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[quote=Anonymous]My two cents: usually private isn’t worth it.

I’m not in the DC area but I started reading this blog because I was looking for math enrichment for my child and couldn’t decide between Russian Math and AOPS.

Many moons ago, I went to a top public school and then a top private school. For a variety of reasons I was private all the way.

And at first I loved our private school. I loved the alleged whole child approach. We had so many specials! We didn’t have to worry about testing! The environment “fostered creativity” and “a love of learning!”

But then I noticed that my child couldn’t understand a lick of Spanish after five years. (Mind you, my parents speak a much harder foreign language to each other around my child, just some of the time, and my child understands it perfectly.)

And then came the issues with math. My kid was bored silly. I was told that enrichment would be offered. The learning specialist was supposed to tailor to my child. But no, enrichment math consisted of completely historically inaccurate nonsense about Einstein’s nonexistent learning disability. No actual math happened; hence, my need to hire a tutor. Which led to the question, if I need to hire tutors, why bother with private in the first place?

So, we decided to give public a try and I couldn’t be more pleased. Yes, the classes are larger, but the teachers are far, far more qualified. There’s more enrichment, more competition, more of everything. The district doesn’t offer Spanish until higher grades, but my child is taking private lessons and finally speaks Spanish!

I’m left with a sick feeling about the private school we went to. It’s cultish to me and I don’t mean religiously. The bulk of the parents see themselves as progressive Liberals. But I see them as a bunch of elitists who are providing their children with a subpar education in the name of being at an exclusive, expensive private school. They keep telling themselves it’s better than public, but it’s not. It’s so much worse.

I thought that maybe it was just the private schools in my city, but talking to friends with kids at top notch Manhattan schools, it’s the same at most of the NAIS schools. Education in America is dismal at the moment, but strictly for academics, I think the best bet is a good public school district.  [/quote]

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