How intellectually mature is the average HS senior/lifer at Sidwell,Maret,GDS,Cathedral Schools ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a real education? Why does a real education cost $30,000/year in your world? Does one have to spend $30,000/year at your child's school to get a "real" education? Preposterous faulty thinking in my opinion.

rather than go negative and attache, could you post on a great public school is DC that is free? This is the private school forum, but will welcome your response. I would be very very interested in specific feeback on a particular school.
Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your short, sweet, simple, concise and clear definition of what real education is and how much it costs. Since I homeschooled my national merit finalists and Ivy graduates they both lack a real education. I prefer their unreal education to your real variety. You can pay $30,000/yr for 12 years of primary and secondary education. Lest I forget, in addition to your annual real estate taxes -- a partial subsidy for public school education. But, I suspect you're a lifelong renter.

That is great. But, I can't home school because I have to work and I'm a single parent.

[Anonymous]

Homeschooling is generally for folks who don't want their kids mixing with certain kinds of kids. Maybe your kids did well but how are they going to make it in the work world? Really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your short, sweet, simple, concise and clear definition of what real education is and how much it costs. Since I homeschooled my national merit finalists and Ivy graduates they both lack a real education. I prefer their unreal education to your real variety. You can pay $30,000/yr for 12 years of primary and secondary education. Lest I forget, in addition to your annual real estate taxes -- a partial subsidy for public school education. But, I suspect you're a lifelong renter.

That is great. But, I can't home school because I have to work and I'm a single parent.

I'd also say that if we're talking about "return on investment" here, homeschooling potentially seems like the least efficient option. I'd guess that few parents have the knowledge, ambition, and skill to provide a homeschool experience in all subjects that is equal to one of the local $30k/yr private schools. And I'd further guess that most parents possessing such knowledge, ambition, and skill could obtain a job that pays far more than $30k/year. So by homeschooling, your investment of time and energy far exceeds the $30k cost of private school.

Note that I'm not criticizing PP's decision to homeschool. Every family has different factors affecting its decisions, so it's impossible to judge someone else's choice. For my family, the best choice is one of those $30k private schools. For some other family, public school will be best. And as for PP, it sounds like she and her children are best suited for homeschool. I'm not sure why some people posting here feel the need (or the competence) to criticize the choices others made.

[Anonymous]

I'd also say that if we're talking about "return on investment" here, homeschooling potentially seems like the least efficient option. I'd guess that few parents have the knowledge, ambition, and skill to provide a homeschool experience in all subjects that is equal to one of the local $30k/yr private schools. And I'd further guess that most parents possessing such knowledge, ambition, and skill could obtain a job that pays far more than $30k/year. So by homeschooling, your investment of time and energy far exceeds the $30k cost of private school.

Note that I'm not criticizing PP's decision to homeschool. Every family has different factors affecting its decisions, so it's impossible to judge someone else's choice. For my family, the best choice is one of those $30k private schools. For some other family, public school will be best. And as for PP, it sounds like she and her children are best suited for homeschool. I'm not sure why some people posting here feel the need (or the competence) to criticize the choices others made.

If you are the typical parent I'd have to agree with you that most parents don't have the subject knowledge or intelligence to teach a child (age 1 to 14 years) school subject material in writing, reading, mathematics, and social studies. Your economic theory would also conclude that homeschooling is far more expensive than private education in area D.C. private schools. Did you know we have financial aid for those who wish to homeschool so it is definetely within your reach? But, if you don't qualify for homeschool FA you can always spend $32,000/yr in private school which is cheaper by any standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Try, Acutely Spoiled Disorder

That's more like it in this part of town. Overly diagnosed and overly medicated brats like their parents (similar to the tobacco habits of the Marlboro generation)!

Just so we are clear, there's more than 1 parent of an autistic kid defending our children here. I don't jump in at every opportunity to discuss my child and his problems. I was troubled by the PP who was so judgmental and yes I do personalize because I am often in a situation that could be taken as my child being a horrible spoiled brat and I'd like to think people in the world had more compassion than to actually be thinking that. Apparently I was incorrect. Luckily he doesn't go out much, partially because he feels so bad about himself when he has a meltdown such as what you were describing.

I didn't post anything else, but I'm glad the 2 posters above were called out for their prejudiced, disgusting comments. Do you also make racist comments? I do take such comments personally because my son has to live in this world, as do all the other autistics kids, soon to be teenagers and adults and it's sad to know he'll have to deal with the likes of you. You are talking about children. I'm glad your child never cried to you about how he doesn't deserve to be on this earth. Maybe if he did, you would understand the use of anti-depression meds in children. It's a tough decision, but it can be the only thing that keeps our kids alive.

So, to be clear, there are other parents of autistic kids sickened by your comments. Now, back to your regularly scheduled discussion of the relative merits of paying a school to make your child self-confident and self-aware vs realizing that that comes largely from home.

[Anonymous]

The posters you reference a 2 different posters.

There is nothing disgusting about the observation that more kids in today's culture (American industrial health care system) are overdiagnosed and over medicated. I agree with this supposition and there is data to support this in the neuropsychiatric literature. This has no bearing on appropriate diagnosis and treatment. There is a valid point here that is not meant to offend autistic individuals. Neither is the overdiagnosis of coronary artery disease and the use of stents in our health care system meant to offend those with ischemic coronary artery disease!

[Anonymous]

PS: Race has nothing to do with my observations about overdiagnosis and overmedication or over "therapeutic" intervention in the American healthcare industrial complex.

[Anonymous]

Just so we are clear, there's more than 1 parent of an autistic kid defending our children here. I don't jump in at every opportunity to discuss my child and his problems. I was troubled by the PP who was so judgmental and yes I do personalize because I am often in a situation that could be taken as my child being a horrible spoiled brat and I'd like to think people in the world had more compassion than to actually be thinking that. Apparently I was incorrect. Luckily he doesn't go out much, partially because he feels so bad about himself when he has a meltdown such as what you were describing.

I didn't post anything else, but I'm glad the 2 posters above were called out for their prejudiced, disgusting comments. Do you also make racist comments? I do take such comments personally because my son has to live in this world, as do all the other autistics kids, soon to be teenagers and adults and it's sad to know he'll have to deal with the likes of you. You are talking about children. I'm glad your child never cried to you about how he doesn't deserve to be on this earth. Maybe if he did, you would understand the use of anti-depression meds in children. It's a tough decision, but it can be the only thing that keeps our kids alive.

So, to be clear, there are other parents of autistic kids sickened by your comments. Now, back to your regularly scheduled discussion of the relative merits of paying a school to make your child self-confident and self-aware vs realizing that that comes largely from home.

Confused. Whose comments are you referring to? Are you sure there are only 2 posters? You're mixing apples and oranges again.

[Anonymous]

Homeschooling is generally for folks who don't want their kids mixing with certain kinds of kids. Maybe your kids did well but how are they going to make it in the work world? Really.

Poppycock. That's precisely why we have private schools in this country. You need to read about the vainglorious history of exclusive, elite private schools in America (e.g., "Big 3"). I rest my case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The posters you reference a 2 different posters.

There is nothing disgusting about the observation that more kids in today's culture (American industrial health care system) are overdiagnosed and over medicated. I agree with this supposition and there is data to support this in the neuropsychiatric literature. This has no bearing on appropriate diagnosis and treatment. There is a valid point here that is not meant to offend autistic individuals. Neither is the overdiagnosis of coronary artery disease and the use of stents in our health care system meant to offend those with ischemic coronary artery disease!

It was the "brat" part that really offended me. Where's the valid point there, please?

[Anonymous]

If your child is not a brat why are you offended?

Have you ever encountered a brat in your life? I have. Plenty of them. Some kids are real brats. That's life.

I only wish there were no brats. Unfortunately, we run into them from time to time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may win for the most annoyingly obnoxious poster ever. Your first post is pure rhetoric; there is absolutely no content, and the question is unanswerable. The follow-up just makes you look like an insufferable asshole.

The question isn't rhetorical. Many parents on this site ,"private school forum" are on here because we are trying to find out things about a school that we may be considering applying to for our DC. Admissions directors will share their perspective of a school,but personally I think that what a parent who has had their child in the school for 12 years has to say is invaluable. So I posed the question about something that matters to me: not "what percentage of graduate from X school go on to Ivy or top 25 school is US according to what some magazine has researched, a subject which gets a lot of air time on this forum ,BTW,but rather at what schools did parents feel that their teens were encouraged by the atmosphere of the school to really develop and get a sense of themselves. I would also welcome feedback from HS Seniors as to how well they feel that they are prepared to choose a coarse of study in college and what experiences in their school years led them to make that discovery. I am not soliciting bashing of a school. I'm more hoping to hear positive comments about a given school in the following list : Sidwell,Maret,GDS, Cathedral Schools. Thanks for staying positive.

Oh puh-lease! If you want to get a sense of how mature your kid will be by that age, look in the mirror! You really think that if your kid is afraid to tell people where he/she got into college it will be all the schools' fault???!!!!! Wow, are you lacking self-awareness!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Try, Acutely Spoiled Disorder

That's more like it in this part of town. Overly diagnosed and overly medicated brats like their parents (similar to the tobacco habits of the Marlboro generation)!

Just so we are clear, there's more than 1 parent of an autistic kid defending our children here. I don't jump in at every opportunity to discuss my child and his problems. I was troubled by the PP who was so judgmental and yes I do personalize because I am often in a situation that could be taken as my child being a horrible spoiled brat and I'd like to think people in the world had more compassion than to actually be thinking that. Apparently I was incorrect. Luckily he doesn't go out much, partially because he feels so bad about himself when he has a meltdown such as what you were describing.

I didn't post anything else, but I'm glad the 2 posters above were called out for their prejudiced, disgusting comments. Do you also make racist comments? I do take such comments personally because my son has to live in this world, as do all the other autistics kids, soon to be teenagers and adults and it's sad to know he'll have to deal with the likes of you. You are talking about children. I'm glad your child never cried to you about how he doesn't deserve to be on this earth. Maybe if he did, you would understand the use of anti-depression meds in children. It's a tough decision, but it can be the only thing that keeps our kids alive.

So, to be clear, there are other parents of autistic kids sickened by your comments. Now, back to your regularly scheduled discussion of the relative merits of paying a school to make your child self-confident and self-aware vs realizing that that comes largely from home.

I am not this poster, though I also have a child with an ASD and have posted on this thread. We are in complete agreement here. When you say children with ASDs are simply spoiled brats -- which has been said now in several posts -- you are not engaging in a discussion about diagnosis and medication (a subject I am willing to bet you know very little about). You are engaging in vicious name calling. I would love for you to return to the subject of this thread, just please do so without insulting our children who already have enough to deal with. I think you should be able to pull that off.

That no parents of typically developing kids have weighed in against the ugliness of those who insulting children with ASDs, makes me sad about the rest of you.

[Anonymous]

I'm a psychologist who works with kids and families, including many at the schools listed (although not all seniors). My experience is that most of the older kids are pretty insightful and reasonable about themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and their thinking about college and the future. On the other hand, many (but not most) of the parents are somewhat unrealistic about their kids' strengths and weaknesses, what that says about which colleges would/would not be a good fit, and what that says about their kids' prospects for admission to the most competitive colleges. And at least some of them are obsessively focused on the Ivy League.