Why Croft: Our Founder’s View
Fall 2023
Dear Families,
I'm Scott. I'm a dad, first, and an educator, second. My boys are 6- and 8-years old and, like every parent, my wife Sarah and I want the world to be their respective oysters. For us, that pathway starts with love, play, and guidance at home, but almost as important is finding the very best elementary schooling option for them.
So: what's important to my wife and me when thinking about schools?
That a school has a process and plan to hire and retain consistently amazing teachers
That the school balances outstanding instruction in math, reading, and writing, with ample doses of play, project work, outside expeditions, and enrichment.
That the school is a tight-knit community - for students and for us.
That the school enrolls a diverse student body.
That the school is convenient for families, and, of course...
That the school is more affordable and less “exclusive” than most private schools.
For a while, we leaned towards city public school as our default option, but we observed just too many quality inconsistencies, classroom to classroom, to pursue that path. Our review of most private schools yielded options that were unaffordable and/or didn't "check the boxes" on other criteria, too. We felt stuck — there were no undeniably high-quality schools that were meeting all of the above criteria.
So, in 2017, I decided to create The Croft School: Providence in an attempt to solve this conundrum for my own family and for others like us. We hypothesized that many families would value what we built. As it turns out: we were right! We now receive more than 200 enrollment applications per year. Our school, which currently includes Grades K-5, will eventually expand through Grade 8.
Given how well things were going in Providence, we decided to bring the model to Boston, where I've spent much of the last 20 years of my life. We opened The Croft School: Jamaica Plain in September 2020. We opened the school amid the pandemic with 50 students; we now educate 200 students in Preschool through Grade 3 and will continue expanding the school, year-by-year, until we reach Grade 6.
About two years ago, several families from the South End neighborhood of Boston visited our school in Jamaica Plain and… fell in love with it. They explained how our type of school was missing from the educational landscape in the South End and that The Croft School could have a transformative impact on the families and children of the South End. We were compelled by their thinking and advocacy. We opened The Croft School: South End in September 2022 with Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms. This school will also expand into a Preschool - Grade 6 school in the years ahead.
Whether you live in Providence or Boston, if you're looking for a rigorous and student-centered school for your young children, I hope you will consider reaching out. We'd love to learn more about you and your child, and begin exploring whether this may be a great fit.
Sincerely,
Scott Given
Founder and Executive Director, The Croft School
PS: Back in 2021, The Atlantic published an article by Caitlin Flanagan called Private Schools Are Indefensible. The article has been widely shared and read in the private school world and I would encourage you to take a read as well. I thought it was important to take some time to reflect on the criticism within the article, acknowledge the forces and mindsets that have led to these challenges at many independent schools, and to articulate my belief and hope The Croft School can and will be different. After reflecting, I organized my thoughts into a written response, which you can read here. If you read the article and my response, feel free to share your thoughts directly with me. I'm very curious to hear what you may think.
Why Croft: Our Families’ View
"It's hard to explain my love of The Croft School because they're unlike any school or business I've ever known. I could gush all day and offer example after example of times I knew I made the right decision for our son. I will say three things: 1. The level of commitment, communication, and dedication exemplified by the team at the Croft School has been beyond anything we've ever known. I am regularly astounded by their thoughtfulness, level of genuine interest and concern, and willingness to adapt and learn with each student and family. 2. The community that has been built, the parent engagement, and overall culture of the school is unlike one you will ever find. Singing, laughing, huge smiles, skipping to school, and friendly greetings on a daily basis fills the space and our hearts. Everyone is deeply invested in the overall happiness and health of each child. The parents know all the kiddos, and most of the grandparents, and a warm sense of community is an intentional effort that Croft works hard to achieve. 3. I don't know any other parents that have more confidence in their school to provide a safe environment for their children during a pandemic. There's so much uncertainty about life right now, but the one thing I am certain about, is if The Croft School is open they will be the safest, most informed, openly communicative, clean, and healthy place to send a student. I have full faith that Scott and his team always have the child's best interest at heart, deep at heart at all times, and they will do everything in their power to provide the best possible experience for our precious pumpkins." - Jesse, Croft Providence mother
“We are very happy with The Croft School. The space is beautiful. The Head of School and all of the teachers are truly amazing. Our son transitioned well to this new school after being at the same daycare/preschool for 5 years. He’s experiencing a lot of new and exciting things and loving all of it.” -Michelle, Croft Providence mother
“We simply do not know how the Croft team did it: opened a beautiful, loving, academically-rich school, with incredible teachers, in the middle of a pandemic! My son and all of his classmates had such a positive first year at Croft. It has been a delight to see how much they love learning and how much they love their school. -Laura, Croft Jamaica Plain mother
“This is more than a special school. This is a special community. Boston is a better city because The Croft School exists.” - Jason, Croft Jamaica Plain father
“If you measure a school by the talent and heart of its educators, we can’t imagine there is a better school than CROFT!!!” - Gigi, Croft Jamaica Plain mother
. . . But Why “Croft”?
Harold (“Hal”) Croft had an outsized influence on Founder Scott Given’s life as his Reading (MA) Memorial High School English teacher (a class called “Idea of Man”) and track coach.
Scott recalls, “More than anything else, Mr. Croft taught my classmates, teammates, and me that you could achieve far more than you ever think possible with hard work, determination, and collaboration with a team. He took an average athlete like myself and, by convincing me I could be great, he turned me into an all-star runner who could break 4:30 in the mile.”
Croft’s record as the Reading High Boys’ Track and Field Coach provides evidence that he had this type of effect on many of his students and athletes.
When Croft took over the boys’ spring track team in 1971, he inherited a team that finished 0-9 in 1970. After a 3-6 first season, Croft’s Rockets didn’t lose another dual meet until the early 2000s. “The Streak” is a nationally-recognized record of 29 straight league titles and 252 consecutive dual meet victories.
Scott adds: “I am proud to have been able to name our schools after an individual who has been so impactful in my own life. If we can have half the impact on our students that Mr. Croft had on me, our schools will be a tremendous success.”