[ataves]

We are possibly relocating to Westport, CT from the San Francisco Bay Area with our three children (all elementary age.) We are seeking a school that is creative, encourages inquiry through field trips, activities, experiments, doesn't have lots of homework, has teachers that truly get to know the students, small student/teacher ratio, and where all types of learners are embraced and worked with effectively. (We have seen the CA system fail children with special needs or behavioral challenges and the teachers spend all of their time trying to manage them ineffectively, while leaving the "mainstream" kids behind, bored, etc. We have seen kids with way too much homework, not able to be kids!) We are looking at private schools, but I just read a little bit about Saugatuck Elementary and am wondering if anyone can tell me what they know? How do public and private compare in this area? Thank you!

[NewJeffCT]

Hi - welcome to Connecticut.

In terms of overall quality, public schools in Westport are excellent and top students there will have their choice of elite colleges to attend, and even "average" students there will end up in very good colleges.

That said, I am guessing that the kids in the school system work very hard and probably have a pretty heavy homework burden, though I can't say for sure. (Please correct me if I'm wrong those in the area.) I also cannot comment on how well they handle special needs children, either. You might want to contact the schools directly, you could find them pretty responsive.

Because of the high quality of public education in Westport, and the surrounding towns, I don't really know too much about private schools in that area, especially below the high school level.

[mlassoff]

Westport's Public Schools have an national reputation and as the previous poster stated, graduates choose from a list of top colleges to attend.

They are, however, public schools.

I don't know anything about the workload in elementary, but in the high school, kids are encouraged to take AP's and the workload is commensurate. The teacher student ratio is not comparable to private schools. However when it comes to working with kids with special needs (at either end of the learning spectrum) I think the Westport school system does quite well.

You might want to check out Greens Farms Academy, also in Westport, which has a smaller student-teacher ratio, but, I don't think you're going to find the workload to be remarkably different.

Good luck and welcome to town!

[ataves]

Thank you! We are looking at Green Farms Academy and Umpaquoa so far. Green Farms says that they have a policy of assigning homework only when appropriate and necessary. We aren't interested in extinguishing our children's love of learning and inquiry. Hoping to find a caring community that values education for the right reasons (growth of the individual) rather than for strictly achievement and competitive motivations. We worry about teaching for test scores in public school.

[mlassoff]

Do you mean Unquowa School? Also a good choice as far as I know.

I haven't heard much about the Westport schools focused on test scores-- Generally you'll find they value learning, but, I think you'll find there certainly is a community that is very competitive.

[ataves]

Yes, sorry about the spelling error on Unquowa!

Getting the good education without the super competitive environment/community is tough, I know. Maybe it is just an ideal...

Would love to hear any (more) experiences with the Westport Elementary Schools and private schools in the area from any parents who are reading! So far everyone whom I have had contact with in the area has been so welcoming and kind over the phone. Valuable to us!

Thanks for the feedback so far

[JayCT]

One of the reasons Connecticut has one of the top public education systems in the country is because our school systems tend to be smaller in size. We do not have large regional or county wide school districts. The only regional school districts are those that serve a couple of very small towns in the state.

That said, Westport has an excellent school system but keep in mind, as Mlassoff said it is still a public school system that has to administer statewide tests to all of its students. This means that there will be some teaching to test which quite frankly I never understood what was wrong with that. People are tested throughout their lives so taking another test is no big deal IMHO. As for homework, each teacher is required to teach a curriculum defined by the distict. Because the schools systems are generally small, there is a certain degree of accountability so students overall do get a good education. Homework is dependent on each teacher though so it is best to expect that the student will have homework.

As for Greens Farms Academy and Unquowa School, both are very good but expensive. Whether they are worth the cost is only your decision but note that Unquowa is located in the Town of Fairfield and not Westport. The school gets its students from all over the region but I do not think that transportation is provided. If I remember correctly, students usually carpool or take a bus from one specific point in a town so you would be required to get them from your home to that bus and then pick them up in the afternoon. Jay

[ataves]

Thank you! I understand all of the things you are saying about the public schools. I am hoping to hear from parents with very specific experiences with homework and whether their kids are having a good experience at the public and private schools with teachers, friends and pressure. (2nd grade, 1st grade, Kindergarten, PreK.) How much pressure they feel, how much homework, the level of kindness from teachers and students and parents, the amount of outdoor time, field trips, well-rounded experiences for children. I have (unfortunately I feel!) done a lot of research about early education. Part of the reason is that I have a special needs child who is gifted and so far has had to be home schooled by private teachers because we could not find the right educational fit here. He has been through a lot. So I know that being a "good school" with good test scores and high national ranking is not everything. My other two kids are very mainstream, adaptable, smart, kind. We want to help them (all) flourish in the right environment. We found that their current private school has been too focused on excellence and not focused enough on values-based education. Kindness, community, outdoor experience, accepting of different types of children/learners-- they lack skills in working with energetic boys and engaging them in positive ways.

We are willing to look at schools outside of Westport if they fit our needs. Having said that, we would love to find a school in the Westport area and have work, home and school all together. We value less car time and the ability to walk to a friend's home!

Thanks again for the feedback so far. I appreciate any thoughts and ideas!

[NewJeffCT]

Also, keep in mind that the towns in Connecticut are pretty small area-wise, too. Working in Westport and commuting from nearby towns like Weston, Wilton, Fairfield, New Canaan and Darien is easily do-able.

[ataves]

good to know-- we are interested in New Canaan Country School and really want to live near the water. So it sounds like that isn't crazy!