People who ruin neighborhoods (like tkpk) by putting their kids in private school

[Anonymous]

I would send my kids to a high-performing all-boys public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More of a vent, but i am uttterly frustrated by people with money who move into nice MC neighborhoods like tkpk or silver spring with relatively good schools to get bigger houses and then choose to put their precious kids in private schools.

We are trying to build a community and bring the schools up and these people create a bad trend of pulling a whole group of UMC kids out of the public schools because they cannot handle the diversity and challenges of public schools. All while claiming to be left leaning and to have a social compass. But that is pure white flight. It is depressing. And they dont even seem to see how political and impactful their choice is.

I really wish they stayed out of my city and went to live next to the private schools they send their kids to.

Many of us with special needs kids tried public but the our kids failed our kids. I would have much preferred my kids to thrive in a local public school but it was not possible.

Try not to jump to conclusions in judgy ways about your neighbors.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The fact that these kids get into Yale from their so-called "inadequate" public schools is a testament to the fact that our fears of public schools are irrational.

If public school was so great for those kids, why not attend a public university too?

Many public university graduates are very successful and make a lot of money. I have a classmate that went to Frostburg State, where she met her husband. They are doing very well and have an enormous house. I'm not sure what your point is.

Exactly, so why bash private schools k-12 and then turn around and send your kid to private U?

Your college ends up on your resume for life and, even decades after graduation, it can play a role in whether you get a job or not. Not so with elementary, middle, and high schools.

Nope. Private k-12 matters far more in terms of college preparation, future dating & friendships, becoming acculturated, socialization and poise. Your kid who went to a LMC public school will forever be an interloper an Ivy. Hopefully they are prepared enough to finish a useful major, but that’s unlikely. Kids who went to independent schools dominate the Greek life, secret society & eating club scenes no matter where they go to college.

Omg

Truth hurts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Kids who went to independent schools dominate the Greek life, secret society & eating club scenes no matter where they go to college."

This made me LOL - thank you for this gift!

Agreed. PP and I have...different goals for our children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Kids who went to independent schools dominate the Greek life, secret society & eating club scenes no matter where they go to college."

This made me LOL - thank you for this gift!

Agreed. PP and I have...different goals for our children

I can spot private school kids in the coffee shop easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are certain things that most day & boarding prep schools expect out of ALL their students that public schools do not. Mandatory 3 seasons of sports, mandatory public speaking, table manners, uniforms, showing up on time, no snacking or drinking in class, eating what’s served and learning how interact with adults (especially wealthy/successful/old ones) in the community are just some examples.

I am the PP talking about hiring...all those traits you mentioned prepare someone for the working world way better than a college degree.

[Anonymous]

Public schools don’t instill a sense of duty, obligation or respect for tradition in their students. Every private school location has a unique culture & reputation to uphold. Most private school campuses are serene & well-maintained, lacking litter. At many pk-12 independent day schools, kids from ages 3 to 18 all learn on the same grounds. Upper schoolers know that young children are looking up to them, so they must be good role models.

Meanwhile, public school kids are shuffled around every 3-4 years to whatever school the central office authority says they should go to. Chaos. Madness.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:More of a vent, but i am uttterly frustrated by people with money who move into nice MC neighborhoods like tkpk or silver spring with relatively good schools to get bigger houses and then choose to put their precious kids in private schools.

We are trying to build a community and bring the schools up and these people create a bad trend of pulling a whole group of UMC kids out of the public schools because they cannot handle the diversity and challenges of public schools. All while claiming to be left leaning and to have a social compass. But that is pure white flight. It is depressing. And they dont even seem to see how political and impactful their choice is.

I really wish they stayed out of my city and went to live next to the private schools they send their kids to.

Translation: We are strivers who worked our butts off and clawed our way into what we thought was a premier neighborhood. We envisioned we and our children would make fast friends with upper middle class and rich new neighbors, parents and classmates. Read social climb. We quickly discovered we are actually on a lower rung and nobody with deep pockets sends their kid to what we thought were excellent public schools — and thus, they don’t socialize with us or our kids.

lol petty good translation there

This is to die for.
I live in a small, old house in a middle-class neighborhood and send my kids to the private school in the UMC town a few miles away. I think my way was smarter.

Meh, now do the person who stretched to afford private school only to find the parents are cliquey and uninterested in anyone without money/status, the teachers and admin prioritize the big donors and VIPs to everyone else's detriment, and you constantly have to explain to your kid why they can't do the same activities, vacations, and shopping sprees as their friends. Oh and they can't get into a good college because the college counselors can only recommend so many kids and oh yeah, those spots are going to the kids of the donors and VIPs

Oy vey, post some more corny stereotypical tropes you nutbag. The ruthless status obsessed cliques dominate the UMC public schools. Everyone is warm and inviting across the HHI spectrum at privates.

[Anonymous]

OP thought he climbed to the top of the status ladder, got there, and realized there are twenty more rungs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools don’t instill a sense of duty, obligation or respect for tradition in their students. Every private school location has a unique culture & reputation to uphold. Most private school campuses are serene & well-maintained, lacking litter. At many pk-12 independent day schools, kids from ages 3 to 18 all learn on the same grounds. Upper schoolers know that young children are looking up to them, so they must be good role models.

Meanwhile, public school kids are shuffled around every 3-4 years to whatever school the central office authority says they should go to. Chaos. Madness.

I went to a highly regarded DMV private through middle school. I carpooled with some upper schoolers when I was in the lower school. They were pretty cold and distant with me, I definitely didn't look up to them, nor did I have any meaningful relationships with any other upper schoolers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in the City of Alexandria and a few years back a group of neighbors in Del Ray got together and made the decision they would all send their kids to the local public school which at the time was name Maury. [it's been renamed and I don't know to what]

It's been years now and I think some of those kids must be in middle school now. They did a big fundraising effort to get a new playground. And some other things. But I believe there was some craziness that ensued with PTA moms.

I believe that part of the reason for the agreement was the realization that with their housing costs and all the extras of their lifestyles that adding private school tuition would be too much for them. So they need to make the public school situation acceptable. This happens a lot in Del Ray and Rosemont when people have young kids and are in the early years of owning the home they stretched to purchase.

So OP if you really want families to attend the local public you have to get out and raise support yourself. It's possible to do but takes effort.

This is a great idea! OP, with the attitude you have displayed here, I'm sure your neighbors will be clamoring to work hand in hand with you. Should be simple!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The fact that these kids get into Yale from their so-called "inadequate" public schools is a testament to the fact that our fears of public schools are irrational.

If public school was so great for those kids, why not attend a public university too?

Many public university graduates are very successful and make a lot of money. I have a classmate that went to Frostburg State, where she met her husband. They are doing very well and have an enormous house. I'm not sure what your point is.

I think it's a flimsy attempt at a "gotcha." "If you like public institutions so much, you should marry them!"

Yes, it's roughly the equivalent of, "if you think taxes should be higher, you're welcome to pay more yourself!"

[Anonymous]

I’ve had little-to-exposure private schools (went to very average publics from pk-grad school), but last fall my DS had a multi-day baseball tournament at a pk-12 boarding & day school in another state. It’s situated on 600 acres in an exburb. The campus was breathtaking. It wasn’t gated except for small portions of it, and there were admissions tours going on the same day as one of the games.

There were a lot of people walking around, so at times when DS was with his teammates I took long walks around the campus. It had a lake, a farm or sports fields of many kinds.

Thankfully DS hardly noticed the campus or the school, and happily attends our local public.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Takoma Park, and honestly I'm a little confused by OP's post. Most of the families in the community use the public schools. It seems like what OP is upset about is the relatively small slice of TkPk that is in the Historic District and therefore the wealthiest sliver of a diverse city.

Those families don't tend to be fleeing for ritzy privates for the social stature. More often, they have some 'horseshoe theory' beliefs around government schools stifling the creativity of children and preparing them for a life of mindless capitalism.

That's actually a different value set, and therefore a different discussion than the folks arguing that private school is better because it grants you entry into the halls of power.

[Anonymous]

One theory is that neighbors are using private school to avoid OP and people like her.