Please enlighten us public school parents

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many privates will exist in ten to twenty years. I don't think people will still plank down that much money for a that doesn't give you that much an edge in college admissions and when you can get adequate preparation from a public school. Also high ranking politico's kids is getting into Harvard and your kid ends up at W&M or Michigan. Maybe if you're lucky and you have the dough they can go to a second tier liberal arts school. Not worth $40K. Also a lot of organizations that paid for kids to go to these schools aren't so the schools are losing that source of revenue.

I think a lot of people are committed to making public schools better and holding DCPS to that standard. I think Deal has turned a corner and pretty soon Wilson will to. People do not have the money for these schools any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many privates will exist in ten to twenty years. I don't think people will still plank down that much money for a that doesn't give you that much an edge in college admissions and when you can get adequate preparation from a public school. Also high ranking politico's kids is getting into Harvard and your kid ends up at W&M or Michigan. Maybe if you're lucky and you have the dough they can go to a second tier liberal arts school. Not worth $40K. Also a lot of organizations that paid for kids to go to these schools aren't so the schools are losing that source of revenue.

I think a lot of people are committed to making public schools better and holding DCPS to that standard. I think Deal has turned a corner and pretty soon Wilson will to. People do not have the money for these schools any more.

Don't kid yourself. Plenty of people have the money. PLENTY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both private and public elementary schools in DC and one private school in NOVA. The average class sizes at the two private schools where I taught were 26 and 30 students. The average class size at my current DCPS school is 19. Teacher quality is better at the DCPS school and there is more hands-on learning and use of a variety of classroom materials (heavy on the textbooks at the private schools). All schools where I have taught have had end of the year standardized tests. It is true that DCPS tests more frequently throughout the year.

C'mon. by "private" school you mean to actually say "parish k-8 school," right? I cannot think of a single independent school "in DC" that has 30 students in the class. Parents paying $30-40,000 a year would never, ever stand for that.

Catholic schools, of course, do have class sizes that big.

The private school with an average of 26 per class is non-religious. The one with an average of 30 is Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have taught at both private and public elementary schools in DC and one private school in NOVA. The average class sizes at the two private schools where I taught were 26 and 30 students. The average class size at my current DCPS school is 19. Teacher quality is better at the DCPS school and there is more hands-on learning and use of a variety of classroom materials (heavy on the textbooks at the private schools). All schools where I have taught have had end of the year standardized tests. It is true that DCPS tests more frequently throughout the year.

C'mon. by "private" school you mean to actually say "parish k-8 school," right? I cannot think of a single independent school "in DC" that has 30 students in the class. Parents paying $30-40,000 a year would never, ever stand for that.

Catholic schools, of course, do have class sizes that big.

The private school with an average of 26 per class is non-religious. The one with an average of 30 is Catholic.

If you're referring to Sheridan, then you owe it to the thread to point out that you were team teaching with another full-time teacher (or two, if this was K), and, the kids spend 80% of the day in half groups of 12 or 13 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many privates will exist in ten to twenty years. I don't think people will still plank down that much money for a that doesn't give you that much an edge in college admissions and when you can get adequate preparation from a public school. Also high ranking politico's kids is getting into Harvard and your kid ends up at W&M or Michigan. Maybe if you're lucky and you have the dough they can go to a second tier liberal arts school. Not worth $40K. Also a lot of organizations that paid for kids to go to these schools aren't so the schools are losing that source of revenue.

I think a lot of people are committed to making public schools better and holding DCPS to that standard. I think Deal has turned a corner and pretty soon Wilson will to. People do not have the money for these schools any more.

You clearly have never lived in New England. There are prep schools there that have existed for a hundred years. And they absolutely provide a superior education. And they get 20+ kids into ivy league schools out of a single class of fewer than 200. And the kids that go to these schools have no concept of money. They are the kids of the creme de la creme and people who make millions and billions.

Some of you are so sheltered and naive it's absolutely precious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many privates will exist in ten to twenty years. I don't think people will still plank down that much money for a that doesn't give you that much an edge in college admissions and when you can get adequate preparation from a public school. Also high ranking politico's kids is getting into Harvard and your kid ends up at W&M or Michigan. Maybe if you're lucky and you have the dough they can go to a second tier liberal arts school. Not worth $40K. Also a lot of organizations that paid for kids to go to these schools aren't so the schools are losing that source of revenue.

I think a lot of people are committed to making public schools better and holding DCPS to that standard. I think Deal has turned a corner and pretty soon Wilson will to. People do not have the money for these schools any more.

You clearly have never lived in New England. There are prep schools there that have existed for a hundred years. And they absolutely provide a superior education. And they get 20+ kids into ivy league schools out of a single class of fewer than 200. And the kids that go to these schools have no concept of money. They are the kids of the creme de la creme and people who make millions and billions.

Some of you are so sheltered and naive it's absolutely precious.

Yep. I went to an elite but not uber-elite New England private school that has been around for hundreds of years. 20% of a class of 100 goes to Ivy or "Ivy-equivalent" schools. Hell, I wasn't even in the 20% of my class and I went to an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

class sizes much smaller - about 1 to 12-17
college counselors know the students personally
everybody gets to play on the sports teams
endowment of $200 million or so helps a lot.
mazing filed house and athletic facilities.
this is just a no brainer really; no need really to go on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:class sizes much smaller - about 1 to 12-17
college counselors know the students personally
everybody gets to play on the sports teams
endowment of $200 million or so helps a lot.
mazing filed house and athletic facilities.
this is just a no brainer really; no need really to go on

amazing field house

[Anonymous]

Eh I agree a lot of the NE schools have good admission stats, but who goes there? Super rich and the powerful. Sidwell, STA/NCS and GDS to a certain degree are the DC versions of these schools. They are the DC powerful's NE prep schools. Occasionally they let in some scholarship kids. DCPS are good alternatives and provide good education for a range of kids. Wilson has good college admission stats given the range of the student body. (Not an insult!)

Don't kid yourself about whom privates are serving. The Obamas and the Bidens aren't going to Wilson, but they will surely go HYPSM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone defines "better" differently. Pointless discussion.

I define "better" as "more diverse" so public will almost always be better for us. I just don't want my children going to school with almost all rich children, even if it would mean they got more art class.

Totally. I went to one of the elite private schools mentioned in this thread and got an unparalleled education most of the time...but the rape culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the wealth of my cohort's parents. My kids go to a charter in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by big-law and lobbyist progeny. I admit that I may revisit this decision come 6th grade, but right now the diversity outweighs the kiln.

I went to one of the basic public schools like the ones mentioned in the DC Schools Forum, and got an education most of the time .... but the thug culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the welfare status of my cohort's parent. My kids go to an independent school in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by the progeny of single women on TANF and guys who settle beefs by shooting innocent bystanders on DC streets. I admit that I'll revisit this decision when I'm retirement planning, but right now, the safety my kids enjoy in an environment where 100% of the students come prepared to learn is more important than bean counting skin tones to assuage my liberal guilt.

Something tells me you are not white. Neither are we, and we are not risking Wilson because of it. Ghetto culture/thug culture is too much of a risk for our kids in high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone defines "better" differently. Pointless discussion.

I define "better" as "more diverse" so public will almost always be better for us. I just don't want my children going to school with almost all rich children, even if it would mean they got more art class.

Totally. I went to one of the elite private schools mentioned in this thread and got an unparalleled education most of the time...but the rape culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the wealth of my cohort's parents. My kids go to a charter in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by big-law and lobbyist progeny. I admit that I may revisit this decision come 6th grade, but right now the diversity outweighs the kiln.

I went to one of the basic public schools like the ones mentioned in the DC Schools Forum, and got an education most of the time .... but the thug culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the welfare status of my cohort's parent. My kids go to an independent school in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by the progeny of single women on TANF and guys who settle beefs by shooting innocent bystanders on DC streets. I admit that I'll revisit this decision when I'm retirement planning, but right now, the safety my kids enjoy in an environment where 100% of the students come prepared to learn is more important than bean counting skin tones to assuage my liberal guilt.

Something tells me you are not white. Neither are we, and we are not risking Wilson because of it. Ghetto culture/thug culture is too much of a risk for our kids in high school

I think this is a valid point, but the question was asked about DC's best publics in comparison to private schools. Wilson may have an element of this but it is not part of the equation at the best DC elementaries or Deal and I would suspect at Walls or Bannaker either given the self selection involved.

I am not arguing that privates don't offer some nice features, including strong counseling and small class sizes (but note the evidence in terms of the benefits of small classes is inconclusive). I would like to know that my child would come out of this with stronger critical thinking skills and I am not seeing that in most descriptions of the advantages. I also think there are more dangers than benefits from hanging out with the excessively over privileged. So far the best (and this is a qualification) of DC's publics have offered a very strong foundation in critical reasoning skills, have differentiated well for my children, and provided a very nice community. I wish this were the norm in all public schools, I recognize it is not and that is a serious issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone defines "better" differently. Pointless discussion.

I define "better" as "more diverse" so public will almost always be better for us. I just don't want my children going to school with almost all rich children, even if it would mean they got more art class.

Totally. I went to one of the elite private schools mentioned in this thread and got an unparalleled education most of the time...but the rape culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the wealth of my cohort's parents. My kids go to a charter in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by big-law and lobbyist progeny. I admit that I may revisit this decision come 6th grade, but right now the diversity outweighs the kiln.

I went to one of the basic public schools like the ones mentioned in the DC Schools Forum, and got an education most of the time .... but the thug culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the welfare status of my cohort's parent. My kids go to an independent school in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by the progeny of single women on TANF and guys who settle beefs by shooting innocent bystanders on DC streets. I admit that I'll revisit this decision when I'm retirement planning, but right now, the safety my kids enjoy in an environment where 100% of the students come prepared to learn is more important than bean counting skin tones to assuage my liberal guilt.

Something tells me you are not white. Neither are we, and we are not risking Wilson because of it. Ghetto culture/thug culture is too much of a risk for our kids in high school

I think this is a valid point, but the question was asked about DC's best publics in comparison to private schools. Wilson may have an element of this but it is not part of the equation at the best DC elementaries or Deal and I would suspect at Walls or Bannaker either given the self selection involved.

I am not arguing that privates don't offer some nice features, including strong counseling and small class sizes (but note the evidence in terms of the benefits of small classes is inconclusive). I would like to know that my child would come out of this with stronger critical thinking skills and I am not seeing that in most descriptions of the advantages. I also think there are more dangers than benefits from hanging out with the excessively over privileged. So far the best (and this is a qualification) of DC's publics have offered a very strong foundation in critical reasoning skills, have differentiated well for my children, and provided a very nice community. I wish this were the norm in all public schools, I recognize it is not and that is a serious issue.

Sigghhhhhh. You don't get it. That's ok. You didn't attend an elite school so you don't understand. Elite schools allow kids to register for classes. They have TONS of unscheduled time and have to manage their own schedules and time. What elite schools teach is critical thinking and self reliance. They don't have one size fits all because they don't have bottom feeder problem kids and their entire population is selected based on scores and privileged backgrounds. The academic rigor at these schools borders on insane and is a constant topic of debate as to how much academic pressure is too much before college. But the surveys of elite school kids consistently say that high school was harder than their first year in college. The vast majority have lots and lots of money so the kids are well traveled and have perspective that the DCPS population cannot possibly have.

My kid is in charters. My kid is happy and doing well. But if money was no object and if I was being honest with myself my kid would be at an elite private. It provides huge advantages. I am not saying DCPS is bad or that Wilson doesn't provide a good or great education. But do not delude yourself into thinking it, or any other public school, can play in the same league as elite privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many privates will exist in ten to twenty years. I don't think people will still plank down that much money for a that doesn't give you that much an edge in college admissions and when you can get adequate preparation from a public school. Also high ranking politico's kids is getting into Harvard and your kid ends up at W&M or Michigan. Maybe if you're lucky and you have the dough they can go to a second tier liberal arts school. Not worth $40K. Also a lot of organizations that paid for kids to go to these schools aren't so the schools are losing that source of revenue.

I think a lot of people are committed to making public schools better and holding DCPS to that standard. I think Deal has turned a corner and pretty soon Wilson will to. People do not have the money for these schools any more.

Living in PG County it is pretty affordable. After being a public school teacher for several years, I don't think twice about sending my child to a private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone defines "better" differently. Pointless discussion.

I define "better" as "more diverse" so public will almost always be better for us. I just don't want my children going to school with almost all rich children, even if it would mean they got more art class.

Totally. I went to one of the elite private schools mentioned in this thread and got an unparalleled education most of the time...but the rape culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the wealth of my cohort's parents. My kids go to a charter in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by big-law and lobbyist progeny. I admit that I may revisit this decision come 6th grade, but right now the diversity outweighs the kiln.

I went to one of the basic public schools like the ones mentioned in the DC Schools Forum, and got an education most of the time .... but the thug culture was real, and celebrated, and not unrelated to the welfare status of my cohort's parent. My kids go to an independent school in large part because I do not want them to be exclusively surrounded by the progeny of single women on TANF and guys who settle beefs by shooting innocent bystanders on DC streets. I admit that I'll revisit this decision when I'm retirement planning, but right now, the safety my kids enjoy in an environment where 100% of the students come prepared to learn is more important than bean counting skin tones to assuage my liberal guilt.

Something tells me you are not white. Neither are we, and we are not risking Wilson because of it. Ghetto culture/thug culture is too much of a risk for our kids in high school

I think this is a valid point, but the question was asked about DC's best publics in comparison to private schools. Wilson may have an element of this but it is not part of the equation at the best DC elementaries or Deal and I would suspect at Walls or Bannaker either given the self selection involved.

I am not arguing that privates don't offer some nice features, including strong counseling and small class sizes (but note the evidence in terms of the benefits of small classes is inconclusive). I would like to know that my child would come out of this with stronger critical thinking skills and I am not seeing that in most descriptions of the advantages. I also think there are more dangers than benefits from hanging out with the excessively over privileged. So far the best (and this is a qualification) of DC's publics have offered a very strong foundation in critical reasoning skills, have differentiated well for my children, and provided a very nice community. I wish this were the norm in all public schools, I recognize it is not and that is a serious issue.

Sigghhhhhh. You don't get it. That's ok. You didn't attend an elite school so you don't understand. Elite schools allow kids to register for classes. They have TONS of unscheduled time and have to manage their own schedules and time. What elite schools teach is critical thinking and self reliance. They don't have one size fits all because they don't have bottom feeder problem kids and their entire population is selected based on scores and privileged backgrounds. The academic rigor at these schools borders on insane and is a constant topic of debate as to how much academic pressure is too much before college. But the surveys of elite school kids consistently say that high school was harder than their first year in college. The vast majority have lots and lots of money so the kids are well traveled and have perspective that the DCPS population cannot possibly have.

My kid is in charters. My kid is happy and doing well. But if money was no object and if I was being honest with myself my kid would be at an elite private. It provides huge advantages. I am not saying DCPS is bad or that Wilson doesn't provide a good or great education. But do not delude yourself into thinking it, or any other public school, can play in the same league as elite privates.

What percentage of private schools would you consider elite? I do get that not all private schools are created equal, but the question was not about elite private schools either. If they are the only ones with this edge that you speak of, how many schools are you discussing? How many schools in DC qualify for what you are speaking of, because that is not what most people are talking about here. That is not what the alternative is for most students.

[Anonymous]

NP. Would consider the big 3 in DC elite schools... Even if I've never heard the term until moving to DC. Schools like Horace Mann, Trinity, Brearley, Collegiate in NYC. Exeter, Andover, lawrenceville, Groton, St Paul's, Choate, etc

Basically the schools that rank in the top 50 nationwide whenever some magazine like Forbes, WSJ does rankings.