Private school teachers, please answer this question honestly.

[Anonymous]

PP -- people pick private schools for the cohort.

[Anonymous]

I personally know 6 teachers who left public to teach at privates. In every single case they did it because they had weak classroom management and "couldn't handle it" in public. In most of the cases they said they wanted more freedom, but I really suspect they wanted it to be less noticable that they were lacking in behavioral techniques. By teaching in a more homogeneous setting it is possible to hone a much smaller skill set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that new grads coming into the DC area rank MCPS as first pick followed by HCPS, then PGCPS, and some of the affluent counties in Viginia in similar order. Private schools are not highly ranked by the young, motivated newer teachers.

The best teachers can handle any situation. Just b/c you can teach in a private school doesn't make you stellar. Being successful in a public school does say quite a bit about you, however.

Really?

I know preschool teachers who would hate high school and visa versa. My friend teaches emotionally disturbed children and it is a gift. Not every teacher can do that. I can teach Math but hate English.

WHAT are you talking about?

I teach English but am not certified nor am I interested in math. I wasn't talking about content area or grade level - esp. levels, as teachers are usually certified in early childhood, elementary or secondary.

I'm talking about the demands placed upon teachers in the public system. Are you telling me that I - an English teacher with on level grade 9 and AP 12, with classes of 30 students (or more) - won't find private school to be a piece of cake? Oh - I'll add in that we're high FARMs/high ESOL.

If you're a successful public school educator, making the switch to private is easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard that new grads coming into the DC area rank MCPS as first pick followed by HCPS, then PGCPS, and some of the affluent counties in Viginia in similar order. Private schools are not highly ranked by the young, motivated newer teachers.

The best teachers can handle any situation. Just b/c you can teach in a private school doesn't make you stellar. Being successful in a public school does say quite a bit about you, however.

Really?

I know preschool teachers who would hate high school and visa versa. My friend teaches emotionally disturbed children and it is a gift. Not every teacher can do that. I can teach Math but hate English.

WHAT are you talking about?

I teach English but am not certified nor am I interested in math. I wasn't talking about content area or grade level - esp. levels, as teachers are usually certified in early childhood, elementary or secondary.

I'm talking about the demands placed upon teachers in the public system. Are you telling me that I - an English teacher with on level grade 9 and AP 12, with classes of 30 students (or more) - won't find private school to be a piece of cake? Oh - I'll add in that we're high FARMs/high ESOL.

If you're a successful public school educator, making the switch to private is easy.

Yes. That is what I am saying. While you base your knowledge on your stereotyping of what you believe a private school is I am saying that even though you are a good teacher in a FARMs/high ESOL school you may not be able to be as successful at the LAB school.

Your gift may be helping FARM kids but when you deal with a bunch of super intense high anxiety parents you may want to drink tequilla until you are comatose.

You may be certified in English and love to teach liturature you may not be as successful at English grammar. So I believe that you are a fabulous teacher and I thank you for your hard work because I actually believe Education is one of the most important ways to make a childs life fulfilling. I do not believe that just becuase you are successful where you work now that we could transplant you into any private school (or public for that matter) and you would be just as successful.

Oh and by the way if you think you can teach my special needs child to read you are hired.

[Anonymous]

PP, the Lab school is hardly representative of most private schools in the DC area. It is a very speciialized school for children of average or above average intelligence who have serious learning difficulties. MOST provate schools in teh area do not cater to this population!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: then realized FCPS would pay me about $20,000 more to do less work and switched within a month.

That's the work ethic I found from other teachers in public schools when I was there and not one I want to have at this stage of my life. I am now underpaid but happy in my parochial school. I caertainly have standards to work within but I don't focus on "the almighty test" like I did before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Most of the teachers that are there are only there because they don't have certification to teach in a public school.

This is the error in your argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I personally know 6 teachers who left public to teach at privates. In every single case they did it because they had weak classroom management and "couldn't handle it" in public. In most of the cases they said they wanted more freedom, but I really suspect they wanted it to be less noticable that they were lacking in behavioral techniques. By teaching in a more homogeneous setting it is possible to hone a much smaller skill set.

You mean they are incompetent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, the Lab school is hardly representative of most private schools in the DC area. It is a very speciialized school for children of average or above average intelligence who have serious learning difficulties. MOST provate schools in teh area do not cater to this population!

I think you are mistaken. Having a special needs child I have done a lot of research and there are a large amount of private schools that can handle children with severe learning difficulties. Saying the Lab School is just a familiar name. I learn about a new program every few months as I talk to parent with the same concerns as me. Mercy has a program, there is an inclusion program in Paul IV, Ryken at Good Counsel, St. Johns has a program but the name escapes me right now. Schools accommodate Down Syndrome children and kids with Aspergers and Tourettes. Some schools do not have something on their website and it is up to counselors and tutors to guide you to their programs.

This forum would have you believe that every private school parent wants their kids in to go Ivy and their kids WSPPI (or whatever - because we never took any test to get into private school) is in the 98%. I know many, many, many private school families and a few talk about going Ivy. I know many, many, many public school families and a few of them talk about Ivy schools as well. We are just as worried about drugs, alcohol and just making it through as everybody else is.

Not sure why everybody is so entranched in their camp.

[Anonymous]

This may be crazy logical and thus not belong to DCUM, but what if teachers may be suited to different types and sizes of schools? Isn't that variety so much of us seek for our children? I don't think it needs to come down to ad homin attacks, but really places where we fit better. The nightmare at least in my mind is having the teacher that does not want to be there but needs the paycheck, the last two years for their pension whatever it may be. I respect a person that knows their limits, maybe that is all it comes down to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: then realized FCPS would pay me about $20,000 more to do less work and switched within a month.

That's the work ethic I found from other teachers in public schools when I was there and not one I want to have at this stage of my life. I am now underpaid but happy in my parochial school. I caertainly have standards to work within but I don't focus on "the almighty test" like I did before.

PP here. I didn't mean less classroom work - as others have posted - working in a public school is no piece of cake. I meant that the private school told me I could earn extra money by teaching after school activities in addition to what I needed to do to run my own classroom successfully. So, I would be working 10-12 hours a day and still not making anywhere close to what I would in public school for 8-9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This may be crazy logical and thus not belong to DCUM, but what if teachers may be suited to different types and sizes of schools? Isn't that variety so much of us seek for our children? I don't think it needs to come down to ad homin attacks, but really places where we fit better. The nightmare at least in my mind is having the teacher that does not want to be there but needs the paycheck, the last two years for their pension whatever it may be. I respect a person that knows their limits, maybe that is all it comes down to.

Amen! Private school teacher here who highly admires public school teachers but doesn't want to be one right now. Know plenty of outstanding public school teachers who would never want to leave for private.

And to the person who made the comment about private school teachers having no qualifications, that's why I started in private, but not why I'm still there after 11 years of teaching, a masters degree in education and multiple state certifications (never know what you might need in this economy). I value being able to make curricular decisions and teach critical thinking without worrying about test scores.

[Anonymous]

22:34 and 21:37 - Exactly!

[Anonymous]

PP who asked why parents would send their kids to a private school. Okay, I get why teachers might want to teach there - even for less money - but I still don't understand why parents would pay so much to send their children there knowing that the teachers do not need the full qualificitions of public school teachers? Is it just to brag about being able to afford to send their child to a private school? What kind of education are you really paying for? Not trying to be snarky, just truly curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP who asked why parents would send their kids to a private school. Okay, I get why teachers might want to teach there - even for less money - but I still don't understand why parents would pay so much to send their children there knowing that the teachers do not need the full qualificitions of public school teachers? Is it just to brag about being able to afford to send their child to a private school? What kind of education are you really paying for? Not trying to be snarky, just truly curious.

Just because the qualification may not be required it does not mean the teachers don't have the qualifications.

So for me personally. I was told my son would have to be failing for public school to address his learning disabilities. I was advised by the special education specialist at our local public that he would do better in a private school setting, I was advised by the person who did the evaluation of 3 schools they recommended. He had 13 kids in the classroom his first year and never has had more than 15. He can not sit still for too long. He gets 4 recesses a day, gym, classes outside, young male teachers who give him a cool nicknames. Since he is given breaks and is not stressed he can learn in his acedemic classes. We stopped counseling for anxiety and stress due to hating to sit all day in school.

He likes school - I will be super overjoyed if he gets into Maryland but any of the local colleges will do.

I only "brag" to close friends that know what our family went through about how well he is doing. We are going through the process again to request a reassessment from the public school if they can give him an IEP. I have been told they may not even give me an assessment. Still pending.