Public School Forum

[Anonymous]

Does anyone ever go on there to read the posts? When you see the issues discussed there, does that reaffirm your committment to private school?

Just went in the PS forum and right away I saw posts discussing my biggest concerns about public schools, overcrowding and quality control. One poster wrote how useless the Spanish class at her child's ES school is and another wrote that after 4 years of Spanish instruction in the school, the child knew nothing. I see many PS parents post here in the private school forum praising their schools and trashing private, but I have never until today ventured on to the public school forum of this blog. From what I read on there today, I am convinced that private is the best way to go at least until 8th grade. I am still not sure if private highschool is worth it so will continue researching and asking parents with older kids. My kids are in 3rd and 1st grade.

Out of curiosity and in light of the latest tuition hike (our school was hit with 4.5%), I have started to quietly look into public schools in our neighborhood in VA. My husband grew up around here, but I did not so I do not know much about the public schools in this area other than what he tells me, which is that they are all terrible and that this is a non-negotiable no discussion issue for him and he will send kids to private no matter what the cost. I went to private where I grew up so when the kids came along, I didn't know any better so I just went along with him, and I am ok with continuing with private until 8th grade, but these tuitions scare me to death. Our HHI is $220k, but we live in an inherited home so we have no mortgage. For the moment we are ok, but we are in professions in which we have reached the upper limit of earnings so while we are able to manage at the moment, I am not sure once tuition hits 40k per kid, if that is something we can do and my husband is not even open to discussing this possibility, which is scary for me as I am a total planner and worrier.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I'm the person who wrote about my child being in Spanish for four years and still not knowing much Spanish. I have a child in public and a child in private, so I straddle both forums. In our case, one of our children needed the smaller class size, but our other child is absolutely thriving in public school.

While I don't think my child in public school is learning much in the Spanish class, he loves it and loves the teacher, so I don't feel the need to complain to the County. I guess I'm saying that I don't think that private is the end-all, be-all for every child and I know a number of families that have children in both public and private.

Honestly, the thread about the daughter who wants to return to public and the Queen Bee Mom who posted turned my stomach (though I realize the same types of people exist in publics, especially in our area).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I'm the person who wrote about my child being in Spanish for four years and still not knowing much Spanish. I have a child in public and a child in private, so I straddle both forums. In our case, one of our children needed the smaller class size, but our other child is absolutely thriving in public school.

While I don't think my child in public school is learning much in the Spanish class, he loves it and loves the teacher, so I don't feel the need to complain to the County. I guess I'm saying that I don't think that private is the end-all, be-all for every child and I know a number of families that have children in both public and private.

Honestly, the thread about the daughter who wants to return to public and the Queen Bee Mom who posted turned my stomach (though I realize the same types of people exist in publics, especially in our area).

Thank you for sharing. If you don't mind, can you also comment on the dynamics between the siblings with one being in private and the other in public? I am always curious with families that have one in each, do they ever make comments like why can't I got to that school to or how come my school doesn't have that? I personally would be so torn if I could only afford private for one and not the other.

[Anonymous]

Recent topics. I see it all.

[Anonymous]

I did not read the post about the inferior Spanish instruction in the public school. However, I do have a DS who was in an MCPS W feeder schools up until 8th grade. He took Spanish for 2 years in middle school. He is now a freshman in a private school and taking Spanish 2 with a bunch of sophomores. I know that many of his other freshmen friends (at the new school) who took Spanish throughout private elementary school and still got placed in Spanish 1. Same for math. DS got placed in honors geometry while many friends schooled in private during elementary were placed in Algebra.

Some publics are pretty damn good. We transferred out mainly because we were worried about the culture in our high school (which was already becoming evident in middle school), not necessarily because of the academics. We did not feel the culture was right for our son, and we were right. He is thriving where he is...and the bonus is the smaller class sizes and demanding English curriculum. One thing I will say is the I don't feel public schools (or at lease in my experience) do as good of a job teaching kids to write. We are finding our new private has helped to improve DS's writing already.

[Anonymous]

OP I wouldn't base your confidence in your decisions on a forum talk board. What you see in the MD public schools section are the problems, not the successes. Similarly there isn't a single school in the private and independent section which comes out totally unscathed.

Its possible to write positive things, but there is always someone to tear them down. Also, if everything is going well, then people are simply not coming here to crow about it, they're just living their lives.

I have been in both forums because I have had children in both public and private in the area. Sometimes there is a random fact or helpful comment that is of interest.

Both forums relate back and forth to each other for the reason that many families have experience of both types of schools.

[Anonymous]

I'm confident enough in my decision to send my kids to private school that I don't need to read the public school forums for reasons to feel good about that. I do read the public school forums, and I think there are positives and negatives to both choices. The biggest factor in us going private is small class sizes - to me, that is one thing that is so important in the early years.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, OP?

You sound like someone who buys a house and then obsessively tracks prices in the neighborhood for the next several years.

Did you always have an inferiority complex, or did DC cause this mental health problem?

[Anonymous]

I am wondering what the "public school forum" on DCUM is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, OP?

You sound like someone who buys a house and then obsessively tracks prices in the neighborhood for the next several years.

Did you always have an inferiority complex, or did DC cause this mental health problem?

Why the snark? OP is contemplating moving to public because of tuition hikes. She has every reason to want to explore the situation at publics. I swear some of you posters are just perched to attack at any moment for any reason. Get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever go on there to read the posts? When you see the issues discussed there, does that reaffirm your commitment to private school?

I read posts on the public school board for my neighborhood's schools, partly because I am curious about the topics my friends and neighbors discuss, and partly because I am keeping an eye on things in case we ever need an alternative to my children's private school. Yes, many of the discussions there reinforce my decision to send my children to private schools, because my local public schools have significant problems not found in my children's private schools. No, I am not suggesting my children's private schools are perfect, but the types and tenor of problems are lots more manageable. No, I am not suggesting my local public schools are bad schools. In fact, they are quite good when compared to other public schools in the area. But nevertheless, they face significant difficulties. My family is very lucky to be able to afford to avoid those problems and to receive the benefits of private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, OP?

You sound like someone who buys a house and then obsessively tracks prices in the neighborhood for the next several years.

Did you always have an inferiority complex, or did DC cause this mental health problem?

Why the snark? OP is contemplating moving to public because of tuition hikes. She has every reason to want to explore the situation at publics. I swear some of you posters are just perched to attack at any moment for any reason. Get a life.

+10000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for sharing. If you don't mind, can you also comment on the dynamics between the siblings with one being in private and the other in public? I am always curious with families that have one in each, do they ever make comments like why can't I got to that school to or how come my school doesn't have that? I personally would be so torn if I could only afford private for one and not the other.

Me again. My kids are fine with it because it's all they've ever know. They are three years apart and have never gone to school together. FWIW, we could afford private for both of them but only send the youngest because he's the one who needs the smaller class size. My oldest would be devastated if he had to change schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever go on there to read the posts? When you see the issues discussed there, does that reaffirm your commitment to private school?

I read posts on the public school board for my neighborhood's schools, partly because I am curious about the topics my friends and neighbors discuss, and partly because I am keeping an eye on things in case we ever need an alternative to my children's private school. Yes, many of the discussions there reinforce my decision to send my children to private schools, because my local public schools have significant problems not found in my children's private schools. No, I am not suggesting my children's private schools are perfect, but the types and tenor of problems are lots more manageable. No, I am not suggesting my local public schools are bad schools. In fact, they are quite good when compared to other public schools in the area. But nevertheless, they face significant difficulties. My family is very lucky to be able to afford to avoid those problems and to receive the benefits of private schools.

That's like deciding that the restaurant is terrible, after only reading the bad restaurant reviews. People don't typically post on DCUM about how everything is fine and there is nothing to complain about.

[Anonymous]

I read all the education sections, yes. I am interested in education, and how different schools and Counties are approaching things. There are great things and troubling things about public and private, and in each county.

I do think that if you family has a blanket "We would never go public!" or "All publics are inferior to privates!" then you have research to do. It simply isn't true. My kid goes to private because, in our case, the zoned school it truly substandard, and there is a truly wonderful private for him to go to.

And, OP...you have no mortgage, make more than 90% of families in the area, and are concerned about the cost of private? Okay. But that really isn't the issue for you. The issue is you aren't well informed about publics.