It could also be the quality of the recommendation letters you were able to secure. For example, if one is from a senator, is he the senior or the junior senator from his state? Does he chair any influential committees? That sort of thing.

Anonymous wrote:Speculation: Do the better preschools/daycares have directors and teachers that write better recommendations?

Our daycare had a policy that the kid's current teacher writes the recommendation for a kid applying out. The teachers, while really great with the kids, often had pretty marginal spoken English, and I'm guessing that many of them would struggle to write a great recommendation letter.

and... .that's why as a center director I wrote the letters. I'd have the teachers mark the form as to what the child could do (and I'd re-read and discuss them). But I wrote the letter or paragraph section of the form.

So if you aren't sure about your teacher's writing skills, then give the form to the director and ask him/her to complete it. She/he will figure out who should write it. If you give it to the teachers, they may not show it to the director so the director won't be able to participate.

Speculation: Do the better preschools/daycares have directors and teachers that write better recommendations?

Our daycare had a policy that the kid's current teacher writes the recommendation for a kid applying out. The teachers, while really great with the kids, often had pretty marginal spoken English, and I'm guessing that many of them would struggle to write a great recommendation letter.

Parents* not agents

It’s the fault of the agents who sent the child to daycare rather than looking after him and teaching him in those critical early years.

I’ve had 2 kids at Bright Horizons, one from 4mo to 3yr 2mo and the other from 4mo to 10mo. The older one is now at a private preschool.

One thing to consider is the difference in teaching philosophy. If your desired school is a mismatch with your daycare, that might make it tough for your kid to get in. Our BH center has a lot of Montessori inspired furniture and toys, but the instruction was very group oriented and valued drilling information and doing things in a predetermined way. For example, the teachers would have pre cut pieces of paper and the kids would all sit together and glue a snowman craft. They drilled the kids relentlessly on numbers and letters. When my older son left he could count to 20, knew his colors and all the letters, had started writing his name and could read a dozen or so sight words.
Our preschool is Reggio Emelia and now my kid gets to do what he wants most of the time. If he wants to paint, he paints. If he wants to practice writing, here’s the paper. His knowledge of pre-literacy topics has stagnated or lost ground. However he is more independent. He’s better at planning ahead and defining a sequence before he starts. He’s more creative and has learned how to care for art materials.
If you want your kid in a Montessori school and they have been at BH, it might not be a good fit. You kid might not be as independent and self sufficient as a kid with a Montessori daycare. If you want your kid in a rigorous academic environment and they have been at a more self-directed environment, they might struggle to acclimate but will got the hang of it.

If the case is a a mismatch in education philosophy and what behaviors and knowledge your desired school prioritizes vs. what BH has been teaching, that is your fault not BH. BH is teaching their curriculum. You as the parent are responsible for determining what behaviors and knwlwdfe you think are important and finding a school and philosophy that supports your priorities.

Anonymous wrote:NAEYC accreditation has nothing to do with being a feeder or a great school. Many government funded daycares are required to be accredited in order to receive funding.

I largely agree with this, but accreditation does ensure that certain benchmarks are met.

More importantly, there is a big difference between a feeder and a great school. Being a feeder is mostly about relationships. If X is a feeder to Y, the admissions staff at Y will know the administration at X well and will give more credence to their recommendations. There can also be other relationship dynamics at play. There is an element of Y feeling X prepares kids well, but that is only part of it.

Conversely, there can be lots of great schools that aren't feeders generally, or to particular schools. It doesn't mean they don't prepare children as well or better, but there is less of an established track record of having kids go from one school to another and likely not the same relationship between administrations. Plenty of kids get in from "non-feeders," so it is hardly a kiss of death.

NAEYC accreditation has nothing to do with being a feeder or a great school. Many government funded daycares are required to be accredited in order to receive funding.