Reply to I live in a great public school district but my wife wants to explore St Albans for my son...

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Reply to "I live in a great public school district but my wife wants to explore St Albans for my son..."

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Coming from public to a top private as a kid, I had no idea how much better it would be. Faculty with PhDs, class trips abroad, class sizes of 12 kids, our senior prom featured a band with a major hit at the time, etc. All this meant we felt like we were part of something big and could achieve great things. And most of us have. For me it was a total life changer.[/quote]

This makes it sound like the private difference is all about $$$ and buying PhD teachers, trips abroad, and big-name bands at the prom. Mercedes, too (because a less showy car, like a VW with all the extras, just wouldn't do).[/quote]

I think the concept that you are destined for greatness often comes from having a lot of bright peers, which is the case at many local privates or publics.  I'm less convinced it comes from hiring a Bon Jovi for your prom or renting out the Hay-Adams for a bar mitzvah.  Kids usually can tell when their parents are just flashing bills. [/quote]

I would not want to send my child to a school where they would finish at age 18 with the belief that they are destined for greatness. [/quote]

Huh? Why wouldn't you want your child to be confident that they are capable of achieving greatness? I once heard a quote to the effect that "whether you believe you can or you believe you can't you're probably right" and it stuck with me. I think kids who have developed determination and self confidence have a great advantage in life. I just don't know if spending $$$ on a private school education is the only or even the best way to develop this.[/quote]

I know some kids at top DC private schools who interpreted the competition as meaning they weren't so great themselves.[/quote]

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