Private schools and science and math

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are both scientists, and my children seem to be more talented in math/science. What I have read, seen, and heard about local private schools is that they are not very strong when it comes to technical courses like math and science when compared to the good publics.
We are now (happily) in montessori, but would I be wrong in assuming that we would be better served in the public schools later on?

[Anonymous]

Montgomery County's math and science magnets for middle and high schools are fantastic (Takoma Park Middle School and Montgomery Blair High School). The kids at the high school win all kinds of national awards. The kids at the middle school use something called "field theory" to solve the Rubics cube, among other things. Thomas Jefferson in Virginia is also fantastic, but I know less about them and will let somebody else speak about them.

Even if your kid doesn't go to a magnet, many MoCo schools will let them skip one or even two grades of math (my kid in immersion is doing this -- very advanced math in a foreign language).

Of course, most privates also offer advanced math options, maybe one grade ahead. Some don't, however. Your kids might be perfectly happy there. They might still go on to MIT. In fact, if I had to guess, I would think that your kid applying to MIT from a private would have less competition from classmates who are applying to Ivy's, and so a better chance of getting in.

I guess it's a question of emphasis. Do you want for your kids an environment where math nerds (and I say that with all the respect in the world, I'm one myself) have an opportunity to dig really deep into college-level topics while they are still in high school? Or are you looking for balance but still with a challenge in math and science?