<p>Some of those FA maybe could have gone to other children, as we all know FA is very limited.</p>
<p>Soozievt, I appreciate what your saying, but my school district has been assessed by the state as an underachieving district. </p>
<p>So many of the kids at my high school can’t graduate on time that they’ve created a label for such students called “super seniors”! I attended one such graduation, and a girl was there in pajamas, another barefoot and winking at someone in the audience, and the boys were all jittering their legs around with their legs open, acting like they needed sedatives. All while the principal droned on about their bright future. I actually talked to the principal about this, the very fact that they call them “super” seniors connotates approval and something great. </p>
<p>The schools that I have discussed are in the top 10 out of 200 schools of my entire area. My school ranks as about 150 out of 200. No children from my district high school go to Ivy’s. Only about 42% plan to go to college at all. Reputation counts for something, and you can only learn as well as teachers teach. </p>
<p>I was on the phone with the principal all last Tuesday. He said that he agreed and understood my concerns and that these decisions are not made by him. He offered to move science to 2nd semester so that there is less of a time gap, but they are not going to add another semester of science for my son. My son is a band and chorus student. I told him that perhaps they could make band and chorus a before or afterschool activity to free more time for academics. I also told him that home and careers is not essential in the 6th grade, certainly not more essential than science. When I got the revised schedule, he had cut band and chorus out of my son’s schedule and replaced it with “academic enrichment”. I don’t know what that would comprise of, but what I do know is that they didn’t change band and chorus to afterschool, nor did he replace home and careers with science. So as a result of that conversation, my son still has one semester of science, home and careers, no band, no chorus, and some vague “academic enrichment”.</p>
<p>I’ve actually investigated the ability to send him to another public school district for a fee. I’ve read it can be done, but when I called, I got no answer on cost. Another poster mentioned renting a place, and it would be a great idea, but the best public schools also require admission and you have to have been a resident during the year preceding your application…</p>
<p>So I can keep my son at this failing school, and hope that with my extraordinary supplementation, he’ll climb the mountain by Senior year to a good college. Or I can send him to one of these schools, where he’s more likely to saunter down an easy path to get to a good college. For me, there is no contest with the schools when compared to my public school. The only issue for me is religion. Last night, my daughter said “He’s going to get religion at the public school. If you think it’s best for him academically to go to a private school, just pick your poison”. (To her, the poison being religion.)</p>
<p>My son said that he doesn’t want to pray without even knowing what praying is. After the visit, I said “The thing about this school is that you’d have to do the morning prayer with the other kids…” and I get “Well, I don’t want to pray”. And yeah, he’d get praying at the Catholic and Lutheran school too, just different prayers. I actually think it’s hypocritical that the schools say that they admit children of other faiths and then expect them to pray, but that’s how it is here.</p>
<p>OP, but now you have a secular option. Is that one a good school? Do they have good science, arts and is it a tolerant, accepting community (well, tolerant for middle schoolers)?</p>
<p>Also about the “aid” for those who are ruminating about the children who may deprived because of my son-- these schools have space. The only question for them is money, and whether they would “punish” my son for not being a member of their organization prior to application. </p>
<p>As I stated initially, my husband just came off of a long layoff. My son has decent grades. He used to be a very sick child, and he not only got better with dance and gymnastics, but he earned scholarships based on his dedication and talent. He also sings in chorus, plays in band, and was accepted to an engineering camp. He deserves a safe place to get an enriching education, and it’s not his fault that he was born to us. Private school at normal rates is out of the question for us, and was out of the question when these applications were due. </p>
<p>I wrote a letter to the schools begging them to admit my son with a scholarship, as it was the only way for him to go. Those schools don’t normally give out scholarships at all. They charge a certain rate for parishioners vs. non-parishioners, and tell you to go apply for an independent scholarship. But after reading my letter, the Jewish and Catholic school decided not to punish him because his parents aren’t parishioners. The Lutheran school did punish him, but their tuition is cheap. The independent scholarship will send him to any school. He earned that, based on his extensive commitment to afterschool activities, and because he presented as a well-mannered young man. Or maybe I just did a good job of begging. Who knows. Whatever I did, my so did, it worked.</p>
<p>And of course I don’t want to start him at 3 schools. That’s why I came here for advise.</p>
<p>I see you struggling with this decision. If it’s any help whatsoever, you mentioned that the Jewish school is closed for a half-day on Wednesday. I wanted to mention that they’ll also close all day Thursday and Friday, because the Jewish New Year happens to fall this year starting Wednesday sunset. Squeezed in with Labor Day Monday, it looks as though you only have a day and half of school open next week there. The entire school will be in synagogue and having family holiday meals on Thursday and Friday.</p>
<p>My guess is that on Tuesday and half of Wednesday, they will orient with all the books and routines for the year, then pause from Wed. afternoon until the following Monday morning, then really start full-throttle into their school year.</p>
<p>Thanks for compliments on my unintended marketing skills 
I really meant to put forward what was best about a school system that is frequently puzzling to Jews and nonJews alike. Speaking of accommodations, if I were you I’d phone the Jewish Day School people at home Sunday or Monday, before school starts, to discuss if he can be excused from all Daily Prayers and just read in the school library for those 40 minutes. My guess is they’d be hard-pressed to justify (to themselves!) having a nonJew stand for 40 minutes with no possible hope for understanding what’s going on. For some reason, they want your student so I think you should ask them for this accommodation. Your lawyer friend will know the name and home phone of the principal. It’s an important consideration, as significant as if your child were in a wheelchair and could he be excused from Phys Ed. The basis on which you’d ask for this is, “he’s not Jewish.” That’s why all their other students, who also might “not like praying…” still have to stand there and learn the prayers. It IS their future, it isn’t necessarily his. To me, any sound educator would realize that those 40 minutes are better spent in the library for your child, while not for every other person in the school who might feel bored or perplexed during those same 40 minutes. </p>
<p>IF they say he has to stay in the classroom during the prayers and stand holding a book, OK, they don’t want to disrupt others. But then ask THEM for guidance: what you should advise him to do with his thoughts during those 40 minutes? They might actually have a good answer (such as, “he could think over what he’s thankful for, or about how he’ll try to do well that day in school or be nice to his family at home, think about if he hurt someone’s feelings should he apologize, etc.”). I think these are reasonable questions to ask of them. You can ask respectfully but I think you can be asking MORE questions of the Jewish school regarding how THEY intend to accommodate him, or suggestions for you to help him adjust. Don’t be shy.</p>
<p>All that said, I actually think there are merits to every school mentioned above, including the new option of the secular private AND even scrapping it out with the public schools over the years (SoozieVt’s suggestion), as we did too from Grades 9-12 for lack of affordable alternatives after 8th grade. </p>
<p>The only one that reallly disturbed me was the Lutheran school that taught creationism instead of evolution; that’s too loopy for me to imagine for a child with a logical mind. And I doubt they’d excuse him from their science classes, either. So for my money (and it’s not my money) I’d try anything but that particular Lutheran school. BTW, this very day I heard a headline on PBS-TV’s weekly broadcast (name of show: “Religion and Ethics Weekly”) about all faiths, that there’s now a break-off denomination of Evangelical Lutherans that just formed this week, evidently differing internally on issues such as mentioned here.</p>
<p>Even so the Dad who described liking his school in all ways except the science class, who had frequent home conversations about the school’s science lessons made sense to me, too. We had to decode (at home) some aspects of the Orthodox Jewish Day school that were far more traditional than our own Reform family life, by saying, “That’s what you’re learning there because it’s an Orthodox Jewish Day School. They’re teaching you their package deal, as they should. You, however, need to hear these other interpretations from other movements…” and we’d show him different books or just discuss lesson points. OTOH (“on the other hand…”) If he has to write scientific nontruths to pass a test in school, well, that’s kind of impossible for me to imagine anyone coping!</p>
<p>About the secular school – I don’t know that it is an option at all. They took months to get back to me, and waited until last week. My son will have to go there pass their test, and they’d have to whack about 10k off of their tuition, even with the outside scholarship. None of that will happen this week, they made that clear. I can’t keep him out of school this week. He’s got to start somewhere else.</p>
<p>testaduro…I understand your high school is not a great school. Many would say our high school is not either. We have no private schools and so our public school is the only option. Further, even if we did have private schools, I could never afford to send my kids to one. I have all I can do to pay the loans for their colleges. So, I get it. </p>
<p>But the changes you asked your school to make are NOT reasonable and NOT what I was talking about. You cannot make them have two semesters of science. Again, your school went to a double block of science for one semester which is equivalent to two semesters of science. What I was suggesting was to have a conference at school to look into science enrichment for your son. For example, for second semester, maybe he can do an independent study on a topic of interest in science and have it supervised by a teacher (my kids have BOTH done this after our advocating for this to happen). Another option that BOTH my kids did was to accelerate in their areas of strength and so perhaps your son might have an accommodation to take science with the 8th grade class. Another option is to look for a long distance course through Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth in science for the semester he won’t have science at school. Both my kids also did this. Another option is to go to a science oriented summer program and get more science that way. </p>
<p>It is not reasonable to ask for chorus and band to be after school. Those are during the school day at most middle schools, including ours. My kids were in both. I would get those back into your son’s schedule. </p>
<p>It sounds like academic enrichment was added for your son. Inquire as to what this entails. Work with your school to address his learning needs. This is not the same as asking them to add or subtract courses for the entire school. It is about some individualized plans for your son. That is what we did and what I suggest you do. </p>
<p>I think it would very awkward for your son to pray and do religious classes when not of that religion. I would not have my child do it. At the Jewish school, yes, your son will be accepted. But I can’t imagine him desiring doing lots of Jewish religious studies, learning Hebrew, celebrating Jewish holidays, and mixing with an entire class who will be preparing for their Bat and Bar Mitzvahs. My kids are Jewish and were one of the only Jews in their entire school. But that is not the same as being the only non-X religion in a school where you actually have to partake in that religion’s studies, worship, etc. My kids would NEVER want to do that. I wouldn’t want them to either. And in your case, it seems to really run counter to your beliefs.</p>
<p>By the way, when it comes to high school, does your school have tracks such as Honors or AP classes, regular college prep level, and remedial, etc.? If so, then your son is not going to be in classes in HS with those who are not college bound. A third of the students at our high school do not go to college. Those kids were NOT in my kids’ academic classes but just in classes like Physical Education, Health, Art, Computers. As I said, attending schools such as Ivies, are rare at our school (the year my D went to an Ivy, she was the only one from our HS who did so…she was the val). So, I get it. But my kids still fared just fine and did very well in college. If we could do that at our rural unknown public high school, your son can too, but you have to go advocate to have plans drawn up to meet his learning needs. We did…our kids did NOT follow the normal path in their high school. We didn’t ask the high school to change the whole schedule for everyone, but simply to come up with accommodations to meet our kids’ needs. The things you asked your MS to do are not things a school will do. You have to have them address what your kid needs and not change the entire school for all.</p>
<p>Your son deserves a public education, just like all other children around your neighborhood. He sounds like a special boy, and so are all other boys there. Those schools affiliated with various religions are not trying to punish your son, they are just trying to follow their rules.</p>
<p>Finance is a big issue for you, as you stated your husband is just now employed again, and that’s why you didn’t know if you could afford private education for you son until now. I would think hard if you could afford this for 4 years for your son. Do you have enough money put away to afford the tuition if you or your H should lose your job? It would be very disruptive to your son if you would need to move him again before he graduates from HS.</p>
<p>What about college? Would it be better for you to put the money away for his college?</p>
<p>
I don’t really agree with this. Way back when I told my parents I wanted to graduate from my junior high by attending 9th grade and I didn’t want to go to an all girl’s school. They made the choice and it was the best four years of education I could have had. </p>
<p>Of course what your child thinks is one piece of the puzzle, but ultimately its what YOU think is best for the child, not what they want. Good luck.</p>
<p>My older son went to a Jewish summer camp one summer, and it was a somewhat weird experience from my point of view. I think describing it like spending some time in a foreign country (which I have done) is quite accurate!</p>
<p>One more idea for science enrichment if your son goes to public school, on top of several suggestions I made already…you say you live near a university…can you employ a science or engineering student for some after school or weekend enrichment with your son…to do some projects, etc.? Would cost less than private school.</p>
<p>Actually, I’m starting to feel very sorry for this kid, especially with the possibility that he is dyslexic (or has a similar, language-based learning disability). </p>
<p>The middle school years are a really great time for kids with that profile to be utterly destroyed – to get the message, loud and clear, that they are doomed to failure and will never succeed at anything much in life. That happens when a lot of pressure is put on them and they hit their coping limit. If you add parents and teachers who think they are “lazy” into the mix – people who couldn’t even begin to imagine how difficult some of the tasks they are routinely asked to do are, every day of their lives – well, you’ve got a really good recipe for future drop out. </p>
<p>Sounds to me like the kid is about to lose out on some activities he enjoys – chorus and band – so he can essentially be thrown to the lions. He gets to be the “new kid” at a school among kids who have known each other for years, with a whole set of new academic expectations tossed in, a doubled or tripled homework load when he was having a hard time keeping up before. He is going to be absolutely miserable.</p>
<p>From what’s been posted, I think the reason the kid doesn’t do work on his own and needs constant parental nagging is that he’s never had any control whatsoever in his life. He has been conditioned to be passive and go along with whatever his parent dictates. </p>
<p>(My d. also wanted to quit gymnastics just at the point when she got too good for recreational and would be competing, because she didn’t want to compete. I was ticked off because she made that announcement right after insisting that I needed to shell out money for gymnastics grips… but it was her life, not mine. I think she was maybe age 8. My only “rule” was that she had to complete any series of lessons I had already paid for.)</p>
<p>The kid needs to go to a school where he can handle the workload and do reasonably well without parental nagging or micro-management. if he needs to be studying his multiplication tables in order to get ready for school, entering 6th grade, then either he doesn’t really belong in an academically demanding school, or else the parent is doing way too much hovering and pushing. (I don’t know, but either he already knows them well enough and the parent is just demanding something he doesn’t need, or else he needs remedial level math – because 6th grade is when they move into pre-algebra and are focused on a whole different set of concepts.)</p>
<p>I think the kid should either go to the public school – which he is happy to attend – or the Waldorf school. I think the Jewish Day School or the Catholic school would be bordering on child abuse – not because there is anything wrong with those schools, but because they are a really terrible fit for the kid’s personality and needs. </p>
<p>If the public high school is all that terrible, then it is even more important that the kid be in a nurturing environment in middle school – or at least an academically comfortable environment – where he can do well. If he goes to the top academic schools and racks up C’s and D’s, there will be no chance whatsoever of getting him into a good private high school. </p>
<p>The next 3 years need to be focused on strengthening the fundamentals, including paying attention to the important social & emotional needs of that age group – in order to build a good foundation for high school. </p>
<p>I’m sorry if I my words seem offensive – I’m just calling it as I see it. This kid could spend the coming year in public school and transfer to a private in 7th grade if the public wasn’t meeting his needs. But it sounds like the public school was trying to be accommodating, offering “academic enrichment”.</p>
<p>Another member brought up earlier in this thread that if your son attends the Jewish school, he’ll have to learn Hebrew and you have said that your son has some reading difficulties. This would concern me as a parent that he’d be spending valuable learning time learning a difficult language (with a different alphabet as well) and this may prove too challenging and for not a good reason (he is not even Jewish and doesn’t need Hebrew). On the one hand you don’t want him to spend time in a Home/Careers class but are OK if he spends time learning Hebrew (given his reading issues) and doing all sorts of religious classwork as well (your family is not religious, and not of this religion either). As well, if your son struggles now with schoolwork, it may be a lot of pressure to be in a higher performing school. You mention the need to review the multiplication tables before sixth grade gets underway but these should have been mastered in third or fourth grade. (I am a former elementary school teacher)</p>
<p>I also don’t know if you are familiar with block scheduling. That is where in some schools, courses last just one semester but are double periods, the equivalent of a full year of single period classes. Your MS’s sixth grade science class is 80 minutes, a double block. While it doesn’t last all year, it is the equivalent of a year long course and is how some schools do it. It is not like your school is offering less science. The amount of classtime is the same as at schools that have science 40 minutes per day for a full year. For that matter, sixth grade was part of elementary school where I live (a really great elem school) and science was not every single day either.</p>
<p>I would encourage you to inquire at the public middle school what “academic enrichment,” which is listed on your son’s schedule, would involve.</p>
<p>I have to say- I agree with calmom- I would lean toward the Waldorf or the public school.</p>
<p>Middle school is about academics yes- but it is so much more than that. Young people are really getting a handle on who they are-It is critical they feel supported, that they feel empowered and that they feel heard. If I could pick a school where my kids had friends and had activities they enjoyed or a school where the academics were much more rigourous but where they didn’t know anyone ( and the other students all knew each other), it wouldn’t be much of a decision.</p>
<p>My youngest didn’t go to a school with very rigourous academics for the most part in middle school, but she stayed with her friends ( it was a small K-12 school).
For high school she wanted to change to an inner city 9-12 school that was more than twice as large. ( because several of her good friends were going there)</p>
<p>Her middle school teachers advised against it, more than once. However, I wanted her to feel that she could trust her own judgement, as we had carefully given her greater responsibility for making decisions as she got older. I thought about it carefully and I asked the perspective of those recently graduated from high school and I allowed her to attend. ( the choice was also made easier because it was an excellent school)
She did very well & she gained skills and knowledge that she wouldn’t have had in a different environment.
She is also dyslexic and languages are quite difficult- & Hebrew is a difficult language anyway.</p>
<p>I guess at this point the topic has turned away from my original purpose to a whole lot of issues and assumptions that I tried to clarify unsuccessfully, and really don’t apply.</p>
<p>a) I think that I tried to clarify that my son is friendly. That is not the same thing as having friends. All of my son’s friends are at his activities, in the neighborhood where these other schools are. He’s the only child in his school that is a gymnast. The only one that is a dancer. He can be in a place with other children who share his values and activities, and that is not here.</p>
<p>b) My son was born with a heart condition. Contact sports were out from day 1. In fact, he was at 0 percentile on the weight chart in kindergarten. We enrolled him in gymnastics to give him a chance at a sport that he can do, to give him exercise. He asked for dance lessons on his own. The only time he wanted to quit was when someone made a derogatory comment. That is more likely to happen here than in a private school out by his dance school/gymnastic school. As a result of adding dance to gymnastics, our son went from being deathly ill to muscular, hardly sick, and his cardiologist told us that his narrowing of his valve had become almost imperceptible. The biggest danger was before age 5. The next danger is the growth spurt of puberty. If his valve growth keeps up with his pubertal growth, he’ll likely be fine thereafter. I intend for my son’s heart and remaining body to be in peak physical condition when that time comes, which appears to be approaching soon. Yes, he’s wanted to quit gymnastics over the years, but when asked for what substitute physical activity, the response was “None. I want to watch TV and play video games.” So that is just too bad. Physical activity must remain in his life and he will stay in gymnastics until he is 13 and old enough to go to the gym with us and work out on equipment. Fortunately for my son, he’s not just doing these activities for nothing. Not only has it rewarded his health, but he is damned good. In fact, gifted enough to get scholarships. He’s tried running, swimming, tennis, and baseball, and was not good at them and did not like them. So the gymnastics stays. And I have the resounding approval of his cardiologist.</p>
<p>c) Perhaps now some people are beginning to understand a little more why the thought of my son getting beat up at the public school for dancing and being a gymnast is quite fearful. I’d really hate for someone to knock out a tooth, necessitating an antibiotic. Especially since he’s also allergic to penicillin.</p>
<p>d) Perhaps now it might be more clear as to why I’m so determined to find the best opportunities for him. Because his health could someday get rough, after he’s too old for gymnastics, and he’s going to need a good white collar job with insurance.</p>
<p>e) Wow, absolutely right, maybe something else bad will happen and we won’t be able to make the tuition. Considering that I had a baby with a heart condition, my husband had cancer when our son was 2, and has now suffered layoffs, it’s a real possibility. I guess that if that happens, I’ll have to stop serving the poor as a a public service attorney, start chasing ambulances to make my degree pay, and hire someone to be here when my son gets home. But for today, that’s not my life. </p>
<p>f) Somehow from post 1 until this post, my son went from being this bright kid who can construct 3-D models and who doesn’t particularly like to read/write, but reads at a high 5th grade level, to a child who needs academic intervention. Because he has to be nagged at the age of 10 to do his homework? Because he hasn’t done a lick of reading or math over the summer, and I noticed that he forgot what 9x7 is? Hell, I took calculus and statistics, and sometimes I forget if it’s 62 or 63. And if we’ll even contemplate him going right into advanced math, it makes sense for him to be able to whip those numbers off, doesn’t it? </p>
<p>g) In sum, life is full of change and adversities. I’m a living example of it, and you’ve got to learn to roll with the punches. I want my son to learn to deal with fear, change, and adversity, not run away or ignore it. But he also has a right to study in a place where he will be nurtured, where he will receive good academics, and where he will meet people who also like to wear suits and appreciate the arts. </p>
<p>h) I’d rather focus on the fact that despite all of the above factors, my son is alive; my husband is alive and working; despite his heart condition my son has gifts to offer the world; and that others appear to see value in my son, enough to offer him a place at their school, and the funds for it to happen today. </p>
<p>i) I’d like to turn this back to my original intent, which was to decide which option would be the best of the available alternatives. Many of the original posters were extremely helpful, by drawing my attention to certain practices in the Jewish school that I would not have known. Also clarified the impact of having creationism in the Lutheran curriculum. Also seemed to have a lot of positive views on the Catholic schools. Not too much info on the Waldorf school, but further research states that this is very writing intensive, does not use textbooks, and ignores facts in the science curriculum. I’m not sure how I feel about that. </p>
<p>Again all, thank you for your input.</p>
<p>testaduro, I think your additional posts cleared up more and more who your son is and your feelings about such things. They are both valuable parts in making this important decision. If it were my son and this was my story, I would personally rule out the Jewish day school (because of concerns about the 2nd language, because I would want him focusing on the core curriculum of Eng/math/science and soc studies-- not spending half a day in subjects that he doesn’t need, because the double schooling and Hebrew catch-up will likely cut into after-school arts and gymnastics) and the Catholic school (because neither of you like it, because you have a strong dislike for the Catholic church and I think your feelings there should be respected). </p>
<p>Your description of your son sounds to me like a kid who excels at art and spatial activities-- perhaps a future architect. His academic weaknesses may just be the result of poor schooling but they do need to be addressed. If he were my son, it would be important to me for him to be at a school where he would be supported and where he would be met, at his level, and encouraged to excel. Given your choices, I would visit the Waldorf school, consider the secular school or leave him at the public school and use my $ to supplement his education. </p>
<p>An aside… one of my kids showed trouble with long division entering 6th grade. I tested for an ld and there was none, iq 99% and attending a top prep school but every year at this top, top prep school, kid lost 10% on the national standardized tests. I pulled the kid out and eventually kid entered ps where did ok, but not great at math. Is now at a top-25 school and still hates math. The school’s approach-- Chicago math curriculum-- was lousy for MY kid. This is a school were a third of the kids end up at ivies-- but my kid lost ground every year in math to the point where kid STILL hates math. Moral: an excellent school is not an excellent school if it doesn’t fit your kid. </p>
<p>About ignoring facts in the science curriculum, do you mean they’re more processed-based than facts-based (focus on experiential learning) or that they teach things that aren’t factual? I’m thinking a visit might be in order-- a visit where you ask the hard questions about what you’re reading that you don’t like about their philosophy.</p>
<p>
Based on your comments about the multiplication tables.
Well I don’t know if the multiplication tables are your problem or his. If my kid forgot what 9x7 was over the summer at age 10, I might just give him the answer; I might crack a joke. … but I wouldn’t be telling him he has to study. When my son your son’s age, he couldn’t have read a book on his own if he wanted – I believe that was probably the summer I read Jurassic Park aloud to him. I also took it upon myself to do something about his dyslexia, and by the next summer he was an avid reader, who wanted to and did attend a public school summer academic enrichment program, and was reading all sorts of stuff. </p>
<p>When he was struggling to read – it was not fun; it was not pleasurable. I did let him play video games – it was the only thing he was really good at-- though of course I encouraged other stuff. But nagging him to do stuff that was hard for him without focusing on the underlying barriers would have been counter-productive. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>He’s either ready for advanced math or he isn’t. I can’t tell from your posts simply because you seem inconsistent. My son was very good in math-- he had a hard time memorizing multiplication tables because he was dyslexic, but I let that slide because he clearly had a good grasp of concepts and always could figure out the right answer, he just wasn’t relying on rote memory. The only time it was an issue was on primary level speed tests – where they would expect all the problems to be answered in 60 seconds. Neither of my kids could do that and I never saw the point… so again, I didn’t worry. </p>
<p>Pushing a kid to higher math before he’s ready will simply lead to more struggles later on, because whatever concepts he is missing or didn’t fully grasp will catch up sooner or later. But memorized math “facts” are useless without an understanding of the concepts in any case. My son would have known that 9x7 would have to be some number lower than 70 even if he didn’t remember it was 63, because he would have looked the problem as calling for a result less than 10x7 – so he probably would have multiplied 10 x 7 and then subtracted out 7 to solve the problem. A kid who has “memorized” the multiplication tables without understanding underlying concepts can make some really wonky errors and not have a clue… for example… if the kid says 9x7=97, you know they don’t have the concept. </p>
<p>But again… I don’t have a clue where your son is – you seem to be the one that thinks he needs drill before starting schools.'</p>
<p>As to Waldorf and science instruction, here’s a good article:
[Waldorf</a> answers - Myths about Waldorf education](<a href=“http://www.waldorfanswers.com/WNonscienceMyth.htm]Waldorf”>Waldorf answers - Myths about Waldorf education)</p>
<p>You really would have to ask very specific questions of the school about both the curriculum and the teacher your son would have. Waldorf does also require a lot in the way of journal writing-- but I think Waldorf is more forgiving of individual differences among kids, less focused on grades and achievement – so a Waldorf environment could potentially be a place where your son would be encouraged and nurtured to develop improved writing skills. Again, though, it really depends on the teacher and the school. </p>
<p>None of the schools you describe seem ideal for your son. It’s just that of all the private options you’ve detailed, Waldorf seems like the least bad match, because at least they will nurture and encourage his creativity.</p>
<p>Agree with both 2collegewego’s and calmom’s posts above. A best education is only best if it is a best match for your child. In my view, the Jewish, Catholic, and Lutheran schools are not good fits for your child. I would either investigate the secular private school, the Waldorf school, or have meetings at public school to arrange for accommodations for your son’s educational plans there. </p>
<p>The whole discussion of math here, I don’t fully understand. I don’t recall working on ANY academics with my kids over the summer. In fact, they went away to performing arts summer programs at that age. Your son is either ready for accelerated math or he isn’t.</p>
<p>If your son has any reading issues, which I believe you mentioned, I would look into testing just to rule out things like dyslexia or if not ruled out, then to get appropriate accommodations. </p>
<p>I appreciate hearing about your son and gymnastics and dance and think it is really great he does those things. I’m not sure if I read any posts that discourage such wonderful activities. These are good examples of your providing enrichment outside the school day. As well, I think a Waldorf school environment might embrace such things. </p>
<p>Sometimes a school isn’t everything your child needs and so you look for other ways to meet his learning needs (just like you found gymnastics and dance). I gave you some suggestions for enriching your son in science (acceleration, independent studies, long distance courses, a college student who mentors him, and summer programs in science). I think these discussion have been relevant to the issues you are trying to solve.</p>
<p>By the way, you mentioned that Waldorf doesn’t use textbooks. Now, you may not like that idea and I respect that. My kids’ elementary school (through grade 6) was not that text book oriented either when my kids attended. Personally, I like this MUCH better. I also used to teach a multi-age grade 1-3 class there (before they were born) and a very creative teacher will use primary sources and create lessons for learning that are not text book based. This is actually a positive thing in my view. </p>
<p>You also mentioned it being writing intensive. My kids’ elementary school was also writing intensive (it was a public school). I also think this is a good thing. Students need to be proficient writers. Schools that don’t emphasize writing are doing a disservice to students. I don’t believe curriculum should be all facts and tests. </p>
<p>You also mention the science curriculum. I happen to think that a process-based approach is best as well. Science is more than facts. It is about solving problems, investigations and experimentation to arrive at the facts. </p>
<p>Now, you may not be into those approaches and so maybe Waldorf isn’t for you. I am not that familiar with Waldorf (just a little) but these things you mentioned are things I am familiar with (having been a teacher) and I think these are approaches I’d want for my child and in fact, may very well be a good fit for your child. </p>
<p>Further, your child could use a nurturing environment and I believe Waldorf may offer him that. A teacher has a student for more than one year. I used to teach a multi-age class and had my students for three years (in public school) and my own kids were in multi-age classrooms from grades 1-6. There is something to be said about a teacher who knows your child VERY well.</p>
<p>testaduro - Your son sounds like a wonderful and talented young man. You are struggling to make the best academic decision for him. You can certainly take the advice on this thread into consideration, but you know your child best. Each time you write about your son we have discovered a little more about him, even so, I’m sure there is more that can’t be expressed clearly on a CC thread. I feel for you with this difficult decision. Consider all you know about your son, the schools, and the advice you’ve received, and then make the choice that, to you, feels right or at least the most right, for your son. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree that testaduro knows her son best and should pick the environment that she sees as the best fit (more than the school that offers the best education or reputation). I think there has been a great deal of excellent input and suggestions of factors to consider provided by CC’s very giving members. </p>
<p>I would encourage the OP to pick one school and enroll this week. I would discourage the proposal to start three schools this week and to then choose. I see no benefits to that (nor will you be able to tell after one day at a school) and see it as a disadvantageous approach for your child. Pick one school…have him attend. If things are not all the way you wish, work with the school all year and advocate for your son to meet his needs. Stay very involved. And if the year is not so hot, he can go to another school the following year.</p>