This city could support one more private school that focuses on highly capable kids. If I didn't already have a full time job...Another parent added, "It is time. I hope it is not only a dream."
That seems like a nicely controversial topic likely to generate some good discussion, so here's a new thread for it. Go to it!
17 comments:
The very thought makes me ill. Absolutely ill. Why do parents in this city believe that they deserve more than everyone else?
What about private schools for the children who are the lowest performing? They are most likely to not succeed and will have the greatest gain from attending a private school - the small class sizes, the individualized instruction, the highest quality teachers, etc.
I am sorry to break you the news, there is already a gifted private (K-8) school in Seattle called Seattle Country Day. The problem is it is not big enough (and quite expensive)...
To Privilege Blows
I think it would be a great idea to have a new private middle school where APP students could go with other students (not only APP students). And I think there could me many APP teachers among the new hires because so many of them were let go in the recent years for different reasons (from Lowell, etc).
I wish I had the money for it...
Privilege-
My question to you is why there are so many hippy types around here who think you should punish your own children to benefit those elsewhere? How does keeping your child out of private school benefit those less fortunate? The answer is it doesn't. Every child in the district deserves, and should expect, a good education. The fact is, the SSD current is unable to provide it for many kids.
Should I not go the doctor because others don't have health insurance? Should I not eat because others are hungry? We should all donate to charity and help when we can, but I will not allow my child to receive a poor education because that's all some kids get.
-facing reality
I am tired of hearing we can't ask for our kids to get an excellent education because it reeks of privilege. No other school districts seem to have this hate for their highly capable academic programs. We too, are scrambling for private school applications right now, and saw many, many APP peers there on the endless tours. All worried parents looking to have their kids' needs met. We're all applying for aid. If some thoughtful folks started up a new private school, like how some Microsoft parents started Eastside Prep a few years back, I'd be all over it, especially if it had a smaller price tag. We are eating serious crow, as we are dedicated public school people, and swore we'd never go private. But the system seems to have finally reached the breaking point, and we can't justify not trying to do better for our kids.
-Very sad about the state of APP
Seriously, this is a thread?
Not sure what your point is, Anonymous. As I said, it seems like other parents want to talk about this topic. If you don't want to talk about it, don't talk about it.
Greg,
Let me take this moment to let you know I really appreciate your work on this blog. I have found a great deal of useful information here and it has truly helped us find out about APP and if it is right for our family. So thank you!
Grateful Parent
ditto! Thanks.
I guess I don't understand how a conversation about the demand for an APP private school is relevant to the APP public school education. We have private schools that cater to this population. Yes they are expensive and yes they are hard to get into, but that is what you deal with in the private education sector. You can start another private school for APP students and it will be expensive and hard to get into.
So I just do not understand the purpose of this thread as it feels like a distraction from the issues of APP as related to SPS.
SCDS is not as rigorous as APP, and the requirements are slightly easier (made even easier by the testing instruments they use). It is a fine school, but it's not quite the same. Evergreen is similar to Spectrum.
-person who looked pretty seriously at SCDS
I could easily imagine a more affordable private middle school providing only the core subjects (math, science, LA, SS and a chosen language) - but on a really high and challenging level (maybe in bigger classes, like 20-25 students /class, which would be still better than we have now in SPS).
APP students and those students who could work on a higher level could participate in the classes held in the mornings and then they could go off campus and do their music, sport, etc classes in the afternoon closer to their home. It wouldn't be a "comprehensive MS" in a way that we have in SPS but could provide better academic environment for the gifted students (for a more affordable tuition?).
Dream
Here's an example of a public school that is able to provide a solid, well rounded, college prep curriculum for grades 7-12, complete with arts and music:
Walnut Hills High School: A College Preparatory School
Admission open to all students who pass the Terra Nova standardized test at 70% or better.
This is what I'd like to see here.
My friend's kid goes to this amazing public school in SC. It's pretty great, and everyone seems to think it's awesome. She said when her son got in, everyone was so happy for him. (Mind you, it's residential, not that I'm suggesting we open one of these). But it's free, with the exception of a small stipend for food. Funny how no one screams elitism there. It's just obviously a school for the gifted in math and science, just like a select soccer team is great for those who excel at soccer. I don't know why Seattle is so weird about this. http://www.scgssm.org/
-Still sad
PrivilegeBlows you are clearly outside the target market for the needs being discussed here. Thank you Greg for supporting the many voices this forum aims to serve.
Contrary to popular belief, APP students are JUST AS HARMED as the lowest performing students you refer to PrivilegeBlows, when they are not challenged.
Wouldn't it be great if everyone in Seattle valued the needs of all children and not just those who work at, or below grade level? Just to be clear, EVERY student includes APP.
Putting others down is always easier than building yourself up. Always.
On the bright side, I suppose such inertia saves energy.
And Seattle is weird about everything. It's a tax we pay to live in a pretty place.
TGIF
Yes, a private Seattle school for gifted kids exists in the form of SCDS. Yes, the base test score for consideration is a little lower than for APP (97%+ on the Weschler), though most of the kids I know who are currently at SCDS scored >99.9% on that test. Whereas APP is required to admit every student who meets its base testing criteria, SCDS looks at parent essays, teacher recommendations and a school visit; acceptance rate is somewhere around 10%.
The key difference between APP and SCDS programs: According to Dr. Fred Provenzano, one of the child psychologists in Seattle who not only tests kids for giftedness but also helps SPS in determining what to do with its appeals candidates: APP focuses on accelerated learning (being ahead 2 grade levels), whereas SCDS focuses on depth of learning.
If you can afford to send your child to a private gifted school, good for you, and lucky for your child. If you do so, consider donating a little extra $$$$ at the school so that it can offer need-based scholarships for those gifted students whose families don't have the resources to do spay the high price of private school tuition ($22,000 for first grade 2013-2014 school year).
Just presenting some facts for thought; not opining as to the rights or wrongs of keeping your child in APP versus sending him or her to a private gifted school.
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