considering leaving MCPS for a religious school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:K is just a hard transition. Give it the full year before deciding. If you still want to move this summer, there will be schools with spots available. We found K to be hard (we were in public then), but it got a lot easier. It’s just a big change.

DS opted to stay in public for all of ES and only moved to private for MS.

Appreciate all these comments. This one seems probably wise. I also wonder about giving it until next year to apply for 2nd grade admission, which would be the same year that my second starts K. Transitions can be hard and I want to get this right.

It's a lot of pressure to make a decision now, when your children are 5 and under, to think you're making a forever decision. There's so much you don't know, both about the schools and about your children. It's ok to make the best decision now, for your child as she is right now, and readjust if you need to/when you get more information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The social conservatism at schools like St. Bernadettes directly contributes to the good behavior of the students and allows the school to do more with less. Community buy in to the culture is precisely why it delivers a better product at lower per student cost.

If that bothers you, just pay for a pricier private or stay in public schools. If you choose to participate in the Catholic model, please give it the respect it has earned in attracting you.

Sure. I mentioned it because I wondered if there could be a barrier to a good fit that would make us not want to send our kids there. I certainly mean no disrespect to the school or anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The social conservatism at schools like St. Bernadettes directly contributes to the good behavior of the students and allows the school to do more with less. Community buy in to the culture is precisely why it delivers a better product at lower per student cost.

If that bothers you, just pay for a pricier private or stay in public schools. If you choose to participate in the Catholic model, please give it the respect it has earned in attracting you.

This is BS.
So if you had lgbt students or parents the behavior would go downhill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The social conservatism at schools like St. Bernadettes directly contributes to the good behavior of the students and allows the school to do more with less. Community buy in to the culture is precisely why it delivers a better product at lower per student cost.

If that bothers you, just pay for a pricier private or stay in public schools. If you choose to participate in the Catholic model, please give it the respect it has earned in attracting you.

This is BS.
So if you had lgbt students or parents the behavior would go downhill?

In your hypothetical, do the student and parents in question buy into and participate in the culture or are they being activists complaining about everything and trying to water down the religious component, strict rules on hair and dress, de-emphasis on current political issues and focus on eternal truths?

Kids in K-8 shouldn’t really be engaging with sexual topics other than basic birds and bees biologies so labels aren’t necessary at that age and thus there is no need for any controversy. Unless of course people who don’t buy in to the culture and mission of Catholic schools attend anyways because they want to escape public school but not pay up for fancy school and then, once admitted, try to undermine the religious teachings that are the bedrock of, and entire purpose for, the whole enterprise.

I’m not saying people aren’t welcome. I’m just saying I would personally never enroll my kids in a madrassa and then complain that the food is halal, so please don’t do that to me either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has started K at MCPS and while it's certainly fine at the moment I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's that I miss the small, intimate preschool setting from last year. But it's also some of the stories of chronic problems (especially behavior) plaguing public schools and getting to know the ups and downs of the big system.... but I'm not at all looking to bash MCPS here, just wondering if it's right for our family.

I love and would miss using the neighborhood school, especially with two younger children to shuttle around. We are near DTSS and it doesn't seem like we're super close to any alternatives. Affordability is an issue. We have some means but sadly cannot foot the bill for Lowell School (which looks amazing!). We know a few families at Saint Bernadette, which they seem to like, but I have been concerned about some comments that the current administration is rather socially conservative. We are also Christian but not Catholic. I would favor an Episcopal school (Grace Episcopal looks amazing, although pricey), but there aren't as many of them (and Grace is a bit further for us). Open to feedback on these or others in the area.

Here are some of my top concerns:
- Playtime in the younger grades. I actually don't have a good sense of this. Do religious/parochial schools do more of this? My oldest is very academic/ good at sitting still, and the length of day in K, with so little time to play, is still getting to her. I'm even more worried about this for my middle child who is into gross motor play and needs to move, a lot.
- Academic rigor. Seems like this can be a mixed bag, very school by school. We are a very academic minded family and the quality of education matters to me (for its own sake, above any consideration about placement into high school or college).
- Not wanting kids to get lost in a big school shuffle, especially if my younger kids end up being less traditionally academic minded than my oldest appears to be at the moment. I want them to get the individual attention that they need.
- I want them and me to feel safe about attending school.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has transitioned away from the local public (but not to a top dollar independent, probably) and if it felt worth it (or not!), and why. I also have no idea if we'd then feel committed to going private all the way through 12th grade, or if people transition back to local publics nicely at some point. I'm serious but also somewhat early stages brainstorming, so open to all perspectives, pitfalls I haven't thought about, etc. (Is it hard to transfer in after kindergarten, by the way?)

Thanks!

Huge mistake

Academic to catch up to public hard.

Religious privates better than MCPS Hahahahahaha


You are not an “academic family” .
Especially if you are considering an religious school

What are you trying to say? This doesn’t sound like your first language but just some basic declarative sentences with punctuation would be helpful.

PP is rude, but I agree that with the exception of NCS and St Albans in DC, religious schools are generally less academic than the big public systems of MCPS and FCPS, at the secondary level. In lower schools, every elementary is essentially the same - dull.

OP here. I’m very open to this feedback; I’m certainly not making assumptions about it. I get the impression it can be rather school by school. I appreciate all perspectives.

I’m the teacher who posted above. I have experience teaching in public and private high schools. My experience is that Catholic high schools are more rigorous, partly because teachers have the autonomy to alter courses to fit student needs and partly because of a strong emphasis on soft skills (study habits, time management, etc.). That being said, I can only comment on the schools I’ve actually taught in. Mileage may vary.

Many Catholic high schools offer the same AP, IB, and duel enrollment courses as publics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has started K at MCPS and while it's certainly fine at the moment I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's that I miss the small, intimate preschool setting from last year. But it's also some of the stories of chronic problems (especially behavior) plaguing public schools and getting to know the ups and downs of the big system.... but I'm not at all looking to bash MCPS here, just wondering if it's right for our family.

I love and would miss using the neighborhood school, especially with two younger children to shuttle around. We are near DTSS and it doesn't seem like we're super close to any alternatives. Affordability is an issue. We have some means but sadly cannot foot the bill for Lowell School (which looks amazing!). We know a few families at Saint Bernadette, which they seem to like, but I have been concerned about some comments that the current administration is rather socially conservative. We are also Christian but not Catholic. I would favor an Episcopal school (Grace Episcopal looks amazing, although pricey), but there aren't as many of them (and Grace is a bit further for us). Open to feedback on these or others in the area.

Here are some of my top concerns:
- Playtime in the younger grades. I actually don't have a good sense of this. Do religious/parochial schools do more of this? My oldest is very academic/ good at sitting still, and the length of day in K, with so little time to play, is still getting to her. I'm even more worried about this for my middle child who is into gross motor play and needs to move, a lot.
- Academic rigor. Seems like this can be a mixed bag, very school by school. We are a very academic minded family and the quality of education matters to me (for its own sake, above any consideration about placement into high school or college).
- Not wanting kids to get lost in a big school shuffle, especially if my younger kids end up being less traditionally academic minded than my oldest appears to be at the moment. I want them to get the individual attention that they need.
- I want them and me to feel safe about attending school.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has transitioned away from the local public (but not to a top dollar independent, probably) and if it felt worth it (or not!), and why. I also have no idea if we'd then feel committed to going private all the way through 12th grade, or if people transition back to local publics nicely at some point. I'm serious but also somewhat early stages brainstorming, so open to all perspectives, pitfalls I haven't thought about, etc. (Is it hard to transfer in after kindergarten, by the way?)

Thanks!

Huge mistake

Academic to catch up to public hard.

Religious privates better than MCPS Hahahahahaha


You are not an “academic family” .
Especially if you are considering an religious school

What are you trying to say? This doesn’t sound like your first language but just some basic declarative sentences with punctuation would be helpful.

PP is rude, but I agree that with the exception of NCS and St Albans in DC, religious schools are generally less academic than the big public systems of MCPS and FCPS, at the secondary level. In lower schools, every elementary is essentially the same - dull.

OP here. I’m very open to this feedback; I’m certainly not making assumptions about it. I get the impression it can be rather school by school. I appreciate all perspectives.

I’m the teacher who posted above. I have experience teaching in public and private high schools. My experience is that Catholic high schools are more rigorous, partly because teachers have the autonomy to alter courses to fit student needs and partly because of a strong emphasis on soft skills (study habits, time management, etc.). That being said, I can only comment on the schools I’ve actually taught in. Mileage may vary.

Many Catholic high schools offer the same AP, IB, and duel enrollment courses as publics.

Oops! Dual enrollment! “Duel” enrollment… can you imagine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The social conservatism at schools like St. Bernadettes directly contributes to the good behavior of the students and allows the school to do more with less. Community buy in to the culture is precisely why it delivers a better product at lower per student cost.

If that bothers you, just pay for a pricier private or stay in public schools. If you choose to participate in the Catholic model, please give it the respect it has earned in attracting you.

This is BS.
So if you had lgbt students or parents the behavior would go downhill?

In your hypothetical, do the student and parents in question buy into and participate in the culture or are they being activists complaining about everything and trying to water down the religious component, strict rules on hair and dress, de-emphasis on current political issues and focus on eternal truths?

Kids in K-8 shouldn’t really be engaging with sexual topics other than basic birds and bees biologies so labels aren’t necessary at that age and thus there is no need for any controversy. Unless of course people who don’t buy in to the culture and mission of Catholic schools attend anyways because they want to escape public school but not pay up for fancy school and then, once admitted, try to undermine the religious teachings that are the bedrock of, and entire purpose for, the whole enterprise.

I’m not saying people aren’t welcome. I’m just saying I would personally never enroll my kids in a madrassa and then complain that the food is halal, so please don’t do that to me either.

And this is exactly why we and many we know pulled our kids out of MCPS and enrolled them in Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

We considered this and decided not to (well, would have considered a non-religious private, not religious) mainly for cost reasons, but I will echo those who say don't decide based on kindergarten. Kindergarten in MCPS is basically warehousing kids and real academic instruction starts in 1st grade. I currently have a 1st and 4th grader in MCPS so I have been through the kindergarten experience twice and it was terrible both times, though much better for the younger child than the older for various reasons, including gender (girl), personality (quieter, less frenetic/energetic), lucked out on getting the one good teacher out of four classes, and actually finished out the school year (first was impacted by the 2020 school closures). First grade and on has been much better. However, one thing that doesn't change is the huge class sizes. DD had 33 kids in her kindergarten class, now 25 in first grade. DS had 29 in kindergarten, similar now in 4th grade, and 37 in his tracked math class - kids sit on the floor. Still, he sails through and doesn't seem to mind it.

We have been generally happy with academics, although as others have said, they aren't that challenging until they start doing differentiation in 4th grade. Older child has terrible handwriting and is not a very good writer, but I'm not sure that is the school's fault, since younger child is much better. We have been very happy with the school's social life. It's a gift to have so many friends in the neighborhood. I personally went to a religious private school as a kid and my friends were scattered all over the metro area, which was tough for get-togethers. Not like that in public.

One thing that will not change is the outside time. Amount of recess and exercise is terribly low. Extra-curriculars are also not what I personally experienced as a kid in a religious private school in the 80s/90s, where everyone had art, music, woodshop, and theater throughout the year from elementary through middle school, and was required to have at least one of those in high school. Mandatory sports, too, and mandatory swimming instruction, both of which were so valuable. The public schools can't do that.

Lastly, my private school classmates were rich and snotty and I was painfully aware of that from middle school on. My mother taught at the school and faculty kids attended for free - that's how I wound up there. We were well off but not rich rich rich like these kids who lived in mansions with live-in housekeepers, started skiing at age 5 and owned their own skis, vacationed in Tahoe and St. Lucia - literally places I had never heard of and still, as an adult now, haven't been to. That would be a factor for me too as the kids get older. We don't have that lifestyle, we don't want that lifestyle, and we don't want to be in a place where we are "less than" for not having it. Which was most definitely the case at the school I went to even though everyone denied it. Even within the uniform we had to wear, the rich kids wore brand white collared shirts with our kilts, and the kids like me wore white collared shirts from Lands End or Macys, and people noticed and pointed it out. It was fine for me (and I didn't rebel against it or anything, went on to Ivy League schools where plenty of those folks abounded) but I don't really want my kids in such a materialistic culture.

If I were in your shoes, I would certainly explore privates, identify a few that would work, do some shadow days, maybe even apply. But wait to make final decisions certainly until summer if possible, or maybe even until after first grade - unless you fall in love with a school or two that seem really terrific.

[Anonymous]

100 per cent a troll

Or op don’t be a dumbass religious private vs science god how are You are this dumb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC has started K at MCPS and while it's certainly fine at the moment I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's that I miss the small, intimate preschool setting from last year. But it's also some of the stories of chronic problems (especially behavior) plaguing public schools and getting to know the ups and downs of the big system.... but I'm not at all looking to bash MCPS here, just wondering if it's right for our family.

I love and would miss using the neighborhood school, especially with two younger children to shuttle around. We are near DTSS and it doesn't seem like we're super close to any alternatives. Affordability is an issue. We have some means but sadly cannot foot the bill for Lowell School (which looks amazing!). We know a few families at Saint Bernadette, which they seem to like, but I have been concerned about some comments that the current administration is rather socially conservative. We are also Christian but not Catholic. I would favor an Episcopal school (Grace Episcopal looks amazing, although pricey), but there aren't as many of them (and Grace is a bit further for us). Open to feedback on these or others in the area.

Here are some of my top concerns:
- Playtime in the younger grades. I actually don't have a good sense of this. Do religious/parochial schools do more of this? My oldest is very academic/ good at sitting still, and the length of day in K, with so little time to play, is still getting to her. I'm even more worried about this for my middle child who is into gross motor play and needs to move, a lot.
- Academic rigor. Seems like this can be a mixed bag, very school by school. We are a very academic minded family and the quality of education matters to me (for its own sake, above any consideration about placement into high school or college).
- Not wanting kids to get lost in a big school shuffle, especially if my younger kids end up being less traditionally academic minded than my oldest appears to be at the moment. I want them to get the individual attention that they need.
- I want them and me to feel safe about attending school.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has transitioned away from the local public (but not to a top dollar independent, probably) and if it felt worth it (or not!), and why. I also have no idea if we'd then feel committed to going private all the way through 12th grade, or if people transition back to local publics nicely at some point. I'm serious but also somewhat early stages brainstorming, so open to all perspectives, pitfalls I haven't thought about, etc. (Is it hard to transfer in after kindergarten, by the way?)

Thanks!

Look, if you want a private school because it’s small or religious or whatever, that’s fine. But enough with the bullshit about problems plaguing schools. Although honestly if parents with attitudes like yours just left, things would get a lot better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:100 per cent a troll

Or op don’t be a dumbass religious private vs science god how are You are this dumb

OP,
Please ignore this poster. I assume you’re already aware that Catholics believe in science. After all, the Big Bang was first theorized by a Catholic priest. And no, Catholics don’t teach creationism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has started K at MCPS and while it's certainly fine at the moment I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's that I miss the small, intimate preschool setting from last year. But it's also some of the stories of chronic problems (especially behavior) plaguing public schools and getting to know the ups and downs of the big system.... but I'm not at all looking to bash MCPS here, just wondering if it's right for our family.

I love and would miss using the neighborhood school, especially with two younger children to shuttle around. We are near DTSS and it doesn't seem like we're super close to any alternatives. Affordability is an issue. We have some means but sadly cannot foot the bill for Lowell School (which looks amazing!). We know a few families at Saint Bernadette, which they seem to like, but I have been concerned about some comments that the current administration is rather socially conservative. We are also Christian but not Catholic. I would favor an Episcopal school (Grace Episcopal looks amazing, although pricey), but there aren't as many of them (and Grace is a bit further for us). Open to feedback on these or others in the area.

Here are some of my top concerns:
- Playtime in the younger grades. I actually don't have a good sense of this. Do religious/parochial schools do more of this? My oldest is very academic/ good at sitting still, and the length of day in K, with so little time to play, is still getting to her. I'm even more worried about this for my middle child who is into gross motor play and needs to move, a lot.
- Academic rigor. Seems like this can be a mixed bag, very school by school. We are a very academic minded family and the quality of education matters to me (for its own sake, above any consideration about placement into high school or college).
- Not wanting kids to get lost in a big school shuffle, especially if my younger kids end up being less traditionally academic minded than my oldest appears to be at the moment. I want them to get the individual attention that they need.
- I want them and me to feel safe about attending school.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has transitioned away from the local public (but not to a top dollar independent, probably) and if it felt worth it (or not!), and why. I also have no idea if we'd then feel committed to going private all the way through 12th grade, or if people transition back to local publics nicely at some point. I'm serious but also somewhat early stages brainstorming, so open to all perspectives, pitfalls I haven't thought about, etc. (Is it hard to transfer in after kindergarten, by the way?)

Thanks!

Look, if you want a private school because it’s small or religious or whatever, that’s fine. But enough with the bullshit about problems plaguing schools. Although honestly if parents with attitudes like yours just left, things would get a lot better.

This is such a weird thing to say. MCPS has some legitimate issues and based on our experience in an MCPS school, these are reasonable concerns to have. It makes sense for people to explore other options, or choose to advocate for better conditions in their home public school. IMO MCPS seems to have ceased to have any real consequences for misbehavior, and it is creating a lot of disruption.

[Anonymous]

Why are all these threads so hostile? People are trying to make decisions for their kids and their families?
Just like when having a baby:there are many ways to “sleep train” , feed, etc and the beat option is what works for your family same goes for schools.
If someone wants to send their child to public, great! Private? Great! Catholic? Great!
They all work which is why they are still open and are graduating kids every year. People are just trying to figure out what works for their family , values, community, religion, and finances!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has started K at MCPS and while it's certainly fine at the moment I'm finding myself a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's that I miss the small, intimate preschool setting from last year. But it's also some of the stories of chronic problems (especially behavior) plaguing public schools and getting to know the ups and downs of the big system.... but I'm not at all looking to bash MCPS here, just wondering if it's right for our family.

I love and would miss using the neighborhood school, especially with two younger children to shuttle around. We are near DTSS and it doesn't seem like we're super close to any alternatives. Affordability is an issue. We have some means but sadly cannot foot the bill for Lowell School (which looks amazing!). We know a few families at Saint Bernadette, which they seem to like, but I have been concerned about some comments that the current administration is rather socially conservative. We are also Christian but not Catholic. I would favor an Episcopal school (Grace Episcopal looks amazing, although pricey), but there aren't as many of them (and Grace is a bit further for us). Open to feedback on these or others in the area.

Here are some of my top concerns:
- Playtime in the younger grades. I actually don't have a good sense of this. Do religious/parochial schools do more of this? My oldest is very academic/ good at sitting still, and the length of day in K, with so little time to play, is still getting to her. I'm even more worried about this for my middle child who is into gross motor play and needs to move, a lot.
- Academic rigor. Seems like this can be a mixed bag, very school by school. We are a very academic minded family and the quality of education matters to me (for its own sake, above any consideration about placement into high school or college).
- Not wanting kids to get lost in a big school shuffle, especially if my younger kids end up being less traditionally academic minded than my oldest appears to be at the moment. I want them to get the individual attention that they need.
- I want them and me to feel safe about attending school.

I'd be curious to hear from anyone who has transitioned away from the local public (but not to a top dollar independent, probably) and if it felt worth it (or not!), and why. I also have no idea if we'd then feel committed to going private all the way through 12th grade, or if people transition back to local publics nicely at some point. I'm serious but also somewhat early stages brainstorming, so open to all perspectives, pitfalls I haven't thought about, etc. (Is it hard to transfer in after kindergarten, by the way?)

Thanks!

Look, if you want a private school because it’s small or religious or whatever, that’s fine. But enough with the bullshit about problems plaguing schools. Although honestly if parents with attitudes like yours just left, things would get a lot better.

I get that many of the problems with public schools are inescapable problems of serving everyone. There are also things I like about public schools and I always attended them myself, at least until grad school. Not sure how my leaving would help since I participate in the community, donate money, and don’t hassle the teachers or admin, but that’s fine. As I said above I’m not trying to bash MCPS. I’m exploring options. Sorry if that offends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:K is just a hard transition. Give it the full year before deciding. If you still want to move this summer, there will be schools with spots available. We found K to be hard (we were in public then), but it got a lot easier. It’s just a big change.

DS opted to stay in public for all of ES and only moved to private for MS.

Appreciate all these comments. This one seems probably wise. I also wonder about giving it until next year to apply for 2nd grade admission, which would be the same year that my second starts K. Transitions can be hard and I want to get this right.

It's a lot of pressure to make a decision now, when your children are 5 and under, to think you're making a forever decision. There's so much you don't know, both about the schools and about your children. It's ok to make the best decision now, for your child as she is right now, and readjust if you need to/when you get more information.

So right. Thanks for this.

I have not responded to all the comments but THANK YOU — I am getting lots of helpful perspectives and I appreciate them so much.