Top private (Sidwell, GDS) versus top public (JKLM) for early years: what are the differences?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone experienced both?
Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Well, I would only be interested in the KLM experience myself.

[Anonymous]

If the money doesn't matter to you, do private. It is a better customer service experience for both parent and kid, more enriched, more time spent in inquiry-based learning, nicer atmosphere. Can a kid do just as well coming from a good public - I think so. I have one kid in private and one in public. DH agree that we think the private school education is better. We don't think it's $35,000 better, though we are continuing for that child, but it comes down to what that money means to you.

[Anonymous]

It seems like the privates are significantly more international and racially/ethnically diverse. My child is in a JKLM and I am having some serious doubts about our decision to go public. The privates just seem better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like the privates are significantly more international and racially/ethnically diverse. My child is in a JKLM and I am having some serious doubts about our decision to go public. The privates just seem better.

Could you afford private? Comfortably through 12th grade and save for college and retirement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems like the privates are significantly more international and racially/ethnically diverse. My child is in a JKLM and I am having some serious doubts about our decision to go public. The privates just seem better.

Could you afford private? Comfortably through 12th grade and save for college and retirement?

Not comfortably, but with "some" struggle probably yes. Changing our way of life (no Starbucks coffee anymore, no nice restaurants from time to time, looking for new sources of income -extra work, renting part of the house, etc....)

[Anonymous]

In our case, yes, which makes the decision to stay in public difficult. DH is product of private schools and I convinced him to go public. We only have one kid and I keep thinking we should we leave soon.

[Anonymous]

That to me PP, does not sound worth it. Just my 2 cents. I would only do pvt if it was extra money on top of good saving each month. I could see downsizing your house/neighbrhood. By pe ny pinching wont get you to $70k (after tax) over 12 years.

[Anonymous]

I would choose private. JKLMM has large classes compared to private schools. We chose a public language immersion charter bc we REALLY wanted the language but otherwise we would have sent DS to private. We will send DS to private school starting in middle school. DH and I both went to private schools from K-12 and beyond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone experienced both?
Many thanks!

Can you afford it OP?

[Anonymous]

We're in the KM part of JKLM. Because we're zoned for Hardy, which kind of sucks, we are looking at private for middle school. Hardly anyone considers Hardy, sad to say, but it's a quality issue.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on how large your classes are in the public school. My older two hit the growth curve at Janney just right and have had 20 kids per class each year. My youngest will likely have close to 30 classmates in kindergarten (based on predictions for next year). The difference between 20 and 30 kids in a class is huge.
For the first time, we're having lots of private (for our youngest).

However, putting our kids in public has allowed us to afford lessons (language, musical instruments, private sports coaching, etc) and all sorts of travel/enrichment (including a trip to Europe or Asia each year for the past 5 years). If we were paying $30k for even one child all these things would be out the window.

[Anonymous]

Public pluses and downsides: Jklm filled with bright motivated kids and parents; whatever is lacking is not having PE everyday is trust me made up after school, tons of sports and enrichment opportunities on campus. These kids get plenty of exercise. Testing doesn't become a downside until third grade and it does impact the curriculum for about two months a year, but class sizes are totally manageable (we have twenty) and love being part of a neighborhood school and teachers are super responsive in fact I'd say more so because you see them every day at drop off and pick up as opposed to being in a car pool line. My teachers have always been super responsive.

Private downsides and pluses: more art is great, no testing provides more freedom in older grades, prettier facilities sometimes. And ... Smaller classes can be a plus or a minus. I can see it going either way. Sometimes privates are too small to find your tribe. Middle school is where there is a big divide that begins to take place. If money is any issue, apply in middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public pluses and downsides: Jklm filled with bright motivated kids and parents; whatever is lacking is not having PE everyday is trust me made up after school, tons of sports and enrichment opportunities on campus. These kids get plenty of exercise. Testing doesn't become a downside until third grade and it does impact the curriculum for about two months a year, but class sizes are totally manageable (we have twenty) and love being part of a neighborhood school and teachers are super responsive in fact I'd say more so because you see them every day at drop off and pick up as opposed to being in a car pool line. My teachers have always been super responsive.

Private downsides and pluses: more art is great, no testing provides more freedom in older grades, prettier facilities sometimes. And ... Smaller classes can be a plus or a minus. I can see it going either way. Sometimes privates are too small to find your tribe. Middle school is where there is a big divide that begins to take place. If money is any issue, apply in middle.

2 months a year? Can that be right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public pluses and downsides: Jklm filled with bright motivated kids and parents; whatever is lacking is not having PE everyday is trust me made up after school, tons of sports and enrichment opportunities on campus. These kids get plenty of exercise. Testing doesn't become a downside until third grade and it does impact the curriculum for about two months a year, but class sizes are totally manageable (we have twenty) and love being part of a neighborhood school and teachers are super responsive in fact I'd say more so because you see them every day at drop off and pick up as opposed to being in a car pool line. My teachers have always been super responsive.

Private downsides and pluses: more art is great, no testing provides more freedom in older grades, prettier facilities sometimes. And ... Smaller classes can be a plus or a minus. I can see it going either way. Sometimes privates are too small to find your tribe. Middle school is where there is a big divide that begins to take place. If money is any issue, apply in middle.

2 months a year? Can that be right?

Are you saying that 2 months a year is a lot or a little?