Is the 2.0 debacle worth opting out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't be freaked out.

What private schools will you be looking at? Are you talking Primary Day/Holton or Seneca Academy or Mary of Nazareth? If Seneca or Mary of Nazareth (or Barnesville/Christ Episcopal), what do you plan to do for high school? QO or a Holton at that point?

If you are referring to a Holton caliber private school and you easily can afford it, then yes, send your daughter there.

Are you involved middle class/umc parents? Does your daughter have any special needs? If she has special needs, I can see how a private would work better. But if you are your run of the mill middle class/umc parents, your child will be absolutely fine in your local elementary school. You can use the money to supplement in any areas you think she is lacking.

Reassess your decision for middle school.

Are private schools, as a group, well-known for their accommodation of children who have special needs?

Some are better than others. You need to ask prior to enrolling your child and tour the school. The admission interview time is when I asked questions about accommodations. Bring your testing data with you and if coming from public, the 504 Plan or IEP.

One school in particular did not feel like a great fit when we shared our child's needs and data. That closed the door in our mind on that school.

Another felt like home for our child. When we asked, they walked us through how they would provide the accommodations at their school. As long as you had testing data, they were willing to provide what the child needed with no arguments. Actually easier than the MCPS process of meeting after meeting just to have the school forget to implement the plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone who sent their child to Barnesville and is extremely happy with it. From her description, it sounds like a lovely school. Her son has since graduated from the school and had a wonderful time there.

But - her child is a little quirky and he would not have done well in a public school. He needed the small class sizes. He needed the extra attention. Small class sizes they are - she said they had less than 10 kids in the class.

I just think an environment like that would have been extremely stifling for my child especially as they move into older grades. Looking back on my child's elementary years, I don't think those small classes would have markedly improved where she currently is.

So if she's a normal kid without any issues, start with your public school. If she is struggling, then move her to Barnesville.

OP here. Thanks! This is helpful. Everyone we’ve spoken with about Barnesville has said it’s a great school. We do worry it would be too small, as our daughter is very outgoing and thrives in places with lots of different people. The curriculum looks great, though.

This thread has been helpful. We will keep talking to friends and neighbors, but it might make sense to start her out in public K and just take it year by year.

[Anonymous]

I would go public until there is a visible need for something a good private has (arts, wider curriculum, etc.) OR if there is a truly child-specific reason to do private K-5 (very shy, pushes off work, ADHD, etc.).

We did two public and one private. Kids are all doing great. We cross over a mix of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone who sent their child to Barnesville and is extremely happy with it. From her description, it sounds like a lovely school. Her son has since graduated from the school and had a wonderful time there.

But - her child is a little quirky and he would not have done well in a public school. He needed the small class sizes. He needed the extra attention. Small class sizes they are - she said they had less than 10 kids in the class.

I just think an environment like that would have been extremely stifling for my child especially as they move into older grades. Looking back on my child's elementary years, I don't think those small classes would have markedly improved where she currently is.

So if she's a normal kid without any issues, start with your public school. If she is struggling, then move her to Barnesville.

OP here. Thanks! This is helpful. Everyone we’ve spoken with about Barnesville has said it’s a great school. We do worry it would be too small, as our daughter is very outgoing and thrives in places with lots of different people. The curriculum looks great, though.

This thread has been helpful. We will keep talking to friends and neighbors, but it might make sense to start her out in public K and just take it year by year.

Sounds like a good plan. I really don’t think public will harm your child in the early grades. Now does Barnesville have a better curriculum in writing starting in middle school? Probably but that is a benefit of the small class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone who sent their child to Barnesville and is extremely happy with it. From her description, it sounds like a lovely school. Her son has since graduated from the school and had a wonderful time there.

But - her child is a little quirky and he would not have done well in a public school. He needed the small class sizes. He needed the extra attention. Small class sizes they are - she said they had less than 10 kids in the class.

I just think an environment like that would have been extremely stifling for my child especially as they move into older grades. Looking back on my child's elementary years, I don't think those small classes would have markedly improved where she currently is.

So if she's a normal kid without any issues, start with your public school. If she is struggling, then move her to Barnesville.

OP here. Thanks! This is helpful. Everyone we’ve spoken with about Barnesville has said it’s a great school. We do worry it would be too small, as our daughter is very outgoing and thrives in places with lots of different people. The curriculum looks great, though.

This thread has been helpful. We will keep talking to friends and neighbors, but it might make sense to start her out in public K and just take it year by year.

Sounds like a good plan. I really don’t think public will harm your child in the early grades. Now does Barnesville have a better curriculum in writing starting in middle school? Probably but that is a benefit of the small class sizes.

So Barnesville helpfully has a curriculum map on their website. Their curriculum seems a lot broader and more in depth than MCPS. Whether that’s worth the expense and relative social isolation for the young grades I’m not sure, but there’s definitely more going on in that curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a good plan. I really don’t think public will harm your child in the early grades. Now does Barnesville have a better curriculum in writing starting in middle school? Probably but that is a benefit of the small class sizes.

If I were 15, I'd roll my eyes so hard about this that they'd be in danger of getting stuck.

-a person who went to public schools, married a person who went to public schools, and is raising two children who go to public schools

[Anonymous]

I didn’t read all the replies, but we just had a child finish K. We had a fantastic teacher, but even with that awesome teacher, I wouldn’t say it was a great year. Even great teachers are severely limited in such a crappy, large, poorly-run system like MCPS.

We also have an older kid and I would do private (a good private) in a heartbeat if we could afford it.

In MCPS, you will really have to work and stay on top of what your kid is learning or else you will find lots of holes IME.

K is not an intense year, and I guess it would also be fine to try it out and see what you think. But if you do try it out, keep your eyes wide open. Volunteer in the classroom a ton to get a feel for what is actually going on. I volunteered once a week and it helped understand the challenges the teacher was facing.

Good luck OP. MCPS is nuts but we can’t afford private so we’re stuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t read all the replies, but we just had a child finish K. We had a fantastic teacher, but even with that awesome teacher, I wouldn’t say it was a great year. Even great teachers are severely limited in such a crappy, large, poorly-run system like MCPS.

We also have an older kid and I would do private (a good private) in a heartbeat if we could afford it.

In MCPS, you will really have to work and stay on top of what your kid is learning or else you will find lots of holes IME.

K is not an intense year, and I guess it would also be fine to try it out and see what you think. But if you do try it out, keep your eyes wide open. Volunteer in the classroom a ton to get a feel for what is actually going on. I volunteered once a week and it helped understand the challenges the teacher was facing.

Good luck OP. MCPS is nuts but we can’t afford private so we’re stuck.

OP here. Thanks for your reply. This is part of my fear; DH and I both work full time and I have to clock hours for the feds, so unless I took vacation time every week (a possibility but of course a major sacrifice) I couldn’t volunteer in the classroom every week. DH maybe could, but not reliably. I worry our work situation doesn’t allow us to stay as on top of MCPS as everyone seems to need to be.

[Anonymous]

I have the same fear. We both realized half our BETHESDA neighborhood works at home or has a sahp. Lots of intel st the 3:50pm pickups on playground time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have the same fear. We both realized half our BETHESDA neighborhood works at home or has a sahp. Lots of intel st the 3:50pm pickups on playground time.

Yeah I feel like that sort of lifestyle is really what you need to do the sort of supplementing/babysitting of MCPS that people are talking about. We have a lot of reasons why we both have to work, so not sure how realistic it is for us to be able to do all of that as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here. Thanks for your reply. This is part of my fear; DH and I both work full time and I have to clock hours for the feds, so unless I took vacation time every week (a possibility but of course a major sacrifice) I couldn’t volunteer in the classroom every week. DH maybe could, but not reliably. I worry our work situation doesn’t allow us to stay as on top of MCPS as everyone seems to need to be.

Everyone does not need to be. It is fine if you don't volunteer in the classroom every week. I mean, think about it. Do you think that everybody volunteers in the classroom every week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have the same fear. We both realized half our BETHESDA neighborhood works at home or has a sahp. Lots of intel st the 3:50pm pickups on playground time.

Consider the possibility that this reflects the needs of the parents, not the needs of the children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should freak you out. If you don't want your child to be a guinea pig, do your homework and search for a private school. I am a public school teacher (not in MCPS) but in another MD district and I took my child out of public schools. He was a guinea pig for the first few years of Common Core until I had enough. Now he is in a private school working hard for his grades. He got all As in his public school classes and has been tutored in math for the last 2 years because of the gaps. He is finally caught up but I wonder about the kids whose parents think they are doing great when they get As.

Did I post this?! I’m a teacher too, but in MCPS. Run. Run run run.

former MCPS teacher
now in Frederick where my kids attend school in a lovely area

agree - RUN, Forrest, run!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should freak you out. If you don't want your child to be a guinea pig, do your homework and search for a private school. I am a public school teacher (not in MCPS) but in another MD district and I took my child out of public schools. He was a guinea pig for the first few years of Common Core until I had enough. Now he is in a private school working hard for his grades. He got all As in his public school classes and has been tutored in math for the last 2 years because of the gaps. He is finally caught up but I wonder about the kids whose parents think they are doing great when they get As.

Did I post this?! I’m a teacher too, but in MCPS. Run. Run run run.

former MCPS teacher
now in Frederick where my kids attend school in a lovely area

agree - RUN, Forrest, run!

I hope they're not taught by my semi-literate niece who never graduated from high school, and attended a variety of online colleges. Frederick public schools was the only school system that would take her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should freak you out. If you don't want your child to be a guinea pig, do your homework and search for a private school. I am a public school teacher (not in MCPS) but in another MD district and I took my child out of public schools. He was a guinea pig for the first few years of Common Core until I had enough. Now he is in a private school working hard for his grades. He got all As in his public school classes and has been tutored in math for the last 2 years because of the gaps. He is finally caught up but I wonder about the kids whose parents think they are doing great when they get As.

Did I post this?! I’m a teacher too, but in MCPS. Run. Run run run.

former MCPS teacher
now in Frederick where my kids attend school in a lovely area

agree - RUN, Forrest, run!

I hope they're not taught by my semi-literate niece who never graduated from high school, and attended a variety of online colleges. Frederick public schools was the only school system that would take her.

Former MCPS teacher, do you now teach in Frederick? How is it working for a different county? Are the county school systems all nuts? Is it a grass is greener thing from the employee perspective?