Private schools are indefensible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually agree with the author (whom I know nothing about). Objectively schools, especially those strongly left leaning such as GDS and Sidwell ( and people have said on this board that Holton has swung aggressively in the same direction) are in fact a complete contradiction. They have aggressively embraced what I will describe as hyper-liberalism, and yet charge circa $50,000 per child, per year to attend school. This does not feel like the "equality" they espouse. Can anyone not see the inherent contradiction?

I agree with this. Most people are missing the point of the article. That private schools exist to perpetuate the elite class but also want credit for being progressive and in support of social justice. All she is saying is that these schools are hypocritical. The democrat parents at these schools should be honest about the part we all play in supporting a highly unequal system. We want the best for our kids at the expense of others. I had to laugh when she called Sidwell the Saks 5th Avenue of Quakerism. Spot on and my own kids go to Sidwell.

So if the only problem is hypocrisy (and talk about a stupid point to make), basically you’re ok going to these schools if you’re a Republican who doesn’t give a shit about the poor?

[Anonymous]

Against my better judgment, I'm going to throw in my two cents.

My profession is in advocating for better public schools. I am an URM. My child is White/URM. We send our child to private school. It was a hard decision. Honestly, I would much rather send my child to a "good public school."

Our DCPS is mediocre and with even more mediocre middle/high school options, the more affluent families are trying to lottery their way out or move when possible. We considered charter schools but you see this, too, though to a slightly lesser degree.

We highly valued choosing a school that would offer stability and a good education. We did not want to be stressing out every year about what to do.

We are not wealthy, but we have a high HHI by national standards (but not DC standards). We could move to a neighborhood zoned for a "good school." And we may. But honestly it will likely cost as much as sending our child to private school unless we move out to the suburbs.

We also valued diversity and genuine racial/ethnic integration. This is more difficult to come by in DC public schools. Absolutely, there isn't really any economic diversity in private schools. But this is true in some of the "good public schools," too.

I also graduated from a mediocre, Title I, majority minority public school. I think back at my school years fondly but I was very unprepared for college. I don't doubt that I'm projecting my own experience onto my kid and that that influenced our decision. Our child is growing up 1000x more privileged than the way I grew up.

I share this because I think there are many families like ours who send their child to private school in DC. There are a lot of considerations. Call me a hypocrite for being an advocate of public schools and sending my child to private. But until you've walked in my shoes...

[Anonymous]

I think there needs to be a place for giving the "intellectual elite" an advanced education at the same time we push for equity. Do we not want a vaccine developed quickly during the next pandemic? Do you not want the technology that is going to replace oil and coal? I don't know if it is this system we have now, but we do need a place to develop those future leaders if our society is going to be able to sustain this push for equity. Poor and suffering societies are not kind or equitable.

[Anonymous]

Can the author prove that shuttering these schools would in face bring about equity? They need to let us know their plan for after the elimination of all private schools. "Wow, Dalton is closed, voila, equity!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the author prove that shuttering these schools would in face bring about equity? They need to let us know their plan for after the elimination of all private schools. "Wow, Dalton is closed, voila, equity!"

The author doesn’t call for shuttering anything. Yes, the title of the article is heavy-handed and definitely clickbait, but The Atlantic has to compete in a messy internet landscape to make money. Surely you elite go-getters can understand that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there needs to be a place for giving the "intellectual elite" an advanced education at the same time we push for equity. Do we not want a vaccine developed quickly during the next pandemic? Do you not want the technology that is going to replace oil and coal? I don't know if it is this system we have now, but we do need a place to develop those future leaders if our society is going to be able to sustain this push for equity. Poor and suffering societies are not kind or equitable.

Are you assuming that intellectuals only come from private schools? That there are no bright, poor kids? Or bright ELL students? Sounds like this is what you’re saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Against my better judgment, I'm going to throw in my two cents.

My profession is in advocating for better public schools. I am an URM. My child is White/URM. We send our child to private school. It was a hard decision. Honestly, I would much rather send my child to a "good public school."

Our DCPS is mediocre and with even more mediocre middle/high school options, the more affluent families are trying to lottery their way out or move when possible. We considered charter schools but you see this, too, though to a slightly lesser degree.

We highly valued choosing a school that would offer stability and a good education. We did not want to be stressing out every year about what to do.

We are not wealthy, but we have a high HHI by national standards (but not DC standards). We could move to a neighborhood zoned for a "good school." And we may. But honestly it will likely cost as much as sending our child to private school unless we move out to the suburbs.

We also valued diversity and genuine racial/ethnic integration. This is more difficult to come by in DC public schools. Absolutely, there isn't really any economic diversity in private schools. But this is true in some of the "good public schools," too.

I also graduated from a mediocre, Title I, majority minority public school. I think back at my school years fondly but I was very unprepared for college. I don't doubt that I'm projecting my own experience onto my kid and that that influenced our decision. Our child is growing up 1000x more privileged than the way I grew up.

I share this because I think there are many families like ours who send their child to private school in DC. There are a lot of considerations. Call me a hypocrite for being an advocate of public schools and sending my child to private. But until you've walked in my shoes...

I don’t CARE if people send their kids to private or not, but one does not need to “walk in your shoes” to see that you are either a hypocrite or the WORST “advocate” for public schools imaginable...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there needs to be a place for giving the "intellectual elite" an advanced education at the same time we push for equity. Do we not want a vaccine developed quickly during the next pandemic? Do you not want the technology that is going to replace oil and coal? I don't know if it is this system we have now, but we do need a place to develop those future leaders if our society is going to be able to sustain this push for equity. Poor and suffering societies are not kind or equitable.

Haha, this post is a bunch of nonsense. For example, we already have the technology to replace oil and coal, we have had it for DECADES.... why don’t we use it? Does it have anything to do with the so-called “intellectually elite” (read: the wealthy)? Who profits from the status quo? Use that elite brain of yours...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If that’s the ultimate message, then the article does a terrible job conveying it. The article mocks private schools for 10 pages, and then tosses in a couple paragraphs at the end to say that all schools should be nice?

I think the true goal was to trash private schools, and to hide it behind a fig leaf of moral superiority.

The article reads as though an editor gave her feedback to incorporate and she added it at the end without much thought, rather than redrafting her piece.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there needs to be a place for giving the "intellectual elite" an advanced education at the same time we push for equity. Do we not want a vaccine developed quickly during the next pandemic? Do you not want the technology that is going to replace oil and coal? I don't know if it is this system we have now, but we do need a place to develop those future leaders if our society is going to be able to sustain this push for equity. Poor and suffering societies are not kind or equitable.

Haha, this post is a bunch of nonsense. For example, we already have the technology to replace oil and coal, we have had it for DECADES.... why don’t we use it? Does it have anything to do with the so-called “intellectually elite” (read: the wealthy)? Who profits from the status quo? Use that elite brain of yours...

But...but... to paraphrase a PP from many pages back, they just want to use their amazing educations to go out and do good in the world! How on earth else will these sheltered kids learn to be decent human beings if not by paying for it?

[Anonymous]

Private school parents should feel uncomfortable about the two tiers of education we are supporting. It is intellectually dishonest to act like we are trying to do anything but give our kids a leg up on the backs of others. Some people shrug and say so what - that’s life and I think that is at least reasonably honest. But to act morally superior because you decided to send your kids to GDS over a more conservative private school is reprehensible. Democrats are in many ways no different than Republicans. Everyone on top wants to preserve the status quo and why wouldn’t they. All she is doing is throwing the curtains open and I think these are uncomfortable truths we all need to face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private school parents should feel uncomfortable about the two tiers of education we are supporting. It is intellectually dishonest to act like we are trying to do anything but give our kids a leg up on the backs of others. Some people shrug and say so what - that’s life and I think that is at least reasonably honest. But to act morally superior because you decided to send your kids to GDS over a more conservative private school is reprehensible. Democrats are in many ways no different than Republicans. Everyone on top wants to preserve the status quo and why wouldn’t they. All she is doing is throwing the curtains open and I think these are uncomfortable truths we all need to face.

EVERYONE should feel uncomfortable about the varying tiers of education--even in public schools. Are the JKLM parents uncomfortable about the two tiers of public schools in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private school parents should feel uncomfortable about the two tiers of education we are supporting. It is intellectually dishonest to act like we are trying to do anything but give our kids a leg up on the backs of others. Some people shrug and say so what - that’s life and I think that is at least reasonably honest. But to act morally superior because you decided to send your kids to GDS over a more conservative private school is reprehensible. Democrats are in many ways no different than Republicans. Everyone on top wants to preserve the status quo and why wouldn’t they. All she is doing is throwing the curtains open and I think these are uncomfortable truths we all need to face.

Speaking as one of the many parents whose kids have benefitted from financial aid at private schools, I’ll say this: we need to focus on improving public schools. Our local DMV public disappointed me on so many levels. No discipline for misbehaving kids, and no desire to improve upon incorrect or outdated teaching materials. School leadership has passionately embraced all of the broader community service missions attached to the school, but has not embraced intellectualism or the pursuit of excellence with the same fervor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private school parents should feel uncomfortable about the two tiers of education we are supporting. It is intellectually dishonest to act like we are trying to do anything but give our kids a leg up on the backs of others. Some people shrug and say so what - that’s life and I think that is at least reasonably honest. But to act morally superior because you decided to send your kids to GDS over a more conservative private school is reprehensible. Democrats are in many ways no different than Republicans. Everyone on top wants to preserve the status quo and why wouldn’t they. All she is doing is throwing the curtains open and I think these are uncomfortable truths we all need to face.

How is it more honest to move out to a pricey suburb with high-quality schools? Please explain.

[Anonymous]

It is predictively tiresome to see Caitlin "I'm going to write articles trashing WOHMs for employing nannies while I am a full-time SAHM employing a full-time nanny" Flanagan writing breathy, exaggerated articles about how people other than her are hypocrites.