Elite private school for typical smart kid

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think an unhooked smart kid is better off in public?

We know a family who sends their kid to St Albans and it seems like the mom has been rejected socially. It seems like a lot of trouble and money to attend an elite school to not be included. Parents are wealthy enough to full pay but not rich. Parents attended good schools but not ivy. I know they want their kids to go to an ivy or equivalent.

Many families that prioritize academics left public schools. So it is much easier for a smart academically minded kid to find their peeps in private. That’s part of why we go, even though financially it is very hard.

Parental inclusion? How old is DD, because after 4th it’s all drop off events and I’m not looking to make parent friends. Sure I’ll be friendly and chat when we encounter each other, but how often would that even happen

Are you saying parents don’t prioritize education if they send their kids to public?

I’m not OP, but I’ll be honest since it’s anonymous: if you can afford an excellent private school and choose to send your kids to a public school, despite knowing it has problems (and that’s not all public schools, so that’s an important caveat), then yes — I think that shows you don’t prioritize education. Prioritizing education means sending your kids to the absolute best place you can, whether that’s public or private.

This fool still thinks private education gives any advantage over public education. Taking out St. Albans and Sidwell, the college admissions are practically identical for public and private in the DMV.

And you're the "fool" who completely missed the boat that education is MORE than college admissions for these families.

How are they measuring the outcomes then? Getting into college is a culmination of a lot of things from grades to test scores to extracurriculars to the actual application. If the students at privates and publics have the same end result with similar inputs , then what’s the differentiator on one education being better than the other ?

There aren’t really objective metrics on it. You know it when you see it. I gather you haven’t been inside an excellent private school and seen how the classes are run. IYKYK.

The elite NE boarding schools blow away everyone else on college admissions. Outside of them, it’s about going to the schools and seeing it for yourself.

So they are allegedly run much better and yet, still have the same results in academics, extracurriculars, test scores, application process and thus admissions.
Ok

They generally have better results, but again — it’s about more than that.

If you really want to understand it, then compare what the top private schools have to offer vs public schools, from a programmatic and academic standpoint. We’re not going to do the research for you. Compare the course of study from, say, Holton vs Whitman.

Of course, if you don’t care to understand and just want to sit with your assumptions, then continue as you have been and don’t educate yourself at all.

I know people who have graduated from both Holton and Whitman with similar outcomes in academics, college admissions and work/life. Nearly all outcomes in the DMV are like this too.
You can't point to any objective metrics but only "feels"
Sounds like you need to educate yourself on what you're really paying for

Nah, I’m good. I went to public middle school and private high school. I know exactly what I’m paying for and I’m happy about it.

Maybe you could … wait for it … mind your own business!

I know. It’s hard.

You are posting on a public forum and telling people to mind their own business? That isn't how it works. You post, people get to respond. Don't like it? Don't post.

Here’s a metric for you: my kid’s class has 16 kids and 2 full teachers. What’s the student:teacher ratio in public schools? What’s the research on the impact of student:teacher ratio on learning?

My kid has access to full art studios, theater programs, a full slate of subject areas, etc. This is all in lower school. She doesn’t waste time on standardized tests. There’s no subpar curriculum crap, like in MCPS. The upper elementary school and middle school students read full books, rather than excerpts.

... if you aren't taking standardized tests, do you actually know that it's not subpar? Though I suppose standardized tests are not necessarily going to catch children of well-educated, wealthy parents, unless you really dive into the data. And few do.

I mention this because not long ago on this board we learned a large number of elite schools were using Lucy Caulkins, F&P, and other reading programs of that ilk, which are notably poor curricula. I suppose it does help the cause of equity by handicapping the children of the egregiously rich.

Standardized tests are notoriously terrible at ascertaining academic progress.

But sure — point to some DCUM musings about curricula at unnamed private schools to make your point. That seems valid.

[Anonymous]

Also, I love how you admit that your information about these schools is coming from DCUM.

Hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think an unhooked smart kid is better off in public?

We know a family who sends their kid to St Albans and it seems like the mom has been rejected socially. It seems like a lot of trouble and money to attend an elite school to not be included. Parents are wealthy enough to full pay but not rich. Parents attended good schools but not ivy. I know they want their kids to go to an ivy or equivalent.

Many families that prioritize academics left public schools. So it is much easier for a smart academically minded kid to find their peeps in private. That’s part of why we go, even though financially it is very hard.

Parental inclusion? How old is DD, because after 4th it’s all drop off events and I’m not looking to make parent friends. Sure I’ll be friendly and chat when we encounter each other, but how often would that even happen

Are you saying parents don’t prioritize education if they send their kids to public?

I’m not OP, but I’ll be honest since it’s anonymous: if you can afford an excellent private school and choose to send your kids to a public school, despite knowing it has problems (and that’s not all public schools, so that’s an important caveat), then yes — I think that shows you don’t prioritize education. Prioritizing education means sending your kids to the absolute best place you can, whether that’s public or private.

This fool still thinks private education gives any advantage over public education. Taking out St. Albans and Sidwell, the college admissions are practically identical for public and private in the DMV.

And you're the "fool" who completely missed the boat that education is MORE than college admissions for these families.

How are they measuring the outcomes then? Getting into college is a culmination of a lot of things from grades to test scores to extracurriculars to the actual application. If the students at privates and publics have the same end result with similar inputs , then what’s the differentiator on one education being better than the other ?

There aren’t really objective metrics on it. You know it when you see it. I gather you haven’t been inside an excellent private school and seen how the classes are run. IYKYK.

The elite NE boarding schools blow away everyone else on college admissions. Outside of them, it’s about going to the schools and seeing it for yourself.

So they are allegedly run much better and yet, still have the same results in academics, extracurriculars, test scores, application process and thus admissions.
Ok

They generally have better results, but again — it’s about more than that.

If you really want to understand it, then compare what the top private schools have to offer vs public schools, from a programmatic and academic standpoint. We’re not going to do the research for you. Compare the course of study from, say, Holton vs Whitman.

Of course, if you don’t care to understand and just want to sit with your assumptions, then continue as you have been and don’t educate yourself at all.

I know people who have graduated from both Holton and Whitman with similar outcomes in academics, college admissions and work/life. Nearly all outcomes in the DMV are like this too.
You can't point to any objective metrics but only "feels"
Sounds like you need to educate yourself on what you're really paying for

Nah, I’m good. I went to public middle school and private high school. I know exactly what I’m paying for and I’m happy about it.

Maybe you could … wait for it … mind your own business!

I know. It’s hard.

You are posting on a public forum and telling people to mind their own business? That isn't how it works. You post, people get to respond. Don't like it? Don't post.

Here’s a metric for you: my kid’s class has 16 kids and 2 full teachers. What’s the student:teacher ratio in public schools? What’s the research on the impact of student:teacher ratio on learning?

My kid has access to full art studios, theater programs, a full slate of subject areas, etc. This is all in lower school. She doesn’t waste time on standardized tests. There’s no subpar curriculum crap, like in MCPS. The upper elementary school and middle school students read full books, rather than excerpts.

That 16 student model was part of the reason we left a private school. It was a bubble, which limited opportunities and experiences. With just 8 boys and 8 girls, there was reduced potential for a kid to find their tribe - the social scene for boys was dominated by one kingpin boy. With such small student numbers, there wasn't a large number of really smart kids, and the school didn't offer the differentiated classes that we found when our kids moved to public school.

There was one chemistry teacher and one physics teacher at the private school, not a department of these teachers working together.

It's hard to have a top math team or robotics team for example when a school just doesn't have as many interested talented kids.

I'm not sure why you think public school kids just read excerpts. My kids read full novels and non fiction books, and many of them.

We just toured and wrapped up school visits. My child said the classes seemed easier and the kids were distracted. He said kids were talking, on their phones and the teacher didn’t have control of the class.

I have heard the small class size complaint from many. When there are only a few girls in a grade, you may not have many girls to make friends with. I know there are mean girls everywhere but there is a special kind of rich mean girl.

Please name the school. I don’t know of any decent private school that allows phones in class.

Dc private school kids on phones in between class and in class and lunch and beige and after and their Chromebooks sicne grade 4. I want to put scramblers all over the middle school.

I wish they’d have a No Cell phone policy from 8-3pm

[Anonymous]

If you think private school is only about college admissions, you are very confused.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think an unhooked smart kid is better off in public?

We know a family who sends their kid to St Albans and it seems like the mom has been rejected socially. It seems like a lot of trouble and money to attend an elite school to not be included. Parents are wealthy enough to full pay but not rich. Parents attended good schools but not ivy. I know they want their kids to go to an ivy or equivalent.

Many families that prioritize academics left public schools. So it is much easier for a smart academically minded kid to find their peeps in private. That’s part of why we go, even though financially it is very hard.

Parental inclusion? How old is DD, because after 4th it’s all drop off events and I’m not looking to make parent friends. Sure I’ll be friendly and chat when we encounter each other, but how often would that even happen

Are you saying parents don’t prioritize education if they send their kids to public?

I’m not OP, but I’ll be honest since it’s anonymous: if you can afford an excellent private school and choose to send your kids to a public school, despite knowing it has problems (and that’s not all public schools, so that’s an important caveat), then yes — I think that shows you don’t prioritize education. Prioritizing education means sending your kids to the absolute best place you can, whether that’s public or private.

This fool still thinks private education gives any advantage over public education. Taking out St. Albans and Sidwell, the college admissions are practically identical for public and private in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think an unhooked smart kid is better off in public?

We know a family who sends their kid to St Albans and it seems like the mom has been rejected socially. It seems like a lot of trouble and money to attend an elite school to not be included. Parents are wealthy enough to full pay but not rich. Parents attended good schools but not ivy. I know they want their kids to go to an ivy or equivalent.

Many families that prioritize academics left public schools. So it is much easier for a smart academically minded kid to find their peeps in private. That’s part of why we go, even though financially it is very hard.

Parental inclusion? How old is DD, because after 4th it’s all drop off events and I’m not looking to make parent friends. Sure I’ll be friendly and chat when we encounter each other, but how often would that even happen

Are you saying parents don’t prioritize education if they send their kids to public?

I’m not OP, but I’ll be honest since it’s anonymous: if you can afford an excellent private school and choose to send your kids to a public school, despite knowing it has problems (and that’s not all public schools, so that’s an important caveat), then yes — I think that shows you don’t prioritize education. Prioritizing education means sending your kids to the absolute best place you can, whether that’s public or private.

This fool still thinks private education gives any advantage over public education. Taking out St. Albans and Sidwell, the college admissions are practically identical for public and private in the DMV.

And you're the "fool" who completely missed the boat that education is MORE than college admissions for these families.

How are they measuring the outcomes then? Getting into college is a culmination of a lot of things from grades to test scores to extracurriculars to the actual application. If the students at privates and publics have the same end result with similar inputs , then what’s the differentiator on one education being better than the other ?

There aren’t really objective metrics on it. You know it when you see it. I gather you haven’t been inside an excellent private school and seen how the classes are run. IYKYK.

The elite NE boarding schools blow away everyone else on college admissions. Outside of them, it’s about going to the schools and seeing it for yourself.

So they are allegedly run much better and yet, still have the same results in academics, extracurriculars, test scores, application process and thus admissions.
Ok

They generally have better results, but again — it’s about more than that.

If you really want to understand it, then compare what the top private schools have to offer vs public schools, from a programmatic and academic standpoint. We’re not going to do the research for you. Compare the course of study from, say, Holton vs Whitman.

Of course, if you don’t care to understand and just want to sit with your assumptions, then continue as you have been and don’t educate yourself at all.

I know people who have graduated from both Holton and Whitman with similar outcomes in academics, college admissions and work/life. Nearly all outcomes in the DMV are like this too.
You can't point to any objective metrics but only "feels"
Sounds like you need to educate yourself on what you're really paying for

Nah, I’m good. I went to public middle school and private high school. I know exactly what I’m paying for and I’m happy about it.

Maybe you could … wait for it … mind your own business!

I know. It’s hard.

You are posting on a public forum and telling people to mind their own business? That isn't how it works. You post, people get to respond. Don't like it? Don't post.

Here’s a metric for you: my kid’s class has 16 kids and 2 full teachers. What’s the student:teacher ratio in public schools? What’s the research on the impact of student:teacher ratio on learning?

My kid has access to full art studios, theater programs, a full slate of subject areas, etc. This is all in lower school. She doesn’t waste time on standardized tests. There’s no subpar curriculum crap, like in MCPS. The upper elementary school and middle school students read full books, rather than excerpts.

That 16 student model was part of the reason we left a private school. It was a bubble, which limited opportunities and experiences. With just 8 boys and 8 girls, there was reduced potential for a kid to find their tribe - the social scene for boys was dominated by one kingpin boy. With such small student numbers, there wasn't a large number of really smart kids, and the school didn't offer the differentiated classes that we found when our kids moved to public school.

There was one chemistry teacher and one physics teacher at the private school, not a department of these teachers working together.

It's hard to have a top math team or robotics team for example when a school just doesn't have as many interested talented kids.

I'm not sure why you think public school kids just read excerpts. My kids read full novels and non fiction books, and many of them.

We just toured and wrapped up school visits. My child said the classes seemed easier and the kids were distracted. He said kids were talking, on their phones and the teacher didn’t have control of the class.

I have heard the small class size complaint from many. When there are only a few girls in a grade, you may not have many girls to make friends with. I know there are mean girls everywhere but there is a special kind of rich mean girl.

Please name the school. I don’t know of any decent private school that allows phones in class.

Dc private school kids on phones in between class and in class and lunch and beige and after and their Chromebooks sicne grade 4. I want to put scramblers all over the middle school.

I wish they’d have a No Cell phone policy from 8-3pm

My kid’s school bans phones during the school day.