Do you think public schools can learn anything from private schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to “bad” public schools, but looking at the NCS Instagram page, it just looks so idyllic. The nature activities, arts etc.

Are you willing to pay enough taxes to give every public school a campus like NCS, the resources to go on field trips to engage in nature activities or to performances, and the number of extra schools needed to cut class sizes in half?

I am, personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to “bad” public schools, but looking at the NCS Instagram page, it just looks so idyllic. The nature activities, arts etc.

Are you willing to pay enough taxes to give every public school a campus like NCS, the resources to go on field trips to engage in nature activities or to performances, and the number of extra schools needed to cut class sizes in half?

I am, personally.

Even if it meant personally sacrificing--even when you don't have school aged kids? How many nights per week are you willing to eat beans and rice, so that other kids can have a campus like NCS?
Do you take "navy showers?" You will need to so that your water bill is lower and you can afford to pay these taxes!
Vacation? Maybe once every few years you can find a motel 6 near a beach in the off season and stay a few days--eat pb&j in your room every meal...

Are you willing to do that? For decades after your kids have graduated school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to “bad” public schools, but looking at the NCS Instagram page, it just looks so idyllic. The nature activities, arts etc.

Are you willing to pay enough taxes to give every public school a campus like NCS, the resources to go on field trips to engage in nature activities or to performances, and the number of extra schools needed to cut class sizes in half?

I am, personally.

Even if it meant personally sacrificing--even when you don't have school aged kids? How many nights per week are you willing to eat beans and rice, so that other kids can have a campus like NCS?
Do you take "navy showers?" You will need to so that your water bill is lower and you can afford to pay these taxes!
Vacation? Maybe once every few years you can find a motel 6 near a beach in the off season and stay a few days--eat pb&j in your room every meal...

Are you willing to do that? For decades after your kids have graduated school?

The campus? The campus is meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget the quality of the food, are people willing to pay for public school kids to get Sidwell quality food instead of whatever the USDA deems adequate?

[Anonymous]

Yes, don't teach kids with special needs, behavior problems, or who are poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

FCPS has an average cost per student of 16k. That includes special ed and ESOL students that most private schools would never touch. How exactly are public schools supposed to halve class sizes or hire assistants so that teachers don't have to deal with paperwork required by federal law while keeping in mind that public school teachers are more expensive both from a salary and a benefits perspective than most private school teachers at a cost of 16k per student?

Well as I said, the above items would require more money. I think state & federal laws need to change as well. Every year there are more & more requirements put on teachers & schools. It’s too much! It takes an enormous amount of time and really demoralizes staff who just want to be in the classroom teaching kids. How many posts have we seen from teachers overwhelmed with all the paperwork and red tape and meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

FCPS has an average cost per student of 16k. That includes special ed and ESOL students that most private schools would never touch. How exactly are public schools supposed to halve class sizes or hire assistants so that teachers don't have to deal with paperwork required by federal law while keeping in mind that public school teachers are more expensive both from a salary and a benefits perspective than most private school teachers at a cost of 16k per student?

Well as I said, the above items would require more money. I think state & federal laws need to change as well. Every year there are more & more requirements put on teachers & schools. It’s too much! It takes an enormous amount of time and really demoralizes staff who just want to be in the classroom teaching kids. How many posts have we seen from teachers overwhelmed with all the paperwork and red tape and meetings.

How many posts have we seen from special needs parents complaining about IEPs not being implemented? IEPs are the source of the outsized paperwork burdens and most of that paperwork is necessary because school try to ignore their responisibilies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

FCPS has an average cost per student of 16k. That includes special ed and ESOL students that most private schools would never touch. How exactly are public schools supposed to halve class sizes or hire assistants so that teachers don't have to deal with paperwork required by federal law while keeping in mind that public school teachers are more expensive both from a salary and a benefits perspective than most private school teachers at a cost of 16k per student?

Well as I said, the above items would require more money. I think state & federal laws need to change as well. Every year there are more & more requirements put on teachers & schools. It’s too much! It takes an enormous amount of time and really demoralizes staff who just want to be in the classroom teaching kids. How many posts have we seen from teachers overwhelmed with all the paperwork and red tape and meetings.

How many posts have we seen from special needs parents complaining about IEPs not being implemented? IEPs are the source of the outsized paperwork burdens and most of that paperwork is necessary because school try to ignore their responisibilies

The number and volume of services public schools are expected to provide is staggering. I'm not saying they shouldn't be required to do this, but the ask is too high without proper funding. It's time to fully fund IDEA.

[Anonymous]

People want school to be educator, parent and counselor - everything to their children. Public schools don’t have the resources. Private schools do but the ideology takes over and the expectations are sky high.

Don’t send your kids to school expecting to lessen your parenting obligations. And don’t be shocked when the role isn’t fulfilled my school - free or 50k.

[Anonymous]

First and foremost, stop mainstreaming

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People want school to be educator, parent and counselor - everything to their children. Public schools don’t have the resources. Private schools do but the ideology takes over and the expectations are sky high.

Don’t send your kids to school expecting to lessen your parenting obligations. And don’t be shocked when the role isn’t fulfilled my school - free or 50k.

I only want them to be educator, but so many resources go towards the other two that the educator part gets short changed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both and sent my kids to both, and I think both could absolutely learn from each other.

For public schools, I found that chasing test scores meant that so much of the joy and meaning went away. Private schools have the luxury to focus on longer texts and thematic units and just having kids read and respond without anatomizing it into author's purpose, etc. (I taught English and history.) In contrast, though, private schools need to get a clue about new practices in education and not just teach the way my parents probably learned, with 10 reading questions each night and teacher-led discussions (they both have their place, but that's all that seems to happen in my child's school.)

This is an actually useful and non-snide response!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both and sent my kids to both, and I think both could absolutely learn from each other.

For public schools, I found that chasing test scores meant that so much of the joy and meaning went away. Private schools have the luxury to focus on longer texts and thematic units and just having kids read and respond without anatomizing it into author's purpose, etc. (I taught English and history.) In contrast, though, private schools need to get a clue about new practices in education and not just teach the way my parents probably learned, with 10 reading questions each night and teacher-led discussions (they both have their place, but that's all that seems to happen in my child's school.)

This is an actually useful and non-snide response!

I think privates could learn a thing or two about accountability from public. Since there are few objective measures, people often fail to see that they're missing out.

[Anonymous]

Having experience with both, I think public can learn from how private schools create community (and I recognize that not all privates may be great at this and that some publics may better than others). I wish the communications from our public school weren't so sterile, for instance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both and sent my kids to both, and I think both could absolutely learn from each other.

For public schools, I found that chasing test scores meant that so much of the joy and meaning went away. Private schools have the luxury to focus on longer texts and thematic units and just having kids read and respond without anatomizing it into author's purpose, etc. (I taught English and history.) In contrast, though, private schools need to get a clue about new practices in education and not just teach the way my parents probably learned, with 10 reading questions each night and teacher-led discussions (they both have their place, but that's all that seems to happen in my child's school.)

This is an actually useful and non-snide response!

I think privates could learn a thing or two about accountability from public. Since there are few objective measures, people often fail to see that they're missing out.

I think any school taking vouchers should be required to administer state standardized tests.