Want to Hear from Parents Who Live In Excellent Public School Districts But Chose Private Instead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would I pay money for an inferior product? Public schools dominate the math, science and tech necessary for tomorrow.

I'm hardly in the "private is clearly better" crowd, but you have no proof for this statement.

Just take a look at the Intel scholars and any other math and science winners. The vast majority are from public schools.
Here is this year intel/Regeneron scholars. Only one from a private school in the DC area.
https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts-2018-scholars

As many may have already stated (haven't read through the posts), unless your DC is extremely gifted or one who has a serious special need, he or she will likely fly under the radar in public school. The majority of students do not have the ability to excel like those in the link, including my DS, who is very bright but not a superstar student. His private school gives him the ability to shine in other ways, not to mention the smaller class sizes, religious education, and network for life. These are things that can never be offered in a public school environment.

Also forgot to mention one reason public school students are majority is a sheer numbers game. You are pitting a much larger population against a very small group of students comparing public vs private.

Agree. I just looked at the list quickly Not that many form TJ for all of the hoopla around that school (I saw 3, there may be more). Compare that the the Harker School in San Jose (a private school). It had more. I also saw plenty of other private schools. First, this is only one list and second, I think the maybe DC private schools do not focus as much on stem as, say, the Silicon Valley private schools. If you did a national comparison, comparing the relative numbers at those schools, I would imagine private stacks up nicely.

Nope, private schools do not stack up nicely against public schools when it comes to math, science and technology.
The Harker School has 4, TJ has 7.
Some other privates have 1 or two, but the majority are from the public schools. Many from MD public schools : Blair (11), Centennial, Poolesville, Whitman, Churchill etc..
It’s a known fact that public schools dominate the STEM field.

I don't know if I can make nation-wide statements, but I'm grappling with this issue on a personal level right now. I have a middle schooler who is a good athlete and is attracted to the better sports programs at a couple of our local well-regarded privates. And on this issue it's true, there is simply no comparing the athletic facilities and athletics program between the privates and the local public.

He's also very good in math. We've looked at examples of the math/science curriculum from the schools we're considering and hands down they're easier and less comprehensive than what his comparative curriculum would be at the public school. From just his advanced math class in public middle school, he'd possibly test into at least sophomore level math at the private schools. (He would not skip a math level going into the local public high school.) Also, my impression is that the private math programs have a lot more hand-holding. He gets very little hand-holding in his public middle school; he is expected to manage his own homework and grades, and those classes are competive. In addition to the weaker curriculum, I worry that he'll lose the self-sufficiency he's had from public.

We are not sure we can justify what appears to be a step down in STEM education in exchange for a great athletics program.

Maybe I'll start my own thread to get opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would I pay money for an inferior product? Public schools dominate the math, science and tech necessary for tomorrow.

I'm hardly in the "private is clearly better" crowd, but you have no proof for this statement.

Just take a look at the Intel scholars and any other math and science winners. The vast majority are from public schools.
Here is this year intel/Regeneron scholars. Only one from a private school in the DC area.
https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts-2018-scholars

As many may have already stated (haven't read through the posts), unless your DC is extremely gifted or one who has a serious special need, he or she will likely fly under the radar in public school. The majority of students do not have the ability to excel like those in the link, including my DS, who is very bright but not a superstar student. His private school gives him the ability to shine in other ways, not to mention the smaller class sizes, religious education, and network for life. These are things that can never be offered in a public school environment.

Also forgot to mention one reason public school students are majority is a sheer numbers game. You are pitting a much larger population against a very small group of students comparing public vs private.

Agree. I just looked at the list quickly Not that many form TJ for all of the hoopla around that school (I saw 3, there may be more). Compare that the the Harker School in San Jose (a private school). It had more. I also saw plenty of other private schools. First, this is only one list and second, I think the maybe DC private schools do not focus as much on stem as, say, the Silicon Valley private schools. If you did a national comparison, comparing the relative numbers at those schools, I would imagine private stacks up nicely.

Nope, private schools do not stack up nicely against public schools when it comes to math, science and technology.
The Harker School has 4, TJ has 7.
Some other privates have 1 or two, but the majority are from the public schools. Many from MD public schools : Blair (11), Centennial, Poolesville, Whitman, Churchill etc..
It’s a known fact that public schools dominate the STEM field.

Dp, if you are so interested in stem, you surely realize that to have a meaningful comparison, one would need to look at what percentage of the overall private school students population place at top competitions vs. what percentage of overall public school school student population. Given that the demoninator for the later is so much larger, the argument you are currently making is ridiculous.

There is nothing ridiculous about the fact that public schools dominate the STEM field.
There are a few private schools that are indeed great in STEM (Harker for example, none in the DC area ),but in general, public schools dominate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would I pay money for an inferior product? Public schools dominate the math, science and tech necessary for tomorrow.

I'm hardly in the "private is clearly better" crowd, but you have no proof for this statement.

Just take a look at the Intel scholars and any other math and science winners. The vast majority are from public schools.
Here is this year intel/Regeneron scholars. Only one from a private school in the DC area.
https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts-2018-scholars

As many may have already stated (haven't read through the posts), unless your DC is extremely gifted or one who has a serious special need, he or she will likely fly under the radar in public school. The majority of students do not have the ability to excel like those in the link, including my DS, who is very bright but not a superstar student. His private school gives him the ability to shine in other ways, not to mention the smaller class sizes, religious education, and network for life. These are things that can never be offered in a public school environment.

Also forgot to mention one reason public school students are majority is a sheer numbers game. You are pitting a much larger population against a very small group of students comparing public vs private.

Agree. I just looked at the list quickly Not that many form TJ for all of the hoopla around that school (I saw 3, there may be more). Compare that the the Harker School in San Jose (a private school). It had more. I also saw plenty of other private schools. First, this is only one list and second, I think the maybe DC private schools do not focus as much on stem as, say, the Silicon Valley private schools. If you did a national comparison, comparing the relative numbers at those schools, I would imagine private stacks up nicely.

Nope, private schools do not stack up nicely against public schools when it comes to math, science and technology.
The Harker School has 4, TJ has 7.
Some other privates have 1 or two, but the majority are from the public schools. Many from MD public schools : Blair (11), Centennial, Poolesville, Whitman, Churchill etc..
It’s a known fact that public schools dominate the STEM field.

Dp, if you are so interested in stem, you surely realize that to have a meaningful comparison, one would need to look at what percentage of the overall private school students population place at top competitions vs. what percentage of overall public school school student population. Given that the demoninator for the later is so much larger, the argument you are currently making is ridiculous.

There is nothing ridiculous about the fact that public schools dominate the STEM field.
There are a few private schools that are indeed great in STEM (Harker for example, none in the DC area ),but in general, public schools dominate.

STEM parents excel at rationalization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would I pay money for an inferior product? Public schools dominate the math, science and tech necessary for tomorrow.

I'm hardly in the "private is clearly better" crowd, but you have no proof for this statement.

Just take a look at the Intel scholars and any other math and science winners. The vast majority are from public schools.
Here is this year intel/Regeneron scholars. Only one from a private school in the DC area.
https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts-2018-scholars

As many may have already stated (haven't read through the posts), unless your DC is extremely gifted or one who has a serious special need, he or she will likely fly under the radar in public school. The majority of students do not have the ability to excel like those in the link, including my DS, who is very bright but not a superstar student. His private school gives him the ability to shine in other ways, not to mention the smaller class sizes, religious education, and network for life. These are things that can never be offered in a public school environment.

Also forgot to mention one reason public school students are majority is a sheer numbers game. You are pitting a much larger population against a very small group of students comparing public vs private.

Agree. I just looked at the list quickly Not that many form TJ for all of the hoopla around that school (I saw 3, there may be more). Compare that the the Harker School in San Jose (a private school). It had more. I also saw plenty of other private schools. First, this is only one list and second, I think the maybe DC private schools do not focus as much on stem as, say, the Silicon Valley private schools. If you did a national comparison, comparing the relative numbers at those schools, I would imagine private stacks up nicely.

Nope, private schools do not stack up nicely against public schools when it comes to math, science and technology.
The Harker School has 4, TJ has 7.
Some other privates have 1 or two, but the majority are from the public schools. Many from MD public schools : Blair (11), Centennial, Poolesville, Whitman, Churchill etc..
It’s a known fact that public schools dominate the STEM field.

I don't know if I can make nation-wide statements, but I'm grappling with this issue on a personal level right now. I have a middle schooler who is a good athlete and is attracted to the better sports programs at a couple of our local well-regarded privates. And on this issue it's true, there is simply no comparing the athletic facilities and athletics program between the privates and the local public.

He's also very good in math. We've looked at examples of the math/science curriculum from the schools we're considering and hands down they're easier and less comprehensive than what his comparative curriculum would be at the public school. From just his advanced math class in public middle school, he'd possibly test into at least sophomore level math at the private schools. (He would not skip a math level going into the local public high school.) Also, my impression is that the private math programs have a lot more hand-holding. He gets very little hand-holding in his public middle school; he is expected to manage his own homework and grades, and those classes are competive. In addition to the weaker curriculum, I worry that he'll lose the self-sufficiency he's had from public.

We are not sure we can justify what appears to be a step down in STEM education in exchange for a great athletics program.

Maybe I'll start my own thread to get opinions.

We were in a similar situation. Our DC finished public middle school with a 117 average in an advanced math class. DC placed in the mid-level math class for 9th grade at private. We assumed DC would skip a grade based on feedback from middle school teachers and SSAT scores. You never really know until the placement test results. DC is doing well and feels challenged by the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

I have just learned that the top kids of our public school all have outside private math enrichment through tutoring or prep-school. So I am not sure whether it is that public schools have stronger STEM instruction or it is that public school parents supplement to make sure that their kids have that competitive edge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not many kids in the DC area are actually enrolled in TJ.

This is a significant point. It is true that for the money some DCUM parents spend on private school, they might move into one of the coveted school districts. Or if their kids can test + interview into a top private school, they might also place into a specialized high school program.

The rub for me is that this describes maybe 10 percent of students. Families get embedded in communities where the school is okay, but not top-notch, or they have good kids who are not testing into the gifted programs available in the public system.

Our family is embedded in a city neighborhood zoned for schools with a high-poverty population, with motivated but not unusual children, so we're always trying to balance staying or leaving, and the best way to develop our particular children so that they will be successful in college and life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you read through these responses, you see a lot of "we were afraid" of one thing or another about public school. Afraid of class size, afraid of mediocrity, "getting lost in the shuffle," etc. Private schools have built a business model around calming those anxieties, saying just why parents want to hear, giving lots of reassurance and lots of individual attention. And I'm not saying that's wrong. It works for many families, and it calms their anxieties.

But be aware of the new and different anxieties you and your child may encounter as well: the worry of financial strain, not fitting in with the cliques in the new school, not measuring up athletically or academically, being self-conscious of not being wealthy enough, being asked to get tutors and psychological testing for not measuring up to expectations, and this last one isn't an anxiety but a risk: of becoming entitled.

I have been a student and a staff member in both public and private schools and these are just my thoughts. Private schools can look like a great relief from parental anxiety but there are many anxieties hidden under the surface too.

I really think it depends on the school - public or private.
Many, many kids at the W schools in mcps have many of the anxieties in the bolded part. It's the norm at some schools for kids to have the tutors, the wealth is as great or greater than many privates and there is surprisingly less diversity. I think the really affluent publics are even worse for anxiety than many privates. Parents (and kids) have disposable income and since they aren't spending it on private school are spending it on tutors, coaches, sports camps and so forth. Sports are definitely more competitive and harder for the "average" kid to participate in at school at the larger "good" public schools. Additionally, many privates spend time/money on the social emotional education and activities that help combat some of the anxieties, whereas the public schools don't.

Again, this is not ALL privates or ALL publics, but I do have recent experience with more than one of each.