Berkeley Parents Network: School for Independent Learners

Berkeley Parents Network

School for Independent Learners

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > School for Independent Learners

Website for School for Independent Learners: http://www.schoolforindependentlearners.com/

October 2007

I would like to hear from anyone who has experience with the full time program at the School for Independent Learners in the East Bay (Albany). I have a 15 year old (10th grade) son who has struggled in school since 7th grade. He is very bright, but does not seem to do well in traditional public school environments. He is currently attending a small public charter school but I am looking for an alternative before it is too late for him to qualify for entrance to a 4-year college. looking for an alternative

Hello, I have a Senior who is a full time student at SIL. He was in a traditional public high school till the end of Junior year. He went into a Public High School from a Private middle school. That was his choice. He spent 3 miserable years and his grades kept falling every year till he announced almost at the end of his Junior year that he will not go back to that school. After a lot of research I came across SIL and sent him there in Summer. He simply loved the school and the teachers. This year he is taking a lot of AP's. Shary and Karen are wonderful people who understand these kids. The teachers challenge the kids and make them do a lot of research on their own. They pace the classes to a students abilities. There is a lot of writing and in Math they work out every single problem in the chapters. According to my son they did maybe 20% of what they did at SIL in the public school but the tests were based on the whole curriculum. Most importantly at SIL the teachers and the directors know the student well which is invaluable when college applications are due. I would strongly recommend you to have your child check the school out by taking a course there or in the Summer. SIL is a very positive atmosphere. If you have any questions please e-mail me at any time. Deepa

I recommend going to talk with Karen Hobbs about your child. She will spend the time to discuss your needs. She is an advocate to the kids with different learning styles and their program is flexible to your needs. We have not any experience with her services yet, but as I was searching for information about tutors, I happened upon their web site and actually had a very long conversation with Herman Ohme, who runs the School for Independent Learners in the South Bay. They are very committed to working with kids to be successful in school. Because they are accredited, students can take classes for credit that fulfill college requirements. Denise

My 16-year-old daughter is attending the School For Independent Learners in Albany on a full-time basis after attending part-time last year. SIL has been an extremely positive experience for her; she is trying in school for the first time in a long time and she is feeling successful and LEARNING. After only being willing to consider community college before she is now exploring what colleges she might want to attend.

SIL is a great alternative to traditional education in that it is truly self-paced, works with the whole child, and works to meet each child's individual needs. If your teen is bored, unmotivated, anxious, struggling, interested in things other kids aren't, I believe SIL can work with your child. Teens with special learning needs, emotional needs, or differences do well at SIL as well as kids who find school boring, slow, who are not interested in the social scene at their school (perhaps put off by the party-drug scene, or who are pursuing a time-consuming interest or sport. My daughter who is bright but was undermotivated found the high-powered High School she attended was not a great match for her needs. No more wasted time, no more repetitive homework assignment, and teachers who take the time to know your teen as a person. We have found the teacher's at SIL are not only warm and inspiring but they show a deep respect for who our daughter is.

Some kids at SIL just repeat a class they received a failing grade in, or take an advanced placement class not offered at their school, or receive tutoring or SAT preparation. Others take several classes or do a full load. If your child is not getting what they need or deserve at their present school, I would highly recommend calling The School For Independent Learners. Happy Parent

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