Kids love the school - I am very impressed with the teachers and curriculum - but want nothing to do with the community. I'm sticking it out through HS and since it is a K-8 hope that we find a HS school with families I click with better - but ultimately it is what works best for the kids - and the current school has worked really well for them.

The first year I was essentially neutral about our child's school. I thought it was good but I wasn't sure it would be worth the money over the long haul. But it was pre-K so I figured it didn't matter that much; we could always make a switch. The second year of pre-K we really began to like the school. The kindergarten year we grew to love the school. And this year, which is first grade, we're really thrilled with our child's experience. I'm not saying you'll find the same thing, of course, but for us things have improved each year. Our child has loved school since pre-K and hates to miss a minute of it.

Anonymous wrote:OP, is your kid in an early grade?

I didn't like DC's school the first year (K) because for some reason they have an awful teacher for that grade. Well, one of them is. Yet they keep her year after year.

On top of that, my DC was bored witless. Is your child bored? Sometimes I think private K is like what we did in 1st grade in the 60s and 70s. "Kids, this is what we call a 'cal-en-dar' Can you say 'calendar'? Ok, now does anyone here have ANY idea what we do with a 'calendar'? Good! Now, what is YOUR favorite holiday? Yay!'

(which is really weird, when you realize that 1/2 these private school kids are 6 or almost 6).

So between the bitchy kindergarten teacher and the curriculum aimed at 2.5 year olds, yeah, I was hating on DC's school.

It's gotten a little better but like PPs said, we're not going to ride this to the bottom for 9 - 13 years if things don't dramatically improve soon.

I can get uninspired curriculum and bad teachers in public (as well as good ones, don't flame!) for free

This is so true! Early years in the DC privates are such a joke academically.

Everyone's different. I would not worry just because someone else liked the school from the start and then it all went downhill. It could go up from here.

Funny, our experience was the opposite. We loved our school at first, and then slowly started to see all the warts. I'd worry if you don't like it in the beginning! (Unless you had unreasonable expectations in the first place)

OP, is your kid in an early grade?

I didn't like DC's school the first year (K) because for some reason they have an awful teacher for that grade. Well, one of them is. Yet they keep her year after year.

On top of that, my DC was bored witless. Is your child bored? Sometimes I think private K is like what we did in 1st grade in the 60s and 70s. "Kids, this is what we call a 'cal-en-dar' Can you say 'calendar'? Ok, now does anyone here have ANY idea what we do with a 'calendar'? Good! Now, what is YOUR favorite holiday? Yay!'

(which is really weird, when you realize that 1/2 these private school kids are 6 or almost 6).

So between the bitchy kindergarten teacher and the curriculum aimed at 2.5 year olds, yeah, I was hating on DC's school.

It's gotten a little better but like PPs said, we're not going to ride this to the bottom for 9 - 13 years if things don't dramatically improve soon.

I can get uninspired curriculum and bad teachers in public (as well as good ones, don't flame!) for free

I agree with PP. There are good and bad people everywhere -- you just need to seek out the good and ignore the bad, if possible. However, it should really be about your child. Is he thriving in the new environment? Is he struggling? Or could this be an example of unrealistic expectations. Just because we are paying for private schools, we are not necessarily buying a wholly different education. I figured that my real purchase was a smaller class size. Luckily, it has worked out for us. I hope you find the right spot.

I was downright resistant to the idea of private school, yet have been really happy with DC's. But what I was looking for a particular kind of education and knew what it should look like. I wasn't looking for a community.

I think people, including me, make the mistake of thinking that this is going to be "their" community and that there is going to be some Nirvana. That because they are in a private school, especially Catholic, that people are "better" - not rude, not clicky.

Catholic/Private schools are just filled with people - good and bad.

I started at a Catholic school, 7 years ago and I hated it. But after a year my oldest son made friends that he will have for life. He loves these kids and their families are great. We navigated the "people issues" and found a great group of people who are good friends.

I find that parents really have to make an effort to find common ground since they are not necessarily neighbors. We happen to do that with sports and wine.

4 years ago we found out - educationally - this school was terrible for my son - terrible. Though the school was willing to do "accomodations" we decided not to square peg/round hole it and left.

We discussed at length with specialists the best school for our son, private, public, independent, etc. It is incredible how much I learned and how every single school (even public schools ) are very different.

We moved schools and we are super happy. We still play sports with his friends from the old school.

I would not "stick it out" but I would not "jump ship". Maybe you know somebody that goes there that you can voice your specific concerns. What are your specific concerns?

Unfortunatelly there is no one size fits all answer.

Don't make the mistake of "sticking it out." Eight years later and I am just biding my time until my DD graduates so that we can be done with this place. It doesn't always get better but you can get sucked in to the system and the culture.

In both private schools our kids have attended, it has taken a good year to really feel a part of the place, make friends, have plenty of playdate opportunities, etc. (Also, come to think of it, my kids' K teachers were fine but not as great as the subsequent ones.) Now, 3 and 4 years in, we love both schools. Give it another year, at least.

I'm not in love with it either but I like the ratio and the school, the distance on the other hand is a bit too much.

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone I assure you. However, people are so in love with the concept of private school they don't want to admit that it isn't always grand.

maybe that's part of my issue. i'm not in love with the idea of private school...

Not everyone I assure you. However, people are so in love with the concept of private school they don't want to admit that it isn't always grand.

he just started this year. nothing is terribly wrong and i think he's fine, i just don't love the school or the teachers or the families. probably have not given it enough of a chance yet...but realize it's not so far into the year that they make you commit for next year.

sounds like alot of other people are just thrilled to pieces with their new schools....