Private schools are indefensible

[Anonymous]

If most public schools in the US offered children a good education appropriate to their abilities, then maybe there wouldn't need to be private schools. But that's very far from the case, While affluent suburban districts are able to do this, the situation is very different in urban and rural areas. I would think the residents of the DC area would already know this. The truth is that the educational opportunities available to US schoolkids are very localized and unfairly deprive a great many of them of the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential.

That is what is indefensible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private school parent (not in DC area). Everything she wrote about the wealth disparity, pressures on teachers and staff is absolutely 100% true.
Same for pressure on students.
The story on Sidwell - INSANE.

But the answer isn't no more private schools. Private education has always existed in some fashion. These schools do prepare children (well) for college. And that is what I am paying for. That and small classrooms which are better for my children. Sacrificing a lot of other things to pay for 3 in private school through high school

Wouldn’t most parents want the same regardless of private or public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At yet, the author sent her own children to one of the private schools she mocks. She also attended prep school herself and then on to UVa. She has a lot of “for me but not for thee” about her. She’s also been churning out this same mocking private school article about every 2-3 years for a while now.

On the contrary, opinions from someone with first-hand experience hold a little more weight. I mean the headline of the article is “Private Schools have become truly obscene.” This is someone who’s experienced it from all sides—student, parent, teacher—over the course of many decades.

[Anonymous]

On a tangent, what was the story with those Sidwell college counselors? Flanagan tells the side of the story about some insane parents driving them out, but I’ve also read many posts here on DCUM around that period and after about how that group of college counselors was really subpar. What’s the story there? I’m guessing the reality is a lot more mixed than either story portrays it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are over 1,000 universities in the US. Why focus so much on the 10-20 "elite" universities. People can and do perfectly well at any of the other universities.

When the most successful and wealthiest people in this country come from the top 20 schools, it’s hard not to focus on the elite schools.

When Harvard’s current Dean is a crazy leftist, it’s easy to stop donating and never have our kids even apply there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At yet, the author sent her own children to one of the private schools she mocks. She also attended prep school herself and then on to UVa. She has a lot of “for me but not for thee” about her. She’s also been churning out this same mocking private school article about every 2-3 years for a while now.

On the contrary, opinions from someone with first-hand experience hold a little more weight. I mean the headline of the article is “Private Schools have become truly obscene.” This is someone who’s experienced it from all sides—student, parent, teacher—over the course of many decades.

Sure, they became that way right after her kids graduated from one. /s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public schools have tons of money sloshing around, in addition to the $15-30k per pupil from property taxes, fed and title 1 they also pay for a ton of administration, defined benefit plans and healthcare plans for life for all retirees.

Maybe you should look into why their budget is 50% benefits and then 50% active salaries and facilities. And let’s not forget the mandatory teacher union dues each paycheck for the lobby group.

in some states an Assistant superintendent of a small school district makes 240k full tenure with benefits and a pension, bonuses and incentives and guaranteed pay increases in a guaranteed job for life. The problem with public schools is not private school.

Pay in peanuts and make sure to juice your last three years salary in central office so you get paid out at a high level.

Oh and go to a place like Discovery Education and sell your née age garbage curriculum to your former big public county district.

Good times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public schools have tons of money sloshing around, in addition to the $15-30k per pupil from property taxes, fed and title 1 they also pay for a ton of administration, defined benefit plans and healthcare plans for life for all retirees.

Maybe you should look into why their budget is 50% benefits and then 50% active salaries and facilities. And let’s not forget the mandatory teacher union dues each paycheck for the lobby group.

in some states an Assistant superintendent of a small school district makes 240k full tenure with benefits and a pension, bonuses and incentives and guaranteed pay increases in a guaranteed job for life. The problem with public schools is not private school.

And compare that with the salary and benefits package of a private school HOS who often times has less students and headaches to worry about. You’ll be surprised to find, most school district superintendents make significantly less then their counterparts in private.

They also are horrid. Part of the public schools are broken part is horrid mismanagement of curriculum, staff, systems. Big govt at its worst, and for your children!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At yet, the author sent her own children to one of the private schools she mocks. She also attended prep school herself and then on to UVa. She has a lot of “for me but not for thee” about her. She’s also been churning out this same mocking private school article about every 2-3 years for a while now.

On the contrary, opinions from someone with first-hand experience hold a little more weight. I mean the headline of the article is “Private Schools have become truly obscene.” This is someone who’s experienced it from all sides—student, parent, teacher—over the course of many decades.

Sure, they became that way right after her kids graduated from one. /s

DP. Yes, Flanagan's entire writing history is filled with hypocrisy.

I honestly don't know understand why anyone who has critical thinking skills would give her writing the time of day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At yet, the author sent her own children to one of the private schools she mocks. She also attended prep school herself and then on to UVa. She has a lot of “for me but not for thee” about her. She’s also been churning out this same mocking private school article about every 2-3 years for a while now.

On the contrary, opinions from someone with first-hand experience hold a little more weight. I mean the headline of the article is “Private Schools have become truly obscene.” This is someone who’s experienced it from all sides—student, parent, teacher—over the course of many decades.

Sure, they became that way right after her kids graduated from one. /s

If the author had zero first-hand experience with these schools, would their opinion matter to you? Would anyone’s?

[Anonymous]

What is the point of this article, written by a woman who sent her own children to an elite independent school? She and Bari Weiss deserve each other, trying to make a spectacle out of private schools, which while they certainly have their faults, end up producing students who succeed in college. Flanagan is trying to make a spectacle out of independent schools to, what, make public school parents feel better? To shame private school parents for wanting an excellent education for their children - perhaps even more so given the poor performance of many public school systems during the pandemic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the author had zero first-hand experience with these schools, would their opinion matter to you? Would anyone’s?

Sure. Writers often draft thoughtful pieces batter doing the hard work of interviews and research. By contrast, this reads like a gossip column she wrote after meeting a couple friends for wine.

I find Nikole Hannah-Jones insufferably smug and often dishonest in her writing about schools, but she does the work to write a solid piece. By contrast, this is more like a Maureen Dowd snark piece. Trash better fit for the Washingtonian and a supermarket checkout lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the point of this article, written by a woman who sent her own children to an elite independent school? She and Bari Weiss deserve each other, trying to make a spectacle out of private schools, which while they certainly have their faults, end up producing students who succeed in college. Flanagan is trying to make a spectacle out of independent schools to, what, make public school parents feel better? To shame private school parents for wanting an excellent education for their children - perhaps even more so given the poor performance of many public school systems during the pandemic?

She wants the clicks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the author had zero first-hand experience with these schools, would their opinion matter to you? Would anyone’s?

Sure. Writers often draft thoughtful pieces batter doing the hard work of interviews and research. By contrast, this reads like a gossip column she wrote after meeting a couple friends for wine.

I find Nikole Hannah-Jones insufferably smug and often dishonest in her writing about schools, but she does the work to write a solid piece. By contrast, this is more like a Maureen Dowd snark piece. Trash better fit for the Washingtonian and a supermarket checkout lane.

Yep, little better than a snippet in a gossip rag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If most public schools in the US offered children a good education appropriate to their abilities, then maybe there wouldn't need to be private schools. But that's very far from the case, While affluent suburban districts are able to do this, the situation is very different in urban and rural areas. I would think the residents of the DC area would already know this. The truth is that the educational opportunities available to US schoolkids are very localized and unfairly deprive a great many of them of the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential.

That is what is indefensible.

do you think kids who attend Sidwell come from the inner city someplace rural (Potomac has horses- does that qualify?)? The most affluent schools in this area are in the most affluent suburbs and serve people living in nice single family homes zoned for great schools