I don't understand why parents waste so much money on private schools in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Privates (at least the better ones) can be selective about their students. They only choose students who they know will do well and be motivated, and with parents who will be involved. Publics can't do that. Which environment is going to lead to better outcomes -- a school full of motivated kids and involved parents, or one that's not?

Then look at funding. MCPS spends $16k per student, the 4th highest in the country ( https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/us-census-six-maryland-schools-among-nations-most-funded ). Our private is $45k. Sure not everyone is paying full price, but still the average spending per student is higher. Privates just have more resources available. (Yes, I realize the $16k/student does not include capital budget while privates have to cover that, but it's not such a huge difference.. and at our school the newest building, which cost $30mln, was funded entirely by donations not tuition).

Pick what's best for your family and your children. Privates have certain structural benefits over public, and those may or may not be beneficial in your particular situation.

The fact that you think privates take the best students as opposed to those who are the richest or fit their diversity criteria is hilarious. Wake up.

Also, that you think tuition is basically the same as public per student expenditure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It doesn’t work for the kids because the kids have issues. That’s one of the things I find most telling about DC privates (as an alum who sends my kids public). People think they are entering private school with the best of the best but in fact they’re entering with the students that couldn’t hack it in public for whatever reason. I know at least four families thatvsent their kids private because public wasn’t working as in they had too many issues for the public to deal with. That’s fine - I totally respect that it works for their families - but the idea that privates are for the academically exceptional is really just not the case.

That is not at all the case for any selective privates with low acceptance rates and long waitlists. They're not accepting kids who can't hack it in publics.

FCPS AAP didn't work for my kids, who are stellar students with no issues. My DD got sick of always being used as a buffer for the rowdy kids. Both kids hated all of the group assignments, where they were stuck doing all of the work and teaching the kids who were struggling. My DS was enough of an outlier that he was bullied. Both were bored out of their minds and receiving no challenge.

[Anonymous]

I think public in this area was good about 30 years ago. It's been in decline ever since. The schools are overcrowded and they basically warehouse the kids through. As a pp mentioned, the FCPS school board has made it very clear that they don't actually care about children. I wish this wasn't the case, but it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

OP, I re-wrote your statement to fill in the pieces you missed:

I went to a public school in the 90s, because my parents couldn't afford it. I continually tell myself (and therapist) it was one of the top public high schools in California because it makes me less jealous of my private school friends. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. And I asked all of them to confirm my theory, again it really helped me with the fact they my parents couldn't afford it. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house, because I can't afford to send them to private school today. And I feel really guilty about it when I see all my friends send their kids there. And by posting on DCUM and saying this out loud I can justify to myself why going to public is so much better for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

OP, I re-wrote your statement to fill in the pieces you missed:

I went to a public school in the 90s, because my parents couldn't afford it. I continually tell myself (and therapist) it was one of the top public high schools in California because it makes me less jealous of my private school friends. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. And I asked all of them to confirm my theory, again it really helped me with the fact they my parents couldn't afford it. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house, because I can't afford to send them to private school today. And I feel really guilty about it when I see all my friends send their kids there. And by posting on DCUM and saying this out loud I can justify to myself why going to public is so much better for them.

LOLOLOL!

[Anonymous]

I went to private K-12. Sent my kids to public. Was convinced while kids were just in elementary school that public was best. Didn't understand why people paid for private. Then my oldest went to our supposedly excellent middle school, and I realized just how naive I had been. DC read one book (one!) in three years at an excellent public. Got As, but was a better writer after 5th than 8th. We pulled all our kids to private after that.

[Anonymous]

My DD goes to private but I still think that when you look at overall outcomes later in life - i.e. a good job, happiness, etc - that the top kids at a public and the kids from privates, are not in that different of a boat. I think some of you overthink that going to private school and the benefits it has, are the only way to a successful, satisfactory/happy life. There are many roads that lead to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MoCo school have gone down the toilet because of the idiots in Takoma Park. MoCo is still riding its reputation from the 70s and 80s when in fact the quality of schools has dramatically declined. VA has mediocre schools unless you get into TJ. The area in general has very mediocre schools.

Your mediocre schools comment is definitely relative to where you're coming from - I moved to NoVA from the Midwest and the schools here are light years better - both public and private. For my family all of it is a big step up and would hardly consider this areas public schools mediocre when in 2021 VA publics are ranked 4th nationally and MD is 10th. God forbid you come from the south where the school systems are so much worse. You just don't know how good it is here compared to a large part of the US.

I graduated from MCPS and we moved to a W school district for the schools. We've now moved to private and it's a lot better in our own experience. MCPS is a lot different from how it was when I attended. It feels like downcounty gets the shaft resource-wise because we're perceived as too well-off, and all MCPS decisions are made about equity and focusing on the lowest common denominator. Fine if they want to do so, but that's not resulting in the ideal outcome for our own kids.

If there's one expense I dont' mind spending money on, it's our kids.

Back in the MCPS heyday, did each town self-fund? Where I grew up in CT each school district was by town and the public schools there are still v good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people complaining about VA or MD public schools or saying that private schools are better are either ignoring or don't know the most important part of the private school education: teaching students that they're very important, more important than public schools kids, more important than most adults including their teachers. Kids learn it. Parents should know about it and decide if that's what they want. Or not.

Covid proved how very little the public school community in the DMV actually cares about kids. They do not. Me, me, me - teacher demands, parents complaints, lack of leadership, lack of outreach to kids, lack of planning. The publics were embarrassing shit shows. Disgraceful.

So your jealousy aside (and bitterness). Covid laid bare how pathetic those who run the public school systems are. Privates took care of their teachers and students.

Completely honestly – there are a lot of us on here who went to private, can afford private, and still choose public. Are you just going to tell us that we are naïve? We don’t know what we’re talking about? You’re all so much smarter? I really wonder. Because there are definitely people on the other side of this argument. Many people who went to private in this area choose public. It is the new money people that go for private. Especially if they went to public themselves.

+100
That big law partner with the young hot wife who went to local public? Definitely sending kids to private. About the kids? Nah.

How about the Tech exec with the below average wife (me)?

I’d say calling your wife below average explains why you think that other things can move you up on paper.

Um, I am the below average wife… well, below average in looks only. I am way smarter than him!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

Yep. MCPS runs circle around the private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

Wilson high still doesn't have a physics teacher.

Is that "just as good as private " in your mind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

Wilson high still doesn't have a physics teacher.

Is that "just as good as private " in your mind?

I went to Gunn High in Palo Alto. I guess the publics in this area just suck? Sorry I am a new parent with only one three year old right now and don't know anything about schools in this area.

[Anonymous]

I suggest OP go tour a couple of private schools during this falls admission process. The tours are quite eye opening and I promise you won’t be asking this question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suggest OP go tour a couple of private schools during this falls admission process. The tours are quite eye opening and I promise you won’t be asking this question.

This is what will happen when OP tour those private schools:
See advanced Math classes in the school catalogue.
Ask about those classes and if DC can take said classes
School responds " sorry not enough students/interest in those classes. Haven't offered them in like eternity... but we do offer writing and grammar"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

Wilson high still doesn't have a physics teacher.

Is that "just as good as private " in your mind?

I went to Gunn High in Palo Alto. I guess the publics in this area just suck? Sorry I am a new parent with only one three year old right now and don't know anything about schools in this area.

OP, private schools in this area not worth it.