Cons of private school?

[Anonymous]

Cost, lack of convenient transportation, random practices during the workday for kids who can't drive yet, which assumes/requires a SAHP or flexible workday or carpool network. This could be specific to this HS.

[Anonymous]

It’s an elitist environment. It’s the reason I never wanted my own kids in private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s an elitist environment. It’s the reason I never wanted my own kids in private school.

That a it of a broad statement. Not all schools are filled with elitists. Maybe places like GDS and Sidwell, but my child's small parochial is hardly elitist. What's wonderful about private school, is you can choose the one that suits you, and if none do, there is always public or home school. A lot better than only having public school as your option (which is the case for those who cannot afford private). Enter school choice and vouchers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No mandate to innovate. Many teachers using approaches and texts that my grandmother probably used. In public school, compared to my DC's private school in grades 4-5, there's more groupwork, more independent work, more emphasis on writing in different genres, more rote work, and less feedback on written work than what my child is getting at private school. I'm shocked that with all that money for PD and such small classes to teach, there's so little innovation. Maybe this is just the one school--I certainly hope I am wrong and am wondering if our choice was the right one.

Our private school is the same, and I see it as a positive. Math hasn't changed much in the last 50 years, and neither did grammar.

This!! Public schools keep making the same mistakes over and over again with their new and "innovative" teaching methods. Enter balanced literacy. I think it is widely proven that it was a huge disaster. My son started kindergarten in an MCPS school where the teachers told me that I wasted my time teaching my child to read using a phonics program. They said, "we don't do that anymore." This was in 2006. I can tell you now that they have made an about face and are trying to dig themselves out of this flawed curriculum. Thankfully I saw what was going on and pulled my son out of public school and enrolled my younger daughter in private school, where she got excellent reading and math instruction. She even learned how to spell, do grammar and cursive. Things public school no longer teach because of spell check, keyboarding, and grammar check. Let the technology do it for you is their philosophy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No mandate to innovate. Many teachers using approaches and texts that my grandmother probably used. In public school, compared to my DC's private school in grades 4-5, there's more groupwork, more independent work, more emphasis on writing in different genres, more rote work, and less feedback on written work than what my child is getting at private school. I'm shocked that with all that money for PD and such small classes to teach, there's so little innovation. Maybe this is just the one school--I certainly hope I am wrong and am wondering if our choice was the right one.

Our private school is the same, and I see it as a positive. Math hasn't changed much in the last 50 years, and neither did grammar.

This!! Public schools keep making the same mistakes over and over again with their new and "innovative" teaching methods. Enter balanced literacy. I think it is widely proven that it was a huge disaster. My son started kindergarten in an MCPS school where the teachers told me that I wasted my time teaching my child to read using a phonics program. They said, "we don't do that anymore." This was in 2006. I can tell you now that they have made an about face and are trying to dig themselves out of this flawed curriculum. Thankfully I saw what was going on and pulled my son out of public school and enrolled my younger daughter in private school, where she got excellent reading and math instruction. She even learned how to spell, do grammar and cursive. Things public school no longer teach because of spell check, keyboarding, and grammar check. Let the technology do it for you is their philosophy.

FYI many of the the most elite privates in the area are clinging to Lucy Caulkins with a death grip and saying they are just adding phonics too. So at least publics can admit when they are wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an elitist environment. It’s the reason I never wanted my own kids in private school.

That a it of a broad statement. Not all schools are filled with elitists. Maybe places like GDS and Sidwell, but my child's small parochial is hardly elitist. What's wonderful about private school, is you can choose the one that suits you, and if none do, there is always public or home school. A lot better than only having public school as your option (which is the case for those who cannot afford private). Enter school choice and vouchers.

When the cost of walking in the door is half or more than what most people make in a year, yes they are full of elitists.

I know this forum likes to pretend that $500k/year is lower middle class but get real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an elitist environment. It’s the reason I never wanted my own kids in private school.

That a it of a broad statement. Not all schools are filled with elitists. Maybe places like GDS and Sidwell, but my child's small parochial is hardly elitist. What's wonderful about private school, is you can choose the one that suits you, and if none do, there is always public or home school. A lot better than only having public school as your option (which is the case for those who cannot afford private). Enter school choice and vouchers.

When the cost of walking in the door is half or more than what most people make in a year, yes they are full of elitists.

I know this forum likes to pretend that $500k/year is lower middle class but get real.

Like I said, not all schools are filled with elitists. AND not all schools cost "more than what most people make in a year." My daughter's school is under $10K a year. Most people make quite a bit more than that and financial aid is available for those who don't. So PP, you are wrong once again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No mandate to innovate. Many teachers using approaches and texts that my grandmother probably used. In public school, compared to my DC's private school in grades 4-5, there's more groupwork, more independent work, more emphasis on writing in different genres, more rote work, and less feedback on written work than what my child is getting at private school. I'm shocked that with all that money for PD and such small classes to teach, there's so little innovation. Maybe this is just the one school--I certainly hope I am wrong and am wondering if our choice was the right one.

Our private school is the same, and I see it as a positive. Math hasn't changed much in the last 50 years, and neither did grammar.

This!! Public schools keep making the same mistakes over and over again with their new and "innovative" teaching methods. Enter balanced literacy. I think it is widely proven that it was a huge disaster. My son started kindergarten in an MCPS school where the teachers told me that I wasted my time teaching my child to read using a phonics program. They said, "we don't do that anymore." This was in 2006. I can tell you now that they have made an about face and are trying to dig themselves out of this flawed curriculum. Thankfully I saw what was going on and pulled my son out of public school and enrolled my younger daughter in private school, where she got excellent reading and math instruction. She even learned how to spell, do grammar and cursive. Things public school no longer teach because of spell check, keyboarding, and grammar check. Let the technology do it for you is their philosophy.

FYI many of the the most elite privates in the area are clinging to Lucy Caulkins with a death grip and saying they are just adding phonics too. So at least publics can admit when they are wrong.

That's why small Catholic parochial schools are probably the best deal out there because they never changed the reading curriculum and just stuck with the basics...phonics, grammar, spelling, reading, writing. Same with the math curriculum...no crazy new methods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Warped perspective on the world wrt socioeconomic situations

Most do not. They know their situation and the world. Must have lots of friends in public. Most play sports with kids of all backgrounds. Most are quite grounded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fewer opportunities. Our private is 90 kids per grade. Our public is 500 kids/grade. It's a lot easier to find enough kids to form a robotics club, debate team, or rowing team with 500 to choose from.

Depends on public and private. Most privates have way more of this stuff than most publics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not typically mentioned on dcum or IRL, but private schools are often the haven for public school students who’ve had repeated discipline problems. Sending to a private school then is akin to an old fashioned reform school.

This is flat out false for any major private. The reverse is true. Any discipline problems and the kids are out. Privates have almost no discipline issues.

[Anonymous]

Small classes means very limited re: friendships. Not happy.

[Anonymous]

Creating entitled brats like the Landon boys on metro

[Anonymous]

I was someone who would have never considered private, then COVID happened so l did it. I think it varies a lot by school so here are some details for context - it’s a DC School with higher end tuition, over 40K for ES. We do not get FA, we don’t have family money or a lot of assets and HHI is less than 300k so it’s a big financial sacrifice.

Pros: more agile than public, so went back in person full time during COVID much sooner; much smaller class size, the teachers really know my kid and provide more targeted personal help (this to me is the #1 pro - my kid caught up academically with one trouble subject very quickly); pretty nice kids and parents, the parents seem less likely to push their kids to be a super high achiever, less Tiger mom types than in our NWDC public; school has way more $ and staff than public so even if you volunteer it’s not a heavy lift like with auctions at public; way less standardized testing; teachers not stressed out.

Cons: very elitist but in a subtle way (they are nice to everyone at school events), like many of the lifer parents never even considered public and belong to expensive and exclusive clubs; no close neighborhood friends so lots of arranging and driving for play dates; cost!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an elitist environment. It’s the reason I never wanted my own kids in private school.

That a it of a broad statement. Not all schools are filled with elitists. Maybe places like GDS and Sidwell, but my child's small parochial is hardly elitist. What's wonderful about private school, is you can choose the one that suits you, and if none do, there is always public or home school. A lot better than only having public school as your option (which is the case for those who cannot afford private). Enter school choice and vouchers.

When the cost of walking in the door is half or more than what most people make in a year, yes they are full of elitists.

I know this forum likes to pretend that $500k/year is lower middle class but get real.

Like I said, not all schools are filled with elitists. AND not all schools cost "more than what most people make in a year." My daughter's school is under $10K a year. Most people make quite a bit more than that and financial aid is available for those who don't. So PP, you are wrong once again.

You say that as if $10k/year is a sum the average family can afford. Here’s a hint: it isn’t. It may not be $40k, but it’s still far out of reach if the average household.