How is your child liking their new public school?

[Anonymous]

I agree that it is the teachers who take care of the Hannah Montana and bullying issues (which are probably more prevalent in private schools). But it is the principal who makes sure that good teachers are in place and are supported. Principal Gartrell got rid of the 3 bad teachers at Eaton last year so, thankfully, all of the teachers in place now are wonderful and well-equipped to deal with such issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is not much a principal can do about bullying???!!!

I think it's a question of degree. When a kid gets physically beaten up, the principal of our school gets involved. If it's taunting, this seems to be more of a teacher issue. Unless you raise it with the principal, perhaps.

[Anonymous]

There is a great talk coming up at the Suburban Hospital in Bethesda that relates to issues touched in this thread: "Too Sexy, Too Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood"
Is next Wednesday October 29th, if I am not wrong.
Check details at: http://www.suburbanhospital.org/Classes/FullClassList.aspx?cid=19

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Certainly, there is not much a principal can do about Hanna Montana or, bullying. These "micro-managing issues" concern to teachers and parents more than anything.

Wow. Bullying is a "micro-managing issue" ? Kids feeling safe in school is a basic right, perhaps the most basic schooling issue of all. Kids who don't feel safe at school can't learn. Kids who are bullies disrupt the educational environment. The principal sets the tone on these issues. Are you the same poster who speaks glowingly about Eaton, because if that's your perception of where a good principal's responsibility ends, that's certainly not the kind of school I want my kid to attend?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that it is the teachers who take care of the Hannah Montana and bullying issues (which are probably more prevalent in private schools). But it is the principal who makes sure that good teachers are in place and are supported. Principal Gartrell got rid of the 3 bad teachers at Eaton last year so, thankfully, all of the teachers in place now are wonderful and well-equipped to deal with such issues.

It is good principals who put in place and emphasize a school-wide social/behavioral curriculum that emphasizes inclusiveness and teaches kids explicitly what bullying is, why it is not allowed and how to respond to it appropriately as individuals and as a group of friends, and what the consequences will be. Eaton does not have any such curriculum. It mindlessly points to "responsive classroom," which as a classroom management method does not at all deal with bullying issues.

Many schools I have visited have explicit material posted in classrooms and hallways about bullying -- both the physical bullying that boys often do and the relational bullying that girls often engage in. And, discussions about bullying and being inclusive and how to make and treat friends are explicitly discussed during the school year.

BTW, I don't understand your statement that bullying issues "are probably more prevalent in private schools." First, I don't think there's any hard evidence to support that statement. Second, what difference does it make -- are you arguing that since there's probably more bullying in private school, the amount of bullying at Eaton is OK?

[Anonymous]

My third child is in 4th grade and I remember when she started K at Eaton. She seemed so worldly about pop culture because she has older siblings. A lot of the firstborns were put off by it -- just as my firstborn would have been ten years ago. I remember how worried I was when my eldest was exposed to TV shows and songs that I had not taught her at home. Now I just laugh, because my daughter is the one bringing it into the classroom and she's a fabulous student as well. All in all, I think the teachers do a good job of limiting that talk in the classroom, but they don't control the playground.

[Anonymous]

I'm not 9:43 but I've had kids in both public and private, and the bullying in private is at least as bad. Especially among boys who are jockeying among themselves for "top dog" position in the class, it can be not only verbal but physical as well. And my daughter ran into some very spoiled queen bees, where the parents weren't interested in disciplining the girls and the school wouldn't intervene effectively.

Our theory is that the private school can't effectively discipline these bullies because they risk losing the tuition/families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not 9:43 but I've had kids in both public and private, and the bullying in private is at least as bad. Especially among boys who are jockeying among themselves for "top dog" position in the class, it can be not only verbal but physical as well. And my daughter ran into some very spoiled queen bees, where the parents weren't interested in disciplining the girls and the school wouldn't intervene effectively.

Our theory is that the private school can't effectively discipline these bullies because they risk losing the tuition/families.

If that's the case then you were at the wrong private schools. At my top-notch private NYC school, no bullying was tolerated so there simply wasn't any.

[Anonymous]

9:13 again. As I mentioned, I also have kids in public school, in a MoCo magnet program.

The non-magnet kids resent the magnet kids -- probably with some reason, they perceive more resources are going to the magnet kids, there are socio-economic differences between the two groups of kids, et cetera. And, to be frank, the kid with big discipline and behavioral issues is not going to get the favorable teacher recs to get into the magnet program. So there have been several incidents of non-magnet kids physically beating up magnet kids, in our elementary school. It's sad, and my kid finds it threatening, even if I can sort of see where it's coming from.

[Anonymous]

Completely agree with PP. We switched from private to public part way through elem school and could not believe the difference in the ability of the teachers to handle bullying and queen bee issues. And agree with the reason re fear of losing tuition and donations.

BTW, to get back to the original point of the thread, my kids are loving their new public school and so are we!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If that's the case then you were at the wrong private schools. At my top-notch private NYC school, no bullying was tolerated so there simply wasn't any.

It's quite well regarded here. I don't want to name it because I really like the school for other aspects, such as academic.

[Anonymous]

Is anyone at Lafayette? We're looking at houses in that area and hopefully our child could start kindergarten there next year (he's in a private preschool this year).

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am a school counselor and EVERY school, public or private, should have a very public and definitive manner of dealing with physical, emotional, and cyber bullying. If there are children, there is bullying, no matter how much money you make, how well you raise your kids, how much TV they watch, etc. It is connected to hormones and development and cannot be avoided. BUT! It should not be tolerated and the better schools can prevent it with programs that promote empathy, communication, confidence building strategies, and responsibility. This ALL has to come down from the principal or it really does not get carried out effectively, especially when every teacher handles bullying differently. Inconsistency is BAD for kids. Just some thoughts...

[Anonymous]

To 14:41: Lafayette is a solid school but not quite at the level of Eaton and Key in terms of diversity, small class size, and the facility itself. It also has a few "open classrooms" and a trailer classroom, which isn't ideal. If you want to be in D.C., you're probably better off looking for houses in Palisades or Cleveland Park (south of Quebec Street). I would put Eaton, Key, and Mann (expensive area to live) at the top of the D.C. elementary school hierarchy followed by the group of Lafayette, Janney, Oyster, and Hyde.

[Anonymous]

My ranking would be a little different. It's a reminder to me about how many of our school opinions are based on gossip and boosterism.