Noping out of CES for private

[Anonymous]

Which school's CES?

[Anonymous]

My Blair magnet DC still remembers their pre-covid CES days fondly as the first time the teachers were super engaging (lots of demonstrations, in-school field trips, mock trials, experiments, etc.) and the peers were all on the same wavelength--quick, hard working, creative minds. This makes for a very good launch pad for higher academic success. DC's friends, whether they went on to humanities or STEM magnets, are all now thriving in various high schools.

Private schools (big 3 or not) will give you smaller classes and individualized attention, but the cohort will be uneven. My formerly CES kid says that their old CES friends still complain that classes at Sidwell are not as rigorous as they'd like. This may be anecdotal or limited to only to a few students, but I think the rigor in the CES helped provide a strong foundation (and expectation) for later, more challenging work; and for whatever reason, these former CES kids are not seeing that rigor at even a top private.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t pull for private for 4th/5th unless kid actually needed it and planning to stay in private for MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pull for private for 4th/5th unless kid actually needed it and planning to stay in private for MS.

+1
CES is still generally good. Save the $ and go private for middle school.

[Anonymous]

The "magnet" vs. Private school threads are always chin scratchers to me. CES and private school are apples and oranges. The vast majority of folks are at private school because they want to be at private school. Nobody here can tell you what is best for your kid and family.

Is your kid normal smart or a quirky genius? If I had a quirky genius I'd probably lean CES. Normal smart, it is really what you want as a family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "magnet" vs. Private school threads are always chin scratchers to me. CES and private school are apples and oranges. The vast majority of folks are at private school because they want to be at private school. Nobody here can tell you what is best for your kid and family.

Is your kid normal smart or a quirky genius? If I had a quirky genius I'd probably lean CES. Normal smart, it is really what you want as a family.

DS is just normal but he scored 99% on the tests

[Anonymous]

OP is clearly just a pot stirring troll knowing that there are few people who can speak to both the CES and private. Give up the spot, OP and let someone else’s kid in…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CES is really not that great. Better than the home school, sure, but does not compare with private.

You have it backwards. Private does not compare with CES.
Hoping OP will free up the space?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CES is really not that great. Better than the home school, sure, but does not compare with private.

I was thinking that too.Especially because CES is "just" reading and writing and not STEM

.
And private schools are known for STEM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We loved the Chevy Chase CES. After that, DD returned to Westland and BCC for middle and high school, because we learned from our older son's school commute (he was in a special out-of-cluster program) that we don't tolerate long morning commutes! But other parents had great things to say about Eastern and Takoma Park middle school magnets, as well as the Blair high school magnet.

Now we're paying 65K a year for a private university for my son (he got 20K merit off the 85K cost of attendance). I MUCH prefer navigating MCPS, and paying for enrichment and tutors on the side, and then having the resources to fund any public or private university and grad school my kids are accepted into; than pay for private K-12 (even my favorite, Sidwell!), and be forced to curtail my children's college options.

If you can afford any education for K-12 and college, then great. Be warned that for STEM, only the very top privates will have the same level of course offerings as MCPS when you get to advanced middle and high school tracks. On the other hand, writing will probably be more emphasized in private school, because teachers have fewer students total and more time to give feedback on their writing. The current English curriculum in MCPS is abysmal. We supplemented with extra books, particularly classic literature, and writing tutors. Still dirt cheap compared to private school.

Thank you. We will try for magnet MS and/or HS so DS might not need or want to stay at private.

PP you replied to. So he's in MCPS now, you want to put him in a private school for 2-3 years, then maybe go back to MCPS? Socially, it means he will change cohorts several times (because he won't necessarily meet the same kids from his old elementary even if he attends an MCPS magnet). You might get pushback from your son on this when he's ensconced in his private. Indeed, I would suggest that once you start private, it's quite hard to get out of it.

Why don't you like the idea of the CES? It's a wonderful program because the teachers are special. They're probably gifted themselves, which is why they have such a blast teaching gifted kids. You're not going to get that in a private school.

[Anonymous]

Academically, the ranking goes like this, from best to worse:

1. MCPS magnets and CES.

2. Tippy top privates such as Sidwell, St Albans, NCS and reputable Bethesda and Potomac MCPS schools such as Walter Johnson and Walt Whitman.

3. Rest of privates and MCPS schools.

I think you're making a mistake, OP. You don't turn down the MCPS magnets for a second-tier private, ever. You might have an argument if your kid was at Sidwell or St Albans, but here, no.

[Anonymous]

My kid thrived at CES. It made the return to home MS very much a let down. They will be in a program in high school that I hope will reignite some of that energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CES is really not that great. Better than the home school, sure, but does not compare with private.

You have it backwards. Private does not compare with CES.
Hoping OP will free up the space?

One student in who knows what region will not move the waitlist needle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academically, the ranking goes like this, from best to worse:

1. MCPS magnets and CES.

2. Tippy top privates such as Sidwell, St Albans, NCS and reputable Bethesda and Potomac MCPS schools such as Walter Johnson and Walt Whitman.

3. Rest of privates and MCPS schools.

I think you're making a mistake, OP. You don't turn down the MCPS magnets for a second-tier private, ever. You might have an argument if your kid was at Sidwell or St Albans, but here, no.

You really can't compare area privates (parochial and independents) to MCPS. They are different. People are sending their kids to private school for different reasons than perceived rigor of MCPS magnet programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CES is really not that great. Better than the home school, sure, but does not compare with private.

You have it backwards. Private does not compare with CES.
Hoping OP will free up the space?

One student in who knows what region will not move the waitlist needle

It would be one step closer.