Share Brown School Experiences???

[deemqueen.livejournal.com]

I checked the "schools" tag for info on schools close to Davis Square. There weren't any postings I could see. I know this isn't exactly a topic for hipsters but ... would anyone be willing to share their experiences (either positive or not) at the Brown School? We'd really love to stick around Davis AND send our child to Somerville public schools.

We had an appointment with the principal today ... and frankly didn't
get too much of a sense of what the school is all about. Maybe we
didn't ask the right questions. What else could we be doing to make
an informed decision?

Comments

[venusunder.livejournal.com]

Hi! My kids are students at the Brown (grades 3 and 5). The principle you met is new. That may be part of the problem with the interview you had. Honestly, I'm not happy with the direction she's pushing the school in (heavy heavy emphasis on MCAS scores), but I'm not sure how much influence she'll actually have in the long run. The Brown has tremendous parent involvement, and a small student body. It's this culture of active parenting that's kept our family at the Brown, not the academic standards, which seem to slip every time someone yells MCAS at us. Thankfully, most teachers are more dedicated to the idea of education than they are to test scores, despite strong pressure from the school committee and above.

My children started school in Boston, so that's the only other school system I can compare the Brown School to, and it's really not a fair comparison, because the neighborhood surrounding the Brown is fairly affluent. The teachers in the Boston schools we attended were dealing with a different student body with different issues - families trying to make ends meet at minimum wage, gangs, drug use in the community.

I don't know if this is actually useful or not. I feel like any unhappiness I may have with the Brown is actually a problem with decisions in the higher administration, and that the parents and teachers here are doing a wonderful job of combating government pressures. Every year, parents volunteer to lead special interest clubs - last year there was an improvisational acting workshop for the younger students, and an art workshop for the older students. There was also a Chinese club and the drama club put on a wonderful play. One of the things I like best about the Brown is the one-time fundraiser at the beginning of the year. It's a good replacement for the constant candy-bar and plastic ornament sales!

I'd be glad to put you in contact with other Brown parents if you'd like.

[tracy-rolling.livejournal.com]

My son is in the Choice program at Healey and so far so good.

The No Child Left Behind thing puts pretty huge pressure on the schools. The principal and above aren't emphasizing this stuff to ruin your kids' education. They're doing it because if they don't meet those standards the school gets taken over and people start losing their jobs.

[seaweedgirle.livejournal.com]

I highly suggest you consider the Choice program. It's a wonderful program offered by Somerville.

[venusunder.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean to imply that the principal was trying to ruin anyone's education, just that she's responding to the pressure differently than I think she should, which is her prerogative since she runs the school and I don't.