Indulge my fantasy - top private vs. Walls

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

Way to miss the point.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I had kids at Alice Deal and most of the brightest kids in the grade left for private in 9th grade. Sidwell took about 5, the Cathedral schools took a handful, GDS took another half dozen.

These are all kids who took Algebra 2 in 8th, were active in debate, were on the Principal's honor roll for all 12 quarters, etc.

Walls has kids who took Algebra 2 in 8th grade, excel in school, score perfect or near perfect SAT scores as well. I’d wager there are just as many of those kids at Walls from Deal as Sidwell.

My kid is one of them! Scored a 5 on AP calc BC exam in 10th grade; 790 math SAT score. Even so, I will concede that academics at Walls are WEAK! Not much reading; no writing ….my understanding is the privates are much more challenging/require actual effort and hard work. But - the cohort at walls is fantastic. And, the smart kids (from whatever school) all end up at the same jobs down the road, so I guess not the worst thing to coast through high school. Life is long.

Thanks for this info. I see that you mention less writing and reading which in general I can imagine is true at public schools if for no other reason than class sizes are so much bigger. How are the math and science academics though?

Math (calc etc) at walls is good; science is pretty mid. No AP chem; AP bio is only offered every 2-3 years.

Wow, I find this very surprising. JR offers AP Bio and AP Chem every year (but does not offer math above AP Calc BC; kids who want to go beyond AP Calc BC take classes at Georgetown, GW, Catholic, etc via dual enrollment). Must be a numbers thing.

And the intro science classes are fine, but kind of lackluster. No (or extremely limited) labs in either biology or chemistry, for example. It feels like a waste given that lots of the kids have the intellectual firepower to handle more interesting and more rigorous material. Walls (DCPS?) seems content to offer a fairly basic science curriculum in which half the cohort earns As.

Walls is not the school for comprehensive offerings in science and math. Not is it strong in science and math. This is widely known. Just because there is a good biology teacher or whatever doesn’t make it so.

If you want a robust offering of science and math go to JR or DCI. Basis is also strong in science and math but more limited curriculum offerings and facilities.

So you take issue with thr course offerings and the strength of the math and science teachers? Do you have a kid at thr school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Id be pissed if my kid went to Sidwell and didn't get into HYPS. No one needs to go to private school to get into Duke.

Well, it’s a good thing you never had the choice. Public school is clearly the only educational option you can afford.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

How many of those people have kids who can get into Walls and Sidwell? Your circle must be very small because I know many very successful people who send their kids to public schools … just because you have the money for a luxury doesn’t mean the luxury is better. Ever heard of a Veblen good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

Guess you don't know my DC.

Or me.

Or the multiple Walls parents I can think of off-hand who (including myself) have 2 Ivy+ degrees.

Or the Walls parents who themselves graduated from a Big 3. (Yes, there are some.)

I don't think Walls is perfect, not by a long shot. I think the same about the Big 3, each for different reasons.

This whole "my school is better than your school" is so playground. There is no prize to win here.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

How many of those people have kids who can get into Walls and Sidwell? Your circle must be very small because I know many very successful people who send their kids to public schools … just because you have the money for a luxury doesn’t mean the luxury is better. Ever heard of a Veblen good?

Education is the best Veblen good, though, because it’s invisible and impossible to measure, and every time someone suggests that the emperor has no clothes the response is “well you don’t truly value giving your children the best education.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

How many of those people have kids who can get into Walls and Sidwell? Your circle must be very small because I know many very successful people who send their kids to public schools … just because you have the money for a luxury doesn’t mean the luxury is better. Ever heard of a Veblen good?

Education is the best Veblen good, though, because it’s invisible and impossible to measure, and every time someone suggests that the emperor has no clothes the response is “well you don’t truly value giving your children the best education.”

^^this guy Veblens

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I had kids at Alice Deal and most of the brightest kids in the grade left for private in 9th grade. Sidwell took about 5, the Cathedral schools took a handful, GDS took another half dozen.

These are all kids who took Algebra 2 in 8th, were active in debate, were on the Principal's honor roll for all 12 quarters,

Walls has kids who took Algebra 2 in 8th grade, excel in school, score perfect or near perfect SAT scores as well. I’d wager there are just as many of those kids at Walls from Deal as Sidwell.

My kid is one of them! Scored a 5 on AP calc BC exam in 10th grade; 790 math SAT score. Even so, I will concede that academics at Walls are WEAK! Not much reading; no writing ….my understanding is the privates are much more challenging/require actual effort and hard work. But - the cohort at walls is fantastic. And, the smart kids (from whatever school) all end up at the same jobs down the road, so I guess not the worst thing to coast through high school. Life is long.

Thanks for this info. I see that you mention less writing and reading which in general I can imagine is true at public schools if for no other reason than class sizes are so much bigger. How are the math and science academics though?

Walls is not known for their math and science. It is more if a humanities school. They don’t even offer the full AP science courses every year. About 1/3rd of the kids there are below grade level in math.

Above is not going to get any better because they dropped the testing. It is actually going to get worst.

Walls a “humanities” school ….one with no reading or writing requirements to speak of! lol.

They have the same graduation requirements as all DCPS schools which do indeed require taking four years of English. Weirdo.

“Taking four years of English” is not the same thing as having challenging reading and writing assignments. Sorry to be the bearer of harsh truths , but walls is sorely lacking in those departments. Not a walls hater (and I am a walls parent) - but also not a walls apologist. How can things improve if nobody can admit the truth and significant shortcomings of the school? Though I suppose it has always been this way - and with DCPS proposed removal of the reading of full books in middle school, unlikely to improve. The cohort is fantastic though! (Which is why it is such a shame DCPS doesn’t try to nurture it).

This is here is the bottom line. School has a lot of shortcomings and all the Walls parents posting on here know it but won’t admit it. At least the parent with the high performer in math acknowledges that it’s weak and kid coasted thru Walls.

Nothing is going to change if people don’t acknowledge all the deficits and shortcomings.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.

lol at the notion that a parent would choose a private over TJ. if they did so, it would specifically be because they wanted their kid to do *less* work and have a *less* rigorous education. Which yes, proves the point that private schools do not and never did have the best and brightest.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

Guess you don't know my DC.

Or me.

Or the multiple Walls parents I can think of off-hand who (including myself) have 2 Ivy+ degrees.

Or the Walls parents who themselves graduated from a Big 3. (Yes, there are some.)

I don't think Walls is perfect, not by a long shot. I think the same about the Big 3, each for different reasons.

This whole "my school is better than your school" is so playground. There is no prize to win here.

A hit dog will holler! I clearly struck a nerve. 😂

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

Sounds like you don't know very many people. Also, Sidwell, GDS and all the rest are not even in the same universe as TJ.

lol at the notion that a parent would choose a private over TJ. if they did so, it would specifically be because they wanted their kid to do *less* work and have a *less* rigorous education. Which yes, proves the point that private schools do not and never did have the best and brightest.

These comments are hilarious…and so telling. Public school parents are so envious of the choices (and wealth) private school parents have. I don’t blame you.

P.S. Most parents I know who had the choice between TJ and Sidwell chose Sidwell (even with the commute!).

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Here's the thing. I went to a top SLAC in the 90s, and I bet many of you did too.

I had classmates that had come from Sidwell and similar schools. They were wealthy before they went to Sidwell, wealthy once they graduated from my SLAC and are wealthy now. The Sidwell attendance did not cause the wealth and didn't even really perpetuate it because those kids never earned it and still don't. It just correlated with it. And it also correlated with Ivy League legacy / attendance.

You guys are acting like our actions are the things that cause our kids to have privilege when the privilege or lack thereof predated our choice of school and will live on after we are gone. It's in the way that they talk, the friends that they have and their bank accounts.

My kid has a trust fund. He's going to attend a DCPS school, and it's not going to suddenly rob him of his wealth. He's not the only one who will inherit wealth. None of that was changed or will be changed by his high school attendance choices.

My friends from college who arrived there with upper middle class parents are, by and large, still upper middle class or higher. My friends who arrived at college working class still are to this day. And the ones who arrived with college professor parents, surprise! They are college professors. Some of them are more well known or less so, but their material circumstances haven't changed much based on having gone to a high prestige college. Or Sidwell or Walls. School choice is simply not the determining factor we allege it to be.

Trust fund from … the grandparents? I am guessing you personally do not have the means currently to create a trust. Because that would suggest you have your own cash flow wealth.

And if you did have the means, then it begs reason that you wouldn’t select the superior education. What is more important than education foundation (except health and love)?

NP but lots of wealthy parents choose public schools like Walls over private. There are many reasons for this choice, including wanting their children to not solely be exposed to privileged and other wealthy people.

+100 - we are one of those families and while we are applying to Walls, we prefer the in boundary PS and will likely go there, even if DC gets into Walls. We are also not white, so I think that plays into it. Many of our friends who aren’t white don’t want to go private either.

Have you visited private schools, especially top privates, in the past 2 decades? There is quite a bit of diversity of race. Socioeconomic diversity is what is lacking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people on here really saying that the academics at Walls is just as good as Sidwell or GDS?? Sorry but rose colored glasses are not going to help you.

Walls is a like mediocre suburb school at best, not even great but with all the headaches of DCPS.

Your top performing kid will most likely reach their full potential by going to the top privates where there are really high performing motivated kids in an environment of teachers with very high expectations and standards. It’s not going to be easy. They are going to have to work really hard but they will be very well prepared for college and beyond. In addition, they will get small class sizes, more individualized support, and more offerings in curriculum, EC, sports, and facilities, etc…

In contrast, sure your kid will do fine in DCPS at Walls but it is because it is easier, standards are lower, and they will not be pushed to their full potential. You will have to supplement for that. Course offerings are limited and some teachers are checked out and just going thru the motions. Leadership is not good.

If you can’t afford private, then Walls is what you can get. But if you have the funds for private, this should not even be a question to go. If you don’t want to send your kid, just admit OP that you value your vacations or whatever over a better education for your kid. That is fine if that is your priority but let’s be real here.

What is your experience with Walls? Sounds like you are talking based on presumptions, not first-hand knowledge.

People who pay for private are often truly delusional about the quality of public high schools and in denial that the smartest and most ambitious kids generally go to publics. Private schools exist to give privileged kids additional advantages (in terms of grades, connections to college, etc) but absolutely do not have the smartest and best kids. The very top schools like Sidwell are more academic but not “privates” in general.

You are in denial. Sidwell and GDS does have the smartest and best kids. They can come in elementary, middle, or high school. Of course not every kid there is the smartest and best but if you compare the top kids coming out of Sidwell and GDS and what they have gained from their experience in critical thinking, analysis, writing, etc… it is much better than Walls.

Maybe not TJ but for sure Walls.

No it doesn’t. The smartest kids are in the selective public schools which most private school kids don’t stand a chance of getting into.

I don’t think this is true in DC. Maybe in VA (TJ) and NYC (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science etc) but the best test in public schools in DC don’t compare to the best private schools in DC. Also I’m sure most kids who are high performers at Sidwell etc could meet the standard to get into Walls.

They actually do compare in that the best kids at Walls will do just the same if not better as the best kids at Sidwell. And they will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house in their 30s, since that money would not have been wasted on private school tuition.

If OP said she had a $100 mil trust fund who cares. But she is putting money into a luxury instead of into savings if she chooses this route.

🤣 Lol—you think that Walls’ students who turn down spots at private schools “will have a $500k downpayment gift from their parents when they are ready to buy a house”?! You clearly know very little about Walls’ student body. The vast majority of Walls’ families can’t afford to provide even $10k in down payment assistance. Their child is at Walls because it’s “the best” and MOST AFFORDABLE school they were admitted to.

dp - What? You are making stuff up. Rightly or wrongly, many Walls families could pay for private if they wanted.

Many Walls families? Highly unlikely. And we’re talking Sidwell and GDS tuition here, not SJC. There are levels to private schools/tuition.

DP, and I don’t know about Walls, but I know quite a few wealthy families at JR. These are folks who absolutely could have very comfortably afforded Sidwell/GDS type schools (with kids who could have gotten in) and chose JR. My own family could have afforded it (not very comfortably but without huge sacrifice) and never considered it.

Many people don’t want private school. Many people *value* public school.

That’s your reality. Not mine.

What a weird response. I get that there are people who value private school, even if I don’t. Are you saying in your “reality” no one values public school? That it’s not possible that there are people out there with those values even if you don’t know them?

My reality: No one I know, who truly values giving their children the best education possible AND can afford private school, has chosen JR or Walls over Sidwell or GDS. TJ over Sidwell/GDS? Occasionally. But not JR or Walls.

Guess you don't know my DC.

Or me.

Or the multiple Walls parents I can think of off-hand who (including myself) have 2 Ivy+ degrees.

Or the Walls parents who themselves graduated from a Big 3. (Yes, there are some.)

I don't think Walls is perfect, not by a long shot. I think the same about the Big 3, each for different reasons.

This whole "my school is better than your school" is so playground. There is no prize to win here.

🤮