Experience with both public and private

[Anonymous]

And our neighbors kids are doing very well and happy at Janney.

[Anonymous]

We are a Janney family. As far as public schools in DC, I think it’s probably the best. The administration is very responsive and most of the teachers are great. We’re sending her to private next year because the class sizes are too large at Janney for individual attention. Teachers are forced to teach to the middle the majority of the time (they’re not at fault for that). There are frequent disruptions from problem kids with no recourse to deal with them. Were also sick of the constant testing and assessments and the fact that science, art, language and music only happen one day a week. We also never planned to send her to Deal, and the competition for private schools is more intense in fifth. We’ll know if the grass is greener in about 6 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, as you can tell, there’s a lot of private school hatred from public school parents. Trust your own real-life conversations with actual private and public school parents about their experiences. Visit the schools you’re interested in, public and private, and see if you can get a feeling for what they’re like. Either can be a great choice, and only you know what you’re looking for or what the financial impact would be on your family.

Good luck!

It isn’t private school hatred to point out that there is little diversity at schools charging $50k+/yr tuition.

- parent at both private and public

Ahahahaha. Whereas houses zoned for Janney are accessible to families with a wide range of incomes? Got it.

OP said they were attracted to private - specifically GDS and Sidwell - due to the diversity. Are you really arguing that these two schools are diverse?

[Anonymous]

Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids went to Janney, Deal and then private high school. They applied in 9th and between the two of them (two different application years) were accepted to STA, NCS, Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, Gonzaga and the St. Johns Scholars program.
They ended up matriculating at NCS and STA. They're both doing very well in school. Their Janney classmates are all over the city and beyond: Wilson, Walls, Sidwell, Maret, GDS, STA, NCS, Field, Burke, Gonzaga, Visitation, Stone Ridge, Holton, Landon, Andover, Exeter, etc.
I personally am a big fan of Janney and Deal: my kids had a solid academic experience at both and made life-long friends. Their best friends (my kids now both in later high school) are kids they went to Janney with from PK-4. They attend 10 different high schools but still hang out together
most weekends. There is something magical about having neighborhood friends.
If you have any specific questions let me know.

Thank you for your response! That is reassuring. May I ask, are your kids exceptional academically? Or is this a typical acceptance record for a Janney/deal kid?

My kids are decently smart and do what is asked of them. lol They're not geniuses. Most kids who apply out of Janney/Deal to privates are admitted. It's an impressive and driven group of kids/families.
They're not the big money-makers of DC (not the equity law partners) but they're collectively about the brightest group of people I've been part of in DC. Lots of interesting and important jobs (just not the giant money making ones).
Bright and successful people have bright kids and so their kids do well.

You are misinformed. It is an assumption that parents have that their Janney and Deal kids will skip into private school and year after year they are shocked when their kids are not accepted. The better privates are ridiculously competitive. Not saying it doesn’t happen ever, but it’s no where near “most.”

DC is graduating from a Big 5. There are 3 kids from DC’s public elementary school in the graduating class. Its just one data point and may not be representative. If there are about three in every graduating class at privates that gives you an idea of how many kids make the transition.

[Anonymous]

I mean, you can apply to GDS and Sidwell.... But why do you think he would get in? Both are highly competitive, especially from families with young kids from your neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

This. 💯

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

This. 💯

Visible diversity? What other measure?

[Anonymous]

Our kids have gone through janney - now have one in private MS (needed a smaller enviro) and one still there. Really happy with our experience at Janney for both and wouldn’t change a thing from elementary school years and highly recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

This. 💯

I've had kids at both (Janney and one of GDS/Sidwell). GDS/Sidwell are a bit more diverse but the culture of extreme wealth and privilege seems to override most of the benefit benefit of having a few more black faces in the class. There are all sorts of ways that extreme wealth comes out in everyday life that is very different
from the professional class which is found at a place like Janney: unlimited material things, unlimited money for experiences/sports/travel, staff for every house chore, parents who don't work (family money), etc. etc.
And in general, while the less fortunate kids go to school together, they don't mix socially on the evenings or weekends (at all). Plus they are the minority and it is the monied who drive the culture.
It was noticeable to my kids who arrived from Janney/Deal to suddenly be immersed in a culture of such extreme wealth and privilege. I'm sure I"ll get crucified for this by many people who have not had this experience but it was ours. I mean, Janney is not exactly Kansas but it's culture is down-right blue collar compared to that of the Big3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

I wouldn’t show up at GDS until late middle school or high school. And even then I’d need some real child specific reasons to go - social issues elsewhere or specializing in something GDS has that other schools don’t (a program, electives, top coach/team/club). It’s been a disappointment academically and too small to garner any interests or clubs or teams for the younger years. There is a large, tight clique of boys, girls and families from weekend studies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

To take this point one step further it’s diverse in gender, race, sexual orientation, ECs and some SES, because that’s how it crafts the class. Doesn’t matter who applies, the school will only take so many if this or that and that’s the pool you compete within. If an XYZ race XYZ gender XYZ speciality kid peels out, they replace them with roughly the same profile.

It is not diverse in terms of nationality or international students. This areas publics shine there and maybe WIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell and GDS are extremely diverse. More diverse than Janney. Not as much socio-economic diversity as publics. Much more wealth on average but diverse by every other measure.

To take this point one step further it’s diverse in gender, race, sexual orientation, ECs and some SES, because that’s how it crafts the class. Doesn’t matter who applies, the school will only take so many if this or that and that’s the pool you compete within. If an XYZ race XYZ gender XYZ speciality kid peels out, they replace them with roughly the same profile.

It is not diverse in terms of nationality or international students. This areas publics shine there and maybe WIS.

“Some SES”

This is where things fall apart. At $50,000 per year, it is impossible to have any meaningful diversity. Someone will chime in soon to say their HHI is five figures and they are getting 75% aid. But those families are in a small minority. You simply cannot charge that much money (up to $650,00 k-12) and have SES diversity. And without that type of diversity, students exist in an UMC to wealthy bubble. These are good schools with a lot of good students but they are not diverse. Families pay a lot of money for the right sort of “diversity.”

[Anonymous]

less gender indoctrination at the right private school.

[Anonymous]

Kids in both. Depends on the child. Type of kid who rolls up sleeves and leans way in to the academics can get a phenomenal education with gifted, wholesome and grounded friends a public. If that isn’t your kid and your kid needs a little attention or a push from behind, the private is the way to go. (Public, though, has presented opportunities unlike any others for our hyper motivated child. Because we are in DC, the kids in the child’s cohort all come from incredibly well-educated and / or interesting families. Plus, it doesn’t come with the burdens of moneyed families and so there seems to be much less social pressure than the privates. We wish all of our kids could thrive in public. It is like winning the lottery.)