. As a PP stated, it's a new economic model that may shake things up with many entrepreneurs and private equity/VC money pouring in. As an education entrepreneur myself, who has raised money from investors, Whittle is intriguing. The issue no no one has mentioned is their burn rate. They've raised a ton of money, but they're super top-heavy with leadership and staffing (just look at how many Admissions people they have), and they will have spent several hundred million on their building when it is finally complete. Will they be able to attract enough wealthy Chinese families to cover that burn. That's the $64,000.00 question. It'll be fun to watch.....

Is avenues really opening in DC??

Avenues is going to be opening in DC. Why would some do Whittle as a for-profit model, when they could do Avenues?

And your post reaks or I don't even know what. You didn't answer the question. Why would you pay $6,000 more for something totally new and untested FOR YOUR CHILD than something like Sidwell that has an established China program, if a China program is your priority?

I would never send my kid to a brand new school, totally untested, if I had the option. I would posit that I would send my kid to Wilson 100 times out of 100 before I sent them to a new Whittle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much misinformation in this thread. If you want to know the model and motivation, go to the school’s promotion center at Mazza. They are very upfront - their goal is to create a Chinese/US partnership program where US families who want to be ready for cultural fluidity and integration are studying side by side with students from Chinese families willing to pay top dollar for the American education model. In terms of what US families would be interested - the characterization that only blind affluence or misfits would be interested is categorically wrong. We’ve had very open conversations with them about our rising 9th grader. True, they hope to attract the affluent looking for the international exposure, but it quickly became apparent to us they are also looking to incentivize families with strong students to help them start with strong class profiles. Ours is an entrepreneurial family and we know a good deal when we see it. For the strong US candidates Whittle is offering the same quality as the elites at negotiable rates in the form of incentive funding of American students to build the brand and attract the foreign investment. It’s not a done deal for us and we are applying to the elites but also giving Whittle serious consideration. Folks, stop conjecturing from ignorance, go talk to them...

So they are offering to charge you less than $51,000 to send your kid there? Face it, anyone who has a choice to do Whittle and Sidwell, with its longstanding Chinese Studies and Chinese Language programs that has exchanges with schools in Shanghai and Beijing and has summer programs in Shanghai and in the rural areas and is full pay isn't sending their kid to be "the first" at a new, for profit school run by Whittle, if Chinese is the main priority. I suppose I can see it if your kid got into another school that didn't have the Chinese opportunities and it is a priority.

Spoken like a true member of the socio economic status quo, whether from multi generational family wealth or a traditional professional path through the elite secondary and/or college route. There are plenty of families who generate their wealth through entrepreneurial activities who understand the new economy can veer from traditional routes. Whittle predecessor Avenues has forged a respectable reputation in NYC with qualified and quantifiable results. Admittedly the for profit structure isn’t for traditionalists and does have a bad wrap because of substandard post secondary education models but for those of us who are entrepreneurial we know it’s possible to work out the kinks of the model and the quality of folks who are engaged these newest models are exceptional.

As a result, we have affluent Chinese families willing to pay top dollar for the American teaching model carried out by exceptional faculty from top schools and universities. In the process local families can benefit from subsidized quality education because they need to lower the cost threshold to attract local talent from skeptical families. I put my self-generated dollars where I know I can get the greatest return. If I can provide my child with a similar quality education at Whittle at half the cost of an “elite” with an already demonstrated from Avenue similar deliverable of quality at the other end, I’d be a fool to pas up the opportunity. I understand it’s hard to accept the new economy and investing in a named elite is a comfortable choice. Time will tell if it’s a mediocre choice as well...

It does smack of language that will ultimately be examined in a CNBC American Greed documentary about the shameless attempt to fuel money into a hapless scheme.

I assume any positive posting on here comes from a paid employee of the school. They are pushing this place HARD. Money talks in this country. If there’s enough money involved it must be good right? That’s how we ended up with our current political situation.

Clearly the paid booster has free time from her office at Mazza.

+1. None of this sounds sincere and I suspect a titanic flop is on the horizon.

Anonymous wrote:There are "Waterworld" levels of hype going on in this thread!

seriously

There are "Waterworld" levels of hype going on in this thread!

I just looked at the Team on their website. Holy crap! They've got the former president of Yale. Move over Sidwell and GDS. Looks like there's a bigger feeder coming on line.

Anonymous wrote:Because for-profit education has worked so well in the postseconday space. At best this is dubious. Go to the website and look at their ‘team’ and all the people looking to make money off this.

But Godspeed, pp. hope it works out for you all.

The way I see it is DC doesn't deserve this gift. We're so lucky to be able to provide this opportunity for our children!