If you made $1MM annually, would you send your kids to private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was making just under $1 million a year when my kids were in school and never even considered private. What’s the point? It’s not like it gives you an edge with Harvard, and I’d prefer that my kids get exposed to other kids from all walks of life - which you don’t get at a 50k a year private.

My kids went from public schools to state colleges (UVA, William & Mary, and VCU) and I retired nearly 15 years early with plenty of money. There’s no way I’d give all of that up just for some private school bumper sticker to put on the back of a Volvo.

Contrarily I would question what is the point of making close to 1 million/year if you can’t or chose not to select the objectively best school for your children without factoring in price. There’s nothing wrong with public schools, but it’s sad that you so clearly prioritize your own wants and desires over thinking about what might be truly best for each of your kids.

DP.. I think it has to be more around value. We make 700K so not quite $1M and public school + extra private tutoring + summer enrichment classes is more bang for our buck. One of us has a more flexible job, so we have been able to help kids with homework when in elementary and middle. Not in DMV area, but our public high school is ranked top 10 in state and top 50 in US. This works for us.. kids are motivated and even in MS they started off with Algebra 1 in 6th grade, so top notch academics that we supplement with AOPS kind of depth in curriculum

I hear you, but not everyone wants to spend the time to teach the kids what they would have learned in a normal day. I view that as a very inefficient way to learn. There is an opportunity cost there. The kid can be learning something else - social skills, team skills, art, sports, etc - rather than learning how to keep up academically with kids who simply recieved more personalized targeted instruction during the school day. It's not just the dollar amount - it's total return on investment, which includes time and opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. It’s not very efficient way of learning. But don’t think we have much options. We don’t have Andover Phillips kind of schools where we stay and kids don’t want to go to boarding schools. Plus sending them to private means drop off and pick up every single day, which doesn’t work for us. There is an amazing magnet high school near us, but that requires moving houses and disrupting kids and our social lives. If you ask me the ideal option for us, it would be hiring private tutors and small group classes for actual academic learning and then going to school part time for social and ECs. Nothing is perfect, that is why we chose to have kids accelerate in science and maths and gifted classes for the other subjects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was making just under $1 million a year when my kids were in school and never even considered private. What’s the point? It’s not like it gives you an edge with Harvard, and I’d prefer that my kids get exposed to other kids from all walks of life - which you don’t get at a 50k a year private.

My kids went from public schools to state colleges (UVA, William & Mary, and VCU) and I retired nearly 15 years early with plenty of money. There’s no way I’d give all of that up just for some private school bumper sticker to put on the back of a Volvo.

Contrarily I would question what is the point of making close to 1 million/year if you can’t or chose not to select the objectively best school for your children without factoring in price. There’s nothing wrong with public schools, but it’s sad that you so clearly prioritize your own wants and desires over thinking about what might be truly best for each of your kids.

DP.. I think it has to be more around value. We make 700K so not quite $1M and public school + extra private tutoring + summer enrichment classes is more bang for our buck. One of us has a more flexible job, so we have been able to help kids with homework when in elementary and middle. Not in DMV area, but our public high school is ranked top 10 in state and top 50 in US. This works for us.. kids are motivated and even in MS they started off with Algebra 1 in 6th grade, so top notch academics that we supplement with AOPS kind of depth in curriculum

I hear you, but not everyone wants to spend the time to teach the kids what they would have learned in a normal day. I view that as a very inefficient way to learn. There is an opportunity cost there. The kid can be learning something else - social skills, team skills, art, sports, etc - rather than learning how to keep up academically with kids who simply recieved more personalized targeted instruction during the school day. It's not just the dollar amount - it's total return on investment, which includes time and opportunity.

Yes. All of this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HHI is 1.2 mil. We send our son to a public school.

We considered a few top notch private school in our area but didn’t feel like they are any better than his current public school( he is in 4 th grade).

But we may reconsider once he s going into high school. We ll see.

He is ranking in top 99 percentile in math and reading in Iowa testing. Once he s in 5 th grade he d be doing 6th grade math.

All the kids at our private rank like this compared to publics. The private schools typically teach one level ahead in reading and math for their mainstream students. Some kids are ahead of that and get differentiated learning tailored to their needs. My kids thinks this is normal, learning is fun, and I like the peer group. It's very positive environment. The publics around here don't even come close. I hope your son doesn't lose the live of learning in middle school or lose social skills - I see these things are quite common in public middle schools.

Interesting. Where we live, the families who leave for private school have middle of the road kids academically. The truly bright ones all stay in public.

[Anonymous]

I don’t make anything near $1MM a year. My two kids went to publics, attended top public universities, and are now excelling in their chosen professions making great money. I wouldn’t waste your money on a private school. Within your socioeconomic tier, private school will not make a difference (don’t tell the private school parents that).

[Anonymous]

Private schools have the same problems as publics except the parents tend to be wealthier. I’ve noticed drug problems are worse in privates.

[Anonymous]

I can’t help but chuckle when I think about those parents who spent $50K/year per kid sending their kids to private school while they paid their property taxes and subsidized my kids’ public educations. Both my kids went to top public universities (UCLA and UVA) and are doing great and I didn’t have to spend $400K to make it happen in the erroneous belief that private is better than public. Of course, the parents who sent their kids to publics will never tell you that. I’ve watched where the private school kids of my friends go to college and they are going to the same types of schools the public kids go. Some very good schools and some no name schools just like the publics kids go to. I bet if they sat down and really thought about it they would feel like a bunch of chumps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t make anything near $1MM a year. My two kids went to publics, attended top public universities, and are now excelling in their chosen professions making great money. I wouldn’t waste your money on a private school. Within your socioeconomic tier, private school will not make a difference (don’t tell the private school parents that).

There are reasons kids go to private that you don’t understand. At small private high schools it’s a lot easier to start doing a sport for the first time in 9th grade, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HHI is 1.2 mil. We send our son to a public school.

We considered a few top notch private school in our area but didn’t feel like they are any better than his current public school( he is in 4 th grade).

But we may reconsider once he s going into high school. We ll see.

He is ranking in top 99 percentile in math and reading in Iowa testing. Once he s in 5 th grade he d be doing 6th grade math.

All the kids at our private rank like this compared to publics. The private schools typically teach one level ahead in reading and math for their mainstream students. Some kids are ahead of that and get differentiated learning tailored to their needs. My kids thinks this is normal, learning is fun, and I like the peer group. It's very positive environment. The publics around here don't even come close. I hope your son doesn't lose the live of learning in middle school or lose social skills - I see these things are quite common in public middle schools.

Interesting. Where we live, the families who leave for private school have middle of the road kids academically. The truly bright ones all stay in public.

+1 Yup, that’s what I see in my neighborhood as well.

[Anonymous]

Of course, what type of school you go to has nothing to do with how successful you’ll be (at least financially) in life.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. Top independent schools are fare more diverse than publics in wealthy enclaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course, what type of school you go to has nothing to do with how successful you’ll be (at least financially) in life.

It absolutely does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes absolutely. We only make $600k and our kids have attended both a top public and a top private school. The private school is just leaps and bounds better in so many ways. I had no idea what we were missing before. Yes it’s expensive but the cost is absolutely worth it to me.

Agree with this. For the parents who have never had a kid in a top private it’s hard to understand what you’re missing.

Besides, even if everything else was equal, the lack of troublemakers in our private is worth every penny.

m

What are we missing?

[Anonymous]

If public schools are so great, why do so many rich & famous people send their kids to private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. And we make multiples of that. But public school is an important value to us.

Similar here. Our HHI will be > 5mm this year, and we send our kids to MoCo public schools. While we aren't leading the PTO, we are regular volunteers at the school (one spouse with part time work far more than the other). It's the right community for our family, and we wouldn't change it.

While we make a lot now, one of us grew up poor/lower middle class, the other middle-middle class. MoCo public schools suit us well. Yes, not everything is absolutely "perfect." In our view, that is sort of the point--we think our kids learn a bit more resilience when not everything is always perfect.

I will admit though that one high-earning spouse's income provides an advantage that helps make public schools work for us: The spouse who works part-time is *super* involved with kids' homework, enrichment, etc. We joke that our kids have 100% of MoCo public plus 50% home school on top.

We have a $2.5m HHI and also send our kids to public. DH and I both grew up in middle class families so we also valued sending our kids to public. Now that our kids are getting older, I’m wondering if we should switch our kids to private for a better educational experience.

I wonder if my poor background has clouded my judgment on what is best for our kids. I drive myself and DH crazy thinking about where to send our 3 kids.

I was similar but, we switched out kids this year. I’m telling you to switch. Break out of your upbringing and give your kids the leg up.

If PP’s kids are settled and happy in their public then there is no reason to switch

- Parent of K-12 lifers

+1000

Not sure it's really the leg up that the PP thinks it is. My kids got excellent educations at our local Public schools. One thru college and excelling at adulting. The other in college and thriving at a T30 school. Academically motivated and smart kid---private HS would not have done anything more than ensure they were at school with rich kids and kids who don't live in our neighborhood (ie they'd have to drive 30-45 mins to see friends, so isolated from their friends).

You don’t know what you don’t know.

I’ve never been to public school ..prek through college in privates.. but my wife was public her whole life.

The career trajectory of my friends is exponentially better than her friends. Sure there are outliers but like minds attract. People that drop 45k+ a year on 3rd grade will raise kids to be successful (financially or academically). I don’t know a single kid from my graduating private that isn’t doing something fairly impressive.

By 30, most have made the leap to VP, Sr. Manager, entrepreneur, director, attorney, dr, etc.

Born on home plate and staying there. So?

+1

Same people who likely think attending an "elite" college gives their kid a huge advantage as well. All while not realizing it's the home environment and the attitudes instilled by the family that provide this drive, connections, etc. Their kid will do well no matter where they attend K-12 or undergrad.

I was PP. I think elite colleges are a total waste of money. My kids will go to MD for college but private k-12.

Private secondary school gives you a far greater knowledge base and skill sets than some overpriced NESCAC school. I went to an "elite" college and it was easier than my prep school.

So you would happily pay 50k+ per year for private school from k-12 but then insist that your high performing child attend UMD even if accepted to Harvard/Princeton/Yale? Firstly I’m calling BS but in the event you’re not a troll enjoy having your adult child rightfully resent you for the rest of their life.

This bulletin board is entertaining. Most of the posts are BS along with the stated HHI.