Paying 32K and my DD's teacher has NO idea what she's doing

[Anonymous]

My guess is that the best teachers teach in the public schools because public schools pay more and provide better benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can everyone who doesn't have anything constructive to say get off of this thread? We are seriously annoyed by the whole situation. We would send both kids to public school but then the public middle school would be Pyle (shudder) so we would be willing to do public elem and public high school but not public junior high. The bigger question is why is there an unqualified teacher in a school where parents are paying a huge amount of money to make sure their kids have the best teachers? Every other teacher there is a dream. Experienced, educated, responsive and helpful.

You are scared to send your kids to Pyle? Really? It happens to be a fabulous school with a very responsive administration and incredibly caring staff. Most of the teachers are outstanding that my kids have had. Pyle is a wonderful school. You might really like it.

[Anonymous]

Pyle has a ton of problems. Really. Wasn't the sexting article in the post about Pyle and Landon kids? Aren't there a lot of drugs at Pyle? That's what I've heard.

[Anonymous]

Very good question 22:14. In retrospect (and unfortunately we don't get that perspective in this life), I would have gone public throughout for my two kids. I think they would have made better friends locally, in the neighborhood. I think they would have better memories of some of their educational experiences . . . . some of their experiences in private left them depressed and feeling like losers, which they were not. They unfortunately occasionally pulled an old, tired, punitive teacher who couldn't give a damn about learning differentiation or passing on a love of learning. Everything was homework, homework, homework and rote memorization. Or 20 min. of Latin a week just so the school could say the kids were taught Latin (on top of the French and Spanish). Just far too much stress and for far too many years of stress. Looking back, I would completely change the environment in which I've raised them but that might mean moving out of state to get out of this pressure-cooker environment. I think they would have been more well-rounded citizens of the world if they had been in public all their lives and maybe not even here in the Fairfax system. There is simply too much wealth, entitlement and pretentiousness here, but that's life in D.C.

However, due to the switch to public, they have both received training in areas that interested them not provided in most privates, such as Russian, debate team, freshman volleyball, traveling robotics team, computer design, choir, award wining, traveling orchestras, gymnastics. Had they been in public longer, I think they would have a much larger group of friends in our neighborhood of McLean, which is sad. Because of the private school experiences, their friends are now dotted all over MD, DC and VA which means they can't walk down to the street to visit their best friend as I could growing up. Even at 18 we have to schedule "play dates" because friends are now in college but home for the holidays but live in Chevy Chase. Or so and so is available for a playdate but lives in Rockville.

I think we spent far too much valuable time driving, carpooling and getting stuck in traffic. The Fairfax school bus stops in front of our house. I know my kids are safe getting on, and safe getting home. Far safer than being in someone's carpool being driven by a nanny.

The Fairfax system allows for the astonishing AP system, which is good if your kid can handle true college-level courses. Not good if they can't and have been misguidedly pushed into AP courses by their parents, counselors or selves.

That being said, my kids are good kids. There's no sex, drugs and rock 'n roll going on. We're a tight-knit family on a tight schedule. There's no room for parties, drugs, alcohol abuse, or other issues. That can be a big problem in certain public schools. Of course it can be a problem at privates as well but some privates have more control over those issues. (But now I'm thinking of one famous private school in particular that has had some serious drug, alcohol and ethics problems, so maybe i have that wrong). Drugs, alcohol, and parties just aren't issues affecting us (yet, knock on wood) but I do hear thru the PTA that the public schools are very concerned about drugs and alcohol abuse and to his credit, our principal is very vocal about it and extremely proactive. Kids show up drunk at a football game and they are not allowed to graduate. Period.

And, finally, if we had not gone private, I would now have the money to send both on to the most expensive college and indefinite grad schools of their choice. That's not so clear anymore with the recession.

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP. I was writing my long-winded response to 22:14, posted at 22:55 while you were telling people to get off the thread. I don't know anything about Pyle so can't help. I would just advise to to go with your gut and act more quickly than I did. Will shut up now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pyle has a ton of problems. Really. Wasn't the sexting article in the post about Pyle and Landon kids? Aren't there a lot of drugs at Pyle? That's what I've heard.

I really don't know what you are talking about that there are tons of problems at Pyle. Drugs and sexting? Yes. There was a sexting incident about 3 or 4 years ago that was squashed as soon as it became known. I can guarantee you that if there are drugs at Pyle, there are drugs at private schools. In fact, I would think it more likely that there would be drugs in private schools since it would be the wealthier kids that would have the means to purchase the drugs. One thing I can say is that the administration at Pyle, if they know about drugs, are all over it. I have only heard about one incident concerning drugs at Pyle, and the administration took immediate action. Are those two things what scare you about Pyle? The same things happen at private schools. A kid who went to Landon murdered his girlfriend. I am dismayed that there was a sexting incident at Pyle, but that would not stop me from sending my kids there. It is not a reflection of the majority of the incredibly talented and intelligent children who attend the school. I believe the administration's response to the incident was swift and appropriate. All the more reason I trust the school with my children's safety and education.

[Anonymous]

I agree. I think sometimes middle schools get a bad rap because frankly middle school sucks, but the idea that you would be fine for public ES and public HS, but you can't bear to send your kids to Pyle is a little hard to wrap my head around.

[Anonymous]

Pyle is a great school. If that is your worry, you are in a good position, b/c you really do not have anything to worry about. True, middle schools populated by rich kids will have drug, alcohol, internet issues. That is true whether the school is public or private. Pyle is one of the best schools, public or private, in the area. Do not worry for a moment about it. Come on in, the water's fine!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can everyone who doesn't have anything constructive to say get off of this thread? We are seriously annoyed by the whole situation. We would send both kids to public school but then the public middle school would be Pyle (shudder) so we would be willing to do public elem and public high school but not public junior high. The bigger question is why is there an unqualified teacher in a school where parents are paying a huge amount of money to make sure their kids have the best teachers? Every other teacher there is a dream. Experienced, educated, responsive and helpful.

What's wrong with Pyle? Isn't it in the Whitman cluster? I thought that was very highly regarded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, 19:15, I haven't found that to be the case. And it sounds from the comments above that I am in good company. We wasted so much money on private schools. And once you are invested - and doing all the never-ending required mommy stuff like never-ending auctions - you find yourself boxed in. YOu question your decision, "OK, I liked the school up to now, but what gives with this particular new teacher? Or what gives with this new headmaster who is clearly going to suck up to the teacher and tell the parents to go to hell? Or what about the questionable conduct about this teacher or that? Or the fact that all of the parents are complaining that teachers won't post homework and won't synchronize tests so kids as young as 5th grade are having FIVE exams on the same day? Or why is Mom X and Dad Y yanking their kid from this Catholic school and putting them in public mid-year. My kid isn't happy either, should I do it too?". I really rue the day my husband and I got swept up into the private school madness in MD when we lived in one of the best public school systems in America. And I failed as a mother the few times my kids were in trouble and no one in the privates were willing to take the time to help. I now look back and see that those troublesome teachers were fired; the problematic wishy-washy headmaster was finally given his walking papers; the weird teacher in that Catholic school was a pederast after all. IN other words, I was right on every "gut" reaction. But I was a weenie and didn't go to bat for my kids - who are good, nice kids - because I didn't want to get labeled as "difficult mom". Once you are labeled "difficult mom" or "mom of a SN kid" forget it, privates just close the doors on you. Public school has been a wonderful experience for us and we moved our kids in at just the right time - start of freshman year. I am not lying when I say their teachers at Langley were, in every way, superior to the ones they had in the privates and Catholics in MD. And to gild the rose, we found out today through a back door conversation with a neighbor -coincidentally on the board at the Univ. our daughter wants to attend - that she got in on early decision. Plus got admitted to a specialty college within that university. But we are not telling her for fear that "senioritis" will set in. All public. All Langley. All her determination. I was such a fool.

The "return" key is over there on the right side of the keyboard. If you hit it twice every now and again, it make paragraphs for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that the best teachers teach in the public schools because public schools pay more and provide better benefits.

Not true across the board. At my child's private in DC, many teachers will tell you flat out that they prefer the relative autonomy of curriculum, the development support, the opportunity to be agile and flexible and the freedom from NCLB. In K, 1st, 3rd and Science, my child has had teachers who left MoCo and DCPS. Who knows why they switched, but one thing is sure -- they are paid less in this private.

Switching gears, one of my child's K teachers and one 3rd grade teacher had spouses who make lots of money. So the loss of that $20K a year isn't a big deal, I bet.

As PP herself points out, private school teachers can really rock. In full disclosure, my child has had one teacher in this private who is a veteran and totally phoning it in. I wish she'd quit. She's actually a bitch most of the time.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the post raving about some early decision statement from a neighbor on the board of a college. It says "all langley" as if DD is in public HS but is a sad rant about hating private school. And pretty disgusting commentary on a leak of info from a board member.

Clue here though --- every year is different. Don't assume nothing was gained from prior years in private that set up grand finale at langley.

Also from the ranting about Catholic private school makes me think that DD was never at a top tier private. The Catholic schools around here serve a faith mission but are not competitive intellectually.

[Anonymous]

We would send both kids to public school but then the public middle school would be Pyle (shudder) so we would be willing to do public elem and public high school but not public junior high.

Wow.

[Anonymous]

And if the crazy Langley PP is still here - my god, please don't withhold college acceptance information from your child for whatever your misguided reason is. My sister-in-law never forgave my father-in-law for hiding all her acceptance letters except the one from the crappy all-girls Catholic school and telling her she never got in anywhere else. Opening my own early decision acceptance letter, and immediately jumping in the car to go show my dad, is one of my proudest memories.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Enough with the public school is better than private! We've experienced both. In DC you can't fire those veteran public school teachers who are grumpy tired and punitive. In fact I used to teach in MCPS and can tell you that there are plenty of people who shouldnt be teaching who teach in public. We selected private because of the depth of curriculum, the wide range of opportunities for older kids, the sense of community at our private which is an excellent school. I have given this a lot of thought though and am considering public. One question is if the students who graduate from public go to top tier schools. Not just the occasional one or two but a large group as they do at our private.