TarponChaser said:

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AgLiving06 said:

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At a basic level, it's supposed to be more well-rounded than more modern systems.

Link to MLS: https://www.memoriallutheranschool.org/about/classical-education.cfm

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Classical education forms children to love learning the good, true, and beautiful, and to serve their neighbors by means of whatever vocation they may have.

This formation hands over the treasury of knowledge that is common to Western Civilization namely, the Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Liberal Arts are sevenfold: the Trivium (three ways) or Language Arts (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric) and the Quadrivium (four ways) or Mathematical Arts (Mathematics, Music, Geometry, and Astronomy). Other traditional subjects fit into these. The Liberal Sciences are fields of knowledge (scientia means knowledge in Latin), chiefly philosophy, law and theology. These arts and sciences along with the main contents of the humanities (history and literature) flesh out the content of the rich education Memorial delivers to each student.

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What this means is more of a focus on the classics books over modern readings. It means less tech in the classroom. It means introductions to Logic, Rhetoric, Philosophy, etc.

Essentially they want students to graduate with a general education that touches on all the categories of a true "Liberal Arts" education vs one focused on STEM, Common Core, etc.

In a large sense, it's really a return to how we were educated before it was all screwed up.

Edit to add this link as well, which does a decent job: https://www.ccle.org/classical-lutheran-education-101/

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Beat me to it by a couple minutes.

I would say that they don't neglect the math and sciences at all but they focus overall on critical thinking and analysis rather than rote learning.

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Exactly. You can get to Calculus (for example) in 12th grade and you take all the standard science classes. It's just not the focus. Instead, the desire is for you to come out well-rounded with a wider education than one just focused on STEM (for example).

Maybe its because I was in Pre-AP and AP classes, but I'm struggling to see how this is different. Maybe its because my kids aren't old enough for this to be an issue yet.

It's different because they can charge an arm and a leg for it.

I did the same thing my senior year with English. It was shocking to go from just getting by with a C in junior year Pre-AP by reading spark notes and then getting praise from my senior year english teacher in Academic just because I had a basic grasp of the plot and symbolism.

The reason I was asking about Classical Education as there are some parents I know in Katy from my high school days which are zoned to the good Katy schools but they choose to send their kid to either charter or private schools and they are always yapping on social media about why they love their kids" school because it offers that style of learning.

I basically did the same out in Katy. I dropped down from Pre-AP English to regular English my sophomore year more because I just did not click well with my English teacher than anything. It was shocking going into the regular English classes. I moved back to AP my Jr and dual credit my Sr year because I could not stand to be in a class where kids were struggling to read passages.

It's been nearly 30-years but my senior year of HS for the spring semester I dropped down from AP-English to regular because of a conflict with the AP teacher and I'd already been accepted to Rice and A&M (but hadn't signed my LOI to Rice yet) and the difference was astounding. The teacher was so amazed and impressed that I'd read a book she was teaching for the class already when I was 12 or 13. And, IIRC, it was a Louis L'Amour book called "The Walking Drum" and not exactly Dostoevsky or Joyce. The most difficult thing in that regular English class was having to memorize the prologue in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" in the original Middle English, dress up like a character from the book, and recite said prologue in front of the class- and she was very generous in her grading.

I've been open to private for our now 8th & 4th grade boys but early on the wife was opposed. Largely because of her experiences with kids she knew who went to private schools in Houston. And honestly, at least for HS I'd really only consider sending our boys to Strake.

But the older boy is in all pre-AP right now and will take AP through HS. I do worry that school comes too easy right now and he won't understand how to study in college and be successful but we know several people who have kids at A&M that went through the same public schools and the same HS track that our boy will and they say not to worry. Plus, he's a jock and even though I feel kind of weird saying it, if he wants to play either football or baseball in college he's at a point now where you can project that if he gets close to what the doctors say he will be in height he'll be able to play D1 in either sport. Maybe not at A&M but a mid-major for sure.

Our 4th grader does great in all his math, science, and history but needs to improve on his reading and writing. But, it's partially because they put such an emphasis on reading aloud and he gets self-conscious about and struggles. However, when I have him read stuff quietly and then explain what he read he's got it down cold.

Hope this isn't too much of a derail...but regarding AP/preAP courses... How do kids qualify to take such classes or can anyone take them? Is there a screening process and/or test? Is it for kids identified as GT only? I really have no idea as my kids are young and that wasn't a thing where/when I came up. I'm specifically asking about HISD if that matters...

It has been a long time but at least when I was in school, there was a math placement test in middle school that allowed you to be on the right track to take calculus and with that came the right track to take physics. AP chem was only available if you were deemed worthy after chem 1, same with bio.

English was essentially just the GT kids. The other classes, you basically had to convince your counselor that you would succeed. They wouldn't just let anyone in. Especially for the electives like computer science or the foreign languages.

It's been a while, but I went to St Thomas Episcopal. Very small, chapel everyday. It is a K-12 but was only there for my junior and senior year.

Pretty sure it's still small. I looked on the website and it will cost mid 20K per year. Wow.

What school if you don't mind saying?

This thread, and my son's lacrosse games at Kinkaide/Episcopal this week have been eye opening.

My kids have been at a private school for toddler through Prek-4 but will be going to our neighborhood school (OFE) for kinder for the oldest. We really went back and forth on it but struggle with the religious aspect of the school we are at. OFE seems to have a ton of neighborhood involvement and most parents on our street really enjoy it.

We will always asses it but I think there is a lot of value to the child going to the neighborhood school (if good) and creating friendships in the neighborhood.

12thMan9 said:

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El Gallo Blanco said:

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Diggity said:

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https://www.jp2.org/admissions/tuition-2024-2025

It is pretty darn cheap compared to others I have looked at

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Hopefully they don't have the gang problem Strake did. That place was out of control in the 90's. Between ITK and Lee Naughty Dogs, I had to stay strapped 24/7 when rolling down memorial or Dairy Ashford.

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If they had a map class, you failed miserably.

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LOL, typically dorky private school response. lmbo jk

Not sure what you mean though...Naughty Dogs and ITK got around and had a long reach. Some Naughty Dogs jumped a buddy of mine at a gas station off Memorial/Kirkwood. There was another similar incident in the Eckerd's parking lot one night next to Stratford. ITK used to through keg parties in the general area as well, and would sometimes infiltrate parties in the '079.

Cyp0111 said:

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My kids have been at a private school for toddler through Prek-4 but will be going to our neighborhood school (OFE) for kinder for the oldest. We really went back and forth on it but struggle with the religious aspect of the school we are at. OFE seems to have a ton of neighborhood involvement and most parents on our street really enjoy it.

We will always asses it but I think there is a lot of value to the child going to the neighborhood school (if good) and creating friendships in the neighborhood.

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This is my single regret for private, the neighborhood aspect. My kids friends are all over town. Going to take them for a bday or sleepover or something can at times be quite a haul, rather than the other 4th grader that lives 5 houses down and things like that. But, it's not an insurmountable thing, and the pros outweigh the con for us.

ccolley68 said:

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Cyp0111 said:

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My kids have been at a private school for toddler through Prek-4 but will be going to our neighborhood school (OFE) for kinder for the oldest. We really went back and forth on it but struggle with the religious aspect of the school we are at. OFE seems to have a ton of neighborhood involvement and most parents on our street really enjoy it.

We will always asses it but I think there is a lot of value to the child going to the neighborhood school (if good) and creating friendships in the neighborhood.

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This is my single regret for private, the neighborhood aspect. My kids friends are all over town. Going to take them for a bday or sleepover or something can at times be quite a haul, rather than the other 4th grader that lives 5 houses down and things like that. But, it's not an insurmountable thing, and the pros outweigh the con for us.

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it's a pain early on, but long-term it's nice knowing folks from all over the city (West side Stratford trash excluded).

Out daughter's school recently left NAIS for another accreditation organization. They never stated explicitly why, but it wouldn't surprise me if DEI and wokism were big reasons.

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(West side Stratford trash excluded).

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Kinkaid is not church based at all. The exact opposite actually. As for St John's - they have chapel one day a week but it's no way a religious based school, sort of like River Oaks Baptist. Schools that might have been started by a church but now do their own thing completely.

Presby is still very Closely tied to First Pres and is very open about being faith based. Episcopal High School is very closely tied to the Episcopal Diocese - not a ringing endorsement for some! They do require chapel every day - both my kids went there. I've been to chapel- they don't shy away from The Word. They also have teachers/students give their testimony/story at each chapel. But I'll not say it's an overly religious school. EHS is basically a suburban high school dropped in the middle of Houston. Lots of kids all over the academic scale- lots of high achievers and many who are going to get by on their parents contacts. Always felt like I had the worst car on the lot when I drove on campus. Parking garage full of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Jeeps and 4 Runners.

My kids got a great education there and it allowed my son to play varsity baseball. We are zoned to Lamar and he was a late bloomer - no way he made their team as a freshman. He ended up getting to play D3 which was a blast for him and us. So it all worked out.

gindaloon said:

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It seems the church affiliated schools are holding the line against all the woke stuff but cracks are appearing. However school's like St John's and Kincaid are all members of NAIS. NAIS is all in DEIB and various other alphabet soups. These schools all have DEI departments. As older more traditional headmasters deans teaches have left they are being replaced with much more "woke" people. So if goal is to limit your kids exposure to DEI, gender, and how white people are the root of all evil be careful and do your research. Good instagram follow is Education Veritas. They shine the light on NAIS and what "elite" private schools around the country are doing as it relates to DEI etc.

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We shouldn't be surprised it goes hand in hand.

Want a good rating...buy into the DEI nonsense and your rating goes up. Since their claim is getting you into an Ivy League, who is completely bought in to DEI, it only makes sense to tailor your school to what those schools are looking for.

I'm curious, how are schools handling technology in the classrooms? Ie smart phones, smart watches etc. I do see some schools schools like St Theresa state they ban all wearable tech. But also realize kids need to learn tech and use ipads/laptops, they won't etch notes into stone.

In general, how are smart phones handled?

Our daughter's school is the same as what colley68 described regarding wearable devices and phones.

We paid for a school laptop this year that she will keep for 5-8th. The instruction blends tech and old fashioned. Almost all her school work, at school, is done with pencil and paper. Homework is mostly through the computer, but there are times of pencil and paper for math and composition. We think it's been a good balance.

Minimal tech allowed at my kids school. That was probably worth mentioning about classical schools. Tech is not particularly emphasized. I think they do some computer work as they get to high school because it becomes unavoidable.

Their reasoning is that kids are so exposed to tech outside the school that there's no real need for it in the classroom. It's only a distraction.

My kids school has a blended approach. There are smart boards in the room the teacher uses frequently and starting in Prek-4 they attend a computer class once a week.
In Kindergarten they start learning how to type and are introduced to the concept of coding.

There are still lots of paper workbook and flash cards and more "traditional" instruction like when I went to school.

All I'm saying is that when this country inevitably devolves into a "Lord of the Flies" sort of anarchy you're going to regret not sending your snowflakes to public schools where they learn valuable skills like thievery and ultra-violence.

Cibalo said:

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My kids school has a blended approach. There are smart boards in the room the teacher uses frequently and starting in Prek-4 they attend a computer class once a week.
In Kindergarten they start learning how to type and are introduced to the concept of coding.

There are still lots of paper workbook and flash cards and more "traditional" instruction like when I went to school.

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Sounds exactly like my daughter's school.

I would hope they are at least learning how to operate a computer. Knowing how to use a phone or a tablet is not the same as knowing how to use a computer. Seems like they would be at a disadvantage if they don't know how to navigate a computer OS.