Public School Forum

[Anonymous]

I do go into the public school forum, but for a different reason. I can't afford private high school, so I know my son will be transferring back to public at some point.

[Anonymous]

Getting your information about public schools from a complaint forum is like getting your information about relationships from Dear Abby. People only write in when they're unhappy. And there are 150,000 public school students in my county alone, so your sample size is by definition tiny.

Don't let your decisions be determined by fear of the unknown. Let them be determined by facts and practical realities (your community, your income, your children's preferences, your teachers' advice).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever go on there to read the posts? When you see the issues discussed there, does that reaffirm your commitment to private school?

I read posts on the public school board for my neighborhood's schools, partly because I am curious about the topics my friends and neighbors discuss, and partly because I am keeping an eye on things in case we ever need an alternative to my children's private school. Yes, many of the discussions there reinforce my decision to send my children to private schools, because my local public schools have significant problems not found in my children's private schools. No, I am not suggesting my children's private schools are perfect, but the types and tenor of problems are lots more manageable. No, I am not suggesting my local public schools are bad schools. In fact, they are quite good when compared to other public schools in the area. But nevertheless, they face significant difficulties. My family is very lucky to be able to afford to avoid those problems and to receive the benefits of private schools.

That's like deciding that the restaurant is terrible, after only reading the bad restaurant reviews. People don't typically post on DCUM about how everything is fine and there is nothing to complain about.

I disagree. What I see in the public school forums is roughly 4-in-5 posts are people complaining about their own kids' schools. In the private school forum, when someone is posting about her own school, 4-in-5 posts are positive. Most negative posts about private schools come from people bashing someone else's school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting your information about public schools from a complaint forum is like getting your information about relationships from Dear Abby. People only write in when they're unhappy. And there are 150,000 public school students in my county alone, so your sample size is by definition tiny.

Don't let your decisions be determined by fear of the unknown. Let them be determined by facts and practical realities (your community, your income, your children's preferences, your teachers' advice).

Why do you think the public school forum is just a "complaint forum"? It pretty much mirrors what I hear from my friends and neighbors whose children are at these same public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I disagree. What I see in the public school forums is roughly 4-in-5 posts are people complaining about their own kids' schools. In the private school forum, when someone is posting about her own school, 4-in-5 posts are positive. Most negative posts about private schools come from people bashing someone else's school.

Well, yes, if you're paying $40,000 a year to send your child to a school, of course you're going to post positive things.

Nonetheless, it would be a mistake to conclude that 4 out of 5 parents hate their kids' public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting your information about public schools from a complaint forum is like getting your information about relationships from Dear Abby. People only write in when they're unhappy. And there are 150,000 public school students in my county alone, so your sample size is by definition tiny.

Don't let your decisions be determined by fear of the unknown. Let them be determined by facts and practical realities (your community, your income, your children's preferences, your teachers' advice).

Why do you think the public school forum is just a "complaint forum"? It pretty much mirrors what I hear from my friends and neighbors whose children are at these same public schools.

Well, first of all, there is no "public school forum". There are, at minimum, five public school fora on DCUM: Maryland public schools, Prince George's County schools, Virginia public schools, AAP, and DC public schools.

Second of all, why do I think that they're complaint fora? Because mostly what people do on them -- or at least on the Maryland public schools forum -- is post complaints.

[Anonymous]

Op here. I am not well informed about publics in this area as I disclosed that I am not from this area so I am not as familiar with the various public options here. I am doing my research and I have to start somewhere. I am not just looking at the public school forum, but looking at other sources too. No one in our social circle or neighborhood sends their kids to public school. I have no local colleagues as I work for a company based out of California. Our zoned public elementary school in fairfax county got a 3 on that great schools site and we drive by it all the time, it has rows upon rows of trailers in which students have classes so I know at least at the elementary level we must do private. But the tuition doesn't make anyone else wonder? I can't be the only one. Admittedly, no school is perfect, but this is a high traffic site so it is for someone like me a place to start to get some insight on public schools in order to then find someone out there to dispel or confirm the reveiws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am not well informed about publics in this area as I disclosed that I am not from this area so I am not as familiar with the various public options here. I am doing my research and I have to start somewhere. I am not just looking at the public school forum, but looking at other sources too. No one in our social circle or neighborhood sends their kids to public school. I have no local colleagues as I work for a company based out of California. Our zoned public elementary school in fairfax county got a 3 on that great schools site and we drive by it all the time, it has rows upon rows of trailers in which students have classes so I know at least at the elementary level we must do private. But the tuition doesn't make anyone else wonder? I can't be the only one. Admittedly, no school is perfect, but this is a high traffic site so it is for someone like me a place to start to get some insight on public schools in order to then find someone out there to dispel or confirm the reveiws.

You are spending $40L/year to avoid trailers? Have you been in one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am not well informed about publics in this area as I disclosed that I am not from this area so I am not as familiar with the various public options here. I am doing my research and I have to start somewhere. I am not just looking at the public school forum, but looking at other sources too. No one in our social circle or neighborhood sends their kids to public school. I have no local colleagues as I work for a company based out of California. Our zoned public elementary school in fairfax county got a 3 on that great schools site and we drive by it all the time, it has rows upon rows of trailers in which students have classes so I know at least at the elementary level we must do private. But the tuition doesn't make anyone else wonder? I can't be the only one. Admittedly, no school is perfect, but this is a high traffic site so it is for someone like me a place to start to get some insight on public schools in order to then find someone out there to dispel or confirm the reveiws.

I know for a fact that it is possible for kids to go to school in trailers, because I have done so, my children have done so, and my children's father has done so.

So no, you don't have to do private because the school has trailers. You choose to do private because the school has trailers. It's not the choice I'd make, but it's your choice and your money.

[Anonymous]

There are some very defensive people posting here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am not well informed about publics in this area as I disclosed that I am not from this area so I am not as familiar with the various public options here. I am doing my research and I have to start somewhere. I am not just looking at the public school forum, but looking at other sources too. No one in our social circle or neighborhood sends their kids to public school. I have no local colleagues as I work for a company based out of California. Our zoned public elementary school in fairfax county got a 3 on that great schools site and we drive by it all the time, it has rows upon rows of trailers in which students have classes so I know at least at the elementary level we must do private. But the tuition doesn't make anyone else wonder? I can't be the only one. Admittedly, no school is perfect, but this is a high traffic site so it is for someone like me a place to start to get some insight on public schools in order to then find someone out there to dispel or confirm the reveiws.

You are spending $40L/year to avoid trailers? Have you been in one?

She said her school was a 3 out of 10 so that's reason enough there to attend private if you can afford it. Most people around here have a negative view of education that takes place in a trailer. When I moved here, the obnoxious partner at my law firm grilled me about when I said I was buying a house and then started listing the problems with the public school in the area. He specifically mentioned the trailers as a minus so I think it's an issue for many in this area. FWIW, I don't send my 1 kid to private because of trailers, I just do because we can afford it with one kid.

[Anonymous]

I have one in public and one in private, and it's not an issue. Like the PP, they don't know any differently, and also like the PP I have offered my public school kid a chance to just tour the private school and check it out but she refused. She's happy and thriving in public school, with good friends who share her interests.

Basically, I could force her to change, and what I'd be buying is a whole school full of kids like her. She's happy, though, to just have a really great group of friends who share her interests and a curriculum that's working for her so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

She said her school was a 3 out of 10 so that's reason enough there to attend private if you can afford it. Most people around here have a negative view of education that takes place in a trailer. When I moved here, the obnoxious partner at my law firm grilled me about when I said I was buying a house and then started listing the problems with the public school in the area. He specifically mentioned the trailers as a minus so I think it's an issue for many in this area. FWIW, I don't send my 1 kid to private because of trailers, I just do because we can afford it with one kid.

But I thought it's the good fit that's important, not the school's rating? Or at least that's what I've learned on the private school forum. And the Maryland public school forum makes it clear that a school with a 10 out of 10 GreatSchools rating can be not a good fit, while a school with a much later GreatSchools rating can be a very good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I disagree. What I see in the public school forums is roughly 4-in-5 posts are people complaining about their own kids' schools. In the private school forum, when someone is posting about her own school, 4-in-5 posts are positive. Most negative posts about private schools come from people bashing someone else's school.

Well, yes, if you're paying $40,000 a year to send your child to a school, of course you're going to post positive things.

Nonetheless, it would be a mistake to conclude that 4 out of 5 parents hate their kids' public schools.

I have one in public high school and one in private middle school and have found that parents whitewash their child's school no matter what they've chosen. Everyone wants to believe (and endeavors to project to others) that they've made the best possible decision for their children. The differences we've found are enormous and greatly favor the private school. It might not be $40,000 better for every family, but it's better in every way I can think of: curriculum, student behavior, skills development (critical thinking, writing, reading, research), foreign language, sciences, humanities, literature, general administration, teacher quality, homework (there's LOTS more of it in private school but it's also much more interesting and more useful). We've found them to be roughly equal in math education and in the extent and variety of preteen and teen social issues.

FWIW, we've found argumentative and/or snobby parents in both schools, and I don't think they affect my children's education so don't pay much attention. I also check both the DCPS and private school boards and find the parents equally catty, but about different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

She said her school was a 3 out of 10 so that's reason enough there to attend private if you can afford it. Most people around here have a negative view of education that takes place in a trailer. When I moved here, the obnoxious partner at my law firm grilled me about when I said I was buying a house and then started listing the problems with the public school in the area. He specifically mentioned the trailers as a minus so I think it's an issue for many in this area. FWIW, I don't send my 1 kid to private because of trailers, I just do because we can afford it with one kid.

But I thought it's the good fit that's important, not the school's rating? Or at least that's what I've learned on the private school forum. And the Maryland public school forum makes it clear that a school with a 10 out of 10 GreatSchools rating can be not a good fit, while a school with a much later GreatSchools rating can be a very good fit.

Thanks for clarifying. Excellent input.