If private school is a financial stretch for you, has it been worth it?

[Anonymous]

People would be surprised how many teachers in private schools send their kids to public school even when offered tuition remission. It is because we know the education in this area can be similar. It’s odd to not see if your kid would do well in a public school, if you have good options. Trend wise, we are now seeing a few kids leave private for more rigorous or innovative programs in public or for a better social experience. If you are tired and want more freedom it sounds like you should consider a different mix. But only you know where you live and what those school options are or whether you can move for better.

[Anonymous]

I think people are overestimating the ability to get into good privates at a later grade. But, to answer the question: I am sorry I enrolled my two DCs in private school PreK-12 and then private colleges. Their father and I separated during the college decision period and later divorced. He continues to tell lies about me and as a result my DCs are estranged.

[Anonymous]

Could you do a more affordable K-8?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally, my parents and my in-laws made similar incomes.

My parents moved to the burbs and sent us through solid publics. My in-laws sent their kids to expensive privates. My parents now have significantly more money than my in-laws and we will inherit this money. It continues to grow.

The problem with private school is that it’s a very large fixed expense. It’s as large as a mortgage, yacht payment etc. Would you go and buy a yacht on your income and spend $4-5k a month on it? I get that it’s education, but you can also educate your children for free in a good public school district.

I think my in-laws wasted a lot of money on public schools and my husband and his siblings agree. They now the to make their kids feel guilty about how much they spent like they had any clue how much private K was.

I would never send my typically developing kid to a private during the elementary years…total waste of money. Started sending to her private during middle school after I saw what a sh—-show the public middle schools were. Totally worth the expense imo

I disagree. There is way too much screentime in public ES.

+1 So much screentime.

[Anonymous]

Yes, 2 at Holton. They've been there five years and so far, completely worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People would be surprised how many teachers in private schools send their kids to public school even when offered tuition remission. It is because we know the education in this area can be similar. It’s odd to not see if your kid would do well in a public school, if you have good options. Trend wise, we are now seeing a few kids leave private for more rigorous or innovative programs in public or for a better social experience. If you are tired and want more freedom it sounds like you should consider a different mix. But only you know where you live and what those school options are or whether you can move for better.

Funny you say that. I work at a good public school and know so many colleagues who have decided to send their kids to private school. Particularly during the pandemic and they never went back.

[Anonymous]

I have two in high school that have been in private school since PK. Yes, it’s been a financial strain and, yes, that has caused stress for us. However, I believe it’s been worth every penny and would do the same thing again without hesitation.

My kids have teachers who know them well and my kids feel inspired by them. They are surrounded by kind, high-achieving, well-rounded kids. They’ve had athletic and EC opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise. They do tons of writing, give many presentations and have been taught to think critically rather than just think for a test. I recall a moment in middle school when my ADHD child told me how it wasn’t hard paying attention in class because it felt like a discussion rather than a lecture, which he would have tuned out.

My kids were not exposed to kids who did drugs or had sex in middle school, which kept them innocent a bit longer. We have some neighborhood kids who attend a highly rated public school and would talk about fights and the drugs and used condoms in the bathroom- my kids were horrified by this.

Other than the cost, I can’t think of one drawback to my kids’ educational experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People would be surprised how many teachers in private schools send their kids to public school even when offered tuition remission. It is because we know the education in this area can be similar. It’s odd to not see if your kid would do well in a public school, if you have good options. Trend wise, we are now seeing a few kids leave private for more rigorous or innovative programs in public or for a better social experience. If you are tired and want more freedom it sounds like you should consider a different mix. But only you know where you live and what those school options are or whether you can move for better.

My experience was the opposite. It was the public school teachers and counselors who kindly took me aside to let me know their kids were either in Catholic or Independent schools.

Once my kids entered the Independent schools, I learned that much financial aid goes to the children of public school teachers. It makes total sense when you read anything about how public school teachers rate their work environments.

We spent a ton of money, got FA for some years, and skipped many vacations while driving old cars.

We have no regrets, believing it was the best thing we ever did for our kids. One is now a working college graduate and the other is a HS senior.

Good luck to all of you. It’s really a shame. We both went to public schools and never anticipated having to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but this is why people move to the suburbs. No chance I would send 3 kids to private in DC on 500K. Our HHI is close to 1M and I still don't like it, but I do it because I want to be in the city. Almost everyone in your price range just sucks it up and moves to Bethesda or Potomac or Arlington, etc. and sends their special snowflake to public like 98% of the country.

Actually in my neighborhood at least 1/2 of the kids are in Independent or Catholic schools if not in a public magnet or IB program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People would be surprised how many teachers in private schools send their kids to public school even when offered tuition remission. It is because we know the education in this area can be similar. It’s odd to not see if your kid would do well in a public school, if you have good options. Trend wise, we are now seeing a few kids leave private for more rigorous or innovative programs in public or for a better social experience. If you are tired and want more freedom it sounds like you should consider a different mix. But only you know where you live and what those school options are or whether you can move for better.

Funny you say that. I work at a good public school and know so many colleagues who have decided to send their kids to private school. Particularly during the pandemic and they never went back.

I was surprised by that comment, as well. I’m a former public school teacher. Comfortably half of my colleagues sent their own kids to area privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think people are overestimating the ability to get into good privates at a later grade. But, to answer the question: I am sorry I enrolled my two DCs in private school PreK-12 and then private colleges. Their father and I separated during the college decision period and later divorced. He continues to tell lies about me and as a result my DCs are estranged.

Exactly!

[Anonymous]

Most private schools are not worth it. Very poor value for the money. You would expect to be way better than public schools, but I would say that they are comparable. To me is not clear the value of sending my kid to a private. Also there is a lot of indoctrination in woke schools like Maret GDS and Sidwell. DEI is not in fashion anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most private schools are not worth it. Very poor value for the money. You would expect to be way better than public schools, but I would say that they are comparable. To me is not clear the value of sending my kid to a private. Also there is a lot of indoctrination in woke schools like Maret GDS and Sidwell. DEI is not in fashion anymore.

Have your kids gone to private or you just think you know the experience is comparable?

[Anonymous]

We moved out of DC to MoCo when the kids were little with the intention of sending them to the amazing public schools we’d heard so much about. Both went to public school until 4th grade at which point, we felt we needed to move them to private school. They were lost at our large ES, hated school, and there was a lot of chaos in the classroom (to put it nicely).

Switching to a private school with small, calm classes in which the teachers truly knew and challenged our kid was game changing. They were both pushed and supported academically, had opportunities for growth in and outside the classroom, and were genuinely prepared for college. They were both able to play on multiple sports teams for their school (something the younger one especially would have had no shot of doing in public) which was an incredibly valuable part of their HS experiences. They may not have loved every minute of school because it was not always easy, but they absolutely learned to think, write, and had an opportunity to do all sorts of ECs. The schools behavioral expectations were high, the teachers were dedicated and (most) clearly loved teaching there, and when we did have issues we were able to address them with an administrator. It was a stretch but you only get one crack at being a kid and there’s no question their experiences shaped them into who they are today.

[Anonymous]

We started two kids at Beauvoir in pre-K and they are still there. We have successful careers but not family money and are digging out of student loans. While we should have waited until middle school financially, I truly cant believe how wonderful the Beauvoir experience has been compared to what our friends are experiencing at non-NW publics. If our careers stay on track in a few years tue debt will be gone and we will be much more comfortable affording private but it will always be a stretch we are willing to make.