Help me convince my husband we should put our kids in DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values.

Or they could come from involved parents who truly like the community they've built in their local public schools. Others might argue that the rarified atmosphere of elite private schools is effectively training young kids to be little douchebags.

As someone who has experienced both, I can say there were certainly lots of d-bags at my private high school, but nobody got "jumped" on the way home from junior high school because there was an unfounded rumor that they liked some cute boy that a bully girl liked too.

[Anonymous]

With DCPS, there are still problems of basic functionality that public schools in the surrounding areas do not have. My child's JKLMO school has yet to provide teacher assignments or class lists, although it is Wed and school starts on Monday. I've heard rumors that they are still being worked out, which if true, is pretty stunning. Facilities are much better in some cases than in the past, but there is still no curriculum. That means that if teachers differentiate they have to make it up on the fly and it is less likely than it would be if they had a curriculum to refer to. If the middle that is being taught to is well below your child's level of learning, a Saturday trip to a museum (where you can walk from the Hill rather than drive in from Arlington or SS) just doesn't address the gap. There are just a lot of problems with the fundamentals in DCPS that make it seem quite unprofessional. You need to seriously think about stuff like that OP, not whether going to Landon (not a possiblity according to your post) might make your kid a dbag. Will your kid get a decent education on their level? You can't worry about all the other kids but it is your duty to worry about your own. Parent volunteers cannot make DCPS a functional system. Other publics are just as free and would also be welcoming of your involvement. We are in one of the "better" DCPS schools and the reality is dawning that we are trying to make a silk purse out of something other than silk. Be honest with yourself, if you did look at houses outside DC at this point wouldn't the quality of the schools factor into your decision?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also the rave reviews of neighbors come from people who are probably not willing to relocate and who hope that stronger schools will push up their housing values.

Or they could come from involved parents who truly like the community they've built in their local public schools. Others might argue that the rarified atmosphere of elite private schools is effectively training young kids to be little douchebags.

As someone who has experienced both, I can say there were certainly lots of d-bags at my private high school, but nobody got "jumped" on the way home from junior high school because there was an unfounded rumor that they liked some cute boy that a bully girl liked too.

My dd was never "jumped" in middle school when she was in DCPS but she was sexually assaulted in high school when she went private. While the educational environment is better at her private school, I know that the private school is in some ways more dangerous for her. And the boy who did it -- he'll never pay for what he did.

[Anonymous]

Name the private, please.

[Anonymous]

You have posted about your daughter before PP and I am truly sorry for her experience. Do you think there was something about the private experience that created the conditions for the assault to happen? As a mom of several girls it seems to me that it could happen anywhere, at any school. My DCPS certainly doesn't have fab security. The response of the school afterwards may vary (especially if there is a big donor involved) but police involvement should be the same I would think. I am not asking you to share sensitive details, just for a bit more info on how your DD might have been better protected from the same boy at a public school.

[Anonymous]

uiougpohipyot

[Anonymous]

ohhhhhhhh my gosh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Plus, the DC Tag program gives each graduate $10K per year for college if you are a District resident.

Just to clarify, ALL DC residents are eligible for this program, whether they are graduates of public or private high schools.

http://osse.dc.gov/seo/cwp/view,A,1226,Q,536770,seoNav_GID,1511,.asp

[Anonymous]

17:02 -- is that "i-wording?"