Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

FCPS has an average cost per student of 16k. That includes special ed and ESOL students that most private schools would never touch. How exactly are public schools supposed to halve class sizes or hire assistants so that teachers don't have to deal with paperwork required by federal law while keeping in mind that public school teachers are more expensive both from a salary and a benefits perspective than most private school teachers at a cost of 16k per student?

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

Agree with most of this.

Anonymous wrote:Use the facilities you have! Local public school spends millions on renovations every few years so the place always looks brand-new and shiny with an up-to-date playground. Catholic school across the street is in a building from the 50s (and it looks it) with just an empty area of grass for recess. Nevertheless that school is extremely highly regarded.

I think you are exaggerating about renovations every few years and many private schools are very shiny!

Anonymous wrote:I went to “bad” public schools, but looking at the NCS Instagram page, it just looks so idyllic. The nature activities, arts etc.

Are you willing to pay enough taxes to give every public school a campus like NCS, the resources to go on field trips to engage in nature activities or to performances, and the number of extra schools needed to cut class sizes in half?

Anonymous wrote:Use the facilities you have! Local public school spends millions on renovations every few years so the place always looks brand-new and shiny with an up-to-date playground. Catholic school across the street is in a building from the 50s (and it looks it) with just an empty area of grass for recess. Nevertheless that school is extremely highly regarded.

The catholic school across the street can cap enrollment

Public schools need to make equity their # 1 priority.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

Not really sure that’s the issue. Private school teachers aren’t certified and generally don’t have a solid training in pedagogy. Public schools also pay more than private.

+1

The two worst teachers I’ve taught with in the past few years left public for private schools. One was smart but lectured for an hour straight and didn’t even try to engage students. The other said inappropriate comments to kids constantly.

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

Not really sure that’s the issue. Private school teachers aren’t certified and generally don’t have a solid training in pedagogy. Public schools also pay more than private.

I have taught at both and sent my kids to both, and I think both could absolutely learn from each other.

For public schools, I found that chasing test scores meant that so much of the joy and meaning went away. Private schools have the luxury to focus on longer texts and thematic units and just having kids read and respond without anatomizing it into author's purpose, etc. (I taught English and history.) In contrast, though, private schools need to get a clue about new practices in education and not just teach the way my parents probably learned, with 10 reading questions each night and teacher-led discussions (they both have their place, but that's all that seems to happen in my child's school.)

Oh yes! But most of it requires more money-

-Smaller class sizes
-Reducing the responsibilities of teachers. Right now they have so much paperwork, documents, 504/IEP meetings. It’s too much.
-Improving teacher-student relationships. Private schools have teacher mentors, family groups, picnics and events to create a “family like” environment.
-textbooks!!! Please for the love of god
-required reading
-more rigorous course work
-less pre-programmed curriculum. Greater flexibility and trust in teachers.
-higher quality teachers

OP, you do know that NCS is $50k/yr, yes?

Use the facilities you have! Local public school spends millions on renovations every few years so the place always looks brand-new and shiny with an up-to-date playground. Catholic school across the street is in a building from the 50s (and it looks it) with just an empty area of grass for recess. Nevertheless that school is extremely highly regarded.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, class sizes of 15 and restricting entry only to those who they think will succeed leads to success.

If public school did that our taxes would be 3x as expensive and we'd be paying for 9870398475 lawsuits.

pretty much this, but I think it's fair to point out how much time is wasted at a public school with queuing up, moving from one building to another, pointless assemblies, and a lot of other time wasting activities. good private schools use time wisely and move people around more efficiently in my observation. publics and crappy privates can learn from that at least. 20 minutes saved on needless moving around each day (on average) could be better spent on math enrichment or more reading discussion.

What needless moving around? This makes no sense. All classes move around for specials etc. I don’t know that public schools have extra assemblies.

Anonymous wrote:Sure, class sizes of 15 and restricting entry only to those who they think will succeed leads to success.

If public school did that our taxes would be 3x as expensive and we'd be paying for 9870398475 lawsuits.

pretty much this, but I think it's fair to point out how much time is wasted at a public school with queuing up, moving from one building to another, pointless assemblies, and a lot of other time wasting activities. good private schools use time wisely and move people around more efficiently in my observation. publics and crappy privates can learn from that at least. 20 minutes saved on needless moving around each day (on average) could be better spent on math enrichment or more reading discussion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Children thrive with enforceable limits. They should try it.

They do.

LOL. Public schools let students get away with everything. I have plenty of friends who are teachers. They aren't even allowed to give after-school detention for students who break rules. Kids sleep in class, do nothing in class, are on their phones in class, etc.