I don't understand why parents waste so much money on private schools in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For context, OP is pining after Gunn HS. This is Gunn HS:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/12/the-silicon-valley-suicides/413140/

I posted earlier about DH insisting on private after attending TJ and, basically, exactly this is why. If you can get your kids a top notch education without the insanity of these public pressure cookers why on earth would you not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than price, why aren’t we all using the English governor/governess model, supplemented with private tutoring for specific math and science subjects? Reducing the student to teacher ratio to 1:1 (or 2:1, maybe a bit higher if you have 3 or more children) is clearly going to overcome nearly any advantage a school might otherwise offer, at least in terms of educational tailoring and outcomes for specific students. Homeschooling can (emphasis on can) use the same reduction in student to teacher ratios to achieve desirable outcomes. Worries about “socialization” are kind of silly—parents of means are going to make sure their kids are appropriately socialized. So really, by focusing on public v private, folks are missing the true difference making opportunity.

because if haven't figure it out, the modern education system is not about learning anything. It is an endless competitive tournament for your kids to compete for ever smaller slices of professional jobs eroded by by ever more sophisticated automation/software/AI, pushed by parents ever so desperate to hold on to the wealth created by past generations. Get with the program.

There’s no program to get with. Which kids start businesses? Who does it more often - public school kids, private school kids, or very affluent kids taught to be entrepreneurs? What skills do you want your children to have. You may be thinking too small.

Zuckerberg and Bezos are products of public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than price, why aren’t we all using the English governor/governess model, supplemented with private tutoring for specific math and science subjects? Reducing the student to teacher ratio to 1:1 (or 2:1, maybe a bit higher if you have 3 or more children) is clearly going to overcome nearly any advantage a school might otherwise offer, at least in terms of educational tailoring and outcomes for specific students. Homeschooling can (emphasis on can) use the same reduction in student to teacher ratios to achieve desirable outcomes. Worries about “socialization” are kind of silly—parents of means are going to make sure their kids are appropriately socialized. So really, by focusing on public v private, folks are missing the true difference making opportunity.

because if haven't figure it out, the modern education system is not about learning anything. It is an endless competitive tournament for your kids to compete for ever smaller slices of professional jobs eroded by by ever more sophisticated automation/software/AI, pushed by parents ever so desperate to hold on to the wealth created by past generations. Get with the program.

There’s no program to get with. Which kids start businesses? Who does it more often - public school kids, private school kids, or very affluent kids taught to be entrepreneurs? What skills do you want your children to have. You may be thinking too small.

Zuckerberg and Bezos are products of public schools.

That feels more like an argument against public schools than for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than price, why aren’t we all using the English governor/governess model, supplemented with private tutoring for specific math and science subjects? Reducing the student to teacher ratio to 1:1 (or 2:1, maybe a bit higher if you have 3 or more children) is clearly going to overcome nearly any advantage a school might otherwise offer, at least in terms of educational tailoring and outcomes for specific students. Homeschooling can (emphasis on can) use the same reduction in student to teacher ratios to achieve desirable outcomes. Worries about “socialization” are kind of silly—parents of means are going to make sure their kids are appropriately socialized. So really, by focusing on public v private, folks are missing the true difference making opportunity.

because if haven't figure it out, the modern education system is not about learning anything. It is an endless competitive tournament for your kids to compete for ever smaller slices of professional jobs eroded by by ever more sophisticated automation/software/AI, pushed by parents ever so desperate to hold on to the wealth created by past generations. Get with the program.

There’s no program to get with. Which kids start businesses? Who does it more often - public school kids, private school kids, or very affluent kids taught to be entrepreneurs? What skills do you want your children to have. You may be thinking too small.

Zuckerberg and Bezos are products of public schools.

That feels more like an argument against public schools than for it.

😂😂😂😂

[Anonymous]

OP, I totally get what you’re saying, and as a public school grad and numbers person myself, often feel how you do. The public schools here *are* excellent, and the private school I send my kids too, while also excellent, and better in many ways than our local public IMO, is probably not “$40k better”.

I guess my rationale is “What else am I going to do with my money?” We already have a nice house in a nice neighborhood. Easy lifestyle with lots of help. Will have enough for retirement and the kids’ educations and some extra. Yes I could invest the $40k every year and give them a multi-million dollar trust fund, but I don’t care to do that. Private school is a total luxury. I am giving up other luxuries I could have had instead (like lots of travel to exotic locations with first class flights and 5-star hotels) because that is less important to me. I agree that if private school is a hardship for a family, and is putting their college tuition and retirement at risk, they should probably not do it, barring a concern like their in-bound publics being truly terrible and unsafe. They should spend their efforts on supplementing and being financially stress-free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than price, why aren’t we all using the English governor/governess model, supplemented with private tutoring for specific math and science subjects? Reducing the student to teacher ratio to 1:1 (or 2:1, maybe a bit higher if you have 3 or more children) is clearly going to overcome nearly any advantage a school might otherwise offer, at least in terms of educational tailoring and outcomes for specific students. Homeschooling can (emphasis on can) use the same reduction in student to teacher ratios to achieve desirable outcomes. Worries about “socialization” are kind of silly—parents of means are going to make sure their kids are appropriately socialized. So really, by focusing on public v private, folks are missing the true difference making opportunity.

because if haven't figure it out, the modern education system is not about learning anything. It is an endless competitive tournament for your kids to compete for ever smaller slices of professional jobs eroded by by ever more sophisticated automation/software/AI, pushed by parents ever so desperate to hold on to the wealth created by past generations. Get with the program.

There’s no program to get with. Which kids start businesses? Who does it more often - public school kids, private school kids, or very affluent kids taught to be entrepreneurs? What skills do you want your children to have. You may be thinking too small.

Zuckerberg and Bezos are products of public schools.

That feels more like an argument against public schools than for it.

Sour grapes!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

Wilson high still doesn't have a physics teacher.

Is that "just as good as private " in your mind?

I went to Gunn High in Palo Alto. I guess the publics in this area just suck? Sorry I am a new parent with only one three year old right now and don't know anything about schools in this area.

Are you OP? Please come back when you have some current insight into elementary schools or elementary aged children. What you did in the 90s and what your now-3 year old will encounter are light years apart.


- Another Bay Area transplant who has actually had kids in NOVA public and private

OP is the worst of a bad breed of venture capitalists who think their off the cuff musings while sitting on the toilet are some heightened statistical analysis. Calling the “Number of hard working Asians” a “KPI” doesn’t make you an analyst it just makes you someone who uses jargon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a public school in the 90s, it was one of the top public high schools in California. When I went to university, I noticed very little difference between those who went to public vs private schools. The SAT scores in DC private schools are basically comparable to the top publics. I don't get it, i mean if you got millions to burn, so be it. I rather give my kids a house.

Wilson high still doesn't have a physics teacher.

Is that "just as good as private " in your mind?

I went to Gunn High in Palo Alto. I guess the publics in this area just suck? Sorry I am a new parent with only one three year old right now and don't know anything about schools in this area.

Are you OP? Please come back when you have some current insight into elementary schools or elementary aged children. What you did in the 90s and what your now-3 year old will encounter are light years apart.


- Another Bay Area transplant who has actually had kids in NOVA public and private

OP is the worst of a bad breed of venture capitalists who think their off the cuff musings while sitting on the toilet are some heightened statistical analysis. Calling the “Number of hard working Asians” a “KPI” doesn’t make you an analyst it just makes you someone who uses jargon.

If OP was a good venture capitalist she would not be living in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

If someone has F U money they want that elite group.

I have plenty of friends that are rich and don't believe in the private school system.

[Anonymous]

Most public schools were such a hot mess during the heart of the pandemic, it was a relief my kids (twins) were in private high schools. Each seamlessly transitioned to virtual learning because many private schools' use of technology is already years beyond public schools. There were no crashing Zoom calls or constant technical difficulties. The college counseling was excellent under the circumstances and one child's high school was a testing site so both could take the ACT and SAT if they were a student or sibling of student. Both children got into great colleges and I found private school well worth the money. But, I understand and respect that families make choices. I do think most people who ask the question like OP do not have the financial resources to choose between public and private. I know families who did both public and later switched off to private like we did. Once the pandemic hit, I was relieved not to have to deal with all the issues faced by public school families.

[Anonymous]

Notice how OP only cares about numbers. Nowhere does OP seem to care about happiness.

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine witnessing the dysfunction of the public school systems and the Board of Educations at the height of the pandemic and keeping my child enrolled in public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine witnessing the dysfunction of the public school systems and the Board of Educations at the height of the pandemic and keeping my child enrolled in public school.

How many hard working Asian kids are in your school? That’s all you need to know according to our data and numbers girl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Notice how OP only cares about numbers. Nowhere does OP seem to care about happiness.

+1

My kid would have fine outcomes no after I sent them to school. We chose private for the experiences that make our daily lives richer: smaller environment, tons of outdoor experiences, arts and aesthetics, a small community that nurtures each child’s gifts.

I have been a public school teacher and have major philosophical disagreements with much of what the public PreK-3 experience is like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notice how OP only cares about numbers. Nowhere does OP seem to care about happiness.

+1

My kid would have fine outcomes no after I sent them to school. We chose private for the experiences that make our daily lives richer: smaller environment, tons of outdoor experiences, arts and aesthetics, a small community that nurtures each child’s gifts.

I have been a public school teacher and have major philosophical disagreements with much of what the public PreK-3 experience is like.

*no matter where