s/o If You Left APS this Past Year for Private, What Differences Did You Notice?

[Anonymous]

A poster on another thread said families who chose private are never going back to APS because now they've seen the difference. I know that isn't true across the board (I know one family who put their child in private kindergarten and will have their child in public 1st grade this coming year). Nevertheless, I am curious what differences parents who left APS have seen. Please respond about differences between private school this year and normal APS school. The pandemic is less than ideal for everyone involved (teachers and students). In the past, private school teachers I've known have told me the biggest difference between teaching in public and private is the level of parent involvement with their kids and that this generally translates to kids who are more engaged in school, but that kids who do well in private would also have done well in public. Obviously that is a generalization based on anecdotal experiences, but I've always thought that was interesting. It is highly unlikely I'd ever be in a position to consider private school, but if there are gaps public can't or won't fill, I'd like to be aware so I can do my best to supplement if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A poster on another thread said families who chose private are never going back to APS because now they've seen the difference. I know that isn't true across the board (I know one family who put their child in private kindergarten and will have their child in public 1st grade this coming year). Nevertheless, I am curious what differences parents who left APS have seen. Please respond about differences between private school this year and normal APS school. The pandemic is less than ideal for everyone involved (teachers and students). In the past, private school teachers I've known have told me the biggest difference between teaching in public and private is the level of parent involvement with their kids and that this generally translates to kids who are more engaged in school, but that kids who do well in private would also have done well in public. Obviously that is a generalization based on anecdotal experiences, but I've always thought that was interesting. It is highly unlikely I'd ever be in a position to consider private school, but if there are gaps public can't or won't fill, I'd like to be aware so I can do my best to supplement if needed.

Interested as well. There’s a local private that some friends of ours are leaving and returning to APS. Not all privates are equal. What is it that makes some “better” than APS and others not?

[Anonymous]

2 of mine left for private. One was already in the works before Covid. Kid was unchallenged by APS HS. Kid never did homework barely studied didn’t really have to try and had straight As. She is now challenged by her private school. Much harder course load. She can’t slack off and has to work. The parent community is definitely way more involved than public. There are also lots of extracurricular activities that don’t happen in public.

My other kid has learning disabilities. Kid is now in a very small independent private school with very small classes (10 kids). It’s mastery based learning so kids learn at their own pace. Kid is actually enjoying school again. We enrolled there in November after 2 months of virtual learning which wasn’t working at all.

We’re never going back to APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 of mine left for private. One was already in the works before Covid. Kid was unchallenged by APS HS. Kid never did homework barely studied didn’t really have to try and had straight As. She is now challenged by her private school. Much harder course load. She can’t slack off and has to work. The parent community is definitely way more involved than public. There are also lots of extracurricular activities that don’t happen in public.

My other kid has learning disabilities. Kid is now in a very small independent private school with very small classes (10 kids). It’s mastery based learning so kids learn at their own pace. Kid is actually enjoying school again. We enrolled there in November after 2 months of virtual learning which wasn’t working at all.

We’re never going back to APS.

I'm curious where geographically former APS families are moving their kids. It seems like there are really no private schools in Arlington beyond parochial options. Are people taking their kids into DC, further out in Virginia?

[Anonymous]

That I have less money in my bank account.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 of mine left for private. One was already in the works before Covid. Kid was unchallenged by APS HS. Kid never did homework barely studied didn’t really have to try and had straight As. She is now challenged by her private school. Much harder course load. She can’t slack off and has to work. The parent community is definitely way more involved than public. There are also lots of extracurricular activities that don’t happen in public.

My other kid has learning disabilities. Kid is now in a very small independent private school with very small classes (10 kids). It’s mastery based learning so kids learn at their own pace. Kid is actually enjoying school again. We enrolled there in November after 2 months of virtual learning which wasn’t working at all.

We’re never going back to APS.

I'm curious where geographically former APS families are moving their kids. It seems like there are really no private schools in Arlington beyond parochial options. Are people taking their kids into DC, further out in Virginia?

PP. the kid with learning disabilities is in Arlington. The other one is in a different state but we applied in DC and McLean. There are no traditional private schools actually in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 of mine left for private. One was already in the works before Covid. Kid was unchallenged by APS HS. Kid never did homework barely studied didn’t really have to try and had straight As. She is now challenged by her private school. Much harder course load. She can’t slack off and has to work. The parent community is definitely way more involved than public. There are also lots of extracurricular activities that don’t happen in public.

My other kid has learning disabilities. Kid is now in a very small independent private school with very small classes (10 kids). It’s mastery based learning so kids learn at their own pace. Kid is actually enjoying school again. We enrolled there in November after 2 months of virtual learning which wasn’t working at all.

We’re never going back to APS.

I'm curious where geographically former APS families are moving their kids. It seems like there are really no private schools in Arlington beyond parochial options. Are people taking their kids into DC, further out in Virginia?

PP. the kid with learning disabilities is in Arlington. The other one is in a different state but we applied in DC and McLean. There are no traditional private schools actually in Arlington.

I'm confused. The HS kid is in school out of state and the parent community is very involved? Unless the school is in Maryland, I'm having a hard time understanding how involved the parents can be. That's just really far to go every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 of mine left for private. One was already in the works before Covid. Kid was unchallenged by APS HS. Kid never did homework barely studied didn’t really have to try and had straight As. She is now challenged by her private school. Much harder course load. She can’t slack off and has to work. The parent community is definitely way more involved than public. There are also lots of extracurricular activities that don’t happen in public.

My other kid has learning disabilities. Kid is now in a very small independent private school with very small classes (10 kids). It’s mastery based learning so kids learn at their own pace. Kid is actually enjoying school again. We enrolled there in November after 2 months of virtual learning which wasn’t working at all.

We’re never going back to APS.

I'm curious where geographically former APS families are moving their kids. It seems like there are really no private schools in Arlington beyond parochial options. Are people taking their kids into DC, further out in Virginia?

PP. the kid with learning disabilities is in Arlington. The other one is in a different state but we applied in DC and McLean. There are no traditional private schools actually in Arlington.

I'm confused. The HS kid is in school out of state and the parent community is very involved? Unless the school is in Maryland, I'm having a hard time understanding how involved the parents can be. That's just really far to go every day.

Boarding school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 of mine left for private. One was already in the works before Covid. Kid was unchallenged by APS HS. Kid never did homework barely studied didn’t really have to try and had straight As. She is now challenged by her private school. Much harder course load. She can’t slack off and has to work. The parent community is definitely way more involved than public. There are also lots of extracurricular activities that don’t happen in public.

My other kid has learning disabilities. Kid is now in a very small independent private school with very small classes (10 kids). It’s mastery based learning so kids learn at their own pace. Kid is actually enjoying school again. We enrolled there in November after 2 months of virtual learning which wasn’t working at all.

We’re never going back to APS.

I'm curious where geographically former APS families are moving their kids. It seems like there are really no private schools in Arlington beyond parochial options. Are people taking their kids into DC, further out in Virginia?

PP. the kid with learning disabilities is in Arlington. The other one is in a different state but we applied in DC and McLean. There are no traditional private schools actually in Arlington.

Sycamore? I've heard good things.

[Anonymous]

Smaller class sizes, more motivated peers, much better writing instruction.

Oh, and teachers that actually go in 5 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smaller class sizes, more motivated peers, much better writing instruction.

Oh, and teachers that actually go in 5 days a week.

Just interested in comparisons between private and normal, pre-pandemic APS. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I find it hard to believe that an APS HS student can’t find the challenge they need. Really?!

[Anonymous]

For the post ... "Kid wasn't challenged in HS..."

Just curious. Not judging at all or disagreeing. What classes was your child taking? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Smaller class sizes, more motivated peers, much better writing instruction.

Oh, and teachers that actually go in 5 days a week.

Just interested in comparisons between private and normal, pre-pandemic APS. Thanks!

All students are fluent in English and very few have learning disabilities, so the advanced kids aren’t held back while the teachers try to catch everyone up. More material can be covered in greater depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Smaller class sizes, more motivated peers, much better writing instruction.

Oh, and teachers that actually go in 5 days a week.

Just interested in comparisons between private and normal, pre-pandemic APS. Thanks!

All students are fluent in English and very few have learning disabilities, so the advanced kids aren’t held back while the teachers try to catch everyone up. More material can be covered in greater depth.

Which leads to more thoughtful discussions. OP, it really is a better product. Kids don’t show up unprepared like they do in public schools. They have been read to every day of their lives, and have participated in all sorts of enrichment activities. Their parents care A LOT, and it shows.