Is private school REALLY different than public school??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

you are joking, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is not a reason to pay for private school.

[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.

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.

In DC, the public school classes are smaller than that, as is the actual student teacher ratio. Even in an off year where a class gets over 25, the schools make arrangements to keep the ratio low.

[Anonymous]

I don't know how your kid mingling with some of the dregs of society helps "build character" or whatever DCPS parents try to spin. DCPS parents bend over backwards to rationalize their choice but if they had the dough we all know their kids would be in privates. If you have the means there is no more fulfilling way to spend your money than a quality private education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

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.

In DC, the public school classes are smaller than that, as is the actual student teacher ratio. Even in an off year where a class gets over 25, the schools make arrangements to keep the ratio low.

DCPS is a hot mess from Anacostia High to Walls!

[Anonymous]

which ones are the Big 3?
sorry, I'm new around this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know how your kid mingling with some of the dregs of society helps "build character" or whatever DCPS parents try to spin. DCPS parents bend over backwards to rationalize their choice but if they had the dough we all know their kids would be in privates. If you have the means there is no more fulfilling way to spend your money than a quality private education.

Dregs of society? Looks like you could do with some character-building yourself.

PS. Don't come back here crying when your kid's rich private school classmate sells him coke.

[Anonymous]

He went to Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Yes it is.

[Anonymous]

Yes op it is different for so many reasons like smaller class size, curriculum, better resources, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know how your kid mingling with some of the dregs of society helps "build character" or whatever DCPS parents try to spin. DCPS parents bend over backwards to rationalize their choice but if they had the dough we all know their kids would be in privates. If you have the means there is no more fulfilling way to spend your money than a quality private education.

Dregs of society? Looks like you could do with some character-building yourself.

PS. Don't come back here crying when your kid's rich private school classmate sells him coke.

Ok so dregs of society was a bit harsh, but the poster overall makes a valid point. I've seen the public school kids and their parents in our neighborhood. They lack manners and aren't very intellectual. Some even have the means to afford private, but prefer to spend money on their cars, clothes, or home. Education is not priority for these people. If you have to ask what's the difference, I'm sorry you're too obtuse to see it with your own eyes.

[Anonymous]

No DCPS schools that are half way decent have small class sizes. The good ones like Horace Mann, Key, Janney, Deal, Murch, etc... are ALL way overcrowded. And, while some kids can and do get a decent education at Wilson, that school is busting at the seams.

[Anonymous]

Private: Uniforms, spoiled kids, higher HHI with often a single earner and a SAH parent; club sports, travel lacrosse participation; travel (any sport) participation; big trips for most breaks; kids not as quick to grow up (girls don't wear makeup or questionable clothing); lack of socioeconomic and racial diversity, with the exception of children of Asian MDs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private: Uniforms, spoiled kids, higher HHI with often a single earner and a SAH parent; club sports, travel lacrosse participation; travel (any sport) participation; big trips for most breaks; kids not as quick to grow up (girls don't wear makeup or questionable clothing); lack of socioeconomic and racial diversity, with the exception of children of Asian MDs.

So untrue. Most privates have far more socioeconomic diversity than "the best publics" because they have a substantial percentage of kids on financial aid.
Yes, the rest is true but it is not everyone!

[Anonymous]

Not only is my kid's private way more diverse than our public, there is much greater diversity among the teachers as well. My kids were never taught by an African American teacher until we moved to private.