If you are Wealthy and in MCPS, what made you decide to stay in public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because I didn't want to produce another Kavanaugh? Seriously, my kids are already entitled enough. And there are bad teachers/messed up admin everywhere. At least in public school there are formal requirements of certification. Also, privates traditionally aren't as good at STEM. I'd rather save my money and have kids who are a little more resilient and used to all types of people. Really. My HS kids will be pros at arguing their way into classes by college!

I would love to have a kid like Kavanaugh---smart, athletic and accomplished....yes, some wack job makes a BS accusation 35 years later! Who cares.

Skwee! How ya been, buddy?

[Anonymous]

This exact same question was asked about 6 months ago.

We've been generally pleased with MCPS -- the ES teachers are incredible, and the HS have a diverse offering of challenging courses with many very good teachers. There are a few weak spots, but I figure kids should learn that every rose has its thorns and it helps develop resiliency when everything isn't just handed to you. Also a very big factor is the ability to have neighborhood friends. My friends with kids in private school have a very different social life for their kids -- it's very structured. My kids can just hop on a bike and head to the park and find school friends, or ride around to their friends' houses. That's huge.

The diversity of family backgrounds is nice too, although I admit that our ES is not the most socio-economically diverse. A lot of the private school options around here are either religious -- which poses its own diversity problems -- or single-sex, which is non-diverse in a different way.

FWIW, I went to public school in a state that is *not* known for its public education system, and my husband went to a very fancy private school. He is often frustrated that there are some issues for which there's no good resolution, but I'm like "eh, that's life." There is a TON more hand-holding of both parents and kids at private school --- maybe it will turn out to be a bad thing that we didn't do it, as we have one child that seems to need a lot of hand-holding. Our oldest, though, has become a very independent person who is very good at self-advocacy and problem-solving. If there's an issue, she figures out a way to fix it, or a work-around. I'm not sure that would have happened in private school.

For us, it would add up to like a million dollars over the whole education life of all our children....it's just really hard to justify dropping that kind of cash when we have a pretty good free educational system. I'd rather send it to kids in another country that don't have any educational system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This exact same question was asked about 6 months ago.

We've been generally pleased with MCPS -- the ES teachers are incredible, and the HS have a diverse offering of challenging courses with many very good teachers. There are a few weak spots, but I figure kids should learn that every rose has its thorns and it helps develop resiliency when everything isn't just handed to you. Also a very big factor is the ability to have neighborhood friends. My friends with kids in private school have a very different social life for their kids -- it's very structured. My kids can just hop on a bike and head to the park and find school friends, or ride around to their friends' houses. That's huge.

The diversity of family backgrounds is nice too, although I admit that our ES is not the most socio-economically diverse. A lot of the private school options around here are either religious -- which poses its own diversity problems -- or single-sex, which is non-diverse in a different way.

FWIW, I went to public school in a state that is *not* known for its public education system, and my husband went to a very fancy private school. He is often frustrated that there are some issues for which there's no good resolution, but I'm like "eh, that's life." There is a TON more hand-holding of both parents and kids at private school --- maybe it will turn out to be a bad thing that we didn't do it, as we have one child that seems to need a lot of hand-holding. Our oldest, though, has become a very independent person who is very good at self-advocacy and problem-solving. If there's an issue, she figures out a way to fix it, or a work-around. I'm not sure that would have happened in private school.

For us, it would add up to like a million dollars over the whole education life of all our children....it's just really hard to justify dropping that kind of cash when we have a pretty good free educational system. I'd rather send it to kids in another country that don't have any educational system.

So are you sending a million dollars to kids abroad?

[Anonymous]

My DS moved from private to Whitman for high school. It was a better fit for him, with a bigger peer group, competitive academics, strong in the sports he did. No regrets at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a private school lifer and hated it.

Would have actually had access to better colleges if I had attended the local public schools, with more STEM classes and more activities, and without the long bus ride.

I also think it's important to interact with different people; my lilly white and Asian private school with mostly UMC families didn't prepare me appropriately for life.

Yet you self-affiliate as wealthy, indicating that it did prepare you to be a successful contributor to society.

I think you also misunderstand how college access in public school works. Yes, kids can go to excellent colleges, particularly STEM. Kids also go to substantially worse colleges in large numbers, community college and even at “W” schools a lot of kids don’t go to college at all. These are all equal options and actually when you understand how exceptional the public students are that make it to top colleges, you realize that it’s less likely your child will be one of them.

Just be forewarned now, in public school you are in your own and there are big, potentially life-altering consequences for relatively small mistakes. That’s what growing up poor and being a public school lifer taught me.

To each their own, but just be prepared that the safety net is gone and there is a bottom that I don’t think you contemplate existing.

NP: I hear you but wealthy people don't need safety nets, even in public school. They have the resources to address various types of issues.

[Anonymous]

Because I believe in public schools, and believe that we can only improve public schools by sending our kids there and investing in schools (through donations, yes, but also through involvement/engagement/volunteering).

[Anonymous]

Because my kids thrive in our public school which is - gasp! - downcounty. The range of programs, the STEM offerings, and the diversity of the school community (racial, ethnic, and SES) is not something any private school could match. And while I do sometimes envy the smaller class sizes of privates or the lush campuses - literally worlds apart from our DCs’ public schools - I think the benefits of public for my children far outweigh those things.

Lastly, to what another poster noted, to send all three of my kids through private would total big money and I’d rather use that money for other things. The ROI on private school isn’t there for us.

[Anonymous]

Another private lifer here (well-regarded DMV privates). I always assumed I'd send my kids to private too, as I had good experiences and they prepared me well for college, etc.

When our oldest was headed to K, DH (an MCPS grad, and also well prepared and successful) really wanted to at least give our local ES a shot. I knew our ES had a good reputation and so I figured one year of K in public wouldn't hurt, but I still expected to move to private for first grade.

That kid is now in 5th grade and still in public. Because our MCPS elementary is AMAZING. Small class sizes (18-24), wonderful teachers and admin, and fantastic community. My kids are thriving and, academically, are way ahead of where I was at their age in private and where my sister's kids (in a MoCo private) are now. Especially with respect to math and science, which, I see now, were always weaknesses at my private schools. I mean, if I was building my ideal private school, it would be our ES, but with a newer building. We have not had a single bad teacher and we've had several who have blown me away. Principal is excellent. They're SO helpful with one of my kids who has some mild, non-academic special needs. Their classmates are smart and largely well-behaved. Parents are involved. There are lots of extracurricular options.

Also, I'm loving that all their friends live in the same neighborhood. Growing up in privates, my classmates were from all over, and we had to drive to see anyone. My kids can hop on a bike, run across the street, etc., and see friends. It makes for easy, spontaneous get-togethers and really builds a sense of neighborhood community that I never had growing up.

Obviously, we're still at ES. Always possible we'll reassess for MS or HS dependent on each kid. I think one of my kids may have the potential to be overwhelmed by the size of MS/HS. If that turns out to be the case, we'll switch that one to private.

But in the meantime, we haven't switched, because we simply have no need to. I'm delighted with our ES and while I'm sure private would be good too, there's absolutely no reason for us to spend money on something we are currently getting for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another private lifer here (well-regarded DMV privates). I always assumed I'd send my kids to private too, as I had good experiences and they prepared me well for college, etc.

When our oldest was headed to K, DH (an MCPS grad, and also well prepared and successful) really wanted to at least give our local ES a shot. I knew our ES had a good reputation and so I figured one year of K in public wouldn't hurt, but I still expected to move to private for first grade.

That kid is now in 5th grade and still in public. Because our MCPS elementary is AMAZING. Small class sizes (18-24), wonderful teachers and admin, and fantastic community. My kids are thriving and, academically, are way ahead of where I was at their age in private and where my sister's kids (in a MoCo private) are now. Especially with respect to math and science, which, I see now, were always weaknesses at my private schools. I mean, if I was building my ideal private school, it would be our ES, but with a newer building. We have not had a single bad teacher and we've had several who have blown me away. Principal is excellent. They're SO helpful with one of my kids who has some mild, non-academic special needs. Their classmates are smart and largely well-behaved. Parents are involved. There are lots of extracurricular options.

Also, I'm loving that all their friends live in the same neighborhood. Growing up in privates, my classmates were from all over, and we had to drive to see anyone. My kids can hop on a bike, run across the street, etc., and see friends. It makes for easy, spontaneous get-togethers and really builds a sense of neighborhood community that I never had growing up.

Obviously, we're still at ES. Always possible we'll reassess for MS or HS dependent on each kid. I think one of my kids may have the potential to be overwhelmed by the size of MS/HS. If that turns out to be the case, we'll switch that one to private.

But in the meantime, we haven't switched, because we simply have no need to. I'm delighted with our ES and while I'm sure private would be good too, there's absolutely no reason for us to spend money on something we are currently getting for free.

Because I don’t think graduates from private schools are necessarily prepared for life. There are only so many jobs and careers out there. My former colleague who went to private school then Harvard always felt like he wasn’t getting everything he deserved (i.e., more than the rest of us).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another private lifer here (well-regarded DMV privates). I always assumed I'd send my kids to private too, as I had good experiences and they prepared me well for college, etc.

When our oldest was headed to K, DH (an MCPS grad, and also well prepared and successful) really wanted to at least give our local ES a shot. I knew our ES had a good reputation and so I figured one year of K in public wouldn't hurt, but I still expected to move to private for first grade.

That kid is now in 5th grade and still in public. Because our MCPS elementary is AMAZING. Small class sizes (18-24), wonderful teachers and admin, and fantastic community. My kids are thriving and, academically, are way ahead of where I was at their age in private and where my sister's kids (in a MoCo private) are now. Especially with respect to math and science, which, I see now, were always weaknesses at my private schools. I mean, if I was building my ideal private school, it would be our ES, but with a newer building. We have not had a single bad teacher and we've had several who have blown me away. Principal is excellent. They're SO helpful with one of my kids who has some mild, non-academic special needs. Their classmates are smart and largely well-behaved. Parents are involved. There are lots of extracurricular options.

Also, I'm loving that all their friends live in the same neighborhood. Growing up in privates, my classmates were from all over, and we had to drive to see anyone. My kids can hop on a bike, run across the street, etc., and see friends. It makes for easy, spontaneous get-togethers and really builds a sense of neighborhood community that I never had growing up.

Obviously, we're still at ES. Always possible we'll reassess for MS or HS dependent on each kid. I think one of my kids may have the potential to be overwhelmed by the size of MS/HS. If that turns out to be the case, we'll switch that one to private.

But in the meantime, we haven't switched, because we simply have no need to. I'm delighted with our ES and while I'm sure private would be good too, there's absolutely no reason for us to spend money on something we are currently getting for free.

Because I don’t think graduates from private schools are necessarily prepared for life. There are only so many jobs and careers out there. My former colleague who went to private school then Harvard always felt like he wasn’t getting everything he deserved (i.e., more than the rest of us).

That’s a huge generalization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another private lifer here (well-regarded DMV privates). I always assumed I'd send my kids to private too, as I had good experiences and they prepared me well for college, etc.

When our oldest was headed to K, DH (an MCPS grad, and also well prepared and successful) really wanted to at least give our local ES a shot. I knew our ES had a good reputation and so I figured one year of K in public wouldn't hurt, but I still expected to move to private for first grade.

That kid is now in 5th grade and still in public. Because our MCPS elementary is AMAZING. Small class sizes (18-24), wonderful teachers and admin, and fantastic community. My kids are thriving and, academically, are way ahead of where I was at their age in private and where my sister's kids (in a MoCo private) are now. Especially with respect to math and science, which, I see now, were always weaknesses at my private schools. I mean, if I was building my ideal private school, it would be our ES, but with a newer building. We have not had a single bad teacher and we've had several who have blown me away. Principal is excellent. They're SO helpful with one of my kids who has some mild, non-academic special needs. Their classmates are smart and largely well-behaved. Parents are involved. There are lots of extracurricular options.

Also, I'm loving that all their friends live in the same neighborhood. Growing up in privates, my classmates were from all over, and we had to drive to see anyone. My kids can hop on a bike, run across the street, etc., and see friends. It makes for easy, spontaneous get-togethers and really builds a sense of neighborhood community that I never had growing up.

Obviously, we're still at ES. Always possible we'll reassess for MS or HS dependent on each kid. I think one of my kids may have the potential to be overwhelmed by the size of MS/HS. If that turns out to be the case, we'll switch that one to private.

But in the meantime, we haven't switched, because we simply have no need to. I'm delighted with our ES and while I'm sure private would be good too, there's absolutely no reason for us to spend money on something we are currently getting for free.

Because I don’t think graduates from private schools are necessarily prepared for life. There are only so many jobs and careers out there. My former colleague who went to private school then Harvard always felt like he wasn’t getting everything he deserved (i.e., more than the rest of us).

That’s a huge generalization.

Yes, it is. But folks who spend a lot on education for private schools/universities often think there will always be special opportunities available to them. That is not always the case. Sometimes it is true, but not always. I was hoping to see a Supreme Court Justice from a public law school, but it doesn’t look like that will happen yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because I didn't want to produce another Kavanaugh? Seriously, my kids are already entitled enough. And there are bad teachers/messed up admin everywhere. At least in public school there are formal requirements of certification. Also, privates traditionally aren't as good at STEM. I'd rather save my money and have kids who are a little more resilient and used to all types of people. Really. My HS kids will be pros at arguing their way into classes by college!

Hmm … interesting that you have no idea that private schools need to adhere to certification standards too.

NP. Most private schools don't require their teachers to be certified.

You act like certified means something, like a doctors board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a private school lifer and hated it.

Would have actually had access to better colleges if I had attended the local public schools, with more STEM classes and more activities, and without the long bus ride.

I also think it's important to interact with different people; my lilly white and Asian private school with mostly UMC families didn't prepare me appropriately for life.

This is why I moved my kid out of private and Wootton cluster -- and to a more diverse (in all ways) public school. That is much closer to American reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another private lifer here (well-regarded DMV privates). I always assumed I'd send my kids to private too, as I had good experiences and they prepared me well for college, etc.

When our oldest was headed to K, DH (an MCPS grad, and also well prepared and successful) really wanted to at least give our local ES a shot. I knew our ES had a good reputation and so I figured one year of K in public wouldn't hurt, but I still expected to move to private for first grade.

That kid is now in 5th grade and still in public. Because our MCPS elementary is AMAZING. Small class sizes (18-24), wonderful teachers and admin, and fantastic community. My kids are thriving and, academically, are way ahead of where I was at their age in private and where my sister's kids (in a MoCo private) are now. Especially with respect to math and science, which, I see now, were always weaknesses at my private schools. I mean, if I was building my ideal private school, it would be our ES, but with a newer building. We have not had a single bad teacher and we've had several who have blown me away. Principal is excellent. They're SO helpful with one of my kids who has some mild, non-academic special needs. Their classmates are smart and largely well-behaved. Parents are involved. There are lots of extracurricular options.

Also, I'm loving that all their friends live in the same neighborhood. Growing up in privates, my classmates were from all over, and we had to drive to see anyone. My kids can hop on a bike, run across the street, etc., and see friends. It makes for easy, spontaneous get-togethers and really builds a sense of neighborhood community that I never had growing up.

Obviously, we're still at ES. Always possible we'll reassess for MS or HS dependent on each kid. I think one of my kids may have the potential to be overwhelmed by the size of MS/HS. If that turns out to be the case, we'll switch that one to private.

But in the meantime, we haven't switched, because we simply have no need to. I'm delighted with our ES and while I'm sure private would be good too, there's absolutely no reason for us to spend money on something we are currently getting for free.

In general a low poverty, low ESL MCPS elementary will be pretty similar to the nurturing private school experience with only slightly larger classes and no handwriting/cursive instruction but more tech.

Middle school will bring together larger populations of kids, and our kid was bored out of their mind as teachers spent all their time with struggling kids and disobedience & disruptions.

[Anonymous]

We wanted out kids to engage in the bus stop experience and meet their neighbors. Besides private high school is the one that really matters and if there is a problem we can go from there before then.