What public doesn’t teach

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is no one going to call out the fact that OP things creativity is a thing that should/can be taught?

Seriously though, can someone explain this “teaching creativity” concept?

Fostering creativity would have been a better way for OP to phrase this. My kids have had drama, art and music classes since PK. They have gone on field trips to supplement these classes. Our private high school requires 4 credits of fine arts and offers varied courses such as photography, drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, ability to learn any instrument, acting, improv, stagecraft, etc.

…those things teach techniques, not creativity. I would actually say children with fewer opportunities are more likely to be creative since they have less provided to them.

And to be clear I’m not knocking private school — I went to private high school precisely for additional academic offerings — I just think the idea anyone can “teach” creativity is ridiculous and frankly so is the idea that private schools universally teach the other things OP lists and public schools don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is no one going to call out the fact that OP things creativity is a thing that should/can be taught?

Seriously though, can someone explain this “teaching creativity” concept?

Fostering creativity would have been a better way for OP to phrase this. My kids have had drama, art and music classes since PK. They have gone on field trips to supplement these classes. Our private high school requires 4 credits of fine arts and offers varied courses such as photography, drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, ability to learn any instrument, acting, improv, stagecraft, etc.

…those things teach techniques, not creativity. I would actually say children with fewer opportunities are more likely to be creative since they have less provided to them.

And to be clear I’m not knocking private school — I went to private high school precisely for additional academic offerings — I just think the idea anyone can “teach” creativity is ridiculous and frankly so is the idea that private schools universally teach the other things OP lists and public schools don’t.

The private my kids went to until MS went to some lengths to put on musical and dance and art productions to make the parents feel better about paying all that money. I would have preferred more of a balance with academics. I taught my kids to read in two languages because the private didn't do that until 1st grade. I taught them multiplication facts, because the private took a creative approach to math.

Did this early arts exposure make my kids more creative? I don't think so. I'm the creative one of the family, but that definitely comes from my family's artisan past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But does private teach how to be a good test taker?

They expect parents to.

Parents also must be the heavy and teach their k-6 kid spelling, math facts, grammar, phonics, and geography.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I view public schools as more of an anti-crime effort that improves public safety. Maybe the top 10% can educate but the majority function better for anti-crime than for education.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In depth math?

The lack of in depth math is why we left our private school. We had to tutor our kids over the summer to get them up to the level of the high performing public school kids in our district.

What grade did you move to?
We also are moving far and anticipate a big shock with math behindness as well as open grading and ranking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Writing
Critical thinking
Creativity
Organization and study skills
In depth math

Have been at a highly ranked public from 1-6th and am appalled by the shallowness of the curriculum. I feel terrible for what my kid has missed.

My child is a product of public schools and learned all those things. She is graduating next week and will attend Virginia Tech.

Reality is most privates lack these basics. Some even teach that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time and the earth is only 8,000 years old. 🤷‍♀️

Name one school in the DMV that would teach that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In depth math?

The lack of in depth math is why we left our private school. We had to tutor our kids over the summer to get them up to the level of the high performing public school kids in our district.

What grade did you move to?
We also are moving far and anticipate a big shock with math behindness as well as open grading and ranking.

Kids moved to public school for 6th grade MS. The public school had 3 levels of math while the old private school was teaching to the lowest level with no differentiation, no math teams, no gifted program, and with me teaching my kids the basics like multiplication and long division. They did pretty math art though. The volume of kids at MS meant there were classrooms of kids operating at a higher level, not just 2 or 3 talented math students. My kids ended up doing geometry in public 8th grade, AP Calc BC in 11th, and multivariable/linear dual enrollment in 12th, which wasn't the fastest track. They would have been on a slower track if we hadn't tutored them at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can spot the private school kids in a coffee shop.

Me too. And in restaurants. It’s usually the ones whose parents are still ordering for the 12yr old. Which I didn’t realize was a thing until waiters kept being astounded that my then 8yr old could order for themself.

What? My 5yo in private can easily read a menu and order. He also speaks 3 languages.

And yet most parents don’t actually let their kids order, even once they can read and talk. As I said, didn’t realize this was a problem until the waitress/waitresses/folks at fast food places kept being shocked that my kid could order, ask their own questions about options and do so w/manners. I did a small informal survey w/folks I know who send their kids to private and yep the wait staff was right. My husband remarked he couldn’t remember the last time he had ordered for our kids outside of a drive thru.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In depth math?

The lack of in depth math is why we left our private school. We had to tutor our kids over the summer to get them up to the level of the high performing public school kids in our district.

What grade did you move to?
We also are moving far and anticipate a big shock with math behindness as well as open grading and ranking.

Kids moved to public school for 6th grade MS. The public school had 3 levels of math while the old private school was teaching to the lowest level with no differentiation, no math teams, no gifted program, and with me teaching my kids the basics like multiplication and long division. They did pretty math art though. The volume of kids at MS meant there were classrooms of kids operating at a higher level, not just 2 or 3 talented math students. My kids ended up doing geometry in public 8th grade, AP Calc BC in 11th, and multivariable/linear dual enrollment in 12th, which wasn't the fastest track. They would have been on a slower track if we hadn't tutored them at home.

Where did your children attend college? What are/were their majors? Be honest.

[Anonymous]

I see no academic benefit to a very motivated, well organized child to private school except in terms of writing. Writing takes effort, revision, and critical thinking. Essentially, in my view, it takes a teacher time. And, class size prohibits this in public school. An eighth grade English teacher in public school might have 150 students (or more). If s/he assigns three pages of writing, it is simply impossible for the teacher to engage—back and forth several times—with a child.

[Anonymous]

I’ve taught in both public and private and had children in both. I’d never send my children to public school or teach in a public school again and I’m most assuredly not some born to wealth monied lawyer type. I grew-up solidly middle class and recognize the value of a dollar. People simply do not raise their children or instill any values in them. The government has screwed up education. The curriculum is watered down pablum that serves the lowest common denominator. Girls in particular are poorly served by public schools because many boys have become predatory. Admittedly some kids are able to survive public schools but they would’ve been better served in privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I view public schools as more of an anti-crime effort that improves public safety. Maybe the top 10% can educate but the majority function better for anti-crime than for education.

Also keeps latchkey kids with idle hands off the streets from 8-3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol you posted this on the private school forum. Did you expect posters to disagree with you?

Have fun spending tens of thousands of dollars a year only to see your kids end up exactly the same as the public school kids in life.

Another perk: parents who don’t see childhood as a race to a certain finish line. Seriously, people like you who sit smugly at the finish line with a timer and a counter miss the entire point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Writing
Critical thinking
Creativity
Organization and study skills
In depth math

Have been at a highly ranked public from 1-6th and am appalled by the shallowness of the curriculum. I feel terrible for what my kid has missed.

My child is a product of public schools and learned all those things. She is graduating next week and will attend Virginia Tech.

Reality is most privates lack these basics. Some even teach that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time and the earth is only 8,000 years old. 🤷‍♀️

???? What you don’t know about private schools is mind googling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Writing
Critical thinking
Creativity
Organization and study skills
In depth math

Have been at a highly ranked public from 1-6th and am appalled by the shallowness of the curriculum. I feel terrible for what my kid has missed.

Weird. My kid in public immersion was doing algebra in a foreign language in 6th grade. You must have sent your kids to a poor public school, and that's on you.