I feel guilty not sending my kids to private

[Anonymous]

We moved to McLean from Alexandria for their good public schools. It feels like everyone in our neighborhood sends their kids to private. It seems like the families who can afford private sent their kids to private during the pandemic if they weren’t already in private. We have a seven figure income and can easily afford private tuition.

Would you send your kid to private if you could easily afford it?

[Anonymous]

No. Private is not always necessarily best fit for the child. It really depends on your child. I would t send my kids just because everyone else is doing it. Also private doesn’t always equal better. We did private becayse our kids didn’t qualify for an IEP (just over) and needed smaller class sizes and individualized instruction.

[Anonymous]

For most kids, yes, I would pay for private for high school if you can find a good fit.

I would not do twelve years of private because those kids are usually completely out of touch with the world most people live in.

-Big three grad who went to public and private, whose kids are on public but we can’t afford it. Felt fine with public till high school and now I wish I could give my kids the private high school education I had.

[Anonymous]

We took ours out of one of the “top” privates in DC. Unfortunately it is only top in reputation and not in academics and quality of teachers.

[Anonymous]

Interesting….we also moved from Alexandria to McLean for the schools. Things were going fairly well till the pandemic hit. That’s when we decided to switch to private. Honestly, I wish we had done private school way sooner.

[Anonymous]

They are going to school in McLean, and have you as parents. They are already in a better position academically than 98 percent of children in this country.

Don't worry, you're hoarding plenty of the dream for them:

https://www.brookings.edu/book/dream-hoarders/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to McLean from Alexandria for their good public schools. It feels like everyone in our neighborhood sends their kids to private. It seems like the families who can afford private sent their kids to private during the pandemic if they weren’t already in private. We have a seven figure income and can easily afford private tuition.

Would you send your kid to private if you could easily afford it?

Yes, we did just this during Covid. My kids are in middle and HS. Not sure I would have done it at the Elem level but absolutely without a second thought.

[Anonymous]

No. We are very able to afford private and are thrilled by the experience at our local public. Having many walkable friends is priceless, has fostered independence and a sense of comminity, and our teachers have been top notch. We also don't have to worry about the oversight over our curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Ha! Community...you knew what I meant though!

[Anonymous]

We send our kids to private and haven't regretted it. Didn't start at a Big 3 on purpose but are at Big 3 for HS. We didn't fee; the idea that private is better than public. We went this route because teachers recommended our older child would benefit from private for various reasons - then we personally felt younger child would benefit for very different reasons. Luckily our k-8 was able to meet both needs.

It wasn't until the pandemic that we ever felt, "boy am I glad we aren't in public school". The pandemic was still a step down...but it was far easier for private schools to manage during that time.

OP - you should do what you think is best. If your kids are not in HS yet, you can always switch for HS. Or if not in MS yet, do it for MS. But only if you think your kids are unhappy and not getting what they need. If they are ok and learning and happy, why would you switch?

[Anonymous]

No, they have a better college admissions chance in public school, plus it gives me more than a decade more for compounding interest to work on my investments before I need to pay for college.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course! Spending $$$ on their education is much more worthwhile than them inheriting your house when they are 50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, of course! Spending $$$ on their education is much more worthwhile than them inheriting your house when they are 50.

Are you insane?

[Anonymous]

Sorry you found out the hard way that TONS of families in McLean send their kids to private school.

FWIW, we send one kid to public and one to private but we only send the one to private because he was not thriving in public. My default is public schools however I'm kind of glad we're almost done with the craziness that is now FCPS (our oldest is a rising senior). There is so much divisiveness now and so many people are trashing the teachers. I hate the current environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to McLean from Alexandria for their good public schools. It feels like everyone in our neighborhood sends their kids to private. It seems like the families who can afford private sent their kids to private during the pandemic if they weren’t already in private. We have a seven figure income and can easily afford private tuition.

Would you send your kid to private if you could easily afford it?

OMG just stop. My income is higher than yours I raised 6 kids that went to schools like MIT & Yale from public. We did both so I have samples at both.

No private school is not better than public for every kid.

Op every kid is different.

What type of private school? Religious? LOL no.

Stop bashing your local public you want to waste your money go ahead. If you want to go private have a better reason because the one you came up with is absurd.