I never understood the difference between public and private until today

[Anonymous]

Choosing a school based on facilities is like buying a house based on the paint color.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm going to tour one of the private schools now. I'd like to know what I'm missing. I've toured a few public schools in DC, but never the private ones though I live near several of them.
I was impressed with public school facilities, so I'll probably be speechless when I leave Sidwell or St. Albans up the street.
We never looked into private because we couldn't afford it. Even if we could, I'd never pay that much for elementary school. Luckily my kids love school. I'm not going to tell them that they are missing out on a 2nd gym.

[Anonymous]

The facilities may be awesome, but the culture may be awful. Your kid will be more affected by the kids that attend than the facilities. Be cautious, all that glitters is not gold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back on topic:

This would be the equivalent to

Being accepted to Sidwell ( I guess never been to that school)
It’s free for your family ( for any number of reasons)
And 20 min from your house.

I’m not sure I agree that it’s for the best. I’m hearing people with experience with these kinds of schools, at least tangentially, not want that for their kids.
Is it too much?
It has a robotics loft. Wall of 3D printers, multiple laser cutters, a mill...
A leadership ropes course on the 300+ acres of the upper school...
It’s crazy town.

can you stipulate what city you are in?
many of us are familiar with various options all over the county. For example, if you said Palo Alto or NYC I would have a different impression than Sidwell and a different impression of north Chicago.

I understand you are curious. I really didn’t want to out myself, and was enjoying a more hypothetical discussion. I don’t think the specific school matters.

Well I think it matters since the reasons parents send kids to private vary based on area and options.
But very wealthy anywhere do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in NY that pretty much had all these things. When schools are town-based, in wealthy areas, and funded by local property taxes, the local community can do this. The small number of disadvantaged kids in the zone get the benefits, too.

None of the VA “good” districts are all that because of the county funding models.

Exactly. Our Nursery - 8 school reminds me of the public schools I attended in affluent and not-so-affluent New Jersey towns and townships. Yes, there are better facilities at our school - I’m still shocked to see the outside basketball courts with 6 hoops, so more can practice shooting...But the real difference is th that the teachers love teaching, the administration is responsive, and my children have truly blossomed there. As for the story that these schools are less diverse, this school is much more diverse than my local public in MCPS.

More economically diverse? More African American and Latino students?

Pp here. Yes to both more economically diverse and more African American students (not Latino, though there are some). I especially like that there are many African American and African (or children of African parents) from very well educated families attending this school. There are also kids whose parents may not have strong educational backgrounds, but they are completely committed to their education. Some of my kids’ friends families live in apartments or smaller homes (as we do) while others are quite wealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in NY that pretty much had all these things. When schools are town-based, in wealthy areas, and funded by local property taxes, the local community can do this. The small number of disadvantaged kids in the zone get the benefits, too.

None of the VA “good” districts are all that because of the county funding models.

Exactly. Our Nursery - 8 school reminds me of the public schools I attended in affluent and not-so-affluent New Jersey towns and townships. Yes, there are better facilities at our school - I’m still shocked to see the outside basketball courts with 6 hoops, so more can practice shooting...But the real difference is th that the teachers love teaching, the administration is responsive, and my children have truly blossomed there. As for the story that these schools are less diverse, this school is much more diverse than my local public in MCPS.

I guess that you live in a highly segregated part of Montgomery County. Why?

Also, in what way is it more diverse? Is it less white, or is it more white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm going to tour one of the private schools now. I'd like to know what I'm missing. I've toured a few public schools in DC, but never the private ones though I live near several of them.
I was impressed with public school facilities, so I'll probably be speechless when I leave Sidwell or St. Albans up the street.
We never looked into private because we couldn't afford it. Even if we could, I'd never pay that much for elementary school. Luckily my kids love school. I'm not going to tell them that they are missing out on a 2nd gym.

Let me know your thoughts. I’m sure your public school is great. I haven’t really gotten a chance to look at our public school. I started this process because I had it on good authority that the pre K at our public was not good.
I thought we would consider private for a couple of years and then head back to our neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

If money were no object, I would move to a place with great public schools I didn’t have to Lotto to get into.

The social effects of exposure to the “great facilities” at such a young age are not what I want for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If money were no object, I would move to a place with great public schools I didn’t have to Lotto to get into.

The social effects of exposure to the “great facilities” at such a young age are not what I want for my kid.

Would you mind elaborating on the social effects of great facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you are in the South, private schools in the South were founded to avoid desegregation. I would be uncomfortable with that. Where are you?

This is only partially true. There are many private schools in the South that were founded long before schools were desegregated. FWIW, I did not attend a private school. However, I had a relative that did. The most exclusive private school in the city I am from was founded long before desegregation. It is probably still the most exclusive--and, FWIW, it is quite diverse now.

Former neighbors of ours managed to put their kid in a 99% White private school in Georgia. It’s weird.

https://veritassavannah.org/support-veritas/

I looked up that school and it’s 90% white. I’m not saying that’s great but I could give you a list pages and pages and pages long of private schools in the north that have similar demographics so please don’t act like the South is the only part of the country with racial imbalance.

Looking at the faces in the school picture I only count a few nonwhite kids - they must be creative in the racial counts there. That definitely fits with the family ideals - they paint a picture of most minority people being rioting welfare /Medicaid receiving freeloaders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you are in the South, private schools in the South were founded to avoid desegregation. I would be uncomfortable with that. Where are you?

This is only partially true. There are many private schools in the South that were founded long before schools were desegregated. FWIW, I did not attend a private school. However, I had a relative that did. The most exclusive private school in the city I am from was founded long before desegregation. It is probably still the most exclusive--and, FWIW, it is quite diverse now.

Former neighbors of ours managed to put their kid in a 99% White private school in Georgia. It’s weird.

https://veritassavannah.org/support-veritas/

I looked up that school and it’s 90% white. I’m not saying that’s great but I could give you a list pages and pages and pages long of private schools in the north that have similar demographics so please don’t act like the South is the only part of the country with racial imbalance.

The application requires "father's name" and "mother's name" ("Thank you for providing ALL information for BOTH parents"), a pastor's recommendation, and a full page of answers about Theological Questions & Commitments. Also "Veritas is not staffed to teach children with significant or serious learning disabilities or behavioral issues". $6570/year for Monday-Friday, 8AM-12PM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you are in the South, private schools in the South were founded to avoid desegregation. I would be uncomfortable with that. Where are you?

This is only partially true. There are many private schools in the South that were founded long before schools were desegregated. FWIW, I did not attend a private school. However, I had a relative that did. The most exclusive private school in the city I am from was founded long before desegregation. It is probably still the most exclusive--and, FWIW, it is quite diverse now.

Former neighbors of ours managed to put their kid in a 99% White private school in Georgia. It’s weird.

https://veritassavannah.org/support-veritas/

I looked up that school and it’s 90% white. I’m not saying that’s great but I could give you a list pages and pages and pages long of private schools in the north that have similar demographics so please don’t act like the South is the only part of the country with racial imbalance.

Looking at the faces in the school picture I only count a few nonwhite kids - they must be creative in the racial counts there. That definitely fits with the family ideals - they paint a picture of most minority people being rioting welfare /Medicaid receiving freeloaders.

Also - the racial makeup of Savannah , Ga is 55% Black , 5% Hispanic and 37% white so even if the school is 10% Black it’s not even close to the areas population.

[Anonymous]

Private school is obviously a luxury, not a necessity, but the “ it would be too pleasant for the kid” argument is a strange argument. Schools vary, but my kids attend privates than are significantly more rigorous academically and physically (sports required) and more diverse than our highly ranked local public schools. By middle school, kids are expected to handle any issues with teachers themselves, by either seeking extra help from teacher during afternoon recess, or seeking out a trusted adult, like their advisor. Public speaking is a requirement, and every student is required to give a speech in front of their whole division in 8 th and 12th grade. In contrast, my kids were gliding through our public school with straight As with minimum effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you are in the South, private schools in the South were founded to avoid desegregation. I would be uncomfortable with that. Where are you?

This is only partially true. There are many private schools in the South that were founded long before schools were desegregated. FWIW, I did not attend a private school. However, I had a relative that did. The most exclusive private school in the city I am from was founded long before desegregation. It is probably still the most exclusive--and, FWIW, it is quite diverse now.

Former neighbors of ours managed to put their kid in a 99% White private school in Georgia. It’s weird.

https://veritassavannah.org/support-veritas/

I looked up that school and it’s 90% white. I’m not saying that’s great but I could give you a list pages and pages and pages long of private schools in the north that have similar demographics so please don’t act like the South is the only part of the country with racial imbalance.

The application requires "father's name" and "mother's name" ("Thank you for providing ALL information for BOTH parents"), a pastor's recommendation, and a full page of answers about Theological Questions & Commitments. Also "Veritas is not staffed to teach children with significant or serious learning disabilities or behavioral issues". $6570/year for Monday-Friday, 8AM-12PM.

Some of the kids from this family have huge learning issues, but the color of their skin is correct, so it’s okay.
I see no diversity amongst the faculty or administrators either. It’s weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Some of the kids from this family have huge learning issues, but the color of their skin is correct, so it’s okay.
I see no diversity amongst the faculty or administrators either. It’s weird.

The school is associated with Independent Presbyterian Church (IPC) of Savannah, which is associated with The Presbyterian Church in America. Probably the number of members of churches associated with The Presbyterian Church in America who are not white is very small.

The Presbyterian Church in America has a strong commitment to evangelism, missionary work at home and abroad, and to Christian education. From its inception, the church has determined its purpose to be “faithful to the Scriptures, true to the reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.”

Organized at a constitutional assembly in December 1973, this church was first known as the National Presbyterian Church but changed its name in 1974 to Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). It separated from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern) in opposition to the long-developing theological liberalism which denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture.

In December 1973, delegates, representing some 260 congregations with a combined communicant membership of over 41,000 that had left the PCUS (Presbyterian Church US), gathered at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and organized the National Presbyterian Church, which later became the Presbyterian Church in America.