Private School versus new STEAM magnet

[JulieA97]

DS will be in Kindergarten this fall. We fell in love with a fantastic private school that will be right up his alley. We were offered financial aid that brings it into reach. We were all set.

 

Then he was admitted in a pure lottery to a brand new STEAM Magnet. Because it hasn't even opened yet we can't tour and see what its like day to day. I have spoken with people that were hired as teachers for the school and they don't have any more info than we do. The only advantage to the magnet school is its free-but thats a BIG advantage. DS has a science/math brain so it could be great for him or it could be awful.

 

Someone suggested trying the magnet school for K and then transferring to the private school for 1st if we are unhappy. I am concerned that either he won't get in because they don't have room or they won't offer the same level of financial aid. On the other hand, I can think of a LOT to do with those thousands of dollars.. The private school would be a sacrifice for us-one we are willing to make-but is it necessary? There is no way he will get into the magnet school if we give up his spot there. Over 1600 people applied for 300 spots in the entire school. The contact person that should be able to answer my many questions about the magnet school is on vacation until next week. We have till June 30 to decide.

 

Thoughts?

[gstharr]

My son attends the fantastic private school in our area.  I would assume that the most important part of k-4 education , perhaps even 5, have little to do STEM.

[UCF612]

I'd do the magnet school to save the money.

[SweetandSimple]

Did the magnet school have so many applications because it sounds phenomenal, or because the surrounding public schools aren't very good?

[amsunshine]

I agree with a previous poster that the "STEM" magnet label for K-5 is probably more gimmick than substance.  That said, the thousands of dollars you say you would have to pay for private kinder could be saved for college.  

 

There's always homeschool -- just sayin' -- since you are on a homeschooling board. :tongue_smilie:

[JulieA97]

The local public schools are not very good.  I had planned to homeschool until the private school became an option.  Our son is an extroverted, only child with 2 very introverted parents.  He loves school now (preschool) so wanted to give him the option.  I am fine with homeschooling if the school does not work out.

 

You are right, it is probably more of a gimmick to use the STEM designation at this age.  They say they will incorporated more of those subjects than the public school but I know the local schools do shockingly little science to begin with.  They will utilize a lot of technology in the classrooms (smart boards and such) but that is not a huge draw for me.  Its the first magnet school of its kind in our area so someone pointed out that all eyes will be on it so they are more likely to do what they can to make it a great school. 

 

It should would be nice to not have the stress and worry every year that financial aid won't work out and we would have to pull him from a school he loved...

[Ravin]

I'd go with the magnet school.

[mominco]

I think in your situation i would go with the magnet school.I would give it a try for atleast 2 years since its new.

And your son is going to kindergarden so you can try it and always have the private school option.

 

Fianancial peace imho is very important.What will you do if he dislikes the private school?

By then the magnet school option is gone.GL

[wapiti]

That's a tough call.  On the one hand, coughing up big bucks for K, vs. on the other, taking a chance on the unknown.  New schools are typically quite rough around the edges in the early years, possibly with greater teacher turnover, balanced with the greater enthusiasm that comes with getting a new and exciting program off the ground.  I suppose my advice boils down to what is the best fit for him, say, K-5, and then guess at the odds of getting into the magnet for middle school, when the school will have built a reputation one way or another.

 

For academics, what I would focus on very specifically is a comparison of math instruction at both schools - program quality and depth - and opportunities for advancement/acceleration throughout elementary.  The new school will likely make changes as they go along but they should have at least some idea up front of what program(s) they use in various grades and their perspective on allowing acceleration.

 

Regarding the STEAM emphasis, I don't think that instruction other than math is critical prior to, say, middle school, though additional subjects that your student loves might make all the difference.

 

FWIW, my kids attended a certain special type of charter school for the early grades that was superb for math and relatively flexible. Unfortunately in the upper grades, quality of math instruction and acceleration opportunities really declined.  Just a few months ago, we switched our middle schoolers to a newer charter with a STEM focus.  The difference in perspective on acceleration is dramatic.  Additional courses in engineering, robotics and computer science have made all the difference for at least one of my middle schoolers.  This school uses loads of technology, but is more typical in K-4 - not until 5th grade are personal devices allowed.  Our rising 5th grader will start at this school in August, though we are leaving our younger ones at the old school for the time being.

[katilac]

No question for me - I would go with the magnet school. 

 

I'm puzzled by the posters saying that they think the STEM aspect is gimmicky for elementary. In my world, math is certainly integral to early education, and foundational to higher science study. If the school 'only' spent extra time on math, mathematical thinking, discovery, and challenge...well, that is something I would be delighted with! 

 

It's also a great time for hands-on experience with coding, physics, and all kinds of science. Not all magnet schools are great, but almost all magnet schools do have a focus and resources that non-magnets do not. 

 

I don't think every kid needs to be in a STEM magnet school, but I do think it has just as much chance of being a good fit as the private school does. You simply don't know until you try, and I would definitely try the free option first. 

 

In addition to cost, I am wary of sending kids to private school when it's only possible through scholarship funds. You don't know if they'll make the same offer for 1st grade if he doesn't go there for kindy, but you also don't know if they'll make the same offer anyway. 

 

Social life can be problematic. Do all the other kids live in different neighborhoods? Do expensive activities for extracurriculars and fun? Have extravagant birthday parties? Some of the pricey private schools in my area are filled with kids who live a rather sophisticated lifestyle, one I'm not completely comfortable with. Yes, each family makes their own decisions, but it's hard for a kid to be constantly surrounded by a certain attitude and not be affected by it. 

 

Plus, I'd be much more okay with the magnet school not working out, and having to look at other options. There's homeschooling, there's other private schools, and so on. If the private school didn't work out, and we had lost our chance at what turned out to be a great magnet school, I'd be sick. 

[OneStepAtATime]

I would say the magnet school except that the school hasn't even opened yet.  My suggestion is try the magnet school anyway since he might not have the opportunity to get in the following year (and as others have mentioned you could take the money you save and put it towards college) but be prepared for a rough year.  Brand new schools frequently have a HUGE number of kinks to work out since even the teachers and administrators are new.

 

DS and a couple of his friends went to a brand new charter school a few years back.  It was awful.  Very disorganized, very confusing, poorly implemented, etc.  They quite literally lost children a few times (including one of his friends).  Now, the school does fine but those first couple of years were very rocky.  We had to pull DS out.  

[katilac]

I agree that the first few years of any school can be rocky - particularly charter schools, but many of the magnets in my area are NOT charter schools.

 

I don't think my county has any charter schools at all, but several magnets that are just part of the system. The county adjacent has tons of charters, and they vary wildly. 

 

Kindy and first is a pretty good time to suffer through those growing pains, though. OP, you were planning on homeschooling, so I assume you could do some volunteering that might make at least his class run more smoothly. If it is a charter, you will have parental input, and it's great to be there from the start. 

[vonfirmath]

My son attends the fantastic private school in our area.  I would assume that the most important part of k-4 education , perhaps even 5, have little to do STEM.

 

In my son's public school, they start in 4th grade on the STEM focused accelerated education. (and have special projects/creative thing type projects ahead of time; My son did some coding this year, in 3rd grade.).  In 4th and 5th, they teach 4th-6th grade Math (So 3 years of math in 2 years of schooling) so that in 6th grade, they can start learning science at an accelerated pace.  The goal is to be able to get through more science and more math in HS. 

Edited May 25, 2016 by vonfirmath

[amsunshine]

In response to why someone might think the "STEM" label is gimmicky, given what I've seen of public magnet schools (even "STEM" magnets) in our area, that are purported to be highly regarded schools, the STEM portion of the curriculum leaves much to be desired.  Much of the "STEM" refers to smartboards in the classroom and tablets or laptops for the kids.  These schools don't make quality choices for math curriculum -- they just use the same old stuff that the district uses.  They are lucky to get science more than once a week, if that.  Just not my idea of a "STEM" focus.  There might be some wonderful magnet schools out there that implement STEM in a great way.  I just haven't seen it, even in schools that parents in my district rave about.  

 

Further, this is a new school with no track record.  Who knows how it will turn out. 

 

That said, again, I think it would be foolish to spend thousands of dollars for kindergarten at a private school when college costs are astronomical.

 

  

Edited May 25, 2016 by amsunshinetemp

[Alte Veste Academy]

DS will be in Kindergarten this fall. We fell in love with a fantastic private school that will be right up his alley. We were offered financial aid that brings it into reach. We were all set.

 

Then he was admitted in a pure lottery to a brand new STEAM Magnet. Because it hasn't even opened yet we can't tour and see what its like day to day. I have spoken with people that were hired as teachers for the school and they don't have any more info than we do. The only advantage to the magnet school is its free-but thats a BIG advantage. DS has a science/math brain so it could be great for him or it could be awful.

 

Someone suggested trying the magnet school for K and then transferring to the private school for 1st if we are unhappy. I am concerned that either he won't get in because they don't have room or they won't offer the same level of financial aid. On the other hand, I can think of a LOT to do with those thousands of dollars.. The private school would be a sacrifice for us-one we are willing to make-but is it necessary? There is no way he will get into the magnet school if we give up his spot there. Over 1600 people applied for 300 spots in the entire school. The contact person that should be able to answer my many questions about the magnet school is on vacation until next week. We have till June 30 to decide.

 

Thoughts?

 

The bolded would concern me. 

 

I have friends whose kids attend a charter school with a STEM focus. They are so excited about it. Tell everyone. One day, a few years ago when oldest DS had been particularly ornery about doing his work, I asked the kiddo his age to tell him about a regular school day from start to finish. My goal was for him to understand how good he had it (truth be told how lazy he was being at the time), how rigorous a school day was, how he was lucky to be at home working on (basically) what he wished at his own pace. 

 

Oh my word, was I in for a surprise. The "STEM focus" was the iPad. All of the kids had iPads, which the parents paid for, by the way. The school day started with the kids using an app for vocabulary. This was an ordinary app that anyone can get, not particularly impressive, more game than learning, in my opinion. Later there was time for another app, a math app which was similarly unimpressive. Definitely not conceptual. And another app period later in the day. And the school used Saxon math, a solid math program, but it doesn't have the focus on problem-solving and conceptual understanding that I would expect to find in a STEAM school.

 

Well, I already own an iPad. My kids can play with educational apps at home. If I'm sending them to school with a STEM focus, I want to see some conceptual learning of science, technology, engineering, and especially math. Putting an iPad in their hands does not make them conceptual thinkers. So, yeah, I think many schools use it as a gimmick.

 

I would arrange a meeting with your contact (and/or ask when you can expect a parent information meeting—should be before your deadline so they are not expecting a blind decision) and ask what curriculum they use for each subject and what specifically the STEAM focus would look like on a daily basis. They should be able to answer those very basic questions. If they can't or if the answers are unsatisfactory, I'd do private. 

 

I'm curious too, in what way is the private school right up his alley?

Edited May 26, 2016 by Alte Veste Academy

[daijobu]

In response to why someone might think the "STEM" label is gimmicky, given what I've seen of public magnet schools (even "STEM" magnets) in our area, that are purported to be highly regarded schools, the STEM portion of the curriculum leaves much to be desired.

 

 

 

Speaking of gimmicks and buzz words, another one we see is Design Thinking.  Our local private school cancelled classes for 2 days for a DT workshop.  It was a disaster.  Dd came home and complained and I told her to call in sick the 2nd day, and she refused, because that would be, uh, lying.  So what happens?

 

Half the school called in sick the next day.  Dd dropped out and returned to homeschooling 6 weeks later.  Thank goodness for tuition insurance.  

 

Having said that, I would choose the STEAM school just because it's free.  If things don't go well there, call the private school at around Christmas.  Parents of students who aren't a good fit for the school will often stick it out through December before making a change.  Or check back for 1st grade, because the same thing happens.  Good luck with your decision.   If you go private, get tuition insurance.  

[JulieA97]

Thanks all.  A few clarifying things.  The school is K-5th so no option to stay through high school.  Due to the number of people applying to get in, the school board said they got the message loud and clear that our county wants more school choices.  It is a longer day (ugg) and I think probably more technology than the other parts of STEAM.  He is an AL-although I think probably garden variety bright and I am concerned about how they will accelerate him.  The private school is through 12th and has great systems in place to help AL kids. 

 

I intend to ask about homework, recess, curriculum choices, discipline, and acceleration.  What else should I ask?  I wish I could go in and see it in action before the deadline.  The open house is not till August.  I toured a very popular charter school several months ago and knew right away it was not for us.  Crazy amounts of homework even in Kindergarten.  They brag about giving homework every night and every weekend.  Some other issues. 

 

The new teacher I spoke with is his swim team coach.  She is a wonderful coach and probably wonderful teacher who will be teaching 5th grade.  She had wonderful things to say about the principal and they are really working hard to make it a team effort and a great school. 

 

The only real advantage to the magnet is its free.  But that is a BIG advantage...  This private school is twice the cost of other private schools in our city.  They offer great financial aid though otherwise its not even in the realm of possibility.

[yvonne]

If your child had not gotten into the lottery "magnet" school, would you have sent him to your zoned public school?

 

If not, it might be worth thinking about whether the lottery school will address whatever your concerns with the regular public school are. 

 

"Magnet STEM" school conjures up ideas and expectations in our own minds of some amazing, ideal school environment. But, those visions are probably a little rosier than what the reality will be. In my area, "magnet" labels are not as pervasive as they once were. It seemed like they were more of a sales & marketing tool than anything else. And they worked to attract people initially, but they didn't work long term. (Don't have any hard evidence of this, though. it's just my guess.)

If admission to the STEM is purely lottery based, with no requirements or testing or ... anything, the student population is likely to be similar to the student population of any of the other schools in the district. That may or may not be a good thing, depending on the quality of the district's schools.

 

A private school is likely to have admissions requirements which, for better or worse, might screen for higher level students.  A private school can also fire less effective teachers more easily and quickly than a public school, so the overall quality of teachers might be better at the private school.

 

Education does seem to be one area where you "get what you pay for."  

 

Best of luck to you in making a decision. I know it's hard making that decision even though it's "only Kindergarten." It just seems so huge when you're looking at it.

[Starr]

Is your financial aide guaranteed through high school?

 

[Starr]

Private schools have the most openings in K. I would worry about middle school if I took the magnet school option. Are you sure you don't want to homeschool since that has been your plan all along?

[TranquilMind]

The bolded would concern me. 

 

I have friends whose kids attend a charter school with a STEM focus. They are so excited about it. Tell everyone. One day, a few years ago when oldest DS had been particularly ornery about doing his work, I asked the kiddo his age to tell him about a regular school day from start to finish. My goal was for him to understand how good he had it (truth be told how lazy he was being at the time), how rigorous a school day was, how he was lucky to be at home working on (basically) what he wished at his own pace. 

 

Oh my word, was I in for a surprise. The "STEM focus" was the iPad. All of the kids had iPads, which the parents paid for, by the way. The school day started with the kids using an app for vocabulary. This was an ordinary app that anyone can get, not particularly impressive, more game than learning, in my opinion. Later there was time for another app, a math app which was similarly unimpressive. Definitely not conceptual. And another app period later in the day. And the school used Saxon math, a solid math program, but it doesn't have the focus on problem-solving and conceptual understanding that I would expect to find in a STEAM school.

 

Well, I already own an iPad. My kids can play with educational apps at home. If I'm sending them to school with a STEM focus, I want to see some conceptual learning of science, technology, engineering, and especially math. Putting an iPad in their hands does not make them conceptual thinkers. So, yeah, I think many schools use it as a gimmick.

 

I would arrange a meeting with your contact (and/or ask when you can expect a parent information meeting—should be before your deadline so they are not expecting a blind decision) and ask what curriculum they use for each subject and what specifically the STEAM focus would look like on a daily basis. They should be able to answer those very basic questions. If they can't or if the answers are unsatisfactory, I'd do private. 

 

I'm curious too, in what way is the private school right up his alley?

 

Yeah, this.  The "Stem focus" might be a misnomer, meaning nothing more than using an ipad or computer - and who doesn't do that already?  

 

I've found that the charter we used for a short time had a few good teachers, but many who relied on lazy worksheets from the internet and rarely taught anything.  Or they would have the best students take over, calling it student-led learning.  Lazy. 

 

Edited May 26, 2016 by TranquilMind

[TranquilMind]

 

Education does seem to be one area where you "get what you pay for."  

 

 

 

I think this is pretty uniformly true, with rare exceptions.  There are some gifted schools that are pretty good, but usually only for certain grade levels, as in the last two years of high school.  One has to apply, just as in university, but there are some amazing opportunities there, and scholarships are available for kids who can't afford the rather minimal tuition (as it is state-funded, as gifted education).  Just thought I'd mention it for later.