Private schools. What do you get for your money?

[Anonymous]

Is this private school pressure really just consumerism and hype? What are we getting for our money, and is there any way to measure it?

[Anonymous]

At the good private schools, you get somewhat smaller classes (although not as small as you might think given how much you pay), better facilities, more time for arts/music/etc., and less standardized testing. But it's impossible to generalize about private schools as a whole. Many are no better or are worse than public schools in the same neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

This is a very good question - one that I ask myself all the time. There isn't really any good way for me to know which is right for my child unless I pull him out of private and send him to our local public school and then compare the results. Since everyone's situation is unique in terms of schools for their children, it is hard to use other people's experiences as a good measure for your family.

We all have different choices available to us, different kids with unique personalities and needs, different childhood experiences from our own schooling that shape our opinions of what we want for our kids' education.

For me, tone of the biggest pros to private school are the depth of after school activities that allow me to work and not have my nanny around for afterschool care. For a two working parent family, our local public school did not provide the types of after school programs that would have worked for us. Also, our local public school has very poor facilities and low test scores.

These reasons certainly don't justify the private school tuition completely, but they do offset the cost quite a bit for our family.

[Anonymous]

At one point we lived in the district in a neighborhood with failing schools. We opted for private school. Now we're in Montgomery County in an excellent public school district. However, our children are thriving at the private school. As much as I don't like to write the $25,000 check (twice, no less), I don't want to experiment with the unknown.

I also agree with PP in that private schools do focus more on learning as a process, versus teaching to the test. There is more art, music, second language, recess time, etc. Lastly...this may be perceived badly...but, because there is an admission process (i.e., WPPSI, academic records, recommendations, etc.) there's going to be a certain type of student in your child's peer group (at least from an academic perspective).

[Anonymous]

We loved our public elementary school and were hesitant about going private not just for the cost (but that was a big factor at $25 K each for 2). But much as we loved our elementary school, by about 5th grade we noticed the classes (which were getting bigger all thorugh the school) had more kids with discipline issues and the teachers seemed preoccupied with dealing with kids who had either behavioral or academic issues, which meant the kids who didn't have issues were underserved. The private schools have smaller classes, but they also have kids who are there to learn, whose parents are motivated and involved (yes, sometimes too involved!), there's no mandatory testing, and so the teachers are able to focus on learning in a more creative way. Plus, more programs (arts, music, foreign languages, sports), and better facilities. In my opinion, the differences between private and public don't really come into play until around 4th or 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

We're in Arlington and, apart from the issue of teaching/prepping for testing and class size, our public schools compare more than favorably to private schools. Kids can choose from immersion schools, a science-focus school, an elementary Montessori school, and several other options. The after-school programs are supposed to be top-notch and the schools are considered some of the best around.

I honestly think some of the attraction of private schools for people is the desire to shield their kids from the wider world, including children with learning differences. I really question how much kids will benefit ultimately from this type of schooling -- most of us went to public schools, some of them quite ordinary, and yet most of us went on to college and successful careers.

[Anonymous]

Public schools have certified teachers, private schools sometimes don't.
Discipline problems in public schools are a lot less frequent now with the zero tolerance policy on physical contact and bullying. As a matter of fact, I know a family that moved from private to public who said that her kids had trouble dealing with the strict public schools.
Also, in the better counties, the good public high schools have great math and science programs that are often superior to even the best private schools'.
To OP: there is some hype.
Try to separate good privates from soso privates. The sosos have poor facilities and large class sizes, sometimes bigger than public. With the soso schools, you're probably better off in public.

[Anonymous]

OP, part of the answer to your question around "what do you get for your money" is college admissions.

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-COLLEGE0711-sort.html

There are some public schools on this list, but the vast majority are private.

[Anonymous]

This type of list can be extremely misleading. Given the importance of legacies at most top colleges, many of the kids who went to these private schools would have gone to the same colleges even if they had gone to public school. Back in the 1980s I remember hearing that something like half of legacies were admitted to Harvard, compared to maybe 1 in 8 or 10 of non-legacies. (Yes, that was 20 years ago, but I doubt that things have changed that much.)

[Anonymous]

12:53, thanks for the link. 13:03, I agree that these kids could have done it in public school, but that is my question. How do we gauge what we are paying for? Has anyone looked at test scores from kids with the same intellect at private and public schools?

[melissau]

WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY? Good question, and one I have thoroughly considered and investigated, and am now paying for with no regrets. There are good and bad schools of any kind. It's not about public vs private. It's about what is available to you and what is the BEST FIT for your child. My parents gave their six children a choice. I experienced both, attending a highly rated elementary school through 6th, making the switch to private in 7th. I now have both of my children in a private school and wish I had been able to attend from the start. The foundation years are very important. Three of us attended different well-known private schools in the Washington, DC metro area, three attended public. When I had to consider education for my children I looked at our experiences and noted a few immediate differences between those who went private and those who went public.

The private grads had a different college experience. We were better prepared academically. Our transition from senior year of high school to freshman year in college was less stressful and more confident. We stayed in college and went straight through. Although my brothers who went public did get college degrees, none of them went straight through. The private attendees have much greater ties today to their schools, the relationships they built, and the experience they had there. My brothers who went to public are not in touch with any of their classmates or former faculty.

Some of the things you pay for simply cannot be expressed easily - they are the intangibles. The incredible sense of belonging to a supportive community that continues past graduation, the making of lifelong relationships, the unified passion for learning, and an atmosphere that encourages and invites students to take risks and try something completely different. Like what? Like the star senior basketball player winning the lead in one of Shakespeare's most difficult plays. Some things are very tangible. The smaller class sizes do make a difference. I took a class in my senior year that shaped my future. There were only five students in that particular class. There were only five students in my son's French class in 7th grade. That's not the norm, but it is a possibility. The norm is still only 13-18 students.

Then there is the dedication and creativity of a faculty that is not bound by union rules or striving to teach to standardized testing. In the school my children attend which has over 1,000 students the teachers not only KNOW all the students, they KNOW them from different perspectives. They are teachers, advisors, coaches, tutors, and true mentors. They WILL meet your child before, during, and after school if that's what it takes to offer help when it is needed. Private schools have control of their curriculum. Most private schools offer excellent college counseling that many parents are now paying a consultant several thousand dollars to provide. It's not just about going to the top colleges, it is about finding the right fit for your child and preparing your child to be successful there. Choosing a private school is also about finding the right fit. They are all different. You have to visit and ask lots of questions. It's about laying a foundation of skills and knowledge that prepares them for college and for life. It's about inspiring a love of school and learning. It's about a meaningful mission statement that the whole community strives daily to fulfill, it's about character building, honor codes, and truly attending to every stage your child's development from k-12. It's about KNOWING your child so well that a teacher can recognize untapped talent and suggest that a student try something they would never have thought to try. It's about making an investment now in nature's greatest gift, your child. Personally, giving my child that experience and all the tools for a successful future is worth more than any other investment I could make with my money. I struggle to do it, but see on a daily basis that it is worth every cent.

[Anonymous]

PP - beautifully stated!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in Arlington and, apart from the issue of teaching/prepping for testing and class size, our public schools compare more than favorably to private schools. Kids can choose from immersion schools, a science-focus school, an elementary Montessori school, and several other options. The after-school programs are supposed to be top-notch and the schools are considered some of the best around.]

We are condsidering moving to Arlington; this peaks my interest! Poster, can you tell which is the Montessori elementary? Do you have to be in that district to go? I'd love some info. Thanks much.

[Anonymous]

melissau wrote:WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY? Good question, and one I have thoroughly considered and investigated, and am now paying for with no regrets. There are good and bad schools of any kind. It's not about public vs private. It's about what is available to you and what is the BEST FIT for your child. My parents gave their six children a choice. I experienced both, attending a highly rated elementary school through 6th, making the switch to private in 7th. I now have both of my children in a private school and wish I had been able to attend from the start. The foundation years are very important. Three of us attended different well-known private schools in the Washington, DC metro area, three attended public. When I had to consider education for my children I looked at our experiences and noted a few immediate differences between those who went private and those who went public.

The private grads had a different college experience. We were better prepared academically. Our transition from senior year of high school to freshman year in college was less stressful and more confident. We stayed in college and went straight through. Although my brothers who went public did get college degrees, none of them went straight through. The private attendees have much greater ties today to their schools, the relationships they built, and the experience they had there. My brothers who went to public are not in touch with any of their classmates or former faculty.

Some of the things you pay for simply cannot be expressed easily - they are the intangibles. The incredible sense of belonging to a supportive community that continues past graduation, the making of lifelong relationships, the unified passion for learning, and an atmosphere that encourages and invites students to take risks and try something completely different. Like what? Like the star senior basketball player winning the lead in one of Shakespeare's most difficult plays. Some things are very tangible. The smaller class sizes do make a difference. I took a class in my senior year that shaped my future. There were only five students in that particular class. There were only five students in my son's French class in 7th grade. That's not the norm, but it is a possibility. The norm is still only 13-18 students.

Then there is the dedication and creativity of a faculty that is not bound by union rules or striving to teach to standardized testing. In the school my children attend which has over 1,000 students the teachers not only KNOW all the students, they KNOW them from different perspectives. They are teachers, advisors, coaches, tutors, and true mentors. They WILL meet your child before, during, and after school if that's what it takes to offer help when it is needed. Private schools have control of their curriculum. Most private schools offer excellent college counseling that many parents are now paying a consultant several thousand dollars to provide. It's not just about going to the top colleges, it is about finding the right fit for your child and preparing your child to be successful there. Choosing a private school is also about finding the right fit. They are all different. You have to visit and ask lots of questions. It's about laying a foundation of skills and knowledge that prepares them for college and for life. It's about inspiring a love of school and learning. It's about a meaningful mission statement that the whole community strives daily to fulfill, it's about character building, honor codes, and truly attending to every stage your child's development from k-12. It's about KNOWING your child so well that a teacher can recognize untapped talent and suggest that a student try something they would never have thought to try. It's about making an investment now in nature's greatest gift, your child. Personally, giving my child that experience and all the tools for a successful future is worth more than any other investment I could make with my money. I struggle to do it, but see on a daily basis that it is worth every cent.

I respect the PP's post as her experience, but mine, as a public school grad, is identical to what she experienced. I attended the Chicago area equivalent of Walt Whitman High School. I found my freshman year of college to be a snap (Univ. of Michigan honors program) because of my excellent public high school preparation (even with classes that ranged up to 30 students). Some of my closest friends go back to public elementary school and high school. I have great friends from college with whom I'm still in close touch even though we live in different parts of the country. And I got through college in 4 years with a double major and then went right to law school.

My teachers in public elementary and high school were always ready to meet and knew us quite well -- and in different contexts, such as classroom and extracurricular activities/sports. This idea that only private school teachers know kids/care about kids just doesn't hold up either.

So, the notion that public school makes the transition to college more difficult or you somehow lack close ties to friends from school just doesn't hold up across the board. More than what type of school you attend, what matters in my experience is how much education is valued at home and how parents encourage their kids to excel.

Our DS starts public kindergarten in Arlington in the fall and in visiting a couple of the public school options we're considering, we've been more than impressed with the dedication/enthusiasm of the teachers and principals we've met. I understand, in some cases, that people in DC may need private school, but people who live in the VA or MD burbs are just wasting their money in my opinion, considering some of the excellent public schools around.

[Anonymous]

I respect the PP's post as her experience, but mine, as a public school grad, is identical to what she experienced. I attended the Chicago area equivalent of Walt Whitman High School. I found my freshman year of college to be a snap (Univ. of Michigan honors program) because of my excellent public high school preparation (even with classes that ranged up to 30 students). Some of my closest friends go back to public elementary school and high school. I have great friends from college with whom I'm still in close touch even though we live in different parts of the country. And I got through college in 4 years with a double major and then went right to law school.



My teachers in public elementary and high school were always ready to meet and knew us quite well -- and in different contexts, such as classroom and extracurricular activities/sports. This idea that only private school teachers know kids/care about kids just doesn't hold up either.



So, the notion that public school makes the transition to college more difficult or you somehow lack close ties to friends from school just doesn't hold up across the board. More than what type of school you attend, what matters in my experience is how much education is valued at home and how parents encourage their kids to excel.



Our DS starts public kindergarten in Arlington in the fall and in visiting a couple of the public school options we're considering, we've been more than impressed with the dedication/enthusiasm of the teachers and principals we've met. I understand, in some cases, that people in DC may need private school, but people who live in the VA or MD burbs are just wasting their money in my opinion, considering some of the excellent public schools around.