Need help with info on private schools & pre-schools/Portland & Beaverton

[Darby]

We are new to the area, and I have a toddler.

I have no info whatsoever on the reputation of various schools and it is making it hard for me to decide what to do.

Catlin Gabel School
Childpeace Montessori
Franciscan Montessori
West Hills Montessori
Goddard School
Child's View Montessori
Kaiel Montessori
The International School


Anyone have any thoughts on these, or others, for both toddlers and longer-term?

Thanks.

[oregonjen]

1. My children attended The International School

They followed the Japanese immersion track. It's an immersion school with Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish tracks. The classes go from pre-K to 5th grade. It's an older school pretty much in Downtown Portland. They attended pre-school there.Because the tuition is so expensive,just like other private schools,they are in public school in West Linn now.

I was a teacher assistant in a Montessori school near here. If you want to go that direction, be sure you find out what kind of Montessori it is. Any school can call themselves Montessori, but only AMI (American Montessori Institue) schools are true to the philosophy and teachings of Maria Montessori. I don't necessarily agree with all the beliefs in Montessori, it is a good program.

My husband is Japanese, so an immersion pre-school was a good choice for us. I guess it kind of is up to what you want your children to get out of a school and how much you want to spend. The International School has great Japanese teachers who truly care about your children. I don't know about the other language tracks, but go and check it out.

[0rganism]

2. Reputation for Catlin Gabel: $$$$$$$$

How much are you ready & willing to spend on private school for a toddler?

I know some teenage kids who are going to Oregon Episcopal School, and the same question applies even at the 8th-grade level and up. You aren't really escaping the problems with overcrowding and under-staffing and test-oriented teaching, you just ensure that your child is overcrowded with other rich people's children. So I have to wonder, when the parents are forking out six figures for their two kids to attend a private school that's not a whole lot better than the public "magnet" schools, what the plan is.

If it's about social networking, then by all means, go for it. Otherwise, it seems like a rip-off to me. You could be spending as much as the price of an ivy-league university degree for a marginal improvement in K-12 quality. Certainly the price tag provides incentive for added parental enthusiasm, but if you're the kind of parent who's involved anyway... I dunno.

If you're determined to go private, this link will probably help you: http://www.movingtoportland.net/schools_private.htm

OTOH, if it's about providing the best possible learning environment, you might as well home-school. Hire a college student as a tutor if you can't oversee the day-to-day instruction yourself. There are some good resources for home-schoolers in the Portland area, like OMSI and VHRC, so it's not nearly as socially isolating as some detractors imply.

If you're interested in a middle ground, there are urban charter schools which are aiming to fill in the obvious gaps left by the public schools without charging an arm and a leg. Some of them are directly affiliated with other organizations, like the Opal School program of the Portland Children's Museum. Others have a more general mission, like the Emerson school which tries to apply real-world scenarios and long-term projects to a cooperative learning process. However, you've got to be on your toes with the charters. Some of them are flakey, or in the initial stages of program development, so parental involvment is (as always) key.

Good luck, and welcome to Portland!

[Darby]

3. Great link, thanks

I have to admit I am kind of nuts when it comes to worrying about schools.

Looking forward to enjoying our first spring here.

[HuckleB]

4. Spring? We haven't had winter yet!

:)

I've got bulbs that don't usually come up until June showing green already! I had to mow my lawn twice in the last month! Ugh.

Welcome to Portland!

Salud.

:hi:

[sandnsea]

5. I've got daffodils and roses

Over here on the coast. Is that weird or what? :shrug:

[depakid]

6. Wait 'til fire season

All the local "news" "personalities" who have been gloating over "what wonderful weather" we've been having will be selling ad time with burning forests (all the while complaining that they can't water their lawns...).

</threadjack>

[HuckleB]

7. Exactly.

Luckily, I'm too lazy to wash my car unless we've got company coming to town, and the only time I water the lawn is on the Fourth of July. But I am sure it will be difficult to find uncrowded trails and camping spots this summer. Much of the state and the northwest will be shut down due to fires.

[leftbend]

8. Portland Waldorf School

Our 6 year old daughter attends Portland Waldorf School in Milwaukie. They have K to 12th grade. There is also another Waldorf school in Portland without the high school. You might check them out. Sorry I don't have a web link, we are very pleased with the school and our daughter loves it.