Thank you , Guest, that is probably as close to an apology as I am going to get. Two things at this point, Martha:
1. The point was made to read as much as you can on the subject which I agree whole heartedly. Here on fornits you will get mostly the negative views on boarding schools. Try to remember the names of the schools as you come away from this site with the feeling that every kid does awful, they are merely a handful compared to the industry as a whole.
Ok. Mention a "good" program. The proof is in the pudding if you say they exist, go ahead and list one. I'm not asking for many... Just one.
I'll tell you why it's unlikely why many good boarding schools exist: corruption. The widespread tendency of educational consultants an other referral artists to take kickbacks from certain schools ensures that if there was an ethical one that did not pay this "baksheesh", they would go under. But that's just a theory based on observation. Even the IECA, which claims to have ethical guidelines cannot and does not enforce them. Who benefits from this false sense of security? Both the schools and the educational consultants, operating in a symbiotic "cartel" relationship. Again. I impore you, Kathy. If you say "good" programs exists, go ahead and list one.
You should then look at and speak with families who have benefitted from boarding schools.
Absolutely. The referral services will be more than glad to provide you with a list of parents with good experiences. Notice how few they are compared to how many must have gone through the program. Notice how few actual students are listed with
first hand experience in the programs (such as many of those here, both staff, parents, and students).
These schools are not for everyone and there is an acceptance process to determine if your child can be helped, but there are people available to help you thru this process so you will not be alone.
Sure there is an acceptance process, but it's made sure that nobody is ever rejected. What usually happens is a referral service/ed-con/pyramid-scheme-parent will send you a (completely "scientific") "test"; a series of questions to apply to your child. I would ask you this if you get such a test: go around your neighborhood and ask parents to fill out that test as an anonymous survey. I guarantee 80-90% of them will end up labeling thier kids as "troubled" as a result. It's a rigged system. After all, if your kid isn't "troubled", they don't get their cut!
The problems you are seeing with me being on this site is a "red flag". Fornits does not welcome people who see boarding schools as helpful, as I and most others do. Reputable sites, as you probably know, do not attack people who have opposing opinions and post peoples personal information.
The site isn't attacking, you. Individual posters may have. What you would call a "reputable" site is one where all negative or dissenting opinions are deleted or edited out, leaving the illusion that everybody has had a good experience with programs. This illusion is naturally profitible to those who are in charge of the site and are selling referrals. Here is the only truly "free" place on the web can speak any and every opinion imaginable without fear of somebody in charge with a vested interest deleting or editing their post. There is nobody here making sure programs get bad reputations. It's happened
naturally.
I can give you names of sites where there is open discussion by people who have attended boarding schools where your information is also secure.
Really? Open discussion you say? Would I be allowed to discuss my views? What you're asking this parent to do is to step into your "bubble" where you control communication. Through controlling the commerce of ideas you control what ideas can be shared, and thus how and what people can think. Again. If the site is so open, would I be allowed in. I have attended a "boarding school" as have many others here. Pam is a parent, as is Buzzkill and many others. Would they be allowed? Would the former staff members on this site be allowed?
I don’t think fornits would want you seeing both sides of the issue because it would show they are not being very truthful with you.
But as i've shown above. Fornits is the only place where you can get both sides of the issue. After all
you're here. You just want this parent to step into a place where we're not, and "our kind" is not allowed (those who have had bad experiences with programs).
Be wary of secrecy and withholding of information;
I totally agree. So take this woman's advice and be aware of what a "secret club" you are going to if you join her secret, private, discussion forum.
Also, Martha. You might want to read the GAO's report on deceptive marketing in this industry:
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-713TTheir report on abuse:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08146t.pdfThe FTC has a similar warning to parents:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consume ... pro27.shtm