Did anyone switch from private to public?

[Anonymous]

Really struggling with where to send our DS for kindergarten. Not sure if we should start him out with private or public school.

If you switched from private to public, what were the pros and cons?

I'd also be interested in experiences of switching from public to private but this may be the wrong forum for that.

[Anonymous]

Just based on a few people I know and what I can imagine the pressures would be.... I think it is not a big deal to switch from public to private. A few kids here and there will switch and most of the other parents who hear of it are a little jealous, but generally supportive of the switching to private family, and still mostly happy with sending their own kids to public. However, the people I know who are in private and contemplating switching to public probably feel more pressure to stay in their private school b/c they've been drinking the cool-aid and it's a little embarassing to admit you're going to send your kids to public when everyone you know is going to the private school. The pressure is there to "stay the course" with the private school. You don't have this with public school kids switching to private.

[Anonymous]

I did it. We were definitely pressured to stay at the private school, but I really felt that it wasn't going well and it wasn't worth the money.

The kids are very happy after the switch and I think that our public school is doing an excellent job. They're better than the private.

[Anonymous]

We did it, and we are glad we did. Private turned out to be not as strong academically as we had thought, and public turned out to be better than we could ever have imagined. We are really delighted (we left Burgundy for Alexandria City public).

[Anonymous]

We are doing it this Fall for the first time, so I cannot tell you how it will turn out. I can tell you this -- the private school tuition was breaking us financially. That's why we switched.

[Anonymous]

I think less children switch from public to private as a percentage at least. In private it seems they do a little better at accommodating new children at any age.

[Anonymous]

we did in third grade. Everything was going well at the private until DC got a bad teacher. Spent third at the local public and was very pleased with the
school, the students and the academics.

[Anonymous]

OP - where do you live and why are considering a change? is it because your publics are superior?

I know a few people who have gone from private to public and it was always because of finances....it was hard for them at first (what will people say!!!), but about 6 months into the school year they realized that they were worried about nothing and actually wished they had made the switch sooner. Also, they were feeding into great MoCo schools, which helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - where do you live and why are considering a change? is it because your publics are superior?

I know a few people who have gone from private to public and it was always because of finances....it was hard for them at first (what will people say!!!), but about 6 months into the school year they realized that they were worried about nothing and actually wished they had made the switch sooner. Also, they were feeding into great MoCo schools, which helps.

We live in Alexandria. Our kids haven't started kindergarten yet. We are leaning towards starting private and maybe moving in the future before the kids hit junior high school.

We can afford it but it will hurt our retirement savings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - where do you live and why are considering a change? is it because your publics are superior?

I know a few people who have gone from private to public and it was always because of finances....it was hard for them at first (what will people say!!!), but about 6 months into the school year they realized that they were worried about nothing and actually wished they had made the switch sooner. Also, they were feeding into great MoCo schools, which helps.

We live in Alexandria. Our kids haven't started kindergarten yet. We are leaning towards starting private and maybe moving in the future before the kids hit junior high school.

We can afford it but it will hurt our retirement savings.

City of Alexandria or FFX cty portion of Alexandria?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - where do you live and why are considering a change? is it because your publics are superior?

I know a few people who have gone from private to public and it was always because of finances....it was hard for them at first (what will people say!!!), but about 6 months into the school year they realized that they were worried about nothing and actually wished they had made the switch sooner. Also, they were feeding into great MoCo schools, which helps.

We live in Alexandria. Our kids haven't started kindergarten yet. We are leaning towards starting private and maybe moving in the future before the kids hit junior high school.

We can afford it but it will hurt our retirement savings.

Unless you live in a crappy school district, I would never consider impeding my ability to have a comfortable retirement just so my kids can get a private school education. There's just no need for it...unless your child has special needs or it's for religious purposes. I went to private, in DC, and am no better off than my public school friends.
Never, ever cut into your ability to have a nice retirement, unless absolutely necessary. Don't count on anyone taking care of you when you're 80...not even your private school educated kids...most especially them!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - where do you live and why are considering a change? is it because your publics are superior?

I know a few people who have gone from private to public and it was always because of finances....it was hard for them at first (what will people say!!!), but about 6 months into the school year they realized that they were worried about nothing and actually wished they had made the switch sooner. Also, they were feeding into great MoCo schools, which helps.

We live in Alexandria. Our kids haven't started kindergarten yet. We are leaning towards starting private and maybe moving in the future before the kids hit junior high school.

We can afford it but it will hurt our retirement savings.

City of Alexandria or FFX cty portion of Alexandria?

Fairfax side.

[Anonymous]

OP -- which school in Alexandria are you slated for? I live in that area and know kids from a number of different public school zones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't count on anyone taking care of you when you're 80...not even your private school educated kids...most especially them!!

It must be very sad being you....I'm sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't count on anyone taking care of you when you're 80...not even your private school educated kids...most especially them!!

It must be very sad being you....I'm sorry.