Pros and cons of a new school

amother

Jade

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 8:35 pm

We are considering starting our child in a new school next year. It has been open for all of three months. They have already redone their school methodology three times (considering hiring specific teachers who were trained in certain ways) and then backed out and decided to go standard. At this point, the only thing that differentiates this school from the others available is that they will not allow more than 40 kids per grade (20 per class), and that they are in to experiential learning with trips and activities to make school for enjoyable. They do not have a track record, have not hired staff for next year, and are not even licenced yet. For various reasons, I am not interested in the other two major schools in the city (one is not close enough to our hashkafa, and the other is very old school, pressurizing, and rigid). The fourth option we have it so send to a montessori school which our child has been in for the past two years and we love love love. I am scared to do something so unconventional. Also, it is recent that the montessori school is expanding to an elementary school, so they also don't have a track record or staff hired yet.

options:
school 1: not our hashkafa/community school/huge--nothing good to say, so not this
school 2: rigid/don't like environment/huge/very good families/friends send here
school 3: brand new, not established, mainstream standard learning, experiential/smaller
school 4: montessori, love the existing staff/unclear how elementary will play out

amother

Wine

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 8:59 pm

I know what city and what schools you are talking about!
We send to 1, almost sent to 3 but decided to hold off when we saw all the changes. We want to wait till things are more stable.
I don't know what I would suggest as we ourselves are constantly toying with your questions.
My child would be in 1st grade next year, how about yours?

amother

Slategray

Wed, Sep 28 2016, 9:21 pm

I'm curious why noone has said option 4. You are currently in the school and like it- you don't sound keen on any of the other options.

I realize that I'm biased because I just switched my daughter from our community school to the montessouri school. I used to live in a community that had a school like 3. They kept changing their mehalach- one person said he felt like his child was a rat that they were experimenting on- he was not a fan so they moved out of the community because the other schools weren't going to work. The girls division of that school ended up closing last minute... it was not fun. The montessouri school I'm in it is there second year, so it's new but not brand new, I would be very nervous to send to a brand new school. Can you wait until later in the year to see how that school pans out?

Personally I've come to terms that I'm unconventional. We've tried the regular schooling for my kid and while according to her report cards she was fine as her mother I didn't feel like it was in her best interest. Someone else who knew her in an academic setting (purposely being vague so as not to out the person) also felt that the regular setup wasn't ideal for her. She's so far thriving in the montessouri school. A lot is child specific. My daughter does best in a very calm environment.

Who is running the montessouri school and or the new school, what's their experience, their finances... I think a lot depends on if you feel like the people in charge are competent or not.

It seems a lot is based on personal experience. Previous poster had a bad one.

amother

Lavender

Thu, Sep 29 2016, 12:39 am

Hi OP
it is clear to me that you and I live in the same city. I send to #1, at first we didnt think we would fit in there, but BH we have found that there are many families like us.
My most important comments on your post are:
I am sad that you say there is nothing good to say about this school. Yes, it is big. But #2 is not much smaller either. And just because it is a big school doesnt mean that it isnt good. It is actually a really amazing, happy school. The Pre-school is fantastic, the elementary school is unbelievably good and the middle school is also doing a fine job . The whole school has an amazing line up of Rebbeim. I have a lot of boys, and through the years we have had many of the rebbeim, we have loved each of them! We have had boys go through this elementary school for the past ten years BH. We are so happy we chose this school!
I am sad that you say it is not your hashkafa. I am really not sure what you mean by that. The hashkafa of the school is to educate its talmidim to be true bnei Torah in every sense of the word, - to be machshiv Torah, to love to learn Torah, to have middos tovos, to be a good honest Jew wherever you end up in life. The hanhala and rebbeim are tremendous role models as bnei Torah.
True the parent body is very varied. But if you are considering #2 then it is clear to me that you would be the right wing end of #1. Which is not a bad thing, that's where we fit in. I cannot begin to tell you how impressed we have been with this school. I feel so so sad reading your post that you have nothing good to say about it. It is evident that you just dont know enough about it, otherwise you couldnt possibly say that! It is such a happy, warm, friendly makom Torah. If you would be willing to post an email address, I would love to connect with you and tell you more about this school. Please dont discount it just because of its varied parent body.

DrMom

Thu, Sep 29 2016, 1:37 am

I have no idea where you live, but based solely on your description of the situation, #4 seems like the obvious choice.

#1 and #2 are clearly out (IMO), because you don't like their methods/hashkafa.

#3 and #4 are both risks because they are new ventures, BUT:

#3 is an entirely new school that clearly doesn't have its act together (3 changes in teaching philosophy in 3 months?).

#4 is less risky: an extension of an existing school you like. This seems like the best choice.

amother

Aquamarine

Thu, Sep 29 2016, 12:34 pm

I also know what city you live in and I would say that I don't think you have to decide this second. If I were you, I would wait and see what current parents say about the new school. I briefly considered the new school for my son, but I wasn't so comfortable with the newness factor - it didn't seem like they had quite figured out their path yet. But that could be more straightened out by next year. I have heard amazing things about #4 - if you are already there, I actually don't think you could go wrong staying for another year or two for now and seeing how it works out.