Do you think public schools can learn anything from private schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having experience with both, I think public can learn from how private schools create community (and I recognize that not all privates may be great at this and that some publics may better than others). I wish the communications from our public school weren't so sterile, for instance.

Like report card comments... Every friend of mine was so disappointed in the sterile report card comments. "Larlo is able to count to 100. He is able to identify 26 out of 26 letters." Thanks for the info. I'd rather they just wrote nothing!

[Anonymous]

I think privates could learn a thing or two about accountability from public. Since there are few objective measures, people often fail to see that they're missing out.

I wrote the longer post above (have taught at and sent my kids to both) and I totally agree--meant to say that, actually. I know we like to demonize tests, but as a teacher, I learned a ton every year when I got the first round of interim standardized tests. Even as an experienced teacher and (in my modest opinion) a pretty good one, it is easy to get swayed by kids raising their hand a lot and (I am sorry to say) lovely handwriting. There were always a few kids who scored much lower than I would have imagined and who needed more help and monitoring than I would have guessed. I would imagine that at private schools, where there are likely to be a lot of kids with big vocabularies, it's even easier to miss kids who need help, and miss when kids are stagnating. I know private school families would probably throw fits if their kids were given 60-minute grade-level standardized tests in reading and math twice a year, but I think it would be provide a benefit.

[Anonymous]

Publics could do a much better job curating their student bodies. They just let any old ruffians in.

[Anonymous]

Enroll only children of rich parents. Expel the disruptive ones.
Constantly ask parents for additional money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both and sent my kids to both, and I think both could absolutely learn from each other.

For public schools, I found that chasing test scores meant that so much of the joy and meaning went away. Private schools have the luxury to focus on longer texts and thematic units and just having kids read and respond without anatomizing it into author's purpose, etc. (I taught English and history.) In contrast, though, private schools need to get a clue about new practices in education and not just teach the way my parents probably learned, with 10 reading questions each night and teacher-led discussions (they both have their place, but that's all that seems to happen in my child's school.)

This is an actually useful and non-snide response!

I think privates could learn a thing or two about accountability from public. Since there are few objective measures, people often fail to see that they're missing out.

I think any school taking vouchers should be required to administer state standardized tests.

I love this idea. And any school taking public money has to have a student population that reflects the demographics of the local population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both and sent my kids to both, and I think both could absolutely learn from each other.

For public schools, I found that chasing test scores meant that so much of the joy and meaning went away. Private schools have the luxury to focus on longer texts and thematic units and just having kids read and respond without anatomizing it into author's purpose, etc. (I taught English and history.) In contrast, though, private schools need to get a clue about new practices in education and not just teach the way my parents probably learned, with 10 reading questions each night and teacher-led discussions (they both have their place, but that's all that seems to happen in my child's school.)

This is an actually useful and non-snide response!

I think privates could learn a thing or two about accountability from public. Since there are few objective measures, people often fail to see that they're missing out.

I think any school taking vouchers should be required to administer state standardized tests.

I love this idea. And any school taking public money has to have a student population that reflects the demographics of the local population.

Most privates take ERBs- its just that they don't report out the scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think privates could learn a thing or two about accountability from public. Since there are few objective measures, people often fail to see that they're missing out.

I wrote the longer post above (have taught at and sent my kids to both) and I totally agree--meant to say that, actually. I know we like to demonize tests, but as a teacher, I learned a ton every year when I got the first round of interim standardized tests. Even as an experienced teacher and (in my modest opinion) a pretty good one, it is easy to get swayed by kids raising their hand a lot and (I am sorry to say) lovely handwriting. There were always a few kids who scored much lower than I would have imagined and who needed more help and monitoring than I would have guessed. I would imagine that at private schools, where there are likely to be a lot of kids with big vocabularies, it's even easier to miss kids who need help, and miss when kids are stagnating. I know private school families would probably throw fits if their kids were given 60-minute grade-level standardized tests in reading and math twice a year, but I think it would be provide a benefit.

Nah the standardized tests in public school are largely given in the spring to bury scores - and the child has been promoted anyways so gains little to no value from them. This notion that somehow public schools are more accountable or follow evidence based research more than private is a total fallacy here in DMV because we pay so much in taxes for such poor quality schools. Public schools are jobs programs for lower third of all university’s graduating class. They’re smart enough to vote but not smart enough to be productive. (In a pure liberal economic sense)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to “bad” public schools, but looking at the NCS Instagram page, it just looks so idyllic. The nature activities, arts etc.

Are you willing to pay enough taxes to give every public school a campus like NCS, the resources to go on field trips to engage in nature activities or to performances, and the number of extra schools needed to cut class sizes in half?

I am, personally.

Than, no offense, you are either benefiting from the system (ie retired teacher) or the village idiot.

MCPS has a 3.1 billion annual budget. It has a separate 1.6 billion operating budget for buildings. Left to it’s own devices where does it choose to spend the majority of its annual budget? Pensions, healthcare and salaries. (Ie on itself, the adults in the building). As for the operating budget, ever go into an MCPS building that’s not either wealthy or Title 1? Disgusting. Give the beast more money and all you will fund is a fatter bureaucracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neuroteach

https://neuroteach.us/

I one time mentioned this program to MCPS admins not a quarter of a mile away from St Andrews and they just stared back at me, dumbfounded.

See even if this training were offered to teachers, MCPS can’t attract the quality necessary to implement. Fortunately my partner and I did not enroll our child in that MCPS school - largely due to the lack of knowledge about the geniuses working just a few miles down the road. (And yet another DMV School District partners with them!). So I guess this might simply attest to MCPS incompetence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure. They learn that rich people set up society to benefit them as they dodge their taxes and poor people get some sort of mad max hell scape where they do Thunder dome in the hallways. Accurate enough?

Hyperbole much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

Not really sure that’s the issue. Private school teachers aren’t certified and generally don’t have a solid training in pedagogy. Public schools also pay more than private.

Depends on the private. I left public school teaching and now work in a private high school. We are required to maintain state certification. We also get to pick and attend PDs once a month. I’m getting about 5X the development I got in the public system, and I get to pick what is most beneficial to me.

I’m also observed 8 times a year as opposed to the twice a year in the public system. My lesson plans must be posted by Sunday evening, whereas I didn’t need lesson plans at all in public.

I work harder now and I’m held to higher expectations. The payoff is I’m HAPPY. I am treated far better at the private. They pay may be lower, but the professional respect makes up for it.

From my experience, the one thing publics can learn from private is how to effectively use an administration. My public admin’s main purpose was to play “gotcha,” and none of them spent a second thinking how they could support the teaching staff.

(Note: this is my experience. I’m sure there are privates that don’t operate nearly as well as mine.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

Not really sure that’s the issue. Private school teachers aren’t certified and generally don’t have a solid training in pedagogy. Public schools also pay more than private.

Depends on the private. I left public school teaching and now work in a private high school. We are required to maintain state certification. We also get to pick and attend PDs once a month. I’m getting about 5X the development I got in the public system, and I get to pick what is most beneficial to me.

I’m also observed 8 times a year as opposed to the twice a year in the public system. My lesson plans must be posted by Sunday evening, whereas I didn’t need lesson plans at all in public.

I work harder now and I’m held to higher expectations. The payoff is I’m HAPPY. I am treated far better at the private. They pay may be lower, but the professional respect makes up for it.

From my experience, the one thing publics can learn from private is how to effectively use an administration. My public admin’s main purpose was to play “gotcha,” and none of them spent a second thinking how they could support the teaching staff.

(Note: this is my experience. I’m sure there are privates that don’t operate nearly as well as mine.)

Do you have more planning time in private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

Not really sure that’s the issue. Private school teachers aren’t certified and generally don’t have a solid training in pedagogy. Public schools also pay more than private.

Depends on the private. I left public school teaching and now work in a private high school. We are required to maintain state certification. We also get to pick and attend PDs once a month. I’m getting about 5X the development I got in the public system, and I get to pick what is most beneficial to me.

I’m also observed 8 times a year as opposed to the twice a year in the public system. My lesson plans must be posted by Sunday evening, whereas I didn’t need lesson plans at all in public.

I work harder now and I’m held to higher expectations. The payoff is I’m HAPPY. I am treated far better at the private. They pay may be lower, but the professional respect makes up for it.

From my experience, the one thing publics can learn from private is how to effectively use an administration. My public admin’s main purpose was to play “gotcha,” and none of them spent a second thinking how they could support the teaching staff.

(Note: this is my experience. I’m sure there are privates that don’t operate nearly as well as mine.)

Do you have more planning time in private?

I’m the PP. Yes. I also appreciate that they limit the amount of times they can pull me for a duty within a month.

I’m sure there are many schools (public and private) that operate poorly. I’m sure there are many (public and private) that operate well.

The model simply needs to be changed, and I think it needs to start with how admin is viewed. Admin plays a support role at my school. They make sure we have what we need to plan (including time) and they provide us opportunities for PD. Observations aren’t “gotchas.” Instead, they are simply one tool in a large toolbox for better instruction. The relationship is collegial and not hostile, like I recall from my former public. If my former public could shift so admin was supportive instead of merely evaluative, I could have stayed.

[Anonymous]

But if you are not buddies with admin then it's a gotcha situation. Teachers should wear body cams when it comes to the extra crap admin expects of teachers. Any times it is artificially manipulating numbers to make your boss look good so the retaliation stops. However it never does. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Children thrive with enforceable limits. They should try it.

This times one million. I teach in a low income public school. My son goes to a Catholic school. My students don’t have a lot of structure and limits in their lives. They crave it. Without it, life is chaotic and kind of scary. Schools need to reset and go back to a safe, calm, predictable learning environment, especially for kids like mine. My son’s school sees no problem creating this type of environment. I’m not sure why public schools are scared of it.