Reply to Montco Schools are no longer the best

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][/quote]

Did you even read the first link, or was this a quick "Google and skim"?  The principal study cited relates to publicly funded "private" charter schools, which is obviously not what we're talking about here.

FWIW, the valedictorian at my private high school graduated with a B+/A- average.  Not one student in a class of 80 had an "A" average.  Roughly 1/4 of my graduating class attended Ivy League or equivalents.  My GPA jumped a full grade my freshman year of college, with much less effort on my part.  Your portrayal of privates certainly does not reflect my experience.

All that said, I have no doubt that many privates are grade inflation factories and that many publics perform admirably.  However, the core issue here is whether MCPS will continue to perform admirably.  Unfortunately, I have serious doubts, given the expanding population and limited resources.

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There are two studies linked.  The first is helpful in that they include all the critiques of these types of studies and they study the same groups of kids going to two different types of schools.  The second is helpful in that it specifically controls for parents which is (I guess) important according to the study.

We will agree to disagree.  I would say your anecdotal experience from years ago doesn't have much to say about public v. private schools around here now.  Also, these studies suggest that your parents and your friends' parents impacted your later success rather than the incremental benefit of private school over public.  This is what they mean by controlling for parental involvement/success and the 'incremental' benefit of private all else being equal.

Grade inflation is an ongoing conversation at universities -- specifically how much worse it has gotten in the last 10 years and how entitled students are when they arrive.  So your experience (N=1) could remain valid and still not speak to the current conditions.  It also still fits within the general findings that parents dictate student success rather than private over public schools.

I'm fine with the 'expanding population'.  But you are right in that a private school keeps out the 'expanding population' you refer to with such disdain.

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I'll agree to disagree (and certainly concede that my post was based on anecdotal personal experience).

However, I think it's worth clarifying my concern about expanding population:  I do not disdain the "expanding population" itself in any way.  I am concerned solely and exclusively about lack of resources to serve a growing student population.  It's my opinion that no young child can receive an excellent education in a 30-student class.

I hope that MCPS finds the resources to continue to provide an excellent education to all, and would gladly pay more taxes to help realize that.  Unfortunately, I don't believe that this is a likely outcome.

Same $$$ + more students = lesser education for all.  
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