Anonymous wrote:4. Clubs. The Burke approach is unique. Clubs are built into the day and you only can do 2. You pick at the beginning of the year.

Worth clarifying: Sports, theater, bands, chorus, student governments, and the newspaper, etc. are NOT considered "clubs" for this purpose. They don't have limits attached (you could theoretically do all of them in a year) and they may not meet during the day (for example, band is a full class, theater rehearses after school). Clubs specficially tend to be more organized around an interest, like crafting or skateboarding.

There are some very differences between the two schools that could be a plus or a minus for you based on YOUR kid.
1. Ask about the grading policies and ways to help a bad grade. Some schools allow retakes, extra credit, mastery work. Some schools it’s by division. If you are worried about your kid and any particular class, ask about how that class would work for your kid and your options.
2. Schedule. Burke has a rotating schedule meaning that you have class A first period one day, then second, then third, etc. Lots of schools do this. It works for some. Not others.
3. Campus vs. urban. Some Burke kids love that they can go out to lunch. Others prefer a more campus feel of Field.
4. Clubs. The Burke approach is unique. Clubs are built into the day and you only can do 2. You pick at the beginning of the year.
5. Sports. Does your kid love any particular sport? See which of the two schools offer it.
6. Friends. Does your kid want friends who live nearby? One school might have kids closer to your house than the other.
7. Driving. Ultimately, do you want your kid to be able to drive to school and easily park?

Now that I have one in college and one close, I wish I could do the whole school thing all over again. There wasn’t anything wrong with any of the schools attended from pre k to the end, but I don’t think we picked the best fit for either kid. Then our kids didn’t want to move. Neither one loved his/her school but they were settled and content enough. I don’t think either school got the best out of my kid. Again, nothing against the schools. We just chose wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree you do have to stay on top of some things. Burke is not as diverse as it looks. Teachers, admin, students, and board are mostly white. There are some really great teachers and there are some that are problematic. Tuition is also very high for what you get (compared to other schools in the region). No lunch service, limited after-school activities, and limited sports facilities. The small environment is great if that is what your child needs. Parents are very involved, and physical safety is not an issue.

Tuition is practically a bargain at Burke compared to other schools and we appreciate that the school is not bloated. From our experience, parents need to advocate for their kids (and kids need to do that too). We find the school to be very responsive.

Burke is $52k and Field is $57k. Cheaper, but hardly a bargain. (I didn't look to see if tuition included different things).

Anonymous wrote:Maybe its not good for boys, period.

What a strange thing to say. Maybe you can share some specifics to back up your claim? I have not seen any incidence where boys are disadvantaged at Burke.

Maybe its not good for boys, period.

Anonymous wrote:I had two neurodivergent kids at Burke, and I had to shell out a lot of additional money for tutoring and advocate for them to get support. You have to stay on top of things. In my opinion, this school is not great for Black boys.

Name any independent school in the DMV that is god for black boys. School’s in general have a boy problem. Maybe you should look beyond Burke to see the larger issue at all schools

Anonymous wrote:I agree you do have to stay on top of some things. Burke is not as diverse as it looks. Teachers, admin, students, and board are mostly white. There are some really great teachers and there are some that are problematic. Tuition is also very high for what you get (compared to other schools in the region). No lunch service, limited after-school activities, and limited sports facilities. The small environment is great if that is what your child needs. Parents are very involved, and physical safety is not an issue.

Tuition is practically a bargain at Burke compared to other schools and we appreciate that the school is not bloated. From our experience, parents need to advocate for their kids (and kids need to do that too). We find the school to be very responsive.

Both my kids (who are very different from each other) thrived at Burke. We found the community warm and welcoming, most of the teachers are wonderful, we loved that all sports are "no cut" so everyone can play and the theatre dept is terrific.