FAQ: What is the "Big 3"? (or "Big 5", or "Big 10", etc)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all facts are public information.

But you were special enough to get them.... so why not share? Unless of course it really is not a fact, just your opinion!

I wrote, "Not all facts are public information," but I am not the PP who wrote that NCS had the highest SATs. I'm not even an NCS parent. I was just pointing out that the assumption implicit in the request for sharing is unfounded: that all facts are public information.

[Anonymous]

PP MY point is if it is not public information then why share! The poster did share it, so tell where it came from...thats all! If it is private informaion then keep it to yourself! Do not disclose it and say its a fact, but its a secret fact ...Whatever!! Until I see it somewhere credible.. its an opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP MY point is if it is not public information then why share! The poster did share it, so tell where it came from...thats all! If it is private informaion then keep it to yourself! Do not disclose it and say its a fact, but its a secret fact ...Whatever!! Until I see it somewhere credible.. its an opinion.

Facts that can be stated publicly may be based on data that one is not at liberty to disclose. I can think of things that I know as fact but of which I am not free to disclose the underlying numbers. I am not affiliated in any way with NCS; I just want to point out the difference between asserting a fact and supporting it with evidence. If the PP who stated that NCS has the highest SATs in town does not give you the supporting data, of course you are free to discount her assertion and deem it her opinion. You could assume that she doesn't have the data, but that assumption would not be logical. Just take the PP's assertion for what it's worth TO YOU.

[Anonymous]

PP, I hear your point that hypothetically the NCS booster might have some insider access to info that proves her claim. But I think it's the NCS booster's responsibility to back up her claim, and not on the rest of us to assume she must be relying on secret info that cannot be disclosed. Your post said it more tactfully, but my view is that she (and really anyone on DCUM) needs to offer proof when making any claims like that. Otherwise, I assume it's just BS.

No doubt that NCS is a great school. But the stats on NMSFs, Presidential Scholars, etc certainly demonstrate that there are other schools that are at least as strong academically.

[Anonymous]

PP again -- I just want to note the irony that a thread originated to say "there is no such thing as Big 3" has now generated 10 pages of responses about the Big 3, and seems to have some people saying we should be referring to the Big 2! I disappoint myself by participating in it.

Better getcha popcorn.

[Anonymous]

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Well I think the rest of us have "secret insider information" that you're full of baloney.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP MY point is if it is not public information then why share! The poster did share it, so tell where it came from...thats all! If it is private informaion then keep it to yourself! Do not disclose it and say its a fact, but its a secret fact ...Whatever!! Until I see it somewhere credible.. its an opinion.

Facts that can be stated publicly may be based on data that one is not at liberty to disclose. I can think of things that I know as fact but of which I am not free to disclose the underlying numbers. I am not affiliated in any way with NCS; I just want to point out the difference between asserting a fact and supporting it with evidence. If the PP who stated that NCS has the highest SATs in town does not give you the supporting data, of course you are free to discount her assertion and deem it her opinion. You could assume that she doesn't have the data, but that assumption would not be logical. Just take the PP's assertion for what it's worth TO YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Well I think the rest of us have "secret insider information" that you're full of baloney.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP MY point is if it is not public information then why share! The poster did share it, so tell where it came from...thats all! If it is private informaion then keep it to yourself! Do not disclose it and say its a fact, but its a secret fact ...Whatever!! Until I see it somewhere credible.. its an opinion.

Facts that can be stated publicly may be based on data that one is not at liberty to disclose. I can think of things that I know as fact but of which I am not free to disclose the underlying numbers. I am not affiliated in any way with NCS; I just want to point out the difference between asserting a fact and supporting it with evidence. If the PP who stated that NCS has the highest SATs in town does not give you the supporting data, of course you are free to discount her assertion and deem it her opinion. You could assume that she doesn't have the data, but that assumption would not be logical. Just take the PP's assertion for what it's worth TO YOU.

Charming.

[Anonymous]

Why thank you--you're so kind!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Well I think the rest of us have "secret insider information" that you're full of baloney.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP MY point is if it is not public information then why share! The poster did share it, so tell where it came from...thats all! If it is private informaion then keep it to yourself! Do not disclose it and say its a fact, but its a secret fact ...Whatever!! Until I see it somewhere credible.. its an opinion.

Facts that can be stated publicly may be based on data that one is not at liberty to disclose. I can think of things that I know as fact but of which I am not free to disclose the underlying numbers. I am not affiliated in any way with NCS; I just want to point out the difference between asserting a fact and supporting it with evidence. If the PP who stated that NCS has the highest SATs in town does not give you the supporting data, of course you are free to discount her assertion and deem it her opinion. You could assume that she doesn't have the data, but that assumption would not be logical. Just take the PP's assertion for what it's worth TO YOU.

Charming.

[Anonymous]

Great poem, but most of you are delusional and being fooled. The private schools are great because the kids are preselected and are all way above average. If your child is having difficulty they'll get bounced and another great prospect will take his/her place. They need only cull the C/Ds. If you look at BCC, Whitman and Churchill you have to come to the conclusion that they're probably better than the Big Three when you factor in class size. Imagine if publics could dump certain kids. Truth, many of the teachers at private schools suck and wouldn't last two days in a public school. So pat yourself on the back. You've raised a good kid and the school has banded them together with other good kids. What did you expect to happen? For the money that private school parents pay if their child doesn't get into an Ivy they should sue.

[Anonymous]

PP's post makes me laugh.

[Anonymous]

pp 12:12 a little chip on our shoulder?

[Anonymous]

Sweetie, if this drivel gets you through the night, then you just go ahead and keep telling yourself that. LOL!

Anonymous wrote:Great poem, but most of you are delusional and being fooled. The private schools are great because the kids are preselected and are all way above average. If your child is having difficulty they'll get bounced and another great prospect will take his/her place. They need only cull the C/Ds. If you look at BCC, Whitman and Churchill you have to come to the conclusion that they're probably better than the Big Three when you factor in class size. Imagine if publics could dump certain kids. Truth, many of the teachers at private schools suck and wouldn't last two days in a public school. So pat yourself on the back. You've raised a good kid and the school has banded them together with other good kids. What did you expect to happen? For the money that private school parents pay if their child doesn't get into an Ivy they should sue.

[Anonymous]

Publics do dump kids -- they keep the really good ones in AP/honors classes and try not to have them "polluted" by the general population. Spare me your democratic ideals about the public schools.

[Anonymous]

Also, 12:12 points only to the MoCo schools in rich neighborhoods (BCC, Whitman, and Churchill) and neglects the unfairness of a public-school system that "dumps certain kids" (to use her words) by relegating certain kids to poor-performing schools in poor neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Agree pp. How much would she love those public schools if kids could choose to go to any of them (not just the ones in their own areas.) Whitman is less diverse than almost any private school in the Greater DC area.