Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?
When we were deciding where our son would attend high school, it was a pretty straightforward decision. He could stay at his current school (a K-9 boarding / day school), go to the local public high school, or apply to the boarding high school where we live (my wife is the Dean of Academic Life here).
The decision was made easier by the fact that the school he was at had stopped meeting his needs and was a place that he no longer felt at home.
How did we know? It wasn't that his grades were suffering – those were fine. It was other, more subjective factors. Those factors would have led us to make a change even if it wasn't naturally a transition year.
Over the course of the last 25 years, I've seen families grapple with an almost infinite number of challenges at school. Not all of them mean it's time to leave. But the ones that do fall into a few major themes.
Here's a list of some roadsigns you can look for:
friendships fading away and not being replaced – increased isolation and lonelines
falling behind with work and never getting the support or traction to “catch back up”
teachers who are more concerned about being punitive than showing human grace
an administration that prioritizes major donors over community culture
documented academic or social-emotional needs that simply can not be met by the school's current resources
a values mismatch – you find yourself constantly butting heads with policies and procedures and seeking exceptions to rules that you don't believe in
If this is the situation that you, or someone you know, finds themselves in, then it's likely time to consider a school change.
In our case, we were super lucky that our child came to the conclusion on his own that he had outgrown his current environment and that we had a really solid option waiting in the wings.
But most people aren't in that situation.
So . . .
Until now, I would have said that you should schedule a call with a consultant 👋🏼 to strategize, help build a school list, vet programs for fit, manage applications, edit essays, and prep for interviews.
Buuuuut, we have some exciting news that can simplify the process. In August of 2024, we'll be launching our Semi-DIY School Search Workshop! Yes, we need a better name for it. If you have ideas, we're all ears :).
You'll have access to videos of me coaching you through the entire process, PLUS regular Zoom Q&A sessions and the option to add on a review of school options, essay support, and interview prep for that human touch. I know that our hands-on, highly personalized approach is part of why people choose to work with Crossbridge and in building this course, it was important to us not to lose that connection.
And if you have an idea for the workshop name, hit reply and let us know! (Or answer this one-question survey :)) If we choose your name, we'll send you a $25 Bookshop Gift Certificate.
I'm looking forward to sharing more as we get closer to the August launch!