Would you switch a happy thriving kid from public?

[Anonymous]

Honestly you sound like a private school fangirl.

[Anonymous]

No. Don’t switch if your child is thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an elementary child who is perfectly happy and content at the local public. He has a lot of friends, is doing well in school and seems to be getting everything he needs from the local school. He attended a preschool that is a private school feeder so most of his former preschool classmates are attending various private schools in the DMV. We can easily afford private school. I can’t help but feel we are somehow hurting our child by sending him to public by not providing the best education we can give to him. He is the type of kid who would do well anywhere. He was very well liked in preschool and had is also well liked now in public. Our preschool had children of famous parents.

You gave away your actual concern in the last sentence. This isn't about the best education for your kid, but whether you think he'll be missing out not to hobnob with the children of wealthier parents.

We live in a wealthy area. The kids in our school are all UMC. My kid’s public school class has parents who are ivy educated, children of diplomats, lots of lawyers and doctors.

We definitely have some disruptive kids in the class. I suspect they may be on the spectrum and class sizes are bigger than I prefer. There is no shortage of bright kids in the class and grade.

We don’t get the individualized attention. At our preschool, there would be multiple socials to meet teachers and parents. We got pages of commentary about my child’s strengths and weaknesses. I felt like the teachers really knew my kid. In public, my kid gets good grades and we get two sentences that I’m pretty sure the teacher cut and paste for everyone.

That's not a difference between public and private, that's a difference between preschool and elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Of course. He’s thriving and happy because of his life as a whole not because of public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course. He’s thriving and happy because of his life as a whole not because of public school.

This.

OP, I don't know if you every look at the pubic school forums here, but most public schools are a hot mess. Lots of grade inflation, large class sizes, etc. Your child is young, and this is the time to make the switch and it sounds like money is not an issue for you. If private doesn't work out for whatever reason, you can always go back to public school or find another private school. But know that the reason you kid is doing well is not necessarily because he is bright. It may very well be that he is bright, but the school is not challenging him, likely because of equity. Leave now while it is an easy transition. It gets more difficult in the later years and they will fall behind with the lax curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course. He’s thriving and happy because of his life as a whole not because of public school.

This.

OP, I don't know if you every look at the pubic school forums here, but most public schools are a hot mess. Lots of grade inflation, large class sizes, etc. Your child is young, and this is the time to make the switch and it sounds like money is not an issue for you. If private doesn't work out for whatever reason, you can always go back to public school or find another private school. But know that the reason you kid is doing well is not necessarily because he is bright. It may very well be that he is bright, but the school is not challenging him, likely because of equity. Leave now while it is an easy transition. It gets more difficult in the later years and they will fall behind with the lax curriculum.

You were so close and then you told on yourself by pointing to “equity” as the boogeyman. Thanks for letting everyone know you’re a racist tool who can easily be ignored.

And for the OP, my kids have attended four different public schools, K-12, in FCPS. Not a single one was a “hot mess” and in many cases the class sizes were smaller than the class sizes at two private schools near us (class size info told to me by parents who have kids at the private schools). It really all comes down the specific schools you are considering. And if you want to consider one other data point, ask both the public and private high school for a list of where kids graduating in 2023 went to college.

[Anonymous]

While there is no need to dunk on public schools, many of us have had bad experiences. It can be good until it turns sour or a problem arises, often at a time when entry to privates is challenging. The most vocal public school advocates tend to have the youngest children and least experience in the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an elementary child who is perfectly happy and content at the local public. He has a lot of friends, is doing well in school and seems to be getting everything he needs from the local school. He attended a preschool that is a private school feeder so most of his former preschool classmates are attending various private schools in the DMV. We can easily afford private school. I can’t help but feel we are somehow hurting our child by sending him to public by not providing the best education we can give to him. He is the type of kid who would do well anywhere. He was very well liked in preschool and had is also well liked now in public. Our preschool had children of famous parents.

No. Why do this? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Anonymous]

I would not rip him away from his friends. That's cruel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not rip him away from his friends. That's cruel.

Or is it cruel to leave him in his current school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not rip him away from his friends. That's cruel.

Or is it cruel to leave him in his current school?

Why would it be cruel to leave a child where they are happy and doing well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an elementary child who is perfectly happy and content at the local public. He has a lot of friends, is doing well in school and seems to be getting everything he needs from the local school. He attended a preschool that is a private school feeder so most of his former preschool classmates are attending various private schools in the DMV. We can easily afford private school. I can’t help but feel we are somehow hurting our child by sending him to public by not providing the best education we can give to him. He is the type of kid who would do well anywhere. He was very well liked in preschool and had is also well liked now in public. Our preschool had children of famous parents.

You gave away your actual concern in the last sentence. This isn't about the best education for your kid, but whether you think he'll be missing out not to hobnob with the children of wealthier parents.

+1
If you have money go ahead and send him to private if that's your priority.

[Anonymous]

You should switch for 4th grade. I wish I had but my kid was also popular and loved the school. Public k-3 had excellent education but starting in 4th it went downhill fast and all the friends just make it harder to leave later. This was just our school though, I think you should not ask others but evaluate your own school for your individual kid before deciding.

[Anonymous]

I would leave your kid be. Thriving and happy is what we all want. Thank your stars for now. You can always reevaluate in a few years if things change

[Anonymous]

Yes. He is thriving. Why not give him an optimal environment? That sounds like he is exceptional.