How hard is it to get into the private schools in Nashville (Memphis: home, transfer) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

septimus · 01-26-2010, 05:09 AM

at the Kindergarten level? Schools like Ensworth, Harding, USN?

Shino306 · 01-26-2010, 05:24 PM

I'm not the best expert as I'm still pregnant with our first child. However from other moms that I know, who do have preschool and kindergarten age children, getting accepted to those schools will heavily depend on where your children went to preschool, they tend to favor certain programs (St. George's & Oak Hill I've heard mentioned several times) over others.

I welcome further discourse as I'm finding preschool and mother's day out programs to be pretty competitive, which honestly already has me a bit concerned and as I said I'm still pregnant, so the "need" for preschool isn't even there yet.

Any other thoughts from other people?

BirdieBelle · 01-26-2010, 05:55 PM

I had three children go through a church preschool that always has a waiting list. In the past three years, I noticed that the higher-income families who intended to go to the private schools you mentioned kept their kids in the preschool for a fifth year (as I did) and then "red-shirted" them to attend their zoned, public-school kindergarten. The next year they enrolled them in the kindergarten at their chosen private school. (I did not do this and had never heard of it.)
They said this was to better prepare their child for the school experience and for the entrance tests, though I can't imagine they're THAT difficult. It also means some of the kids would be nearly 7 in that private school kindergarten.
Preschool probably helps you get in the private kindergartens. If your targeted preschool has a waiting list, place them on it while you're pregnant, or as your child is an infant. Everyone wants to get their kid in at age 2 or 3, when the demand for spots is highest. Infant preschool is typically 1 or 2 days a week for a few hours, with only two to three babies per class. The demand is lower and your chances of getting in are better.

septimus · 01-26-2010, 06:56 PM

Wmsn4life- Are these kids starting Kindergarten at almost 7 or is it just the schools don't take a lot of younger 5s so people redshirt their kids? I do find it very odd down here that people hold boys born in January back so they start Kindergarten at 6.5.

Shino-I too wonder about the preschool thing because a lot of the schools like to "brag" that they have applicants from 60 different pre-schools or that actual kindergarteners come from 20+ preschools.

If it isn't obvious I've become disillusioned with the schools in Williamson County. I want my kids to have foreign language instruction when they are more receptive to it, which isn't 8th grade. I'm also pissed that when we relocated everyone said we had to be in Williamson for the schools. I think I would have been better off taking the risk and going for the Nashville Lottery.

BirdieBelle · 01-26-2010, 07:37 PM

Yes, they're starting at almost 7. My friends who did it all had boys, so they thought it would help with maturity, I guess.
Sorry you feel that way about the schools. The language issue was fought a few years ago with strong arguments on both sides. Based on my own experiences, I have not felt there was a need for foreign languages in elementary school because retention comes with regular use. But if the goal is learning benefits based on exposure, it could be useful. The board did not want to fund a language position given other needs in the district.
As for the lottery in Metro, I don't think any tax-payer should be forced to base their kids' education on chance. That whole set-up is unfair and so messed up. Surely the things you feel are lacking here can be addressed somehow ... ????

MayMove · 01-26-2010, 08:57 PM

Wow, shocking. We are from the midwest. Lived in Memphis when our child was of Pre-School and Kindergarten age. Did 2 years. Age 3-4 at a highly regarded church preschool. Great education and experience. Then transferred to private Catholic school for Kindergarten age 5. Well, it turns out they were not ready for her! She was extremely board. We transferred back to the Midwest and placed her in public school for first grade. She was behind in comparison to her peers.

We are now moving back to TN. Williamson County. She will be entering high school in the public schools. I sure hope we are not digressing! BHS and FHS nationally rank higher than our high school. Actually, our HS did not even make the list. Hope this means something??

If I had my choice to do it all over again. We would go with the 3-4 church pre-school. Directly into public school for the first grade.

Good luck with your decision Septimus. It's a tough one. We all want the best for our children.

septimus · 01-27-2010, 05:17 AM

[quote=MayMove;12628751]

We are now moving back to TN. Williamson County. She will be entering high school in the public schools. I sure hope we are not digressing! BHS and FHS nationally rank higher than our high school. Actually, our HS did not even make the list. Hope this means something??

QUOTE]

I think high school will be fine (Algebra is Algebra, same for the material covered on the AP exams). My concern has to do more with the fact that when we moved here we put my daughter into private school because we didn't know where we were going to be living. Her neighborhood friends in the 4th grade were doing the same math that she was doing in 2nd grade in our urban Title 1 school and it was the middle of the school year so not review.

I'm also worried my son will be bored and I want to avoid that. We actually didn't apply to some private schools that people rave about because we thought he would be bored in Kindergarten since he is already reading and has some amazing math skills.

My hope/plan had always been to put them in public school until middle school and then switch them to a single sex school for middle high school and probably send them to boarding school back east for high school.

Wmsn-Our old city had a lottery. We "lost" the lottery for kindergarten but it was actually a good experience for us (except for worry what would happen to our worker's comp rate if the nanny got shot picking her up at school) and for 1st grade she got into a different school closer to our house. I loved having all the different options to apply to. Whether I wanted French, Spanish, Mandarin, or Montessori, Progressive, Core Knowledge type learning environment. Every school in the district had a different theme I could match my educational philosophy to my lottery picks. Foreign language definitely requires practice to retain, but I guess I think that is why it should start early and often. At my son's preschool the Spanish teacher comes into his classroom every day.

MayMove · 01-27-2010, 07:57 AM

Are your children currently in the public schools?

Comparing our current Midwest HS (national ranking and test scores) to a few select Williamson High Schools. Williamson would come out on top. Grade and Middle would be a reverse situation.

We just received our daughters HS recommendations. It will be very interesting to see how they translate over to Williamson. We are a couple of months away from home purchase.

BirdieBelle · 01-27-2010, 08:14 AM

[quote=septimus;12631287]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MayMove

I'm also worried my son will be bored and I want to avoid that. We actually didn't apply to some private schools that people rave about because we thought he would be bored in Kindergarten since he is already reading and has some amazing math skills.

That's great that he's learning so fast. As far as language, I wonder if it's a regional difference. I know of no preschool around here that has a Spanish teacher, let alone one that comes in every day, but I would call that a bonus for you rather than a negative here. I'm not sure why there hasn't been more pressure on the board to have language earlier. In my limited experience, and I'm probably painting this with a broad brush, the parents I've known who spoken up about language in elementary moved here from the Midwest or Northeast. The biggest hindrances are money to fund the position and classroom space.

Regarding "boredom," I have one kid who had a great experience in the gifted program at his elementary. I think the policy is that you are recommended by a teacher to be certified gifted in 3rd grade. His second grade teacher thought she would go ahead and recommend him for gifted class. He had a separate class once a week, and they did a lot of great projects. If you truly feel your child has a need, my experience is that administrators are responsive.

septimus · 01-27-2010, 08:26 AM

[quote=Wmsn4Life;12633039]

Quote:

Originally Posted by septimus

I'm not sure why there hasn't been more pressure on the board to have language earlier. In my limited experience, and I'm probably painting this with a broad brush, the parents I've known who spoken up about language in elementary moved here from the Midwest or Northeast. The biggest hindrances are money to fund the position and classroom space.

I spoke to my school committee rep about foreign and she saw no need for it. I even asked if the PTO raised money for it and she said it wasn't allowed.

Who cares if we have the "best" schools in TN. We live in a fluid world where people are constantly moving. I don't want to someday move to NY only to find out my kids are 2 years behing their peers even though they were scoring "advance" on the state tests.