Category Archives: Private

frankfordfriends

Why I Chose Frankford Friends: 2012-01-01 School Selection Report

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This is a snapshot of one parent’s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

What school did you decide on? Frankford Friends

Calendar year your child entered 2009

Grade your child entered Pre-k

What neighborhood are you in? South Philly

What schools did you consider? Friends Select, Meredith, The Philadelphia School, Independence Charter

What factors were most important to you? Tuition, Reputation, School Performance (test scores, success of graduates), Teacher Quality, Diversity

What first attracted you to the school? Small size, the welcoming atmosphere, quality of education & affordability

What were the critical factors that led to your choice? Quality of education & affordability

Did you relocate in order to choose this school? No

On the political spectrum, I consider myself to be  Liberal

Please share anything else about your experience Frankford Friends is to our family the perfect school. My son is in a class of 14 students, each recognized and appreciated for their own individuality. This school is more affordable than most private schools and I believe that leads greater diversity as well as more parents that make a conscious sacrifice to send their children here and are very involved in the school. It’s like the little school that could… and does.

This is a snapshot of one parent’s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

Friends Select

Why I Chose Friends Select: 2011-11-20 School Selection Report

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This is a snapshot of one parent’€™s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

What school did you decide on? Friends Select School

Calendar year your child entered 2007

Grade your child entered K

What neighborhood are you in? Center City

What schools did you consider? French International School

What factors were most important to you? Tuition, Reputation, Teaching Philosophy, Public Eduction, School Performance (test scores, success of graduates), Teacher Quality, Principal Quality, Special Programs (language immersion, music, etc.)

What first attracted you to the school? The way my kids reacted. They begged me to let them go.

What were the critical factors that led to your choice? the kids are kind to each other and the teachers are nice too. The kids have never gotten below A+.

Did you relocate in order to choose this school? No

On the political spectrum, I consider myself to be  liberal

Please share anything else about your experience it was wonderful. I have no words to describe it.

This is a snapshot of one parent’s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

privateschool

Conflicted About Public Versus Private

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On her blog Raising Philadelphia, Inquirer reporter Miriam Hill wrote quite an amusing piece on her struggle deciding between public and private.  Entitled Don’t Make Me Love You, Private School, it is a fake open letter to an unnamed private school.  I believe that it will resonate with many of you going through this process.  It starts with,

Dear Unnamed Private School,

Please stop making me love you. Really, I’m kind of committed to pubic school. It’s free, and I’m really hoping to say “I Do” to public when my son gets to first grade, so private, could you, like, stop looking so hot?

She does make an interesting point about the ‘marketing’ efforts of private (high) versus public (nonexistent).  A parent interested in public school often has to make a concerted effort to get to know their local public school, where the private schools will inundate you with emails, brochures, open houses, and all sorts of other marketing fluff.

Read the rest of ‘Don’t Make Me Love You, Private School‘….

wissahickonchartermap

Why I Chose Wissahickon Charter: 2011-10-13 School Selection Report

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This is a snapshot of one parent’€™s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

What school did you decide on? Wissahickon Charter School

Calendar year your child entered 2011

Grade your child entered Kindergarten

What neighborhood are you in? NW Philly

What schools did you consider? Applied:

Cook-Wissahickon

Henry

Green Woods

Wissahickon Charter School

Independence

Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School

Miquon

Green Street Friends

Plymouth Meeting Friends School

 

Accepted:

Plymouth Meeting Friends School

St. Bridget

Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School (from the waitlist – no # given)

Wissahickon Charter School (from the waitlist – #6)

What factors were most important to you? Tuition, Location, Financial Aid Package, Teaching Philosophy, Public Eduction, Teacher Quality, Principal Quality, Diversity, Special Programs (language immersion, music, etc.)

What first attracted you to the school? Appreciation for the environmental focus of the school.  (In the end, many other things make me happy with our decision…some of which are highlighted on their website, and in other parents’ choice questionnaires.)

What were the critical factors that led to your choice? Feeling of a right fit, finances, location.

Did you relocate in order to choose this school? No

On the political spectrum, I consider myself to be  open-minded

Please share anything else about your experience This was such a long and drawn out process.  We loved many of the schools we visited and applied to.  We enrolled in the neighborhood Catholic school in May, when we determined that that it would be irresponsible in our current situation to try and make even aid supported tuition at PMFS.  At the end of June, we were accepted off the waitlist a PPACS, and then at the end of July, at Wissahickon Charter School.  While the idea of the arts enriched curriculum at PPACS was a strong draw, the location and logistics did not work for us.  We are, so far, very pleased with our final decision, and….so glad the process is over.

This is a snapshot of one parent’€™s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

LMSD

Why I Chose Lower Merion: 2011-10-13 School Selection Report

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This is a snapshot of one parent’€™s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!

What school did you decide on? Lower Merion School District

Calendar year your child entered 2011

Grade your child entered 1st

What neighborhood are you in? Montgomery County

What schools did you consider? CW Henry, Lower Merion Schools, Greene Street Friends

What factors were most important to you? Tuition, Location, Reputation, Public Eduction, School Performance (test scores, success of graduates), Teacher Quality, Principal Quality, Diversity

What first attracted you to the school? Excellent reputation, public school

What were the critical factors that led to your choice?  All my kids could go to a neighborhood elementary, middle and high school that provided quality education.  We attended two local public schools in NW Phila and were not thrilled with the education our child was receiving.  The move was difficult for us parents but we are thrilled with our decision.  All LMSD schools have foreign language 3x a week starting 2nd grade, excellent art and music programs, afterschool activities, and parent participation.  The schools are more diverse than you would expect – including children of Asian, Indian, and European background as well as African American.  Of my child’s class of 18, 8 are non-white. Several kids in the class do not have English as a first language.  Taxes are crazy high but at least the school quality reflects that.

Did you relocate in order to choose this school? Yes

On the political spectrum, I consider myself to be  liberal

Please share anything else about your experience 

This is a snapshot of one parent’€™s school choice. You can read other parent testimonials and help other parents. Take five minutes to complete an anonymous survey to tell PSS and our readers about your school choice!