Want to Hear from Parents Who Live In Excellent Public School Districts But Chose Private Instead
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| It is not just the size of the class, but the student teacher ratio that is important. |
Anonymous
| Hi OP. I'm not able to answer your question about public v. private, but I wanted to respond to something you said about class size. We are in FCC and class size is closer to 20. In K and 1st, there's a teacher and a para in the classroom. That may still be too large for your liking and overcrowding is undeniably an issue in FCC. I just think it manifests itself in terms of the size of the grades rather than individual class sizes. Good luck with your decision. It sounds like your child will be in a good position no matter where you choose. |
pbraverman
Member Offline
Member Offline
Smaller does not always mean better — the ideal size for middle and high school classes, for example, is about 16, not 8 — but I agree that 24 is a big number for younger kids. There's strong evidence, for example, that reading is taught most effectively in groups of about 10–12. High schoolers in Montgomery County, "W cluster" and otherwise, routinely have classes that number 32 students or more, which is absurd if student participation in classes is a goal. (One can only conclude that it's not.) My wife and I, both public school kids from K to 12, had several reasons for choosing an independent school for our kids K-8, among them that I was employed in one. But there are others. Independent schools allow significantly greater participation in more activities and athletics, much more feedback about student progress, parent and student access to teachers and administrators, and (usually) highly capable college counseling in high school. For us, however, philosophy was perhaps the biggest part of our decision. We think that children's voices and opinions should count, that there should be an atmosphere of trust between children and adults, that children should have some degree of choice to study what they're interested in, and that developing the skills measured by standardized tests is important but vastly overrated. A "character education week" or "diversity day" makes those topics seem silly, and students see right through adults' slapdash attempts to introduce items like that in a school — in contrast to our belief that they are important parts of a well-rounded education. We have found all of these things in a well regarded Montgomery County high school — and with respect to many bright, dedicated staff members, I just don't believe this is the best we can offer in one of the richest places in the country. Independent school has entailed sacrifices for our family as well, but education is the one thing you can't do over. My two cents. Peter _____________________ Disclaimer: The anonymity here makes me uncomfortable; it's easy to be uninformed, personal, or simply mean-spirited if people don't identify themselves. For that reason, I have an account so you know whose words you're reading. I have more than 20 years' experience as a teacher and administrator in independent schools, and I have counseled hundreds of students in finding their next schools. I hope I can be helpful to some folks. If you don't like something I've said, you're in good company — there's a long line of past students and parents ahead of you.  If you want to chat further, please feel free to contact me offline: peter <at> arcpd <dot> com
|
Anonymous
|
We were struggling with the same issue. We live in a "great" part of the FCPS system but are choosing to commute and go private.
Our main reasoning is because DC needs to be challenged and I don't see it happening in a classroom with 25-30 Kindergarteners. Student teacher ratio is big with us so we're willing to stretch for a few years until all the babies are in the same private. Fortunately for us, our social circle is not in our neighborhood and our close friends are very like minded. Their children attend a lot of the privates in the area. Think Alexandria Country Day, Ideaventions, PVI, etc. It wasn't an easy choice but now that we've made it, we're completely satisfied and DC could not be more excited to start in the fall. |
Anonymous
| We live in great school district but we choose private ($$$) because it was the right choice for our kid - and social/status were certainly never part of the factors we weighed. It is not an easy commute, we're not super high income, and we miss the neighborhood connection but do not regret decision. |
Anonymous
This is us...in fact, I felt totally out of place socially at most schools we visited, because we know almost no one with kids in private. But I am trying to get over myself because this is 100% about my kid. I feel strongly that an academically-focused K is NOT the best fit for my DC, and I wanted play-based/progressive K. But private K *is* a crazy stretch for us so I don't think we'll be able to make it work 
|
Anonymous
| We wanted play-based, smaller ratios, and age-appropriate curriculum (for PK) that didn't rush the academics. Also, the schools we applied to were not out of the way for us commute-wise, and we could afford full-pay. We also wanted the peace of mind knowing that DC could stay at the school through 12th, instead of having to deal with outplacements along the way. |
Anonymous
|
We moved our kid from APS to private because of the size of the classes, grades, and school. They are just jammed and it doesn't look like it is going to be getting better. The schools here are great and there are many, many wonderful teachers. But my smart, quiet, well behaved kid was getting lost. There are too many kids in public schools and many of them need more attention than mine did, so he didn't get it. It has made a huge difference in his life and is well worth the money (which is a stretch for us, too). Other parents are very nice, very involved in the school and community, and don't treat us like we're "less than."
Also, while I agree with a PP that moving later has advantages because you can have a foot in both worlds, I think starting in K in private helps because your family starts with others and learn together as you go. |
Anonymous
|
I understand where you are coming from, OP.
We are zoned for a well-regarded school district and decided to go private. Here are some of the reasons why: 1) We receive FA, which made private possible for us. Even with the aid, it is a sacrifice for us, but it's worth it. 2) You can always go back to your public school if private doesn't work out or isn't worth the cost. Switching to private later may be impossible, especially if you are applying for FA. There may be an increase in private school applications depending upon what happens with public school under the new administration. 3) Many classes in our local public have 30 kids. Our child's class in private has 12 kids with 2 teachers (not an aide). On top of that, they have reading and math specialists who assist with these critical skills. I credit his solid reading ability to those factors. 4) We get weekly detailed feedback about what each teacher is working on with the class -- even the art, music and gym teachers do this! If we have a question or concern, our e-mails are answered within minutes. Teachers and administrators are also quick to jump on the phone. 5) Our DC's school spends a great deal of energy on social and emotional learning (being tolerant, kind, honest, respecting others' opinions, etc.). I'll be honest, at first, I thought it was going to be hippie-dippy fluff. But our child has 3 friends at different public schools who are bullied by other children every day because they are small or don't have clothes that are as nice, etc. Our private doesn't put up with that crap (at least in our limited experience). If a child doesn't feel safe and happy, they aren't going to learn as well. 6) The facilities and resources are incredible -- each child has the proper materials, ipads, computers, musical instruments, etc. 7) I think my child may be average -- GASP. We were afraid our child would be lost in the crowd. In public school, if you are very bright or need extra help, you receive extra attention. If you are one of the kids in the middle, good luck. We are hoping (it's early days) that in a smaller class, our child will get extra attention and be challenged more so he reaches his full potential. Finally, don't worry about losing friends in your neighborhood. We are still close friends with families who were in our infant playgroup, our preschool, our sports teams and our neighborhood. If you extend yourself in friendship, and don't blather on about how great the private school is, I'd imagine most people won't care. Good luck, OP. |
Anonymous
|
PP here. Completely forgot to mention our distaste for the time wasted on test prep and standardized testing in public.
I know you are nervous, OP. It's a big decision and a lot of money. But you are very lucky. Many other people would switch places with you in a heartbeat. Go with private. The public school will always be there if you change your mind. |
Anonymous
| We live in a W feeder neighborhood in MCPS. Sent DC to public for two years before making the switch. Our highly rated elementary school had gigantic classes, tested constantly, rigorously stuck to the county curriculum with zero creativity, gave almost no feedback on how DC was doing on any regular basis, and had PE for a grand total of 30 minutes per week. Our DC was a soft-spoken, good student who didn't need a lot of extra help or get in trouble - with many others in the class who fell into either or both of those categories, our DC got lost in the shuffle. We are in private now and DC has really flourished. |
Anonymous
I never intended to send DS to a private school. I bought in a pricey N Arlington neighborhood for the putatively great schools. My son is not a typical learner and the very long day, with its massive pile of worksheets and massive piles of worksheet based homework just did not pan out for our family. |
Anonymous
Wow. I'm one of the PPs, and I could've written this. Spouse and I have exactly said we're worried kid will get "lost in the shuffle." We have a kindergartner who is sweet and easygoing but a quiet, middle of the pack student. Class sizes aren't a problem in our public, but nonetheless kid is very quiet and we're afraid will continue to be ignored as time goes on, in favor of both the academic superstars and those with behavioral concerns. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
|
OP here - Thank you all so much for your candid and detailed responses. My gut keeps telling me private is the way to go, that we can always fall back on the public, that we have kept our costs modest so we have the option of giving the best to our kid, etc. My rational scientific-leaning brain keeps getting in the way - especially because no one in our social circle is going private, so it almost seems daunting. I think I need to trust my gut, though.
Thank you all again! |