Langley pyramid vs. private school in mclean (the Langley school or Potomac)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not the OP but I also am having a similar internal debate of whether to send my child to the public elementary in the Langley pyramid vs private school.
I went to public school and then to top 10 private university, and I initially planned to send to public school. But I am now debating which would be better for my smart but sensitive little boy. Are privates less likely to have bullying since they are smaller class sizes? Would he be able to advance in topics he enjoys, or do public school teach to the “mean”? Is there anyone who switched from public to private (or vice versa) in this pyramid and if so, why? Thank you for any insight can provide!

Only you can visit each school and parse out what is important to you, and what sticks out as good or bad about each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in McLean.

Those 2 FCPS pyramids look good on paper, but have good scores primarily because so many kids in those pyramids get outside school supplements such as Kumon, Mathnasium, etc. The curriculum and teaching is the same as the rest of FCPS.

This is true in HoCo as well. Schools are so overcrowded and have teacher shortages. Everybody is spending $$$ and time at home to supplement their kids.

I didn’t realize Hoco was like this too. Even in the schools that feed into Centennial, marriotts ridge and river hill?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Stay in your pyramid through 6th and enter private for 7th. Steer clear of Langley School unless your child is questioning their gender identity. Langley has become woke beyond belief and the kids who are still busy being kids are either forced to go along with their agenda or end up leaving the school. Buyer beware.[/quote]

One vector that Langley differentiates on in the K-8 space is Social Emotional Learning which includes topics like gender identity in later years but also age appropriate discussions of self management, building relationships, diversity and understanding differences, etc. The last year or two, a vocal minority spoke out against this curriculum, which was highly valued by many families in the community. The same group of parents found fault with the head of school presenting diversity statistics on the school at a parents meeting, which made me often thing they just weren't in the right school. That group also cruelly gossiped that a couple older students who identified as non-binary, etc. had made decisions because of the schools SEL curriculum. A few of the families left last year for religious schools that are hopefully a better fit for them, as they always seemed to be angry. With any private, parents need to do their homework - Langley values diversity and their SEL focus is very clear. Perhaps because Youngkin sent his children to K-8 there, some people thought it was different. It is a lovely place with great teachers that really prepared my kids well for all aspects of high school (including building excellent relationships with a more diverse set of students) while providing leadership opportunities at a young age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in McLean.

Those 2 FCPS pyramids look good on paper, but have good scores primarily because so many kids in those pyramids get outside school supplements such as Kumon, Mathnasium, etc. The curriculum and teaching is the same as the rest of FCPS.

+1

Some families supplement but not all. Same as private. DD consistently scores in the top 1% on various standardized tests and we have never supplemented. My Big 3 neighbors have kids who receive tutoring year round.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in McLean.

Those 2 FCPS pyramids look good on paper, but have good scores primarily because so many kids in those pyramids get outside school supplements such as Kumon, Mathnasium, etc. The curriculum and teaching is the same as the rest of FCPS.

+1

Some families supplement but not all. Same as private. DD consistently scores in the top 1% on various standardized tests and we have never supplemented. My Big 3 neighbors have kids who receive tutoring year round.

Is the tutoring for supplementing or remedial?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Stay in your pyramid through 6th and enter private for 7th. Steer clear of Langley School unless your child is questioning their gender identity. Langley has become woke beyond belief and the kids who are still busy being kids are either forced to go along with their agenda or end up leaving the school. Buyer beware.[/quote]

One vector that Langley differentiates on in the K-8 space is Social Emotional Learning which includes topics like gender identity in later years but also age appropriate discussions of self management, building relationships, diversity and understanding differences, etc. The last year or two, a vocal minority spoke out against this curriculum, which was highly valued by many families in the community. The same group of parents found fault with the head of school presenting diversity statistics on the school at a parents meeting, which made me often thing they just weren't in the right school. That group also cruelly gossiped that a couple older students who identified as non-binary, etc. had made decisions because of the schools SEL curriculum. A few of the families left last year for religious schools that are hopefully a better fit for them, as they always seemed to be angry. With any private, parents need to do their homework - Langley values diversity and their SEL focus is very clear. Perhaps because Youngkin sent his children to K-8 there, some people thought it was different. It is a lovely place with great teachers that really prepared my kids well for all aspects of high school (including building excellent relationships with a more diverse set of students) while providing leadership opportunities at a young age.[/quote]

Is it academic? Will kids be behind if they go to a public high school afterwards?

If they are indeed so liberal, it is funny that Youngkin sent his kids there.

[Anonymous]

Isn't there a new head of school at Langley now? Not as extreme?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Stay in your pyramid through 6th and enter private for 7th. Steer clear of Langley School unless your child is questioning their gender identity. Langley has become woke beyond belief and the kids who are still busy being kids are either forced to go along with their agenda or end up leaving the school. Buyer beware.[/quote]

One vector that Langley differentiates on in the K-8 space is Social Emotional Learning which includes topics like gender identity in later years but also age appropriate discussions of self management, building relationships, diversity and understanding differences, etc. The last year or two, a vocal minority spoke out against this curriculum, which was highly valued by many families in the community. The same group of parents found fault with the head of school presenting diversity statistics on the school at a parents meeting, which made me often thing they just weren't in the right school. That group also cruelly gossiped that a couple older students who identified as non-binary, etc. had made decisions because of the schools SEL curriculum. A few of the families left last year for religious schools that are hopefully a better fit for them, as they always seemed to be angry. With any private, parents need to do their homework - Langley values diversity and their SEL focus is very clear. Perhaps because Youngkin sent his children to K-8 there, some people thought it was different. It is a lovely place with great teachers that really prepared my kids well for all aspects of high school (including building excellent relationships with a more diverse set of students) while providing leadership opportunities at a young age.[/quote]

Is it academic? Will kids be behind if they go to a public high school afterwards?

If they are indeed so liberal, it is funny that Youngkin sent his kids there.[/quote]

I am an outsider, meaning foreigner in this country. I find Langley very much in the center. I like to see a school with common sense, and that is what I have seen. That said, I also find Youngkin very much in the center. Disclaimer: I don't vote in this country, but I do vote liberal in my country. Regarding the issues that I followed Youngkin, I saw common sense and not extremism. Sorry if this observation upsets anyone. I am very interested to see how his politics will further evolve.

[Anonymous]

"Very much in the center"
https://apnews.com/article/education-virginia-gay-rights-government-and-politics-f8aaafdaace478d02583fe637458a5ee

[Anonymous]

How would you compare little Langley to Potomac school? And would people generally agree that the education in private school is more “rigorous” than in public or is it just a bunch of rich most White kids in private schools?

[Anonymous]

Many (most ?) people we know with kids in FCPS have their kids in AAP, but also (quietly) send their kids for after-school sessions at Kumon, Mathnasium, or similar places. We have had people deny this in a public setting, but then later privately tell us that “everyone does it, but one can’t admit it in public”.

This is NOT because their child has a LD, but because (a) math instruction is weak - particularly since paper textbooks were dropped, and (b) a lot of the content (in all subjects) has been watered down or eliminated over the years. They seem to feel a child without supplements (of some kind) likely will have worse results than those with supplements. The FCPS and AAP forums of DCUM have many threads with posts along these lines if one searches. (Btw, AoPS and RSM also are probably used by some, although a farther drive from McLean)

As to the privates, we toured Langley but came away with the impression that “social-emotional” was higher priority at that school than rigorous challenging academics. Other folks have posted the opposite perception here on DCUM. Interested folks should go see the school and draw their own conclusions.

If considering privates, one likely also should at least look at Congressional School, which is a K-8 with a bus option and is used by some of our neighbors in McLean. At least one family in our area is happy with Congressional and has sent all of their children there.

(We want challenging academics for our DC, we are apolitical, and social-emotional is way way down our priority list, so we won’t apply to Langley School; it just isn't the right fit. YMMV.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many (most ?) people we know with kids in FCPS have their kids in AAP, but also (quietly) send their kids for after-school sessions at Kumon, Mathnasium, or similar places. We have had people deny this in a public setting, but then later privately tell us that “everyone does it, but one can’t admit it in public”.

This is NOT because their child has a LD, but because (a) math instruction is weak - particularly since paper textbooks were dropped, and (b) a lot of the content (in all subjects) has been watered down or eliminated over the years. They seem to feel a child without supplements (of some kind) likely will have worse results than those with supplements. The FCPS and AAP forums of DCUM have many threads with posts along these lines if one searches. (Btw, AoPS and RSM also are probably used by some, although a farther drive from McLean)

As to the privates, we toured Langley but came away with the impression that “social-emotional” was higher priority at that school than rigorous challenging academics. Other folks have posted the opposite perception here on DCUM. Interested folks should go see the school and draw their own conclusions.

If considering privates, one likely also should at least look at Congressional School, which is a K-8 with a bus option and is used by some of our neighbors in McLean. At least one family in our area is happy with Congressional and has sent all of their children there.

(We want challenging academics for our DC, we are apolitical, and social-emotional is way way down our priority list, so we won’t apply to Langley School; it just isn't the right fit. YMMV.)

If “social-emotional is way way down” your priority list you won’t fit in at any private school, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If “social-emotional is way way down” your priority list you won’t fit in at any private school, sorry.

That's overstating things a bit IMO. Of course the most well-known/widely discussed schools on DCUM place greater emphasis on social-emotional, especially in the lower school grades. But I suspect that the more religious schools don't consider it a big priority, if at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many (most ?) people we know with kids in FCPS have their kids in AAP, but also (quietly) send their kids for after-school sessions at Kumon, Mathnasium, or similar places. We have had people deny this in a public setting, but then later privately tell us that “everyone does it, but one can’t admit it in public”.

This is NOT because their child has a LD, but because (a) math instruction is weak - particularly since paper textbooks were dropped, and (b) a lot of the content (in all subjects) has been watered down or eliminated over the years. They seem to feel a child without supplements (of some kind) likely will have worse results than those with supplements. The FCPS and AAP forums of DCUM have many threads with posts along these lines if one searches. (Btw, AoPS and RSM also are probably used by some, although a farther drive from McLean)

As to the privates, we toured Langley but came away with the impression that “social-emotional” was higher priority at that school than rigorous challenging academics. Other folks have posted the opposite perception here on DCUM. Interested folks should go see the school and draw their own conclusions.

If considering privates, one likely also should at least look at Congressional School, which is a K-8 with a bus option and is used by some of our neighbors in McLean. At least one family in our area is happy with Congressional and has sent all of their children there.

(We want challenging academics for our DC, we are apolitical, and social-emotional is way way down our priority list, so we won’t apply to Langley School; it just isn't the right fit. YMMV.)

If “social-emotional is way way down” your priority list you won’t fit in at any private school, sorry.

NYSMITH may be an option. Or maybe Basis McLean too, but I have not heard much about this one.

[Anonymous]

I've got kids in that pyramid and our youngest we switched to private during covid. I'd say that there are always people who will be believe that private is inherently better and you can't use that as a marker when making a choice. We live in an area with great public schools with tons of parental support and resources. That said, I have found some aspects of private school preferable to public, but you have to decide for yourself if that preference is worth the financial investment.

To the PP who asked about bullying in public vs private. Unfortunately that tends to be class specific. I've seen it in different years in both settings. What I think works out in public's favor is that grade levels are larger so there is more of an opportunity to get away from that negativity.