Oh God, should I be sending my kid to private school or DCPS?????

[Anonymous]

If you care about the quality of curriculum, then I wouldn't recommend DCPS. The DC standards are weak (Note: the standards aren't much better in MoCo public schools either).

The charters may offer some alternatives, but be careful, because many of them are very unstable. Also watch out for the revolving-door turnover of faculty and administrators. Charters in DC are also required to take the DC-CAS, which are based on the DC standards, so you may not be able to escape from a mediocre curriculum and test prep at charters.

If you decide to go private, some of the best values are Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. Just wanted you to know that you are not the only one who wakes up and night and seriously questions our decision to go private. It was hardest the summer before DC started K, his first year in private. He is now getting ready to start 2nd and I still get a little cranky around the time we make that final payment for the next year. Seriously, I would be worried about anyone who didn't give some serious reflection to spending such a large amount of money on anything! But I suspect that when you have the pleasure of watching your child grow, thrive, and truly enjoy school and learning, your joy will more than compensate for your understandable financial worry. At least I hope that is how it will be for you. And if it isn't, then you are not committed to repeat the decision next year. So best wishes to you and your family as you start the exciting school years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you care about the quality of curriculum, then I wouldn't recommend DCPS. The DC standards are weak (Note: the standards aren't much better in MoCo public schools either).

The charters may offer some alternatives, but be careful, because many of them are very unstable. Also watch out for the revolving-door turnover of faculty and administrators. Charters in DC are also required to take the DC-CAS, which are based on the DC standards, so you may not be able to escape from a mediocre curriculum and test prep at charters.

If you decide to go private, some of the best values are Catholic schools.

Strange, I have actually read many places that DC standards are quite high. The execution clearly leaves much to be desired at many but not all schools.

If you have contrary information, please share with specifics. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you care about the quality of curriculum, then I wouldn't recommend DCPS. The DC standards are weak (Note: the standards aren't much better in MoCo public schools either).

The charters may offer some alternatives, but be careful, because many of them are very unstable. Also watch out for the revolving-door turnover of faculty and administrators. Charters in DC are also required to take the DC-CAS, which are based on the DC standards, so you may not be able to escape from a mediocre curriculum and test prep at charters.

If you decide to go private, some of the best values are Catholic schools.

Strange, I have actually read many places that DC standards are quite high. The execution clearly leaves much to be desired at many but not all schools.

If you have contrary information, please share with specifics. Thanks.

I've heard the same. Aren't they actually based on Massachusetts standards? One of the highest in the country?

[Anonymous]

OP, I SHARE YOUR PAIN/FEARS. Our first private school payment is due TOMORROW then we are stuck for the year!!!! And I am second-guessing our decision. We are actually in MoCo, but zoned for an overcrowed (average 28 in class) school. We considered moving to one of the two (yeah, only two) school districts where class sizes average around 20, sometimes less--that is, other than the Title I schools that have mandatory class limits. As you can see, class size is one of our issues, and would be for our son who shuts down in very large groups.

Due to our deadline, we are going to 'suck it up', and pray that our son will receive a better quality education, start his school years off in a relaxed, non overly tested, small arts-based school environment where there are 16 students and two teachers to offer him whatever support he may need. He will not be referred to with a student number, and will hopefully learn that school isn't just about sitting in desks for long periods and writing, when you are just five.

Like us, try it for one year. If it's not worth it, there is always next year. (So I keep assuring myself


PS--whomever posted that MCPS has a weak curriculum, have you viewed it in writing? I have it in its entirety for K-2, and it's pretty strenuous IMO. Don't know how it plays out in practice, but it impressed me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you care about the quality of curriculum, then I wouldn't recommend DCPS. The DC standards are weak (Note: the standards aren't much better in MoCo public schools either).

The charters may offer some alternatives, but be careful, because many of them are very unstable. Also watch out for the revolving-door turnover of faculty and administrators. Charters in DC are also required to take the DC-CAS, which are based on the DC standards, so you may not be able to escape from a mediocre curriculum and test prep at charters.

If you decide to go private, some of the best values are Catholic schools.

But the academics at Catholic schools are generally poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you care about the quality of curriculum, then I wouldn't recommend DCPS. The DC standards are weak (Note: the standards aren't much better in MoCo public schools either).

The charters may offer some alternatives, but be careful, because many of them are very unstable. Also watch out for the revolving-door turnover of faculty and administrators. Charters in DC are also required to take the DC-CAS, which are based on the DC standards, so you may not be able to escape from a mediocre curriculum and test prep at charters.

If you decide to go private, some of the best values are Catholic schools.

But the academics at Catholic schools are generally poor.

I just don't like the HUGE class sizes of Catholic school. I guess parents feel anything is 'better' than public, and the tuition at Catholics are normally lower--

[Anonymous]

We live a Spring Valley and could go to Horace Mann but decided to send our DD to a private school. HM is a fine school, but we are just not comfortable with all the headlines about DCPS budget problems, the fact that teachers seem to be overworked, the fact that the ground and facilities cannot be compared with top private schools, and the possibility that students have to stay in those PORTABLE boxes. The deal-breaker was when we went to an OH at HM, the principle proudly said she was doing a very succssful funding drive to ........ BUY PENCILS AND PAPERS for students.

That being said, all my neighbors who send their kids to HM are happy. So maybe we are just paranoid. Well, we just don't want to take any chances, so we fork over $25k every year to a private school.

[Anonymous]

maybe not

[Anonymous]

OP here....thanks for all the support and viewpoints! There are some strenuous supporters of DCPS on these boards and was worried about getting bashed...

I think this is one of many decisions I will be making on my path of parenthood where I have to listen to my gut and follow that. So hard to do that in this city. So hard.

And we seriously thought of moving to MoCo due to the fact we are LESS THAN A MILE AWAY. And while many of the problems go away, many remain for me (testing, standards, large classrooms, etc)

Well, thanks everyone,and good luck this fall!