Gross Schechter Day School

Shocked by the reviews stating that this school "only cares about the money," as this was 100% not my experience. This is a group of educators that genuinely care about the students. My children absolutely loved the years we spent here. Mr. Griffith is kind and engaging. Coach Dom is fun and energetic. Nadia has great communication. All of the teachers were loved by my kids, and really put their hearts into their jobs. My kids made wonderful friendships with really great kids, and learned incredible things they never would have learned elsewhere. The only thing that I don't like about Ratner is that it doesn't go up to high school, because I would put my kids here K-12 if I could!

The school provides very limited support in core academic subjects, and the overall level of learning appears lower compared to same-age peers at other local schools. Communication with teachers is minimal, with progress updates largely confined to basic, checklist-style report cards rather than detailed feedback.The structure of the school is also challenging for working parents, as many projects, conferences, and events (teacher parents conferences, kids projects) take place during regular business hours. Additionally, there are frequent vacation days and cancellations.The school may be a suitable option for families seeking a strong emphasis on Jewish heritage and community, but this may come with a compromise in academic rigor

We have been entirely thrilled with our daughter's experience at Laurel. Like most private schools in the area, Laurel offers rigorous academics, outstanding extracurricular programs (including signature programs), superb staff members, competitive athletics, etc. Some will compare the older building with the newer glassy building of HB, Hawken, and Gilmour and assume Laurel is less. I was very proud of my daughter as she looked at the other schools and said, "Mom, there is so much more to a school than glitz and glamour. I'm more concerned about character." (she was 14!) Laurel's staff is concerned with our girls' social and emotional health. The Laurel's Center for the Research on Girls is nationally recognized under the direction Drs. Lisa Damour and Tori Cordiano which is excellent. Also critical is how parents learn to support their girls through the LCRG. My daughter entered 9th grade with some confidence issues, and her advisor and staff immediately began working to build her self-esteem. We expected the typical cliques and competition from high school girls and have found none of it, even two years later. Sure, girls have their friend groups, but my daughter said there is none of the cliquiness or mean girl attitudes. I can say the same for the parents who have not had the snobbiness I witnessed at other private schools. When we looked at schools, students and parents (mothers) from another school would often frown and smirk when we told them we were looking at Laurel. We never got those reactions from Laurel's mothers or students when we told them the schools where we were looking. Again, my wise daughter said, "Mom, you can tell a lot about a place when their members look down on peers (i.e., other schools)." Some have made "nurturing" a bad word in rigorous high school settings. A significant plus is that Laurel competes well with other private schools and still offers that nurturing. They care about the women leaders they are developing. As a former corporate executive, who now consults, I understand what is required of women leaders, and Laurel prepares their students to excel in those roles, with confidence.