Is private school REALLY different than public school??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Just my two cents - my son with severe ADHD and slow processing speed was much better off with an IEP in public school than in private.

Yes, because you are likely consuming 2x the resources of an average student. Good deal for you I suppose

[Anonymous]

For us private school is more than worth it, but we happen to love our school. I don't think another school would be worth it to me.

[Anonymous]

My kids don't even take ERBs every year.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am a longtime primary grade teacher in MCPS and I am looking for a "different" experience for my son for kindergarten next year. Different meaning something more developmentally appropriate--more play, maybe rest/quiet time for a few minutes in the afternoon, less "rigor". I LOVE my job, but just know that if I can afford it, I'd like something different for my kids. (Do I wish that I could change the system for all the kids in public school? Sure! But nobody is asking me what I think!)

So...are private schools any different in the younger grades? Or is there a lot of academic push there too? We are definitely planning to do the open houses this fall but just curious what the general thought about it is here.

Yes definitely different. One major way is the studio to teacher ratio. Many public schools have 30 children with one teacher. Privates have a lower ratio and can break up into groups. Public school has a much larger range generally speaking of academic abilities and behavioral abilities and this makes it challenging at times to teach. Not saying these are not at privates but not nearly as many students falling into this category. Many other differences I can't elaborate on.

Where is this true?

Most public schools have close to 30 kids per class after 2nd grade; some high school classes exceed that number.

Not around here.

Definitely true in MCPS, especially in the "highly sought after" Bethesda clusters that are very over crowded. Aides are nonexistent, student teacher ratios are horrible, and with all the other obligations and needs teachers must meet, it's tough in a classroom for the younger kids. Many are leaving simply because of the class sizes right now.

Just like the Groucho Marx quote about the restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded!"

[Anonymous]

Our kids were in public school. We left 6 years ago to enroll at the Washington Waldorf school. Lots of recess, kinetic learning, outdoor education, movement, handwork. We're very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our kids were in public school. We left 6 years ago to enroll at the Washington Waldorf school. Lots of recess, kinetic learning, outdoor education, movement, handwork. We're very happy.

Shouldn't you get off the internet?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you are old money then you prob live in an area that has a highly rated public school. I think the best publics are better than some of the privates in other areas. I find these boards to be the haves talking about the have mores. The reason my kids are at a Big 3 is because I grew up in an area where the public is rated a 1. I didn't even realize public schools could be so affluent. If I had known I would have been fine sending them to public but since we got into private and I can now afford it then it's a mute point. I hope I'm getting something more for my money than just a class of entitled kids. Our kids love school and they are doing well. That's all I can ask for. But if we had to stress over the tuition then I think public in Moco is fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who were born upper middle or above who love public are Jewish people who like the idea of public.

16:22 here. This just proves that you don't know many old money types, besides maybe the handful in your private school. I mentioned that my family is old money--names on plaques for things they donated (not going to put myself by saying what)--and my kids went to public high school after private elementary. Pre-Mayflower WASP.

Here's my definition of "nouveau riche": among other things, likes to pontificate online about how rich people think public school is "horrid."

Meh, I went to one of the best public achools in the country in a town that is home to a big 3 Ivy. Today's public schools are nothing like what they were a decade or two before no child left behind, etc. . . Teacher's have no choice but to teach to the bevy of tests forced upon kids today, and because of the county system, even schools in the wealthiest areas have about a third of the "specials" they had a few decades ago. Not arguing with the funding system, the Title 1 schools deserve the most resources.

Public schools are not what they were, even in affluent areas. No one wants to say anything because school quality and property values are so closely linked. The FCPS of today is nothing like it was 15 or 20 years ago. And it's not testing or Title 1 - it's the burden of immigration and ESOL.

Test anxiety has invaded private schools too. In private my kids had to do ERBs every year, and several days were usually lost to this. When the results came out there was always anxiety about how your kid did relative to the school, and how the school did relative to various national peer groups. Parents whose kids did worse than the rest of the class blamed the teachers for not paying enough attention to their snowflake--that was a real thing at our school. There was pride in the school's performance--and a determination to keep performance up. I strongly suspect there was at least some teaching to the ERBs.

In public there are also tests every spring. These waste several days and are accompanied by silliness like rallies. However, if your kid is in a challenging program or even a magnet, there's no teaching to the test necessary. Teaching to the test plagues kids in the honors (honors isn't what it used to be) and regular classes. The one area where there really is a lot of testing in public is the APs. Public school kids tend to take many more APs than private school kids (more APs are offered and public school kids applying to competitive colleges feel a need to prove that A in Chem was earned and not a fluke of easy grading). The AP classes are most definitely taught to the test, and that can restrict teachers' latitude.

And to the PP who doesn't give a sh!t: I put how my ancestors got here in response to the near-anti-Semitism in the post immediately before mine.

Is this a school in the DMV? Have never heard of this here.

[Anonymous]

For me, we had such crappy public schools that the education was worth it. Being snubbed by all the rich snobby kids (no alums) to this day, not so much.

[Anonymous]

From reading these forums and talking to my neighbors, private school seems very different from public school. Some of it seems lovely but it isn't for us.

[Anonymous]

Private is different, but maybe not for the reasons people expect. I've had children in MCPS and in a k-12 independent school. IMO, the academics at MCPS high school are as good as or better than at the private. At the elementary and middle school level I'd choose the private over public because of smaller classes, more individualized attention, more emphasis on developing the whole child as opposed to testing achievement, and an overall nicer, more positive environment. At the high school level, I'd say the biggest differences were more subtle. My MCPS high schooler wishes the school day had more time built in for seeing teachers, starting homework, and for extracurriculars, assemblies, and special programs. These things were a highlight of her older siblings' private school experience. It made things a bit less stressful. Still, private has its own stress -- social pressure to keep up with the rich kids and dealing with the hefty tuition are two that come to mind.

[Anonymous]

Get your child into private early rather than later. Honestly the private school lifer crowd has deep friendships that make it hard to penetrate past teens. A lot of private school students are best friends from primary school through adulthood and it's not surprising for most of the best men to be friends from primary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a longtime primary grade teacher in MCPS and I am looking for a "different" experience for my son for kindergarten next year. Different meaning something more developmentally appropriate--more play, maybe rest/quiet time for a few minutes in the afternoon, less "rigor". I LOVE my job, but just know that if I can afford it, I'd like something different for my kids. (Do I wish that I could change the system for all the kids in public school? Sure! But nobody is asking me what I think!)

So...are private schools any different in the younger grades? Or is there a lot of academic push there too? We are definitely planning to do the open houses this fall but just curious what the general thought about it is here.

Yes definitely different. One major way is the studio to teacher ratio. Many public schools have 30 children with one teacher. Privates have a lower ratio and can break up into groups. Public school has a much larger range generally speaking of academic abilities and behavioral abilities and this makes it challenging at times to teach. Not saying these are not at privates but not nearly as many students falling into this category. Many other differences I can't elaborate on.

Where is this true?

Most public schools have close to 30 kids per class after 2nd grade; some high school classes exceed that number.

Not around here.

Yes, around here. I'm a FCPS teacher and I routinely have 30+ students in my classes. The numbers look different because we often have a "coteacher"" who is actually a resource teacher managing the insane numbers of IEPs. But those people aren't really co-teaching. They are handling paperwork. So maybe it looks like a 17-1 student teacher ratio, but I am responsible for all 34 of my students.

[Anonymous]

My DS transferred to A big 3 from a MCPS magnet. His high school experience was amazing. He learned a lot about himself and the world. The classes were difficult and sometimes stressful but he says it was worth it and he is very happy to have had such a wonderful academic experience and all the opportunities to travel with his teachers etc. that his private provided. He had very close relationships with several of his teachers. He is now at an excellent college and is finding that he is much better prepared than many of his classmates.

[Anonymous]

YES!! in the dc metropolitan area it is WAY WORSE for your child's emotional stamina and confidence than public school, where point for point DCPS kids gain acceptance to equal if not more prestigious colleges and universities. Spare the kids the pain and spare yourselves the $$$. Go public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS transferred to A big 3 from a MCPS magnet. His high school experience was amazing. He learned a lot about himself and the world. The classes were difficult and sometimes stressful but he says it was worth it and he is very happy to have had such a wonderful academic experience and all the opportunities to travel with his teachers etc. that his private provided. He had very close relationships with several of his teachers. He is now at an excellent college and is finding that he is much better prepared than many of his classmates.

Where did he go?