Does anyone have experience with this school program for elementary age? Thanks in advance!

Not personally, but have many friends whose kids are there. They all love it & have recommended it many times over.

I know about it but don't have any kids that attended. Solid program. Small classes and kids get to work at their own level (I mean higher than grade level). With the short school days, it makes it easier to take on the extracurriculars that appeal to your own child.

I looked at it after the kids got too old for St. Thomas Early Learning Center. Made other decisions for them but was impressed with the program. I've seen kids leave public school and go on to Kor and be successful. Primarily, I think it is group size and compressed day that have the most impact.

A very good friend of mine has her two children there.

Her son is what I'd consider academically advanced, he was reading Harry Potter in first grade. He does very well at KOR.

Her daughter is a bit of a challenge and her eccentricities are embraced.

I can tell you the projects I've seen her kids produce are very impressive, such as life size penquin models in second grade, and acrylic paintings on real art canvas, etc. KOR seems to be a very hands on learning environment vs. the "worksheets" my kids in BISD bring home.

Is this another one of the Turkish charter schools (ala Harmony Science Academy) or is it something else?

Looks like its based off of this guy's books and ideals
http://www.kor-education.com/

KOR is definitely NOT like Harmony Science Academy, a charter school. It is more like a really big home school but without Mom/Dad as the teacher. Kids move along at their own rate (faster in most cases than traditional classroom). School day is shortened both in number of days and time per day. KOR is a private school so there is tuition unlike Harmony. Class size is very small so the kids get more individual attention. KOR also has a rigorous entrance exam that Harmony does not have. http://www.koreducation.org/index.html

Have any kids graduated from there yet? If so do you know what colleges they got into?

I don't think any have graduated yet. They were adding a year at a time as the kids aged up. They must be up to about 10th or 11th grade now. I suppose that some child may have actually finished early too. The standards are high and curriculum is tough.

I've seen kids leave KOR and transition nicely into public school---generally ahead of grade level. I've also seen kids have difficulty in public school and move to KOR with great success. Small, intense classrooms are better for some kids.

We are looking at KOR for our son, and have visited there. We also are impressed with the school, the teachers, and KOR's education principles.

The half-day schedule is certainly interesting. We are wondering what parents are doing in the afternoons/on Friday to supplement the teaching? What types of extracurricular activities are families involved in? Are the parents involved with/know the families of the other children?

(Thank you MaroonMommy for asking about KOR, and thanks to those who are sharing their experiences!)

FYI - the local folks are not affiliated with Kordovsky

I have 3 kids at the school and it is fantastic. Our oldest attended another private school in town (which I will not name) and KOR is head-and-shoulders above it academically and especially in the culture.

The families are very involved and the school sees itself as an extension of the parents' being the primary teachers, not the other way around. So, family involvement is paramount. Thus, you get a lot of good people helping.

Academically the 2 kids who are academically-oriented are challenged and the 3rd, who is more artistic, is also pushed, but not left behind. They are several grade levels above other schools, esp. in math.

They have cross-country, band, basketball, volleyball, etc. There are now 2 campuses and the school has such a good rep that most classes have waiting lists.

Did I mention it is much cheaper than other private schools?

I couldn't recommend it higher and I was a doubter going into it but have been won over.

We have two kiddos (3rd and Kindergarten) that go to KOR. Love the school and have loved all the teachers the kids have had.

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Have any kids graduated from there yet? If so do you know what colleges they got into?

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I think they just had their 1st or 2nd graduating class. Interestingly enough a recent May veledictorian of one of our local public schools was a KOR product through 8th grade before transitioning to the public school.

I just started my kid there and we love it.

Bumping this up to see more recent reviews if available.

their enrollment is really booming each year. i think word of mouth has been huge for them. my kid is in 1st grade there (did K last year) and we are very happy.

the schedule there is really great for allowing your kids to be released early and take on other activities or more family time the rest of the day.

Thank you! I've heard good things second/third/fourth hand so it's nice to hear from someone actually there.

If i had one gripe about Kor its not even school related. I just wish they'd encourage more youth sports. My kid loves playing sports but for 2 yrs in city sports he hasn't run into a single kid from his school or grade while doing little league or flag football. Again, not a reflection of the school but just something i wish they'd be more vocal about with parents. It would be nice if my kid could be on a team and know some other kids.

Bump for new feedback, as we're considering Kor this coming school year.

What are thoughts on the school for anyone whose kids have been there in the last year?

We've been there K-2 and are going into 3rd with that kid. Other kiddo starts K there this fall.

It is definitely a school where you have to take an active part in what your child is doing. There are pretty robust projects but those typically tie in well to other subjects. It is an intense day because it is so short. We love the passion of the teachers we've had thus far and are very happy with where our child is academically. He really likes that he has afternoons to do other things and Fridays off.

Homework increases with each age. Thus far I've been okay with the amount.

If you have specific questions I can try to answer them.

Ditto to all above. We are also going into 3rd and 1st this year. So far we've enjoyed it, and I was grateful we were there last year vs public school when all of this virus mess started. It was a much easier transition home, but that is to be expected with small classes, less red tape, and so much parent involvement. No school on Fridays has been a plus I didn't realize we would enjoy so much. I'm very happy academically and have loved the teachers we have had.

Bump for more recent reviews and updates. Hope all are still liking it/loving it there!

We are on the waiting list, went a different direction a couple years ago, but may switch. I'm starting to see that the social/ extra hours of traditional schooling is garbage time.

Also, how is the homework load for different grades?

All my kids have attended.
It is growing rapidly and the future kids will get better facilities in the near future. Teachers are above average to great. Lots of good families and a solid Christain culture.

I would still rate it as one of the top schools for any kid K-8. High School still needs a few changes, but the leadership knows this and I anticipate great strides there. Overall a very good school and I am very happy all my kids attended (have youngest still on HS there).

As for homework, it depends on grade level. Some are harder. But, the school constantly listens to parents if it seems to take too long and will adjust. My kids never took what we thought was too long on homework.

Thank you for all that great info! You hit on points I didn't even think of asking. We will remain patient and on the waiting list. We are currently at another private school, but I see the shorter days and 4 day schedule very appealing (plus the great academics is an obvious draw).

You're welcome. Let me know if you want to know anything else.

Thought of a couple... What was y'all's experience w/ the class schedule? I guess what I'm getting at is, an active energetic 8 year old, entering 3rd grade in the fall (and expected to sit for most of 4 hours). Although we would either play or work out that morning before school. So in the long run I think he'd be perfectly fine.
Also, what is the homework load like? I know as they go up in grades it gets a little heavier. I do think the much shortened days (and no friday classes) makes this easier.

I am interested to hear what people may do for the afternoon, if parents work? Our son would thrive in a place like KOR, where he is not probably going to be inspired or reach his potential in a traditional school, especially the older he gets. He's very high iq and thinks differently - very creative, loves to read, science, critical thinking, art, gardening, and outdoors stuff, young Sheldon type. The only reason this school won't work is that my husband and I work and cannot currently adjust our schedules enough at work, long-term, to pick up by 2:30 every day.

p.s. I understand this barrier in the end is a choice -- I'm asking for respectful responses to things we may not have thought of as an option.....obviously, there are larger discussions to be had on the merits of the whole situation from a variety of standpoints...parental guilt in trying to figure all this out is real.

Brewmaster said:

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Thought of a couple... What was y'all's experience w/ the class schedule? I guess what I'm getting at is, an active energetic 8 year old, entering 3rd grade in the fall (and expected to sit for most of 4 hours). Although we would either play or work out that morning before school. So in the long run I think he'd be perfectly fine.
Also, what is the homework load like? I know as they go up in grades it gets a little heavier. I do think the much shortened days (and no friday classes) makes this easier.

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One things that helps the active kids is that there is less wasted time on busy work. Now, some will still struggle, but I think when that happens the teachers are willing to work with parents if it remains an issue. Still, better to deal with 4-5 hrs in 4 days than 7-8 in 5 days. Still, each kid is different, so I can't promise KOR is right for everyone.

Homework was never onerous and none of my kids struggled with it. I have heard from some other parents that certain kids in certain grades did though it never reached public school amount of work. I think it depends. Sorry I can't give more on that.

Thank you again tu ag, that does help a lot (on both counts). Yes the 40 hr typical week for standard schooling + homework is crazy for our 8 year old (and most kids). Despite it, he has almost straight A's and is very smart. A more challenging environment would be right up his alley. The social aspect he has struggled with (gets along great with older kids and adults and not at all w/ those his age), but I would guess at Kor there isn't any down time for this anyway. Most likely it's a phase we will outgrow soon.

There are numerous families where this is the case. Some single parents and some where both work. Different solutions, but none may be what you are after.
-some find another family (or a couple) to bring the kid home with them until later in the day
-some have family (grandparents, older siblings, etc) help
-some hire a college student to pick up and take home for a few hours
-a few parents are able to pick up and bring to work for a few hours (kids do homework mostly)

Not easy for some. May not work at all for others.