MCPS Teachers - Do You Send Your Own Kids to Public School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any public school teacher or official who works for the system but doesn't send their own kids to MCPS is saying a lot about how they feel about the system.

Not necessarily. IMO, parents pick the best school for their child. If public works best, great. If private is an option and that's a better fit, great. Public does not work for all kids--whether your a public school teacher or not.

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure private would be the best option for my DS if I could even entertain the idea, but there is no way I could afford to - and I own a fairly inexpensive condo. Which means my commute is unfortunately longer. No way I could swing it both financially or logistically unless I left MCPS and started teaching at a private.

[Anonymous]

I teach at a private and send my kids to MCPS, so the inverse of what you’re fishing for. Some of it because I don’t have $240k a year for WS tuition, but some of it also is that I think MCPS does a good job educating kids and preparing them for real life.

[Anonymous]

The vast majority of teachers could not afford private for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Came across this article that mentioned a survey indicating that if given the choice 90% of public school teachers would send their kids to private school and am wondering how accurate that is in my own county.

‘Why I’m a Public School Teacher But a Private School Parent’
https://tenneyschool.com/why-im-a-public-school-teacher-but-a-private-school-parent/

Here’s another similar article but different author from a couple of years ago:

‘Why I’m a Public-School Teacher but a Private-School Parent’
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/why-im-a-public-school-teacher-but-a-private-school-parent/386797/

I think this is a false premise, TBH. Lots of people might say they would do something, if price was no object. I would send my kids to GDS if money was no object but I would not send them to a random parochial school, nor would I bankrupt myself or take on a second job to swing private.

Basically, I'd be concerned if public school teachers were actually choosing private at any cost, or any level of sacrifice, but asking someone what they might do in an alternate universe in which they presumably also have a pony and a moat is not reflective of anything but wishful thinking.

[Anonymous]

MCPS parent here and most of my child's teachers do not live in MoCo. Some live in areas with good schools so they go public, others not so much. It depends on where you live, not where you teach. And yes, some have their kids attend the school where they work but that's not always what is best for the child socially.

[Anonymous]

I taught in public schools for years. Then I moved to a high end private. My kids are in college now and attended a beyond excellent public magnet in another area (so, not MCPS, but another urban district). The private looked amazing until about 6 weeks in. Then I saw all the weaknesses with the curriculum and the major behaviors. If I had to do it over I would have kept them in their magnet. Yes, every school has issues and the magnet did too, but overall, it was much better than my nearly 40K a year in tuition private school workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Privates are starting their recruiting early this admissions cycle! Waited until MCPS started new school year July 1.

Lynn. They aren't doing that. Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a private and send my kids to MCPS, so the inverse of what you’re fishing for. Some of it because I don’t have $240k a year for WS tuition, but some of it also is that I think MCPS does a good job educating kids and preparing them for real life.

You wouldn't think that if you taught here.

[Anonymous]

I am an MCPS teacher and send my kid to MCPS. Been very happy. Lots of staff don’t live in MoCo. The few staff I know that send their kids to private and live in MoCo typically have very strategic reasons.
Examples:
-Sensitive daughter so wanted to go to girls school.
-Serious about a specific sport for recruiting.
-Family money / tradition / legacy at a private school.
-Wanted to buy a very big house but had to live in a very low performing area to do it, so they balance the experience by sending to private.

[Anonymous]

My youngest will be a senior at a MCPS high school this year. When my children started in MCPS years ago I they were getting quality education. Now I am so thankful that my youngest only has a year left. I would absolutely be considering private if my kids were younger now. The high school experience has been terrible. Teachers are checked out, fights, vaping, limited access to bathrooms. Academics are ok with AP and IB programs if your child is self motivated and wants to learn, sports have been ok. I just can’t get over the fact that DC doesn’t have bathroom access. We as adults would never put up with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an MCPS teacher and send my kid to MCPS. Been very happy. Lots of staff don’t live in MoCo. The few staff I know that send their kids to private and live in MoCo typically have very strategic reasons.
Examples:
-Sensitive daughter so wanted to go to girls school.
-Serious about a specific sport for recruiting.
-Family money / tradition / legacy at a private school.
-Wanted to buy a very big house but had to live in a very low performing area to do it, so they balance the experience by sending to private.

This is comical.
The cost of sending children to private school over the years is significant. So much so that even at the lower end you're looking at 100k over 8-12 and that is tuition only. There are other costs associated with private. And that's considering one child.
Unless you are conceeding that only the Ws of potomac and Bethesda are decent schools, this doesnt make any sense at all.

Also, most sports don't get recruited from Hugh school but from travel teams. Football is the exception and there are a handful of football schools with high recruitment within mcps.
You are either very gullible or lying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My youngest will be a senior at a MCPS high school this year. When my children started in MCPS years ago I they were getting quality education. Now I am so thankful that my youngest only has a year left. I would absolutely be considering private if my kids were younger now. The high school experience has been terrible. Teachers are checked out, fights, vaping, limited access to bathrooms. Academics are ok with AP and IB programs if your child is self motivated and wants to learn, sports have been ok. I just can’t get over the fact that DC doesn’t have bathroom access. We as adults would never put up with it.

Is this for every school - even ‘W’ schools like Wootton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taught in public schools for years. Then I moved to a high end private. My kids are in college now and attended a beyond excellent public magnet in another area (so, not MCPS, but another urban district). The private looked amazing until about 6 weeks in. Then I saw all the weaknesses with the curriculum and the major behaviors. If I had to do it over I would have kept them in their magnet. Yes, every school has issues and the magnet did too, but overall, it was much better than my nearly 40K a year in tuition private school workplace.

I taught at a Big Three for 10+ years and later took a job with MCPS. Our kids attended MCPS magnets (including Blair SMCS and RMIB) and got a better education than I believe they would have at the Big Three based on my experience there.

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher (both MS and HS), could have paid for private , and chose to send all 3 kids through MCPS. There are plenty of academic and social opportunities, but one thing that you can’t get in private is exposure to the diversity of students in our public schools in MoCo. My kids learned so much from friends of different backgrounds and how to work with/get along with kids with very different skills and interests than themselves. I’ve seen that pay off with easy transitions in college and 1st jobs meeting people and making friends.