Private English School Instruction Puerto Rico (house, private schools, university)

[chaotix]

Can anyone shed some light on their experiences (good/bad) with Private English School instruction (Middle/High Schools) in Puerto Rico where classes/instruction are all conducted in English.

I would like hear mostly from people whose children do not speak spanish that relocated from the continental United States to Puerto Rico,i.e, those that have/had their children in these schools and/or others that may have first hand knowledge.

Did the children adapt to Puerto Rico/Schools?

If you left or will leave Puerto Rico, are schools the primary reason?

Please explain, I would like to hear all negatives and positives, name and geographical location/town of the school, thank you.

[Sandhillian]

When we moved to PR we looked at a private English instruction school but decided to put our kids in a private Spanish instruction school instead. I can't give you any firsthand knowledge but did hear good things about the English school in Ponce and it seemed like a good school from our tour. Our reasons for choosing a Spanish speaking school were to ensure that our kids would learn the language, to get them acclimated to the culture as quickly as possible and religious considerations.

[chaotix]

Originally Posted by Sandhillian

When we moved to PR we looked at a private English instruction school but decided to put our kids in a private Spanish instruction school instead. I can't give you any firsthand knowledge but did hear good things about the English school in Ponce and it seemed like a good school from our tour. Our reasons for choosing a Spanish speaking school were to ensure that our kids would learn the language, to get them acclimated to the culture as quickly as possible and religious considerations.

I appreciate your response Sandhillian. What grades are your children in and how did the transition/culture from spanish to english affect them, if at all?

A major concern is the that the Department of Education in Puerto Rico does not require teachers in private schools to be certified. How would you rate the quality of education in the schools that your children attend?

Thanks again.

[mje173]

Best prep english school in PR is St Johns High School in Condado, PR. Approx. tuition is $10,000? a year.

Best spanish high school is colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, a bit cheaper but still around the 10k mark. It's an only boy school though. In the Metropolitan Area (I graduated from there, went to Penn State. My english is flawless)

Academia Perpetuo Socorro is the best spanish, unisex school in San Juan.

If your son/girl goes to one of these, their chances of being accepted at a top notch US or European university are very good. 8/120 from my high school went to Harvard. 60/120 went to the states to graduate from college. (This is Colegio San Ignacio)

Generally, good schooling in PR is easy to come by. The main problem is a lack of a healthy backbone in the house when kids get home. But resources are the same as they are in the states (on avg. conditions, not prep schools from the states).

Private schools, except for the top ones, are good as well.

[chaotix]

Originally Posted by mje173

Best prep english school in PR is St Johns High School in Condado, PR. Approx. tuition is $10,000? a year.

Best spanish high school is colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, a bit cheaper but still around the 10k mark. It's an only boy school though. In the Metropolitan Area (I graduated from there, went to Penn State. My english is flawless)

Academia Perpetuo Socorro is the best spanish, unisex school in San Juan.

If your son/girl goes to one of these, their chances of being accepted at a top notch US or European university are very good. 8/120 from my high school went to Harvard. 60/120 went to the states to graduate from college. (This is Colegio San Ignacio)

Generally, good schooling in PR is easy to come by. The main problem is a lack of a healthy backbone in the house when kids get home. But resources are the same as they are in the states (on avg. conditions, not prep schools from the states).

Private schools, except for the top ones, are good as well.

Thank you for this information mje173. I've heard good things about quality education in Puerto Rico, as the literacy rate is over 90%, Puerto Rico has achieved one of the highest college education rates in the world (6th) with 56% of its college-age students attending institutions of higher learning, according to World Bank data, (read this on the welcome to Puerto Rico website) quite an achievement for a small island of ~4million inhabitants.

I don't know what you mean by 'healthy backbone', but, yes, seems that resources are the same as the states, crime/economy has had an impact everywhere.

[Sandhillian]

Originally Posted by chaotix

I appreciate your response Sandhillian. What grades are your children in and how did the transition/culture from spanish to english affect them, if at all?
A major concern is the that the Department of Education in Puerto Rico does not require teachers in private schools to be certified. How would you rate the quality of education in the schools that your children attend?
Thanks again.

Our kids are in grade school and in high school. Overall, we have been very happy with the school here. The school was very accommodating with the language barrier (our kids did not speak Spanish before moving here) and allowed them to answer questions on their tests in English the first semester. We had our kids write down everything on the board during class and hired a tutor to help translate the notes for them the first semester. By the second semester they were able to do this themselves. Academically the classes are much easier here than those they attended in the states. This was okay with us since we felt they had enough of a challenge with the classes all being in a different language. I do have some concerns about whether or not this will affect ACT/SAT scores when we get to that. The homework seems to me to be about the same but the questions on the tests are easier. (I think this might make a good thesis topic - whether or not it contributes to lower scores on standardized tests.) Class selection is very limited with most of the kids taking the same classes. There are no AP courses/gifted programs at our school. Class size is comparable. They have an exam week even for grade school students and the kids only take tests during this week. The biggest surprise for us was the lack of discipline in the schools here compared to the public schools they attended previously in the states. Classes are very noisy with kids openly talking over the teacher. (Similarly, I was very shocked myself at the first school function I attended to see how everyone was oblivious to the kids giving their presentations. While the kids would take turns coming up to the microphone the parents openly talked and paid no attention. Many parents were getting up from their seats and going over to talk to other people. The noise level was unbelievable.) However, this is something you get used to.
In the beginning we experienced a few isolated instances of teasing about skin color (grade school) and hazing from a few anti-U.S. students (high school) but most of the kids were very friendly and welcoming. Again, overall we have been very happy with the school and feel our kids have benefited from being here.

I hope this helps. Feel free to DM me if you have other questions.

[chaotix]

An immense help. Thank you very much!

[desiculture]

Hello CAOTIX

I can relate to your question and have done drastic research on this issue. I moved from Westchester County N.Y. in December of 2009. My son was attending the Salesian High School in New Rochelle N.Y. A private, all boys, Catholic school. This was my biggest priority in my relocation. I have four sons and a daughter and my four sons attended Salesian High School (with the last one in eleventh grade). For him it is a major change both with the relocation of school and his overall support system.
Our relocation was a job assignment offer my husband received for a minimum of two years with an offer to extend. The company pays housing and other incentives. After two home-finding trips in November we decided on the town of Dorado. It is a residential town and some great communities. we moved here on December 22nd, 2009.
After extensive research and with much help from relocation experts that the company provided i chose a great school - THE TASIS DORADO. I believe (from my searches and contacts) that there are only two all English speaking schools in the Island. They are the Baldwin School of Puerto Rico and TASIS Dorado. The Baldwin School has been the only all English school for decades thus admission is selective based on the school history. It was my only choice until i visited The TASIS school.

Here is a little info for you :

" TASIS Dorado was founded by the developers of the Sabanera Dorado community in a joint effort with three prominent Puerto Rican educators who have extensive experience in educational endeavors in Europe, the United States and Puerto Rico. These educators in turn have teamed with the TASIS Foundation in Europe to contribute to the school with their expertise and experience in the organization and development of highly successful quality schools.

The TASIS Schools in Europe were founded by M. Crist Fleming, the well renowned educator. The original school was opened in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956, as the first American curriculum, boarding, College Preparatory school in Europe, and its name - The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) - extended to the subsequent campuses and summer programs begun elsewhere in Europe. TASIS has developed for the international community a number of educational and cultural enrichment summer programs in England, France, Italy, Spain, and Greece. TASIS England, an independent, coeducational boarding and day school enrolling students in Pre-K through twelfth grades, was opened in 1976, on a 35 acre campus in Thorpe, Surrey, 18 miles southwest of London. TASIS England is a sister school for TASIS Dorado, which is the first educational venture of TASIS within the United States.[/b]

I chose the TASIS school for many reasons suited to my family. It has an education system that i had myself - British/European/ U.S. It is all English and has Spanish as a second language, by choice. I thought it is a great opportunity to be in the island for two years and have knowledge of the language and culture as well. It is situated about 5-7 mins from my home. The is exiting and has a great setting - beautiful grounds, classrooms, activities areas, and amenities, and the most warm and welcoming staff one can imagine. Please visit the website TASIS DORADO.

The one concern i had was that the school has been in existence only since 2002. I have since turned that concern into a positive view. With the first graduating class being in 2012 (my son will be in this class) there is tremendous attention on these pupils. A small class of thirty with all the avenues and tools together with the faculty and administration input, i believe it is an advantage to my son. All attention will be given to students in order to set precedence for the history of TASIS of Dorado, and to build a reputation now and in the forthcoming years.

I am lengthy in my response, for education is one of the most important faction in my family. Please contact me by e-mail if you have any questions or need any additional information: v.singhcruz@gmail.com. I hope this was helpful to you, and a tool to enable you have another choice in your school-searching process.

[Sandhillian]

I think there are quite a few more than two. I know for a fact that the Caribbean School in Ponce is an all English speaking school (although Spanish language classes are offered as part of the curriculum).

[chaotix]

Hi Desiculture, I appreciate the time and 'lengthy' information you have afforded my question. My travels will be taking me to Florida and Puerto Rico this spring to stake out several properties, I will be visiting TASIS and other school institutions on the island as it is close to the San Juan metropolitan area. Thanks again.

P.S. . .If anyone has information on Dorado Academy in Dorado, Puerto Rico, please respond to my post. Thanks