Anyone regret sending their kids to public school?

[Anonymous]

My daughter's kindergarten seems too intense. MCPS seems to have gone totally overboard with curriculum, and no one in her class
even looks like they are enjoying themselves. I am terrified she is going to learn to hate school. She is already asking for weekends and holidays! I don't want to be the overbearing mother of an only child- but I also want my child to love (or at least like) school. I don't know where to turn for help with this. We also can't afford private tuition of $20,000/year.

[Anonymous]

Is it a problem with this particular teacher (are other parents in the same class worried)? Because it all depends on how the curriculum is applied, and maybe the staff is heavy-handed.

It might also be that your daughter is temporarily transitioning from an environment where she was not challenged enough to this, hence the difficulty. She should adjust in that case.

Or this type of schooling is not the right fit for her, in that case you would need to look at private schools which offer different methods of teaching (Montessori, etc).

If she continues to express unhappiness with her school, maybe you should have her evaluated to determine exactly what she needs.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, I have the opposite problem. After open house yesterday, I am worried my son is not being challenged. The activities I observed were on the level of things he did in preschool. I realize it has only been a few weeks and they probably have not broken out into their ability groups, but I am definitely "rethinking things."

[Anonymous]

MCPS has gone overboard on kindergarten curriculum. I wish I could find like-minded parents who want to put art and music (and PE!) back into public primary education at MCPS

[Anonymous]

Briefly, was very disappointed with Hardy back when DS was in 6th grade. Pulled him out during winter vacation. Home schooled him, now he's in private school.

Also, pulled him out of a charter school that failed to deliver what they promised.

Regrets, no. But you have to make a correction quickly.

[Anonymous]

To the OP, I'm not familiar with the MontCO K curriculum, but your instincts seems right. Education mandates make people forget what kids really are, and what helps them learn best. Offer your daughter lots of "down time" out of school. Imaginative play time, cooking with you, if pets are an option a fish to care for, or a dog to play with. Even Educational tV can frazzle a kid who has had things thrown at them all day. Spend time outdoors. Invite another kid for a wlak and cookies. If you can't afford private school, make a home grown antidote. And, as other said, look aroaund and see if all the classes are as your chld's is.

[Anonymous]

MoCo does have a rigorous kindergarten cirriculum. However, the kids do make it through and do well in the program. It is truly amazing to watch them develop through the year. Often the problems kids have are not the cirriculum, but rather adjusting to the idea of being in school a full day - this happens again in first grade too according to our guidance counselor, but then it gets better.

If you are concerned that your child is starting not to like school, you can have her ask to meet with the guidance counselor or you can call the guidance counselor and ask for a meeting. The guidance counselor should be able to help your daughter sort out what is causing the problem and then work with the teacher and your daughter to make school a successful experience.

Also, asking about the weekends and holidays is not necessarily a red flag. My kids love school, but one in particular would prefer to spend his days with me. So, everyday, he asks whether it is a school day and how many days it is until the next day off.

[Anonymous]

Where are you in MoCo, OP? My son's not in kindergarten yet, but I have the same concerns about it, and have been scouting out private schools for the past year. There are several nice options in the county under $15,000 that might be attractive to you, at least for the first few years of elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you in MoCo, OP? My son's not in kindergarten yet, but I have the same concerns about it, and have been scouting out private schools for the past year. There are several nice options in the county under $15,000 that might be attractive to you, at least for the first few years of elementary school.

Not the OP, but we're in Rockville. Is there any place you'd suggest in the area for under $15K?

[Anonymous]

I'd be interested too as we are having the same concerns - both an overly intense, rigid curriculum and, yet, because of the cookie cutter approach of MCPS (which I understand is necessary to some extent in any public school system), our daughter is bored academically. We have two children in the same grade and private school for both would be tough on our budget, so suggestions of less expensive ones would be wonderful!

[Anonymous]

I totally regret sending our kids to MCPS public. It took us way too long to realize that the problem wasn't our children but a system that equates "rigor" with tons of homework, mindless test-prep, and a one size fits all mentality that bores some kids to tears and frustrates others who can't keep up. If your kid does NOT have any special issues (ADHD, LD, GT), then MCPS may be just your kind of place. Otherwise, start looking at options including homeschooling ASAP or you could end up with a very unhappy, stressed out child.

[Anonymous]

14:12, I think it varies greatly by school. One DC went to immersion where the kids were separated out for both language and math. By 5th grade DC was walking over to the local middle school for math. Another DC went to the Takoma Park ES magnet, which was fine for the first two grades but not so much starting in 3rd grade.

I'm guessing you are downcounty. And I agree, for some people the MCPS experience truly sucks. But it does vary by school, so we probably shouldn't be counseling OP to spend hundreds of thousands on private until she's looked at the whole MCPS range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I agree, for some people the MCPS experience truly sucks. But it does vary by school, so we probably shouldn't be counseling OP to spend hundreds of thousands on private until she's looked at the whole MCPS range.

How can anyone possibly tell what a school is really like and how their child will fare at a particular school, public or private? Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers (especially on DCUM). Visit a school and you'll get the principal/admission director's well-rehearsed speech. Seems like most people choose a school/neighborhood based on test scores or the physical condition of the building, neither of which is a great indicator of how the school is going to fit with their child.

[Anonymous]

My son is at Wyngate Elementary, 1st grade. They do a great job, very good teachers. They seem willing to challenge those who need it, and stick to the basics for those happy where they are. The only reason I would consider changing is for a Catholic school to increase sense of values/community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I agree, for some people the MCPS experience truly sucks. But it does vary by school, so we probably shouldn't be counseling OP to spend hundreds of thousands on private until she's looked at the whole MCPS range.

How can anyone possibly tell what a school is really like and how their child will fare at a particular school, public or private? Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers (especially on DCUM). Visit a school and you'll get the principal/admission director's well-rehearsed speech. Seems like most people choose a school/neighborhood based on test scores or the physical condition of the building, neither of which is a great indicator of how the school is going to fit with their child.

Yes, DCUM provides a range of answers -- probably because people have very different kids, and MoCo schools are all very different. So be sure to ask the posters what their kids are like, how much challenge they need, and what school they're at. The answers are important and will reveal crucial differences.

But DCUM and talking to friends are all we have (apart from the principal's speech which is probably useless in many cases but in our case turned out to be pretty revealing -- we nixed the local school on the basis of it and sent DC to a different MoCo public). Sure, there's a lot of trash on DCUM, but it's all we have besides trying to find an actual person with experience at a school, and we may not find that mythical person.

Unless OP takes your advice to give up, look no further, and pay 100K to a private. (And in that case, it's the same problem all over. Over on the private forum, people are fighting about which private is the best "fit" for each and every kid, and you shouldn't consider any other private!)