Reply to Keys to Thriving or Just Surviving in NW ES--Parents, I need your insights!

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Reply to "Keys to Thriving or Just Surviving in NW ES--Parents, I need your insights!"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I mean this in the best way possible but OP you are not going to be a good DCPS parent.

Good DCPS parent fit:

1) You have to be CHILL and let a whole lot of crap roll off your back (and focus on the long picture and big picture!) because it's a very uneven experience. You'll have good years and bad years. Fantastic teachers and downright horrible (or even missing) teachers. Things that wildly exceed your expectations and things that make you wonder how they could happen.

2)You need to be engaged the entire 14 years. There is no "set is and forget it" with DCPS. You need to be chill about a whole lot stuff (see point one) but then you need to be willing to step in and intervene and monitor grades and talk with teachers and get tutors and make schooling changes (or whatever else is needed) along the way.

For these reasons I think you are overwhelmingly better suited for private school. I have had kids at both (DCPS and a Big3 private) and neither is a perfect experience but the private will give you far more of a CONSISTENT experience.  [b]What you go in thinking you're getting is what you'll get year-in and year-out.[/b]  With DCPS it's a crap shoot. It may be fabulous, it may be horrible. It may change mid year and then change again. You don't sound like have the personality for this and that's okay! Many of us didn't or don't. Or we got worn out by DCPS along the way.

Many private schools around here give extensive aid. We received quite a bit, putting one within our budget. [/quote]

I was agreeing with this until the bolded statement. What?! No, no, no. You *might* get what you think you're getting, but it's just as likely the school would fall short of its promises and lip service. Especially at small, less funded schools. [/quote]

I'm the poster you're replying to and my experience is with an established Big3 private.  It is darn consistent.  If a teacher goes out on sick leave on Friday, there is a subject matter sub in place by Monday and a permanent replacement in place in 2 weeks (if needed.) It's very smooth--the system works like clock-work.  Class sizes are consistent, expectations are consistent, curriculum is consistent. We got the exact product we paid for year-in and year-out.

I am not a mindless private school booster (AT ALL) and this is not meant as a "private vs public" post.  But yes, unless you're in a third rate private, the experience is far more consistent than DCPS.  It's part of what you're paying for: consistency and the ability to off-load some of the stress. [/quote]

Okay, but you didn't say Big 3. You just said "the private" generally. Some privates here are a hot mess. Some privates are teetering financially. Some are okay but don't really live up to their aspirations and it's naive to think they all will. Especially with such squishy ideas. [/quote]

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