"School of the Woods" vs. "Post Oak School" - Montessori schools (Houston: neighborhood, middle school)

[BPRoman]

Been a while since I posted… so I did a quick review of my previous posts. Below is a recap that has been reordered to reflect what I think are the most serious to least serious problems at School of the Woods:

1. Colleges getting HS student transcripts with 34+ high school credits, same grade semester after semester, full year credits for single semester classes, ¼ credits, lawn games, etc and not trusting the integrity of the transcript.
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2. Middle school teacher who is a former bookstore manager. Puppeteer in HS teaching English.
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3. Completing only a small fraction of chapters in a math book by end of school year.
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4. 6 in 10 chance, after spending $100K, your teen will attend a college with a lower US News rank than University of Houston.
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5. Non-existent classes and high school credits for one week field trips.
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6. School of the Woods no longer accredited by their governing body, AMS.
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7. No high school or school gym after 13+ years of yearly donations/galas.
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8. Montessori in the United States not based on Maria Montessori, but Nancy Rambusch's interpretation of Montessori?
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9. School of the Woods posting on Great Schools that parents should not have a place to review School of the Woods.
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10. No student growth since the high school has been open. If anything, shrinking in size.
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11. Being one of the few private schools that will accept students anytime during the school year, attracting students who suddenly "need" a new school.
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12. Spending 4 weeks outside of the classroom in a 9 month school year.
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13. No locker checks. No random drug testing.
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14. Being one of the only high schools in Houston not to offer (and not believe in) AP level classes.

I thought and thought about how to post what I am thinking right now. I am just sad. The Blinn/Texas A&M thing on Great Schools just kicked me in the gut. School of the Woods posted 2013 graduates (http://i43.tinypic.com/2zxwdg7.png) in early August (not May http://i42.tinypic.com/33af403.png). Texas A&M at College Station is listed as a college attended on their website.

This is what's called the sunk cost fallacy or escalating commitment to a losing course of action. I would have bet $1000 that a trustee, group of teachers, group of parents, benefactor, anyone, would have stood up and demanded the school stop deceiving people (like this, http://i40.tinypic.com/r7uob9.jpg). This group would have told administrators there is nothing more sacred than the college attendance list. If parents can't trust that list, what can they trust?

It's time to clean house. The elders think this is a passing storm. 51 years is meaningless in a consumer-driven society. And even the most devoted parents will probably welcome a change at this point. The high school alone has the potential to drag the entire institution under water. Unfortunately, there is a reason they hold onto the old ways…

Students call teachers at School of the Woods, "Mamma." They cry at graduation about their deep affection for the school. They go to teachers' houses. Students provide (onsite!!) daycare for teachers' babies. They ache for the school after graduating. How many of you think all this is healthy? I can make a strong case it's very unhealthy.

We all know teens are fragile… very fragile. Parent pressure, peer pressure, hormones, boyfriends, girlfriends… I don't know how they keep it together! But School of the Woods' answer to this fragility is to embrace the fragility and accept it. Imagine a student on one side of the room and a teacher on the other. At SOTW, the teacher will cross the room, hold the teen's hand, say call me mamma, tell the teen not to worry about grades and then take the teen to Disney World on a field trip (for credit). That's utterly ridiculous.

Most public schools address this student fragility with robustness. They streamline and optimize education. They pre-test and post-test. They strip teacher autonomy from the classroom. It's one-size-fits-no-one type education.

But there is a third option called antifragility and it's practiced by many private schools and the best public schools. A coffee cup is fragile. I can pick it up and set it down on the table all day long, but if I drop it, it breaks. The cup never gets stronger with use. But when I exercise, I am putting pressure on my leg muscles. With each stride, I am building strength and endurance. My body gets stronger as I challenge it with stressors. This is called antifragility.

A teen's brain needs this antifragile approach. We all have a favorite teacher from our youth. I bet 100% of you agree this teacher brought out something in you that you didn't think was possible. They stood on the other side of the room and expected you to take the journey to them. They didn't pick you up. They taught you to pick yourself up.

At School of the Woods, a fragile approach is fine for toddlers and maybe early elementary. Children are learning to (understand and) control their own environment and react positively to independence. But extrapolating this approach on high school is a disaster. An A grade at Woods is meaningless. There is nothing to overcome. You lose touch with former SOTW students, not because of distance, but because they are alien. The former students are taking classes you've never heard of, working at a pace that is incomprehensible, expanding their social circles (diversely), and participating in enough school activities to blow your mind. They are working hard to be auto-admitted into a state university. They are visiting colleges everyone knows. They are dreaming about being doctors, engineers, programmers and mathematicians.

Yet, we as parents (and administrators), are still debating the merits of the Great Schools website and its advertising policy. Of course there are teens who don't drink and drive. Yes, a SOTW graduate can get into Rice (I assume?!). But for the rest of us, we are looking at a bank account with $100,000 less in it, a small liberal arts college for our loved one and a lifetime of what could have been. And thanks to Facebook, these kids will stay in touch. It is and will be a reminder (for some) of what they missed.

I am not a bumper sticker parent. I am not saying its' impossible to succeed in this environment. I am not saying it's impossible to score at the top 3% PSAT level while at Woods. What I am saying, and this includes every student (from brilliant to learning challenged), is School of the Woods is limiting your options. Good options? Bad options? Your call to make. But a kid at Memorial High can get into Sarah Lawrence or Princeton. A kid at Memorial can be auto-admitted to UT and A&M. A kid at Memorial can get an athletic scholarship. A graduate of Memorial is more likely to get a BS degree. A kid at Memorial can play tuba at HS football games. A kid at Memorial can participate in academic competitions. A kid at Memorial can get 2 feet of college brochures in the mail (per month!). And finally, a kid at Memorial can choose between 16 computer classes.

I get it. It's up to teens to find and follow their passion (not us, not the tiger mom/dad). I get the bumper sticker reference, but it could not be further from the truth. My job as a parent is to keep options open for my child as long as possible. The 14 items above are not allegations. They are the truth. All can be easily verified. When I read those 14, I can't help but think my child's options are being limited at School of the Woods.

[shugi]

First and foremost, thank you BPRoman for the time and consideration spent on trying to right a wrong that was perpetrated upon the innocent among us. I am referring to the "normal" SOTW high school graduates. These graduates should have, at least, a decent chance at holding their heads high and not having to make up stories as to which university accepted them.
As to the SOTW Cool Aid proponent that referred to me as a "lazy buffoon" for not doing research, mea culpa, at times I'm lazy and I fully admit that my past comments were written "tongue in cheek". I had hoped for a spirited and an honest discussion. Instead, well, it's quite obvious that basically speaking, the serious concerns have yet to be addressed by anyone on behalf of SOTW. Perhaps, that explains why after being in business of 51+ years, SOTW, has at this time: 9th grade=12? students, 10th grade=24? students, 11th grade=14? students and 12th grade=18 students. As usual, please verify anything and everything that I have ever written.
As George Washington, (sorry, Honest Abe), famously said "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you, SOTW, cannot fool all the people all the time". I have other information that is not flattering to SOTW, but, frankly speaking, at this time, it is simply not necessary to point out the obvious. Peruse past comments.
Finally, this comment is to the Theater of the Absurd, (AKA SOTW): Have you no sense of decency? Enough already.

[Okie Tex]

Part of the beauty of School of the Woods is their willingness to help the kids learn how to think for themselves and to experience things more fully. My kids still talk about their school trips. Instead of just reading about American colonial history, the kids got to see the colonies for themselves. The trip to Disney World helped them develop an appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes--the organization and engineering behind that park is impressive. One of the teachers is into martial arts, which led to an exploration of cultural history and metallurgy and how the history of the world was influenced by manipulation of natural resources.
The beauty of the school is that the kids are encouraged to take their interests to the full extent and make connections, not to stop because it isn't covered in a certain textbook. School of the Woods helped my kids develop a passion for learning. That is part of the reason we love the school and support it, even though our kids are not there anymore.

[WallyWalrus]

I am puzzled by your closing statement

"When I read those 14, I can't help but think my child's options are being limited at School of the Woods."

I was under the impression from you other posts that you had withdrawn your child from School of the Woods some time ago and given your vitriolic attack on such an innocuous organization, it is hard to understand why you don't send your child somewhere else.

There are many education options in town and I am sure there is one that would conform better to your expectations.

I get the impression that you have suffered a deep emotional wound. It might be helpful to seek professional counseling.

[BPRoman]

WallyWalrus

You hit the nail right on the head. I have suffered a deep wound. I feel like I failed my child. If we go back to page one of this thread, fnh asked me a very important question… if my experience was so terrible, why did I hang in there so long? Fear. Fear of change. Fear of public schools. Fear of the unknown. Fear of leaving the only education my child had ever known.

Your post brings back a lot of memories. When I read it, I feel like I am back sitting in the office speaking to teachers/administrators. I don't get it. I am not one of them. Just leave. There are options out there. You are not one of us. But no one ever answered any of my questions… why is a bookstore manager teaching middle school? Why is School of the Woods one of the only high schools in Houston not offering AP? Why is my kid getting a grade for a class never taken? Why does my kid have to share a textbook with three other kids? Why is my kid providing free daycare for a teacher's newborn? Answer to all… I just don't get Montessori. They were right. I don't get it. This thread is not directed at believers. It's directed at those who may not get it either… may be on the fence. I wish someone had said all this when I was made to feel like an outsider. I wish someone had told me there are other options and not to be afraid.

Okie Tex

No one will believe this (after 6 pages of posts!), but I agree with you. Why read about it when you can sense it. Practical life means you need to practice living. I loved all of these extras. And you might be right about the passion for learning carrying a graduate through college and into adulthood. If it can be learned, School of the Woods graduates will have the tools to learn it. But I just don't know.

If they would just extend the school year by a month, it would make a huge difference. Go to Disney World, just not at the expense of Algebra. This is very hard to articulate in a meaningful way, but I feel like School of the Woods has built a well manicured garden and the house is falling down. The garden gives the appearance of beauty and elegance, but you only see the house after you've sign on the dotted line. Probably not a good analogy.

[BPRoman]

Shugi

The freshman class is super small this year. School of the Woods reports middle school graduates each year. They had 27 8th grade graduates in 2012 and that number fell to only 15 in 2013. This is over a 40% loss in a single year. Then it looks like they lost some of those 15 going into 9th grade. And this is with the Houston economy booming!

Year.........Middle School Graduates
2010........24
2011........18
2012........27
2013........15

It also looks like 62% of the 2010 middle school graduates didn’t make it to their senior year at School of the Woods (Class of 2014). How does a 9th+ grader from a regular school adapt to Montessori as a teenager. Many schools frown on transitioning in non-Montessori students after a certain age. This was not a problem for School of the Woods who picked up 50% of this year's senior class from the outside.

What does all this translate to? Most seniors around Houston have been decorating cars and lockers with over the top homecoming invites. Girls are buying dresses. Boys are asking dress color so they can wear a similar color shirt. Reservations are being made at upscale Houston restaurants. Mums and garters are being crafted. Football games attended. 300+ in a beautiful ballroom with a professional DJ.

School of the Woods? T-shirts and shorts in the tin building behind the school with dirty concrete floors and a ceiling that is falling apart. If homecoming had been at a Home Depot store, it would have been a step up. Senior parents have to be asking… what the hell have I done? I ripped homecoming out of my kid’s future memories.

The only way to bounce back is to do a mea culpa and start making drastic changes. Here is a case in point that has always bugged parents, but has never been looked at closely. School of the Woods is famous for the college scholarship process. Even parents in the elementary school are in awe of the dollar figures.

First, it is super hard to do any analysis. For example, School of the Woods lists "Challenge Award Concordia University" as a scholarship. That's not correct. Concordia University goes with the entry "Texas Walther Grant" further down the list. Where Texas came from is anyone's guess. Challenge Award is actually a second scholarship from Centenary College.

It's a real mess to wade through, but here are some general trends…

Between 2010 and 2013, School of the Woods students received an incredible $7,769,401 in scholarships. As far as I can tell, these scholarships were spread among 60 different students. This means that 22 students (1/3) received no scholarship offers. Overall, 35 graduates did not use any scholarship money at all (35/82 total students = 42%).

Let’s unpack one example. The list below is one student’s (2013) scholarship/grant offers.

Columbia College Chicago Achievement Award
Cornish College Theatre Scholarship Assistance Grant
Dean College Performing Arts Scholarship-Financial Aid Grant
Nebraska Wesleyan University Achievement Scholarship
Nebraska Wesleyan University Scholarship
Nebraska Wesleyan University Theatre Scholarship
SUNY Purchase Honors College Merit Freshman Scholarship
Texas State University (< is this a scholarship?)

This student received 8 scholarships from 6 different colleges. Each student can only attend one college, so we know at least 5 will go unused. But in this case, the graduate used only 1 of the 8, Texas State University (I guess?) Instead of listing EVERY scholarship offer, School of the Woods should list only those actually cashed in for college.

Scholarships are a huge selling point for School of the Woods. But as far as I can tell, 42% of the graduates don’t go to college with any scholarship money. Add to that 23 of the 60 (38%) who received only one scholarship offer. 23 + 35 = 58 / 82 total students = 70%! Your child has a 42% chance of using no money and another 38% chance of only a single scholarship.

Based on back of the envelope calculations, I guesstimate that $6.3MM is never activated for college. $7MM across 60 recipients is a staggering $129,490 per graduating student. It’s an average of $48,864 per scholarship. The Religious Tolerance Essay Award is $500. The Virtuosi of Houston Scholarship tops out at $2500. Conrad and Marcel Schlurnberger, $3250. Centenary College (headmaster’s alma mater) of Louisiana Challenge Award is $2000/year. Many of the scholarships fall way, way short of the $48K average.

If we pull out the 23 who received one scholarship offer only (23 * $48,864 computed average = $1,123,875) and take this away from the $7MM, the 37 remaining scholarship recipients would have to bring in an unbelievable ~ $179,000 each for these numbers to foot.

Here’s something that hits me in the face even harder than scholarship dollars. The (scholarship offering) colleges are marginal at best. 90%+ of the list lies outside the US News college rankings chart. Graduates are traveling 2,000 miles to attend a tier three school with a couple thousand (local) students in the middle of nowhere!

Yet 46 out of 82 School of the Woods graduates (56%) are in the National Honor Society. 35 of 82 (42%) are graduating with a 3.9 GPA or higher. 70% of School of the Woods students graduate with Latin honors on their transcript. You would think these kids would be writing their own tickets! But these numbers are all due to massive grade inflation. Most schools in America look at Top 5% for honors and 3% for high honors. School of the Woods? 7 out of 10 graduate with Latin honors and 42% have a straight A+ (A plus) average!!

Only four (of 82) students since 2010 received any National Merit recognition and these were all back in 2010. Why 4 when half the (2010 to 2013) class is getting A+s? National Merit is a measure that includes a standardized test (PSAT) and this is where School of the Woods falls off a cliff. Teachers can give you an easy A, but they can’t take your SATs for you!

As I write this post, the high school is at Blackwood in Hempstead this week (second full week away from classroom learning in less than 2 months). Never heard of Blackwood? That’s because it’s someone’s residence! They don’t even publish their address on the internet.

[Okie Tex]

BPRoman,
I am not sure who you are, or where you came from, but I do wish that you would go back there and get a life. Your continued obsession over School of the Woods speaks more to your state of mind than to the school itself. It is obvious that the school was not a good fit for your family. You moved on. So get over it already.
Just as an FYI, I have made a formal complaint against you on this forum. Fortunately, the subscribers have already seen your posts for what they are. Please do not embarrass yourself any further.
Okie Tex

[dosto]

Originally Posted by BPRoman

Most seniors around Houston have been decorating cars and lockers with over the top homecoming invites. Girls are buying dresses. Boys are asking dress color so they can wear a similar color shirt. Reservations are being made at upscale Houston restaurants.

Never understood homecoming. It's just a waste of money! Good for SOW students not getting brainwashed into this.

Originally Posted by BPRoman

Scholarships are a huge selling point for School of the Woods.

I personally think scholarships is the biggest evil! It's all about the money. It screws up the whole point of education and learning. Parents making kids study 24/7, attending hundreds of extracurriculars, making everything possible to get into top 10%. It's a race for money in order to get more money. I don't want to pick a school for my kid based on how much in scholaships graduates get. I want my child to just enjoy learning and remember the school years as fun not thinking of what college I'm gonna get into and how much money I can get in scholarships. But that's me.

Have to agree with Okie Tex. Your obsession and huge posts create the opposite effect from what you probably intended to produce.

[NTexas2010]

Originally Posted by Okie Tex

BPRoman,
I am not sure who you are, or where you came from, but I do wish that you would go back there and get a life. Your continued obsession over School of the Woods speaks more to your state of mind than to the school itself. It is obvious that the school was not a good fit for your family. You moved on. So get over it already.
Just as an FYI, I have made a formal complaint against you on this forum. Fortunately, the subscribers have already seen your posts for what they are. Please do not embarrass yourself any further.
Okie Tex

At the same time though, this person is bringing to light some very misleading statistics presented by this institution. The breakdown of actual scholarships consumed versus those offered is one example of how data can be manipulated to tell more than one story.

The user's motives are one thing, but I would be hard-pressed to ignore simple facts and data. But then again, I'm a Forecasting Demand Analyst with no horse in this race, so my perspective on data integrity may be biased.

[NTexas2010]

Originally Posted by dosto

Never understood homecoming. It's just a waste of money! Good for SOW students not getting brainwashed into this.


I personally think scholarships is the biggest evil! It's all about the money. It screws up the whole point of education and learning. Parents making kids study 24/7, attending hundreds of extracurriculars, making everything possible to get into top 10%. It's a race for money in order to get more money. I don't want to pick a school for my kid based on how much in scholaships graduates get. I want my child to just enjoy learning and remember the school years as fun not thinking of what college I'm gonna get into and how much money I can get in scholarships. But that's me.

Have to agree with Okie Tex. Your obsession and huge posts create the opposite effect from what you probably intended to produce.

I agree with your sentiment to a point; learning should not be a grind to inflate one's college resume. But to pretend that scholarships don't matter at all, especially if you are one to have spent money on pre-college education, I would think scholarships are a priority to some degree.

But maybe money isn't an object.