Whitman vs private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the Whitman zone, but I did consider moving to the Whitman zone for the schools when I moved back to the DMV a few years ago. For me, the reason I chose not to move in that zone is largely similar to why I would opt for private school over Whitman. The student population at Whitman is only 4% Black and in the DMV the local Black population is significantly higher than that as is the national average). Even isolating on Montgomery County, MD...almost 21 percent of the county population is Black but Whitman only has 4 percent. I wanted my children to go to a more diverse school but also still cared about the academic performance of the school. The school we chose is about 15% Black and another 15% multiracial, and this was important for our family. If diversity doesn't matter, I think your child would probably get a better education than many of the local schools. And if you paid the top dollar to live in that neighborhood, maybe its worth going to the school that likely caused the price of the house to be much higher.

Whitman is 39.6% non-white. Yes, there's a higher % of POC county-wide, but 39.6% POC isn't a tiny number.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

The data you provide shows that Whitman is less than 5% black and over 15% Asian. While the 39.6% POC sounds ok it is highly skewed toward Asian students, my nearby private school is much more racially diverse.

I grew up as the only Asian in my schools in rural areas of New York. It was never an issue. Yes, kids make stupid comments, and you learn to toughen up...big deal. It will make your child stronger and less sensitive and weak.

Same. Our kids attended a highly rated public that was mostly white and Asian. They now attend a very well regarded private school that is far more diverse!

Folks…let’s cut the s**t that anyone is selecting a private over Whitman because of Whitman’s lack of diversity.

I send my kids to private and nobody from the Whitman boundary has ever indicated this as a reason.

Can I offer this as an example? We are zoned for a 'W' school. In elementary school, my DC was the only African American child. DC had lots of friends but did ask periodically how come they were the only one in their grade and/or where were the other African American children. We decided to pursue private school for other reasons but at the current private school, DC is one of 5 in the class and one of 9 in a grade of 50. And across all grades, the enrolled AA student population is notably higher than at the public we were zoned to attend. So telling someone like me, hey your school is 40% Asian - see it's diverse! Diverse to who? Not to me and telling me that a school is 40% Asian provides my Black child no comfort, especially when racial issues arise and my child has no one who really understands what it feels like to be Black. I can't really explain this anymore than I have and you don't actually have to understand it either. It just is.

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the Whitman zone, but I did consider moving to the Whitman zone for the schools when I moved back to the DMV a few years ago. For me, the reason I chose not to move in that zone is largely similar to why I would opt for private school over Whitman. The student population at Whitman is only 4% Black and in the DMV the local Black population is significantly higher than that as is the national average). Even isolating on Montgomery County, MD...almost 21 percent of the county population is Black but Whitman only has 4 percent. I wanted my children to go to a more diverse school but also still cared about the academic performance of the school. The school we chose is about 15% Black and another 15% multiracial, and this was important for our family. If diversity doesn't matter, I think your child would probably get a better education than many of the local schools. And if you paid the top dollar to live in that neighborhood, maybe its worth going to the school that likely caused the price of the house to be much higher.

Whitman is 39.6% non-white. Yes, there's a higher % of POC county-wide, but 39.6% POC isn't a tiny number.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

The data you provide shows that Whitman is less than 5% black and over 15% Asian. While the 39.6% POC sounds ok it is highly skewed toward Asian students, my nearby private school is much more racially diverse.

Same. Our kids attended a highly rated public that was mostly white and Asian. They now attend a very well regarded private school that is far more diverse!

Folks…let’s cut the s**t that anyone is selecting a private over Whitman because of Whitman’s lack of diversity.

I send my kids to private and nobody from the Whitman boundary has ever indicated this as a reason.

Can I offer this as an example? We are zoned for a 'W' school. In elementary school, my DC was the only African American child. DC had lots of friends but did ask periodically how come they were the only one in their grade and/or where were the other African American children. We decided to pursue private school for other reasons but at the current private school, DC is one of 5 in the class and one of 9 in a grade of 50. And across all grades, the enrolled AA student population is notably higher than at the public we were zoned to attend. So telling someone like me, hey your school is 40% Asian - see it's diverse! Diverse to who? Not to me and telling me that a school is 40% Asian provides my Black child no comfort, especially when racial issues arise and my child has no one who really understands what it feels like to be Black. I can't really explain this anymore than I have and you don't actually have to understand it either. It just is.

I grew up as the only Asian in my schools in rural areas of New York. It was never an issue. Yes, kids make stupid comments, and you learn to toughen up...big deal. It will make your child stronger and less sensitive and weak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the Whitman zone, but I did consider moving to the Whitman zone for the schools when I moved back to the DMV a few years ago. For me, the reason I chose not to move in that zone is largely similar to why I would opt for private school over Whitman. The student population at Whitman is only 4% Black and in the DMV the local Black population is significantly higher than that as is the national average). Even isolating on Montgomery County, MD...almost 21 percent of the county population is Black but Whitman only has 4 percent. I wanted my children to go to a more diverse school but also still cared about the academic performance of the school. The school we chose is about 15% Black and another 15% multiracial, and this was important for our family. If diversity doesn't matter, I think your child would probably get a better education than many of the local schools. And if you paid the top dollar to live in that neighborhood, maybe its worth going to the school that likely caused the price of the house to be much higher.

Whitman is 39.6% non-white. Yes, there's a higher % of POC county-wide, but 39.6% POC isn't a tiny number.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

The data you provide shows that Whitman is less than 5% black and over 15% Asian. While the 39.6% POC sounds ok it is highly skewed toward Asian students, my nearby private school is much more racially diverse.

Same. Our kids attended a highly rated public that was mostly white and Asian. They now attend a very well regarded private school that is far more diverse!

Folks…let’s cut the s**t that anyone is selecting a private over Whitman because of Whitman’s lack of diversity.

I send my kids to private and nobody from the Whitman boundary has ever indicated this as a reason.

Can I offer this as an example? We are zoned for a 'W' school. In elementary school, my DC was the only African American child. DC had lots of friends but did ask periodically how come they were the only one in their grade and/or where were the other African American children. We decided to pursue private school for other reasons but at the current private school, DC is one of 5 in the class and one of 9 in a grade of 50. And across all grades, the enrolled AA student population is notably higher than at the public we were zoned to attend. So telling someone like me, hey your school is 40% Asian - see it's diverse! Diverse to who? Not to me and telling me that a school is 40% Asian provides my Black child no comfort, especially when racial issues arise and my child has no one who really understands what it feels like to be Black. I can't really explain this anymore than I have and you don't actually have to understand it either. It just is.

I grew up as the only Asian in my schools in rural areas of New York. It was never an issue. Yes, kids make stupid comments, and you learn to toughen up...big deal. It will make your child stronger and less sensitive and weak.

NP I am white, but you cannot be serious dismissing someone else's very real feelings/experiences. You cannot compare being Asian to being black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get with it, people. Diversity in the US only ever means one thing: enough black people or not. No other race need apply. Why are you pretending otherwise?

Well, we built this country for free for 400 years. It's the least they could do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get with it, people. Diversity in the US only ever means one thing: enough black people or not. No other race need apply. Why are you pretending otherwise?

Well, we built this country for free for 400 years. It's the least they could do.

Slavery ended in 1865. 400 years is a massive stretch. And, no, they didn't "build" the country. Slaves were vastly outnumbered by whites and it was white settlers and white colonialists and white immigrants who hacked down most of the forests and dug the canals and worked in the factories and mines and settled the prairies and built the skyscrapers and you name it. You could make a plausible claim that the Irish did more to "build" the country than the slaves, given how severely restricted slaves were in their actions and tied to agricultural plantations in the south with minimal movement and brutal racism in the northern states restricted the ability of blacks to do anything but the most basic labor jobs.

I'm not disclaiming or ignoring the role blacks in American history, but going around claiming they built the country is ignorant and silly. They couldn't have "built" the country when they weren't really allowed to do anything other than pick cotton or hoe the fields or dig a few ditches. But it's the same mindset that also tells you for most blacks, they only view diversity through the prism of blacks, and blacks alone, which makes the concept of diversity both ironic and hypocritical. We see this all the time in the DCUM area. Schools with large Asians and South Asian populations are still not diverse. Interesting isn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? You would pay $40K a year b/c you don't like the sports program at Whitman? That is funny to me! I think the education is far better at Whitman that at most privates. There are so many clubs, drama, music, internship programs that kids can get involved with. I will agree that not all teachers are great (I find it hard to believe that every teacher at a private is good), but the ones that are good, are amazing!

I can think of a few reasons to not go to Whitman. Special Needs being the big one. It's a big school. It's definitely a place for confident kids who can self-advocate.

But sports?

I get that recruited athletes are operating at a different level, but dropping $160,000+ for a a participation trophy?

Lame. Maybe Whitman soccer is recruitable, but everything else is just students doing their thing. It's not a particularly stressful world. Time consuming, yes. But anyone doing sports at Whitman is not getting a D1 scholarship with the possible exception of the occasional soccer player.

Whitman sports certainly don’t suck. This year, and most, there are 15 seniors who signed D1 national letters of intent in baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, swimming, diving, track, etc.

On the broader theme - Whitman vs Private - I have literally 25+ years of experience with that including 19 years of private school tuition (“Big 3”) with 2 kids, and 3 kids who graduated from Whitman. One DC was at Fancy Private K-8, and then switched to Whitman and loved it. That DC graduated from a Top 2 Liberal Arts college and. Top 2 law school, 2 federal clerkships. Is currently a senior associate at a major international Biglaw firm based in DC.

FP is a high quality place, no doubt. It works for some kids, not for others. The kid who switched into Whitman just wanted a bigger, newer pond. That DC was a star at FP, and also at Whitman. And great adult friends and connections from both.

The other Whitman grads also went to top colleges. Don’t go the private route because you think it will result in more/better college options. It won’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What percentage of parents at Whitman are high net worth( top 1%). Compare that with the privates, no comparison. Rich people aren't dummies. Obviously, that's why they're rich and not Feds.

I was a parent at Sidwell for 10 years, and a parent at Whitman for 12. I can say quite confidently, as to the wealth factor, that the middle 50% at Sidwell is about the same as the top half at Whitman. There are many, many top-1% families at Whitman. Many summer houses, Colorado ski trips, summer camps, country clubs - all of those things. Sure, Sidwell has a few mega-money types. But overall, there is no culture shock as between the two schools. It’s not a good reason to switch (either way).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if you are making 400K a year, it's not easy to come up with 110K to send two girls to Holton or another private school. From what I see many of the private school parents have household incomes between 1 and 3 million a year. Those numbers ar very rare among Whitman parents.

21% of Sidwell receives average FA of around $34k. They’re probably another 25% that have HHI of maybe $200-$400k.

I actually think the median income of Whitman may be higher though Sidwell will crush on the average.

I agree. I’ve been a parent for many years at both Sidwell and Whitman. There is a much higher percentage of poor kids at Sidwell. Also more very rich families. But the income/net worth Venn diagram would show a huge overlap between the two schools. Whitman families include many Biglaw $1-2 million+ annual incomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really? You would pay $40K a year b/c you don't like the sports program at Whitman? That is funny to me! I think the education is far better at Whitman that at most privates. There are so many clubs, drama, music, internship programs that kids can get involved with. I will agree that not all teachers are great (I find it hard to believe that every teacher at a private is good), but the ones that are good, are amazing!

It you and your kids are happy at Whitman, that’s fine. Nobody cares, especially the parents that chose a private school alternative.

That you can’t understand the difference between the two experiences is also fine. Lots cannot.

But there are those who do see differences. And it’s doubtful they are going to be able to explain them to you. If you don’t “get it”, you don’t “get it”.

So true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote: We did not choose Whitman for the following reasons:
--Classes are too large.
--Poor coaching and resources for sports.
--The school was too big in general.
--The student population and MCPS leans farther to the left politically than we are comfortable with.
--The school lunch quality is poor.
--The network and bonding does not compare to the private school he currently attends.
--The bureaucracy in MCPS is not what we wanted.
--The facilities are lousy. Whitman has weeds and trash all over their tennis courts. Nobody seems to care.

Get your dog whistles out for the student population at MCPS comment haha wow

Aren't you happy the right-wingers are going elsewhere?

Whitman is full of kids who wear pajamas to school and have blue hair--no thanks

Just wait until your kids reach college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the Whitman zone, but I did consider moving to the Whitman zone for the schools when I moved back to the DMV a few years ago. For me, the reason I chose not to move in that zone is largely similar to why I would opt for private school over Whitman. The student population at Whitman is only 4% Black and in the DMV the local Black population is significantly higher than that as is the national average). Even isolating on Montgomery County, MD...almost 21 percent of the county population is Black but Whitman only has 4 percent. I wanted my children to go to a more diverse school but also still cared about the academic performance of the school. The school we chose is about 15% Black and another 15% multiracial, and this was important for our family. If diversity doesn't matter, I think your child would probably get a better education than many of the local schools. And if you paid the top dollar to live in that neighborhood, maybe its worth going to the school that likely caused the price of the house to be much higher.

Whitman is 39.6% non-white. Yes, there's a higher % of POC county-wide, but 39.6% POC isn't a tiny number.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04427.pdf

The poster SPECIFICALLY mentioned the Black population. Maybe that poster is also Black and having other Black students at Whitman is important to her/him. No one cares that it is 15% Asian - completely irrelevant.

Whitman parent here. That 39% non-white figure is illusory. Most of the 8% mixed-race kids are white/asian. And most of the 13%? “Hispanic” kids are rich white South Americans whose parents work at the World Bank or IMF (or the like). Whitman Hispanic skis in Switzerland during winter break. It’s a very (and I mean VERY) white-presenting school.

[Anonymous]

this thread is from 2023.