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i went to the Speyer open house last night. I didnt know much about the school before going. I really do think those teachers and Connie have the passion to create an amazing school- I think they will do it. Unfortunately their stength isnt in the marketing of the school and its mission. If I were them I would hire someone better able to communicate what makes the school special.
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Seems like it is some crazy lady with nothing better to do than to lie about the school Probably only one poster. I gotta say, she is one evil bitch. This site could be so useful for an informed discussion about the school, but instead she poisons the well. Ultimately, it hurts the children who would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the better educational choices that would flow an honest discussion of the pros and cons of the school. That someone would put a personal vendetta (that's what it seems like to me) ahead of the interests of kids is just terrible. I posted elsewhere on this site that her fanaticism actually motivated me to go to a speyer open house.
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I was there too and was very impressed by the approach to differentiation and building the curriculum around the abilities of the children. We are definitely going to apply. I just don't think this board is capable of a rational conversation about the school for obvious reasons.
[ Reply | Options ]OP I think you are right. Do you agree that the 'sales pitch' could have been clearer?
[ Reply | Options ]for sure, they are educators through and through, not marketers or traditional administrators. I also learned that they have decades of experience training teachers to teach gifted kids and I think that is very important. I was surprised that Lindy Uehling didn't speak -- she was the DOD standing that front. She used to be TV spokes model for Hunter. She was effusive in her praise of Connie and faculty.
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wow... that is telling isn't it? I have no horse in this race but the fact that the OH was so lightly attended speaks volumes that either there is a real lack of effective marketing &/or the school is truly not well respected.
[ Reply | Options ]I don't know if there were other OH available but you are right. It really is down to poor marketing I think. A school of that calibre should have a much higher profile. I think it will but it will take a few years.
[ Reply | Options ]Actually it was full - we have to go to next one because they want to keep them small.
[ Reply | Options ]I went at the end of October and it was full. Not too small, not too big...something like 30-40 people. What I found interesting is that people asked real questions. When I went to the tt interviews, people just asked softball questions :-) Very different crowd. Much more "economically diverse." Some people were in jeans, others in a suit and tie. Not sure that matters, but just an observation.
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The people who post on Speyer reveal themselves in later responses to be incredibly ugly, insulting, and mean-spirited. Is this the kind of people, like OP, the school attracts?
[ Reply | Options ]What are you talking about? Everyone on UB seems to be insulting and mean-spirited. Look at the post from the OR who cried spam above.
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You must be joking. The unmitigated hostility on this board toward Speyer and anyone who mentions it is perhaps the most predictable thing on UB besides the slavish devotion to the so-called "TT" schools. If I had anything to do with Speyer, I might share a few choice words with some of the posters here.
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The UB gods should really create a separate board for discussion about gifted kids and the options for them in this city. I have a 2-year old that has just started reading and dh and I are scared. After doing some searches on this board, the one thing that I have learned is not to talk about my ds with other moms and not to ever ask questions about Hollingworth or Speyer on this board. So how about it UB?
[ Reply | Options ]I think you're right not to talk about it with other people, especially parents. You can find lots of info if you search internet. There are many helpful books out there as well. Most people don't know much about issues surrounding gifted children anyway. It's better to do your own research discreetly.
[ Reply | Options ]yes, I realize this, but most parents support each other and share parenting advice. I'd like to find others who have btdt and can help us make good choices for her. It's not just that she's an early reader, there's other stuff too and we'd like to find other parents with similar kids.
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I know how you feel. It is definitely scary and a real responsibility (but a high-class problem to be sure). You won't get any support from a normal school, even (or particularly) a tt. Play dates will be difficult...just not that many kids out there like yours. Good thing you recognized it early and can go for hollingsworth and some of the citywide gifted programs. We got into a tt and thought we were set. Not even close...no accommodation for very gifted kids. Thank god for the internet--you can learn a lot and not feel alone or without guidance. Also, I highly, highly recommend immediately reading "Gifted Children, Myths and Realties" by Ellen Winner from 1996. It is by far the best book on gifted kids out there.
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Honest question from someone with no connection to Speyer = why do so many UBers HATE this school?
[ Reply | Options ]I think some reject the Speyer/Hollingworth premise that gifted kids are more likely to thrive in an educational setting with other gifted kids and where the curriculum is more individualized. Others like to believe that TT schools (which are hard to get into for reasons having nothing to do with test scores) cater to gifted kids when that admittedly do not. Still others are repulsed by any parents who believe their kid is gifted.
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Marketing alone cannot sell a product that isn't really there. It's like the U.S. trying to "market" to the Islamic world that U.S. is a true friend and we're not biased. They're not going to buy it no matter how we market. Speyer probably will be a good product in 5-10 yrs but for now, most people don't want to gamble no matter how great they are. They want proven track record. That's why the product is not selling. Not yet.
[ Reply | Options ]I agree with you that some, or maybe even most people want a proven track record, but my view is that everyone of the most impressive and accomplished people I know or admire is a risk taker and I think Speyer will perhaps succeed and be exceptional because it will attract more interesting and daring families. I wish them luck.
[ Reply | Options ]I partially disagree. Most parent want a good and suitable school experience for their child and a track record helps convince them their child will get it. It isnt all parent rely on though. If the school did a better job at presenting its mission, values etc then parents would be more comfortable making their decsion to send their child there.
[ Reply | Options ]I was at the open house last night and I thought they were very clear about their mission and what kind of child they are looking for. We have a friend whose dc attends and loves it and that's why we are inquiring. Comparing the Speyer open house last night to other ones we've attended was very telling. Perhaps because they are new, they gave a great deal of detail about curriculum with examples of how their individual approach is implemented. Speyer is being held to a much higher standard because it's new, but imho, it passed with flying colors last night.
[ Reply | Options ]it took until the question session for the mission to be clearly spelled out. I like the school a lot but it wasnt 'very clear' to me prior to that.
[ Reply | Options ]We were there, too, and there were about 50 people there, not including Speyer staff and a few current parents. Clearly, it does take a big leap of faith, but they sure seem to know what they're doing with the kids. Agreed about not-so-hot marketing campaign, but maybe they're concentrating their efforts on just getting the school going. I doubt that any of the families there care two cents about what UBers post, and those first families REALLY had to take a big leap because there wasn't even a school last year. So, they must've known something. Everyone we met seemed very genuine and concerned and involved.
[ Reply | Options ]Can anyone describe the facilities at Speyer? We have heard about it from another parent, and were curious. Also, are their requirements different from other private schools? Do they have ERB cut-offs or mandate IQ tests?
[ Reply | Options ]They will be moving next year, and will know where in 4-6 weeks (said HOS at OH). Currently, 2 classrooms, big gathering room, offices, gym. They use the facilities of Gateway school also, right next door, and use playgrounds across street at PS??, and public playground down the hill. The rooms are very airy, with almost floor to ceiling windows, lots of bright modern colors (thankfully NOT red, yellow, blue), and kids artwork everywhere (what school doesn't have that?). There are no rows of little desks, looks like kids sit in small groups or in circles.
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np: St.Ans' doesn't have cut off. Does that make that school ridiculous as well?
[ Reply | Options ]These constant cutoff comments are so uninformed and stupid that it's hard not to think that the posters are people who prepped their kids for the tests and are now hanging on to the scores as proof that their kids are brilliant. I've actually met parents who've argued that the test scores are meaningful even if the kids are prepped because some kids don't do well even with prepping
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