Are private schools really that special or just overpriced?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to think that some parents are a bit snob, and tend to think that under no circumstances there is a chance that public schools can provide a good education to their kids.

In general, how do you think the tight budget of a public school can match the virtually limitless resources at an elite private school that recruits the best teachers and the most talented students to create a carefully planned and deliberate classroom experience?

Common sense says that these two things are not equal.

The only problem is that I have not seen the situation you are describing in a couple of schools with tuition of 50+k. Average teachers in average facilities. So then I am a bit puzzled with the pricing.

Nothing to be puzzled about. If the market bears the prices they’re charging, clearly others have opinions that differ from yours. It’s that simple.

I drive a 10 year old car but I’m not puzzled about the driver who whizzes past me in a Porsche. Not my cup of tea or where I want to spend my money, but it’s not puzzling to me that there are people who don’t share my views and happily spend $100k+ for a car.

It is puzzling because with engaged parents it’s much harder to have mediocre education. Maybe the parents are more concerned with their jobs that engaging in the education of their kids.

OP and many posters here sound deeply insecure, analyzing the choices of other parents.

Focus on yourself. If you want to try private school, earn enough money so you can afford it. If you want to drive a nice car, earn enough money to buy one. Make your own choices and live with them.

Analyzing the choices of private school parents is bizarre. Do you really think they care what public school parents are doing? Do not complain on an anonymous forum about your lack of options. How pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to think that some parents are a bit snob, and tend to think that under no circumstances there is a chance that public schools can provide a good education to their kids.

In general, how do you think the tight budget of a public school can match the virtually limitless resources at an elite private school that recruits the best teachers and the most talented students to create a carefully planned and deliberate classroom experience?

Common sense says that these two things are not equal.

The only problem is that I have not seen the situation you are describing in a couple of schools with tuition of 50+k. Average teachers in average facilities. So then I am a bit puzzled with the pricing.

Nothing to be puzzled about. If the market bears the prices they’re charging, clearly others have opinions that differ from yours. It’s that simple.

I drive a 10 year old car but I’m not puzzled about the driver who whizzes past me in a Porsche. Not my cup of tea or where I want to spend my money, but it’s not puzzling to me that there are people who don’t share my views and happily spend $100k+ for a car.

It is puzzling because with engaged parents it’s much harder to have mediocre education. Maybe the parents are more concerned with their jobs that engaging in the education of their kids.

PP made a solid point about everybody preferring different things, and you jumped right back into judging.

Yes, maybe parents are busy with jobs, or an ill parent or child, or a million other possibilities. Maybe their own literacy and ability to "engage" with academics is not high. Or maybe they think time outside of school should be spent on things other than supplementing and checking their kids' comprehension. Any question of whether something is "worth it" is going to turn on individual situations.

My family has been at public ES, is now at private ES and MS, will probably head back to public HS. I've met one (1) really snobby parent at private -- but heard countless snide comments from public school parents about private schools. It's purely insecurity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to think that some parents are a bit snob, and tend to think that under no circumstances there is a chance that public schools can provide a good education to their kids.

In general, how do you think the tight budget of a public school can match the virtually limitless resources at an elite private school that recruits the best teachers and the most talented students to create a carefully planned and deliberate classroom experience?

Common sense says that these two things are not equal.

The only problem is that I have not seen the situation you are describing in a couple of schools with tuition of 50+k. Average teachers in average facilities. So then I am a bit puzzled with the pricing.

Nothing to be puzzled about. If the market bears the prices they’re charging, clearly others have opinions that differ from yours. It’s that simple.

I drive a 10 year old car but I’m not puzzled about the driver who whizzes past me in a Porsche. Not my cup of tea or where I want to spend my money, but it’s not puzzling to me that there are people who don’t share my views and happily spend $100k+ for a car.

It is puzzling because with engaged parents it’s much harder to have mediocre education. Maybe the parents are more concerned with their jobs that engaging in the education of their kids.

Or maybe they don’t share your view that the education is mediocre.

Sure. There are conformists as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to think that some parents are a bit snob, and tend to think that under no circumstances there is a chance that public schools can provide a good education to their kids.

In general, how do you think the tight budget of a public school can match the virtually limitless resources at an elite private school that recruits the best teachers and the most talented students to create a carefully planned and deliberate classroom experience?

Common sense says that these two things are not equal.

The only problem is that I have not seen the situation you are describing in a couple of schools with tuition of 50+k. Average teachers in average facilities. So then I am a bit puzzled with the pricing.

Nothing to be puzzled about. If the market bears the prices they’re charging, clearly others have opinions that differ from yours. It’s that simple.

I drive a 10 year old car but I’m not puzzled about the driver who whizzes past me in a Porsche. Not my cup of tea or where I want to spend my money, but it’s not puzzling to me that there are people who don’t share my views and happily spend $100k+ for a car.

It is puzzling because with engaged parents it’s much harder to have mediocre education. Maybe the parents are more concerned with their jobs that engaging in the education of their kids.

Or maybe they don’t share your view that the education is mediocre.

Sure. There are conformists as well.

Sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wayyyyy OVERPRICED

Thanks for your perspective. I respectfully disagree but love that there are public and private school options for everyone to cater to the melting pot of beliefs about education that make up this community.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It seems like every parent in DC is convinced private school is the only path to a good education, but I am wondering how much of that is perception versus reality. Between tuition that rivals college and the pressure to get in, are we truly paying for better academics or just smaller classes, nicer facilities, and the right peer group? If you strip away the brand names, are the results such as college placement, student well being, and critical thinking skills really that different from the top public and charter options? What do you think?

I think it is a legitimate question a human parent had. I am a human and have the same question.

It is really sad nobody care to answer this question. I think for vast majority of private schools, it isn’t really worth it. For selective few, it might be a try. At the end it also depends on the school, the kid and the specific teachers. But they are definitely over priced. It is unbelievable how hard it is to get a good education in this country.

Oh please, people have answered this question a thousand times on DCUM.

Not all private schools are created equal. If you want to find out about a specific school and whether it's a fit for your kid I suggest you ask parents at that school, not some anonymous internet forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems like every parent in DC is convinced private school is the only path to a good education, but I am wondering how much of that is perception versus reality. Between tuition that rivals college and the pressure to get in, are we truly paying for better academics or just smaller classes, nicer facilities, and the right peer group? If you strip away the brand names, are the results such as college placement, student well being, and critical thinking skills really that different from the top public and charter options? What do you think?

I think it is a legitimate question a human parent had. I am a human and have the same question.

It is really sad nobody care to answer this question. I think for vast majority of private schools, it isn’t really worth it. For selective few, it might be a try. At the end it also depends on the school, the kid and the specific teachers. But they are definitely over priced. It is unbelievable how hard it is to get a good education in this country.

Oh please, people have answered this question a thousand times on DCUM.

Not all private schools are created equal. If you want to find out about a specific school and whether it's a fit for your kid I suggest you ask parents at that school, not some anonymous internet forum.

Of course, pay attention to what the anonymous poster is saying, don’t post questions in an anonymous forum. Totally makes sense.

[Anonymous]

I think they're valuable and expensive. If I could send my kid to a private and not feel it financially, I absolutely would.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that that is what the price of the schools are unless you choose a Catholic or religious school. To pay for smaller class sizes, better facilities, and arguably hirer, more consistent teacher quality – – though there are very strong teachers in the public schools don’t get me wrong—this is the price. So it’s about value not worth.

So the question is, are you getting additional value for the price that you pay for us? The answer is yes for us.

[Anonymous]

Judging by the number of children that switches between private schools, the answer is that the value is lacking for many private schools.

[Anonymous]

You are assuming that "value" has anything to do with why families switch schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of children that switches between private schools, the answer is that the value is lacking for many private schools.

Judging by the number of families in the area that are leaving public schools for private, privates are worth the cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of children that switches between private schools, the answer is that the value is lacking for many private schools.

You do know that more students stay in their school to the final grade offered than switch? Both by pure numbers and by percentages?

[Anonymous]

I am sorry. Private is always better than public, all private schools have very good value for money, and such a thing as a mediocre expensive private school is just imagined by a sick mind.

[Anonymous]

You can’t seem to accept that whether a private school is “good value for money” is completely irrelevant for lots of families.