I know happy people at Dalton and Trinity, Riverdale, Trevor, the K-8 boys, Heschel, Nightingale, Chapin. There is more transparency from what I can tell from the admin in those places.They know how their kids are doing on standardized tests. I have met teachers and librarians from different schools who I enjoy talking to about books, etc from all those schools.

I have talked to those kids about their academic experience and found them more engaged on the whole with bigger picture ideas and frankly, the world outside of their little schools. They didn’t brag to me about being at their school but were bouncing around talking about cool stuff. They tell me about black holes or endangered species or Fahrenheit 451 or how fast the fastest skier raced at the Olympics or how to build an egg drop or what an acute angle is.

Brilliant little brains.

My daughter being able to handle her work has been a problem because I didn’t see it. Once I saw the curriculum and read the books she reads in class I was unimpressed and am moving on. Whatever version is being taught of a poor history book is, I don’t trust it to have enough meat on the bone based on the old ones. You may disagree — cool.

Forget the politics, she has already read so much history on her own she would be so bored by the kind of superficial Billy Joel style listing that text still features. nothing anyone has said or posted or pointed out about a particular work has changed it. I think it’s badly designed and weak. You think I am insane. Cool — but I am not lying about my opinion.

I actually read everything my kids read in class so we can talk about it. My grandmother did the same. It’s a lovely memory of mine. I ended up at an Ivy and was totally fine and didn’t do a single SAT prep class because when you are taught math correctly you don’t need it.

I am engaging with the people who engaged with me because they seem to want to fight me on it. Go to a new thread — skip my posts. I know you are all probably going to choose the school anyway, but maybe you will pay attention more than I did and notice things and be more empowered them as a parent.

Every article in the NY Times is about the kids not being able to do Algebra or some kid jumping in front of a car at some protest or jumping out a window at a storied New York institution. I grieve those lost kids. I’m sure like all my little friend, they had so much wonderful potential and so much good to give. I am not changing anyone’s mind, just planting some doubt so people can keep an eye on their kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pruned out anything that was repetitive or people calling me a liar and me responding in haste, back and forth about tiny curriculum points. I may not be right, but I am not a liar and have never really been called one before.

I personally do appreciate you pouring your heart out even though it may seem overabundant here. I take it as an important data point. But we need to send our girls somewhere, and in the absence of concrete alternatives and concrete points of comparison with other specific schools, it becomes less actionable -- who is to say there is no equally unhappy parent at e.g. Spence or other reputationally good schools? We understand the things you are upset about at B; if you could speak to how those things are better at S, C, T, HM, or R etc, that would be helpful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is going on here? I cannot fathom a credible parent in New York spending this much time airing their grievances against their daughter's school. I understand putting out concerns, but at this point it's unhinged and, frankly, comes off as petty and ridiculous rather than a balanced perspective.

That said, Brearley was our top choice, and we are excited to enroll our daughter for Kindergarten this fall. We also considered Chapin and Dalton, but ultimately, Brearley won us over with its impressive new facilities and the strength of the LS curriculum. The “under one roof” setup at Chapin felt cramped, and the "STEAM lab" seemed more like a glorified woodworking space than a cutting-edge space for applied sciences. While Dalton’s upper school curriculum was appealing, we had concerns about the small size of the LS classrooms and became concerned after a close friend had to seek out additional math tutoring.

Anyway - our decision has been made. If there are any current Brearley families out there, I’d love to hear some positive stories about what’s to come. And to the other new families, looking forward to meeting you all!

I’ve tried to post a couple times on this thread, but it was getting crazy so I stopped. My daughter is in the upper school, and she and her friends love the school. They are very happy, well adjusted teens, and they’ve had a good experience. Sure, there were times of middle school “drama” like every other middle school in America. But nothing earth shattering. My daughter has learned so much at the school and continues to do so to this day. Her schooling is night and day compared to what I had growing up, and even compared to what many of her cousins have in other parts of the country. If I had the choice to make all over again today, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to you and your family. Hopefully you have the same experience we’ve had. And if not, and you find it’s not right for your family, you’ll have plenty of options should your daughter want to apply out for middle or high school.

It’s really nice to hear this! In light of the other parent’s concerns around the new administration, have you been impacted by any of the changes (for better or for worse), or is it really only a few vocal outliers who are unhappy with the changes?

The new head of school and new upper school head started in the fall, so I think it's too early to see many changes yet. I haven't noticed anything significant, but I am sure the new head will make her own mark as time goes on. To be honest, at this point in her academic career, my daughter handles a lot of school related issues on her own, including dealing with teachers, any issues she may have with not understanding concepts, etc. She actually has been doing that since middle school, and it is one of the best things about the school as it has taught her and encouraged her to advocate for herself, something I often wondered if she would be able to do because she was always a pretty shy kid (and still is in many ways). Of course, if she ever needed us to step in, we would, but she doesn't typically complain about school, and as I said, she seems to enjoy being there.

This is great to hear! My daughter got in to a couple places and we ultimately chose Brearley. I was also concerned about what parents were saying about the new administration, mean girls, and pressure cooker mentality.

I hoping they saw something in her that made them feel like she belongs at Brearley. We are a completely unconnected family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is going on here? I cannot fathom a credible parent in New York spending this much time airing their grievances against their daughter's school. I understand putting out concerns, but at this point it's unhinged and, frankly, comes off as petty and ridiculous rather than a balanced perspective.

That said, Brearley was our top choice, and we are excited to enroll our daughter for Kindergarten this fall. We also considered Chapin and Dalton, but ultimately, Brearley won us over with its impressive new facilities and the strength of the LS curriculum. The “under one roof” setup at Chapin felt cramped, and the "STEAM lab" seemed more like a glorified woodworking space than a cutting-edge space for applied sciences. While Dalton’s upper school curriculum was appealing, we had concerns about the small size of the LS classrooms and became concerned after a close friend had to seek out additional math tutoring.

Anyway - our decision has been made. If there are any current Brearley families out there, I’d love to hear some positive stories about what’s to come. And to the other new families, looking forward to meeting you all!

I’ve tried to post a couple times on this thread, but it was getting crazy so I stopped. My daughter is in the upper school, and she and her friends love the school. They are very happy, well adjusted teens, and they’ve had a good experience. Sure, there were times of middle school “drama” like every other middle school in America. But nothing earth shattering. My daughter has learned so much at the school and continues to do so to this day. Her schooling is night and day compared to what I had growing up, and even compared to what many of her cousins have in other parts of the country. If I had the choice to make all over again today, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to you and your family. Hopefully you have the same experience we’ve had. And if not, and you find it’s not right for your family, you’ll have plenty of options should your daughter want to apply out for middle or high school.

It’s really nice to hear this! In light of the other parent’s concerns around the new administration, have you been impacted by any of the changes (for better or for worse), or is it really only a few vocal outliers who are unhappy with the changes?

The new head of school and new upper school head started in the fall, so I think it's too early to see many changes yet. I haven't noticed anything significant, but I am sure the new head will make her own mark as time goes on. To be honest, at this point in her academic career, my daughter handles a lot of school related issues on her own, including dealing with teachers, any issues she may have with not understanding concepts, etc. She actually has been doing that since middle school, and it is one of the best things about the school as it has taught her and encouraged her to advocate for herself, something I often wondered if she would be able to do because she was always a pretty shy kid (and still is in many ways). Of course, if she ever needed us to step in, we would, but she doesn't typically complain about school, and as I said, she seems to enjoy being there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is going on here? I cannot fathom a credible parent in New York spending this much time airing their grievances against their daughter's school. I understand putting out concerns, but at this point it's unhinged and, frankly, comes off as petty and ridiculous rather than a balanced perspective.

That said, Brearley was our top choice, and we are excited to enroll our daughter for Kindergarten this fall. We also considered Chapin and Dalton, but ultimately, Brearley won us over with its impressive new facilities and the strength of the LS curriculum. The “under one roof” setup at Chapin felt cramped, and the "STEAM lab" seemed more like a glorified woodworking space than a cutting-edge space for applied sciences. While Dalton’s upper school curriculum was appealing, we had concerns about the small size of the LS classrooms and became concerned after a close friend had to seek out additional math tutoring.

Anyway - our decision has been made. If there are any current Brearley families out there, I’d love to hear some positive stories about what’s to come. And to the other new families, looking forward to meeting you all!

I’ve tried to post a couple times on this thread, but it was getting crazy so I stopped. My daughter is in the upper school, and she and her friends love the school. They are very happy, well adjusted teens, and they’ve had a good experience. Sure, there were times of middle school “drama” like every other middle school in America. But nothing earth shattering. My daughter has learned so much at the school and continues to do so to this day. Her schooling is night and day compared to what I had growing up, and even compared to what many of her cousins have in other parts of the country. If I had the choice to make all over again today, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to you and your family. Hopefully you have the same experience we’ve had. And if not, and you find it’s not right for your family, you’ll have plenty of options should your daughter want to apply out for middle or high school.

It’s really nice to hear this! In light of the other parent’s concerns around the new administration, have you been impacted by any of the changes (for better or for worse), or is it really only a few vocal outliers who are unhappy with the changes?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is going on here? I cannot fathom a credible parent in New York spending this much time airing their grievances against their daughter's school. I understand putting out concerns, but at this point it's unhinged and, frankly, comes off as petty and ridiculous rather than a balanced perspective.

That said, Brearley was our top choice, and we are excited to enroll our daughter for Kindergarten this fall. We also considered Chapin and Dalton, but ultimately, Brearley won us over with its impressive new facilities and the strength of the LS curriculum. The “under one roof” setup at Chapin felt cramped, and the "STEAM lab" seemed more like a glorified woodworking space than a cutting-edge space for applied sciences. While Dalton’s upper school curriculum was appealing, we had concerns about the small size of the LS classrooms and became concerned after a close friend had to seek out additional math tutoring.

Anyway - our decision has been made. If there are any current Brearley families out there, I’d love to hear some positive stories about what’s to come. And to the other new families, looking forward to meeting you all!

I’ve tried to post a couple times on this thread, but it was getting crazy so I stopped. My daughter is in the upper school, and she and her friends love the school. They are very happy, well adjusted teens, and they’ve had a good experience. Sure, there were times of middle school “drama” like every other middle school in America. But nothing earth shattering. My daughter has learned so much at the school and continues to do so to this day. Her schooling is night and day compared to what I had growing up, and even compared to what many of her cousins have in other parts of the country. If I had the choice to make all over again today, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to you and your family. Hopefully you have the same experience we’ve had. And if not, and you find it’s not right for your family, you’ll have plenty of options should your daughter want to apply out for middle or high school.

Thank you! I was so impressed with the girls that we met there, they seemed well-spoken. I'm glad your daughter and her friends are happy there. I do not doubt that there will be drama along the way - that is par for the course for the age group at any school, SS or otherwise. I actually heard a story about a family who had switched their daughter from Hewitt to Riverdale but the bullying at Riverdale was so bad they went back to Hewitt - it can truly happen anywhere. We're so excited about the opportunities our daughter will have at Brearley.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is going on here? I cannot fathom a credible parent in New York spending this much time airing their grievances against their daughter's school. I understand putting out concerns, but at this point it's unhinged and, frankly, comes off as petty and ridiculous rather than a balanced perspective.

That said, Brearley was our top choice, and we are excited to enroll our daughter for Kindergarten this fall. We also considered Chapin and Dalton, but ultimately, Brearley won us over with its impressive new facilities and the strength of the LS curriculum. The “under one roof” setup at Chapin felt cramped, and the "STEAM lab" seemed more like a glorified woodworking space than a cutting-edge space for applied sciences. While Dalton’s upper school curriculum was appealing, we had concerns about the small size of the LS classrooms and became concerned after a close friend had to seek out additional math tutoring.

Anyway - our decision has been made. If there are any current Brearley families out there, I’d love to hear some positive stories about what’s to come. And to the other new families, looking forward to meeting you all!

I’ve tried to post a couple times on this thread, but it was getting crazy so I stopped. My daughter is in the upper school, and she and her friends love the school. They are very happy, well adjusted teens, and they’ve had a good experience. Sure, there were times of middle school “drama” like every other middle school in America. But nothing earth shattering. My daughter has learned so much at the school and continues to do so to this day. Her schooling is night and day compared to what I had growing up, and even compared to what many of her cousins have in other parts of the country. If I had the choice to make all over again today, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to you and your family. Hopefully you have the same experience we’ve had. And if not, and you find it’s not right for your family, you’ll have plenty of options should your daughter want to apply out for middle or high school.

Looking forward to meeting you too! 😘

Anonymous wrote:What is going on here? I cannot fathom a credible parent in New York spending this much time airing their grievances against their daughter's school. I understand putting out concerns, but at this point it's unhinged and, frankly, comes off as petty and ridiculous rather than a balanced perspective.

That said, Brearley was our top choice, and we are excited to enroll our daughter for Kindergarten this fall. We also considered Chapin and Dalton, but ultimately, Brearley won us over with its impressive new facilities and the strength of the LS curriculum. The “under one roof” setup at Chapin felt cramped, and the "STEAM lab" seemed more like a glorified woodworking space than a cutting-edge space for applied sciences. While Dalton’s upper school curriculum was appealing, we had concerns about the small size of the LS classrooms and became concerned after a close friend had to seek out additional math tutoring.

Anyway - our decision has been made. If there are any current Brearley families out there, I’d love to hear some positive stories about what’s to come. And to the other new families, looking forward to meeting you all!

I’ve tried to post a couple times on this thread, but it was getting crazy so I stopped. My daughter is in the upper school, and she and her friends love the school. They are very happy, well adjusted teens, and they’ve had a good experience. Sure, there were times of middle school “drama” like every other middle school in America. But nothing earth shattering. My daughter has learned so much at the school and continues to do so to this day. Her schooling is night and day compared to what I had growing up, and even compared to what many of her cousins have in other parts of the country. If I had the choice to make all over again today, I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to you and your family. Hopefully you have the same experience we’ve had. And if not, and you find it’s not right for your family, you’ll have plenty of options should your daughter want to apply out for middle or high school.