In recent weeks some kids have dropped out of our private school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a two directional flow. Many are questioning the value of their private schools when there are such strong public schools in the area. At the same time, public schools that have been flush with strong funding are facing cut backs, in art, music, library staffing & facilities, and increases in class size. Families that were previously content with public are looking at independent schools.
As families continue to evaluate their changing finances, many will switch to public schools. Increased applications indicate others are deciding to forgo things and pay for private.

I valued [past tense] the private school experience but now wish DC was in a larger environment. I'm paying for DC to be with complete trash and all the school does is pander to families who donate. Sure there are disgusting kids at publics but at least I don't have to pay tuition for a DC to be in a smaller environment where you are stuck with bizarre and warped kids.

What is your basis for characterizing children as "complete trash," "bizarre," and "warped"?

[Anonymous]

All depends on the child's age. Before 7th wouldn't have considered private, now it's clear that Hardy or Deal is not the right fit for DC, and besides the two there's only private (if not already in a great charter). What has Rhee done to expand excellent MS's like Deal/Hardy? Disfigured one on many levels (Hardy), and left Oyster-Adams (after firing her daughter's principal) to grab a coveted spot at Deal (whose principal was there years prior to Rhee). Funny how the boundaries for Deal/Hardy work, how privileged!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to get too far off topic -- but unlike the pp, I feel as though the longer summer is one of the benefits I get with my private school tuition. I am very happy about where my child is academically, and I feel pretty certain that he's not going to be behind the public school kids by the end of next year. On the other hand, our family has had an extra three weeks to relax and travel. I look back on my childhood summers very fondly, and feel very strongly that kids need some "time off" to just be kids. Studies have shown that the longer school years help the disadvantaged kids, who are the ones who lose ground during the long summers. I think most parents at private schools would be unhappy if the school year was extended.

While American kids are "relaxing" and "being kids" for TWELVE weeks in the summer, other children around the world are raising the competitive bar by relaxing for only say... six-eight weeks. It's great that your family loves the extra time to relax and travel but the reality for us middle-class poor with two parents who WOTH, an extra three weeks of summer vacation is an added expense on top of paying tution beginning in July. How's that for a nice run-on sentence?? We only get ~3 weeks vacation for the year... each. Making sure that some time is reserved for sick kids, sick adults and other unplanned events, we like to take some time off in the summer and around the holidays. $60K+ per year for only 9 months of school is ridiculous and you know it. Let's be honest!!! We all choose private because it's a family philosophy and financially doable. But I will not sugarcoat the less than positive aspects of paying $60K for two kids plus another $7K for summer camps and other options because these overpriced independent schools can't fathom working the wealthy kids too hard.

[Anonymous]

Couldn't agree more! PP

[Anonymous]

I am not the pp who wrote bizarre kids but maybe can guess on the emotion/substance behind it. Have seen on too many occasions children who do have significant behavioural problems derail a small class in privates. It does seem to increase with the economies where some schools must dip further into the application pool. Teachers often seem as frustrated by it as parents.

To the poster who wonders what you do - where you have opportunities to observe the class - drop off in classroom, volunteer times., after school activities, do. If a child is significantly taking up the class time / resources, there are ways to appropriately question it. Hopefully you have observed the school taking some actions with extra support counselors - at least in short term until long term solution is determined on fit and best for child. Life isn't perfect - not expecting that, but highly disruptive child can make the year extremely unpleasant.

Slight learning disabilities are generally not the issue - and specialists can help there.

Sigh . . but if the experience is bad -unfortunately it does reflect on the school - especially if its not one isolated case and depending on how its handled. Also, if there is not a large enough mix of kids for your child to have friends that share values, interests, that is another problem even if the actual learning environment is great.

[Anonymous]

New poster here. I disagree that declining enrollment is generally due to the poor economy. At my kids suburban VA private, enrollment has been declining. We decided in the spring to move all 3 of our kids out of the school after a horrendous JK year (with a teacher who would not be qualified to teach in any public school district). We are far from the only family to decide to leave. I am careful to point out to other parents that we did have good experiences at the school. For example, our son's 2nd grade teacher last year was fabulous, but she was also unhappy at the school and left at the end of last year. But I am also clear that we are leaving because we are unhappy with the school.

By the time we decided to move the kids it was too late to apply for most privates, so we ended up buying a house in a much better public school district. The 2 public school aged kids will be attending public, but we have not ruled out private for the future, and we will be spending more money this year than last. We are paying more for the 3 y/o's preschool than if we had kept him at the old private, but no way was I going to send him to JK at the kids' old school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to get too far off topic -- but unlike the pp, I feel as though the longer summer is one of the benefits I get with my private school tuition. I am very happy about where my child is academically, and I feel pretty certain that he's not going to be behind the public school kids by the end of next year. On the other hand, our family has had an extra three weeks to relax and travel. I look back on my childhood summers very fondly, and feel very strongly that kids need some "time off" to just be kids. Studies have shown that the longer school years help the disadvantaged kids, who are the ones who lose ground during the long summers. I think most parents at private schools would be unhappy if the school year was extended.

While American kids are "relaxing" and "being kids" for TWELVE weeks in the summer, other children around the world are raising the competitive bar by relaxing for only say... six-eight weeks. It's great that your family loves the extra time to relax and travel but the reality for us middle-class poor with two parents who WOTH, an extra three weeks of summer vacation is an added expense on top of paying tution beginning in July. How's that for a nice run-on sentence?? We only get ~3 weeks vacation for the year... each. Making sure that some time is reserved for sick kids, sick adults and other unplanned events, we like to take some time off in the summer and around the holidays. $60K+ per year for only 9 months of school is ridiculous and you know it. Let's be honest!!! We all choose private because it's a family philosophy and financially doable. But I will not sugarcoat the less than positive aspects of paying $60K for two kids plus another $7K for summer camps and other options because these overpriced independent schools can't fathom working the wealthy kids too hard.[/quote]

This is an interesting point that I have considered. I sometimes wonder if the rigor in these schools is lacking because there might be a push back from the privileged families who have no intention of working their kids too hard. They have vacations and so on, so too much work could be a problem.

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting point that I have considered. I sometimes wonder if the rigor in these schools is lacking because there might be a push back from the privileged families who have no intention of working their kids too hard. They have vacations and so on, so too much work could be a problem.

Are you on muscle relaxants?

I guess it varies among schools, but the big DC privates don't lack rigor. Your St. Albans, your GDSs turn out accomplished teens with load of acquired knowledge despite big ass summer vacations and long spring breaks.

[Anonymous]

I love "on muscle relaxants", very apt! In DCPS many parents run around complaining how short summer vacation is compared to our own childhoods (from 3 to 2 months really). We all have to work and it has always been that some families will not go globe trotting all summer with their 3 month vacationing kids. We're all jealous of those who can versus those who can't. Heck, when I was a kid summer was long but my parents couldn't afford camps or trips, maybe 8 in a stationwagon to Florida and road-sickness for 10 days, then they were back to work! All the same I valued those lazy, long, boring summer days enormously in the late 60's and 70's, without a computer or cable TV. Kids learn to day dream and draw and read. Babysitting duty belonged to the older brothers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. I disagree that declining enrollment is generally due to the poor economy. At my kids suburban VA private, enrollment has been declining. We decided in the spring to move all 3 of our kids out of the school after a horrendous JK year (with a teacher who would not be qualified to teach in any public school district). We are far from the only family to decide to leave. I am careful to point out to other parents that we did have good experiences at the school. For example, our son's 2nd grade teacher last year was fabulous, but she was also unhappy at the school and left at the end of last year. But I am also clear that we are leaving because we are unhappy with the school.

By the time we decided to move the kids it was too late to apply for most privates, so we ended up buying a house in a much better public school district. The 2 public school aged kids will be attending public, but we have not ruled out private for the future, and we will be spending more money this year than last. We are paying more for the 3 y/o's preschool than if we had kept him at the old private, but no way was I going to send him to JK at the kids' old school.

Hmm, your posting really has me thinking that your children were formerly enrolled at the school where my DC is enrolled. I could name the school, but I will try not to by asking this question, "Did the 2nd grade teacher that left have a husband who was also a teacher, and he also left the school?" If not, fine, but this sounds very much like DC's school. If you reply yes. I have some follow up questions, as DC is moving into the 2nd grade there and I am already having some reservations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love "on muscle relaxants", very apt! In DCPS many parents run around complaining how short summer vacation is compared to our own childhoods (from 3 to 2 months really). We all have to work and it has always been that some families will not go globe trotting all summer with their 3 month vacationing kids. We're all jealous of those who can versus those who can't. Heck, when I was a kid summer was long but my parents couldn't afford camps or trips, maybe 8 in a stationwagon to Florida and road-sickness for 10 days, then they were back to work! All the same I valued those lazy, long, boring summer days enormously in the late 60's and 70's, without a computer or cable TV. Kids learn to day dream and draw and read. Babysitting duty belonged to the older brothers.

When you were in pre-k in 1960-whatever, the customer call center for AMEX customers was in NJ and the computers that did exist were built in TX or upstate NY. Most innovators, inventors and scientists were homegrown. Now that we've dumbed down Americans, we have to rely on those "third-world" experts who didn't have extra lazy, long, boring summer days to day dream, draw and read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is an interesting point that I have considered. I sometimes wonder if the rigor in these schools is lacking because there might be a push back from the privileged families who have no intention of working their kids too hard. They have vacations and so on, so too much work could be a problem.

Are you on muscle relaxants?

I guess it varies among schools, but the big DC privates don't lack rigor. Your St. Albans, your GDSs turn out accomplished teens with load of acquired knowledge despite big ass summer vacations and long spring breaks.

Those same accomplished teens from the "big DC privates" are still light years behind the descendants of our Chinese bond-holding sugar daddies.

[Anonymous]

"But I will not sugarcoat the less than positive aspects of paying $60K for two kids plus another $7K for summer camps and other options...."

I always suspected that the extension of the school year at public schools had more to do with parents not wanting to pay for child care than academics. Thanks for confirming this.

[Anonymous]

There are only about 5-7 schools in this area worth the outrageous tuition being charged these days. That's why enrollment is down. It's a value proposition issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The private school that my dc is in still has class sizes of 17+ and teachers with questionable qualifications. They think that we don't notice.
I am starting to take a close look at just how much each teacher really works. My friend who is a public school teacher cued me into the real hours of our private school tecahers and she hinted that we should be getting more for our money, or the school should run leaner and harder for cheaper.
In the end, the cash flow will talk, and if we can no longer do it, then so be it. Public school is FINE.

I work part-time at a private school in Bethesda. I can attest to the fact that most of the teachers that I know work themselves to the bone during the school year. Most manage to cobble together summer jobs. The teachers I know are dedicated, smart, hard-working and love their jobs. There is some dead weight but I guess that is to be expected.