Forum Index
»
Schools and Education General Discussion
My thoughts on private school
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I fell into the private school trap with my first two kids. I was involved with a playgroup where the main topic of conversation was private schools. I never had considered a private school in the past, but wanted to keep up with the Joneses. What ended up happening was that i became so obsessed with getting my children into the right school that it ended up consuming my life. In fact, I know so much about the private school system that I wonder if I should become one of those private school consultants (ha! ha!). All my friends and family thought i was crazy. I can't believe I wasted so much time -- time that would have been better spent just hanging out with my family or developing another interest. I cringe when I think about the hours-ugh!
My 2 children did go to a private school, but are now in public high schools in an average school district. By average, I mean they are not in the Bethesda district. They are both performing quite well, have many friends, are involved in athletics and my eldest has been accepted to georgetown on a partial scholarship. My 2nd child is also in high school and although he isn't a straight A student, he is the editor of the school paper and is really enjoying his friends and extracurricular activities. My third child went to public school from the beginning and he is in an honors program. They have all met great and not so great teachers. They have friends from all walks of life. They are confident and are excited about life. My point is: you have to remember-private schools are there to make money and not necessarily make sure your child gets the best education possible. Great marketing, a few big name students, and the exclusive factor is what you really end up paying for. What really counts is what we, as parents, do to build their self esteem and curiosity for life. |
Anonymous
| I have also spent many hours determining which school would be best for my child, but it was time well spent. It is very true that many private schools are not that special-I have seen plenty that left me wondering how they feel they could get away with charging what they do. But, when it comes to ensuring a successful "path through life" for my daughter, I am very willing to spend the time and money to get her into a better school. I agree that teaching begins at home, but school is where she will do most of her learning, socializing and confidence building. It doesn't hurt to have a famous peer there to boost the standards! |
Anonymous
| We plan to sending our child to private school in DC (if we get into a good one). Other than the necessary information gathering process, I do not plan to obsess over it. We are lucky to be able to go this route and our view is that it can only help her in the long run. If our situation changes and we cannot afford it, we will be just as happy with public school. It is that simple. |
Anonymous
Some say it can hurt |
Anonymous
| Agree with OP. I think that we're all buying into a bit of hype. |
Anonymous
| I agree with OP too, and find myself so torn on this topic. Thank you for your post! |
Anonymous
| Thank you, OP. It's refreshing to hear kids doing well in public schools - non Bethesda public schools at that! |
Anonymous
| I have said many times before that parents can supplement at home for a lot less. If you are serious, it should take no more than 2 hours a week with your child to compensate for any deficiencies in their elementary school (private or public). That translates to a bit over 100 hrs a year. |
Anonymous
|
I disagree with PP, although my disagreement is admittedly speculative--I haven't had a school child yet so can't speak from experience to how that goes. I agree that if you are simply worried about whether or not your public school teaches enough, say, math, then you can supplement successfully at home. But my concerns about our local public school are broader than that. I'm concerned that children will be taught to look for the one "right" answer rather than explore ideas. I'm concerned that their days will feature too many worksheets, too many drills, and not enough music, art, and play. And given the choice, I would prefer that they spend their days on one of the beautiful private school campuses I have seen, rather than in our not-so-inspiring local elementary.
This is not a knock on all public schools, nor do I mean to suggest that parents who choose public school are not concerned about these things. But I do believe that the best private schools--not all private schools--offer advantages that many public schools do not. |
Anonymous
How do you know that a private school teacher will push exploring ideas. I find that it really depends on the teacher. Ans it is true that private schools have a nicer setting, but really, what does that add to getting a good education? It is one thing to be in a school where there is no heat, or the ceiling is falling down in chunks, and that is not an acceptable learning environment. But, most of the schools don't fall in that category. And, believe me, a nce setting does not necessarily inspire. I work in a beautiful building in Tysons and the fact that the office has gorgeous wood floors and state of the art equipment doesn't mean I am brimming with great ideas! As other posters have mentioned, if a school falls short in a certain subject, make up for it at home. |
Anonymous
You don't know. And even in a great school, you can have good teachers and not-so-good teachers. But I think the criteria that schools use in judging their students' and teachers' performance have a significant impact on teaching style and choices. Since private schools are not bound by NCLB, they have greater freedom in selecting those criteria. At many of the leading private schools, I've also been impressed by the educational background of the teachers. Private schools have the freedom to hire teachers from a broader range of backgrounds, including some who are passionate about a subject and about teaching but have not gone the ed school/certification route. As for a beautiful environment, I wouldn't choose a school on that basis alone, but it's definitely a plus! Clearly, the freedom enjoyed by private schools does not translate into a better learning environment in every case, or perhaps even in most cases. But under some conditions, it can. What's important, I think, is to compare specific private schools with specific public schools--presumably the one your children are most likely to attend--rather than to try to reach conclusions about each set of schools as a group. |
Anonymous
| Of course whether the differences between even the best private schools and your local public school are worth $30K per year is another question altogether. |
Anonymous
Value is subjective. For the person who has to scrimp and save to write that check it may not be worth it, for others it may be. |
Anonymous
| Thanks for this post--refreshing! I'm pg and don't have any kids yet, so I haven't experienced this, but I am not going to consider private schools. (And I know I may be the only one on this board.) But if the public schools are lacking, we'll supplement at home. I don't like the thought of my children being around only an exclusive group (and even if it's not Sidwell-exclusive, any private school is necessarily more exclusive than a public school, no matter how "diverse.") I place a lot of value on being in an environment with racially/culturally/economically diverse people, which most private schools just can't deliver. |
Anonymous
Not all school districts will provide an environment with racially/culturally/economically diverse people by virtue of where they are located. Oftentimes, the best (and the worst) school districts are quite homogenous. Our private school is definitely more diverse than our public school option in terms of race, culture, economics, etc. |