Help me convince my husband we should put our kids in DCPS

[Anonymous]

We live on the Hill and I'm trying to convince my husband--who went to private school in the suburbs and excelled there--that we should put our kids into DCPS. He sees the test scores--everything hovering around 50% proficiency in just about all of the schools--and is very worried that we're dooming our kids to a mediocre education.

I see his point but I think we join the other parents who have really initiated the change that has come to the Hill's schools.

Besides testimonials from other Hill parents, does anyone have any suggestiosn for what I can do/say/research to make a convincing argument?

[Anonymous]

OP, I think you might also consider posting this on MoTH. Also, you should be aware that many of the families who start in DCPS leave for the burbs or privates so try not to have rose tinted glasses. Can you afford privates, is it an option? Would you consider moving to the burbs? Most families I know that send their kids to Hill schools openly say that they value factors like diversity, a strong sense of community, a sense of reformer's zeal, and easy commutes to jobs as highly as they do the actual education. You need to be aware of the trade offs that you are making and the kids don't get a say. Say all this as a DCPS parent myself.

[Anonymous]

How old are your children? Distance is also an issue if you live on the Hill. All the schools are a schlep. Do you want that? We started in DCPS, switched to private at Grade 7. One child. Save tens of thousands of dollars! (Probably $200,000.)

[Anonymous]

Here's what my DH focuses on: the $377,000 we won't spend on private schoo if we send our kid to DC from K-12. That's with today's tuition; the actual total would likely be closer to $450,000.00

$450,000. Cash.

Now isn't that compelling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are your children? Distance is also an issue if you live on the Hill. All the schools are a schlep. Do you want that? We started in DCPS, switched to private at Grade 7. One child. Save tens of thousands of dollars! (Probably $200,000.)

Hmm. Not sure what you're trying to say, but rereading it a couple of times, I'm guessing you meant "Distance [to private shools] is also an issue if you live on the Hill. Our local DCPS school is half a block away, and gets rave reviews from current parents. If the Hill middle schools don't improve in the next decade or so, we'll probably go private in grade 7 as PP did. But, as my grandmother used to say, "There's no point in borrowing trouble." We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

[Anonymous]

11:18 here. Yes, if you live on the Hill and go to Lowell or Maret or GDS, that's quite a commute. Sidwell's lower school is in Bethesda.

11:31 K-12 for one child is $360,000, is that what you mean?

[Anonymous]

OP, just my 2 cents. I know a couple of "mixed" familes where one went private and one was rabidly pro public schools. All have gone private or moved to the burbs.

You and your DH need to sit down and really articulate what your values are and what trade offs you are willing to make. As a friend once said to me "NO ONE sends their kids to DCPS for the EDUCATION". You might see other values or think it's "good enough", your husband is correct in that objectively by no means is it the "best" education. That typically comes where the big middle cohort that is taught to is where your child is intellectually (even privates don't always differentiate well). You can save the same private tuition and live in NoVA or Bethesda and get stronger schools, kwim? So get the unarticulated values and choices out on the table, they mostly have to do with $ and self image. Data on DC schools is not the answer you need to talk about the real issues. Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values. Your DH probably feels that as a "good father/provider" he owes his kids schools as good as those he attended. That's a different image and value than wanting to do what the neighbors are doing and thinking it is good enough. Get a sitter, go to dinner and really talk about lifestyle choices, parenting values, etc.

[Anonymous]

J.O. Wilson isn't hovering at 50%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values.

Or they could come from involved parents who truly like the community they've built in their local public schools. Others might argue that the rarified atmosphere of elite private schools is effectively training young kids to be little douchebags.

[Anonymous]

13:09's point might have been put more delicately but yes private schools are like gated communities. I'm the poster whose child's done both. I'm so glad DC's seen both worlds. I sometimes wish we'd done private all the way through though. You have to have a high tolerance for dysfunction and bureaucracy at, at some schools, drama if do DCPS>

[Anonymous]

I don't think anyone else can tell you what will work for your kid OP. The challenge in many DCPS's is if you're white -- your kid will be in the minority. I know a white boy at SWW. His class is less than 25% white. He has friends of all kinds at school -- but they never socialize together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just my 2 cents. I know a couple of "mixed" familes where one went private and one was rabidly pro public schools. All have gone private or moved to the burbs.

You and your DH need to sit down and really articulate what your values are and what trade offs you are willing to make. As a friend once said to me "NO ONE sends their kids to DCPS for the EDUCATION". You might see other values or think it's "good enough", your husband is correct in that objectively by no means is it the "best" education. That typically comes where the big middle cohort that is taught to is where your child is intellectually (even privates don't always differentiate well). You can save the same private tuition and live in NoVA or Bethesda and get stronger schools, kwim? So get the unarticulated values and choices out on the table, they mostly have to do with $ and self image. Data on DC schools is not the answer you need to talk about the real issues. Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values. Your DH probably feels that as a "good father/provider" he owes his kids schools as good as those he attended. That's a different image and value than wanting to do what the neighbors are doing and thinking it is good enough. Get a sitter, go to dinner and really talk about lifestyle choices, parenting values, etc.

NP here. This is such a good point and exactly the situation of my spouse and me. You articulate it so well. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values.

Or they could come from involved parents who truly like the community they've built in their local public schools. Others might argue that the rarified atmosphere of elite private schools is effectively training young kids to be little douchebags.

But it's a false choice that presumes staying in DC as the only value. What about close in burbs like Arlington? Nephew goes to Key there and isn't a little douchbag as far as I can tell. BIL bikes to work at the EPA, Sis has quick Metro commute. Lots of the same pros as the Hill, with free schools but you have to give up the Hill Urban Pioneer ID. I think that's where OP and her hubs may disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values.

Or they could come from involved parents who truly like the community they've built in their local public schools. Others might argue that the rarified atmosphere of elite private schools is effectively training young kids to be little douchebags.

But it's a false choice that presumes staying in DC as the only value. What about close in burbs like Arlington? Nephew goes to Key there and isn't a little douchbag as far as I can tell. BIL bikes to work at the EPA, Sis has quick Metro commute. Lots of the same pros as the Hill, with free schools but you have to give up the Hill Urban Pioneer ID. I think that's where OP and her hubs may disagree.

I was responding to the PP who wrote, "the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values". I was merely pointing out a possible alternative scenario. Obviously, there are others.

[Anonymous]

OP, what elementary school? I am curious what others say because we are also planning on sending our children to elementary school on the Hill, but our children are still too young for us to have inside knowledge.