Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 23:00     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:my kid was in private through 6th. 7th grade in MCPS was a dream. But 8th, 9th, and 10th have been horrible. If I could afford larger schools with more kids, I would send him back to private. But I can only afford the smaller schools and those are too socially stifling.


Could you elaborate on why 8th to 10th have been horrible?


8th because of COVID, although the teachers went above and beyond.

9th and 10th because of a weak principal at a school with a significant FARMS student enrollment. It's not the student demographic alone -- I love Clarksburg High -- and they have an incredible principal. But it takes more oversight to manage in a healthy, productive way. And it is grossly lacking at my child's school.

1) underfunded sports where kids don't have sufficient equipment
2) underfunded classrooms without enough books to hand out to the entire class
3) almost no engagement in PTSA, so no significant fundraising to address gaps
4) classes of 35-38 kids
5) discipline policies that don't work, so students are assaulting teachers, cussing them out, showing up high to class, fighting in the bathrooms, vaping everywhere -- hallways, classrooms, etc.
6) many weapons in the school on a daily basis
7) kids (and parents) driving like maniacs in and out of the school parking lot, cutting cars off, flipping other drivers off, ramming other parked cars, going in exits and almost hitting other parents, hotboxing in the parking lot. And that's what I've seen. I have heard of knife fights in the parking lot before and after school.
8) poor academic policies that allow kids to get 50% for not turning anything in. So if they do an occasional assignment or quiz, they can get their grades up to 60% and pass.
9) no school newspaper, no school yearbook club, no school spirit.


We deal with some of these issues (especially the bolded) at our MCPS high school also.

We do have a school paper, which is nice.


Of course, this is rubbish. They can't support any of this, but the point of this is private recruitment.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 22:53     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
We have a school paper and few weapons at my MCPS HS. Won't deny that discipline, class size, and lack of funding can be struggles though.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 22:50     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:my kid was in private through 6th. 7th grade in MCPS was a dream. But 8th, 9th, and 10th have been horrible. If I could afford larger schools with more kids, I would send him back to private. But I can only afford the smaller schools and those are too socially stifling.


Could you elaborate on why 8th to 10th have been horrible?


8th because of COVID, although the teachers went above and beyond.

9th and 10th because of a weak principal at a school with a significant FARMS student enrollment. It's not the student demographic alone -- I love Clarksburg High -- and they have an incredible principal. But it takes more oversight to manage in a healthy, productive way. And it is grossly lacking at my child's school.

1) underfunded sports where kids don't have sufficient equipment
2) underfunded classrooms without enough books to hand out to the entire class
3) almost no engagement in PTSA, so no significant fundraising to address gaps
4) classes of 35-38 kids
5) discipline policies that don't work, so students are assaulting teachers, cussing them out, showing up high to class, fighting in the bathrooms, vaping everywhere -- hallways, classrooms, etc.
6) many weapons in the school on a daily basis
7) kids (and parents) driving like maniacs in and out of the school parking lot, cutting cars off, flipping other drivers off, ramming other parked cars, going in exits and almost hitting other parents, hotboxing in the parking lot. And that's what I've seen. I have heard of knife fights in the parking lot before and after school.
8) poor academic policies that allow kids to get 50% for not turning anything in. So if they do an occasional assignment or quiz, they can get their grades up to 60% and pass.
9) no school newspaper, no school yearbook club, no school spirit.


We deal with some of these issues (especially the bolded) at our MCPS high school also.

We do have a school paper, which is nice.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 21:20     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Math in private k-8 won't be anywhere close to MCPS. Private HS might have legit math teachers...or not. It's a gamble.

Catholic elementary schools provide a solid foundation on all subjects...which mcps cannot.

Hindsight being 20/20: K-8 in private school equips kids for success in advanced classes in HS.


Certainly not in math


Not in math for an advanced student. K-5, Catholics offer more in terms of the foundation, especially if they still teach spelling, grammar and more but come MS, they don't have enough students to offer multiple classes.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 20:53     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:my kid was in private through 6th. 7th grade in MCPS was a dream. But 8th, 9th, and 10th have been horrible. If I could afford larger schools with more kids, I would send him back to private. But I can only afford the smaller schools and those are too socially stifling.


Could you elaborate on why 8th to 10th have been horrible?


8th because of COVID, although the teachers went above and beyond.

9th and 10th because of a weak principal at a school with a significant FARMS student enrollment. It's not the student demographic alone -- I love Clarksburg High -- and they have an incredible principal. But it takes more oversight to manage in a healthy, productive way. And it is grossly lacking at my child's school.

1) underfunded sports where kids don't have sufficient equipment
2) underfunded classrooms without enough books to hand out to the entire class
3) almost no engagement in PTSA, so no significant fundraising to address gaps
4) classes of 35-38 kids
5) discipline policies that don't work, so students are assaulting teachers, cussing them out, showing up high to class, fighting in the bathrooms, vaping everywhere -- hallways, classrooms, etc.
6) many weapons in the school on a daily basis
7) kids (and parents) driving like maniacs in and out of the school parking lot, cutting cars off, flipping other drivers off, ramming other parked cars, going in exits and almost hitting other parents, hotboxing in the parking lot. And that's what I've seen. I have heard of knife fights in the parking lot before and after school.
8) poor academic policies that allow kids to get 50% for not turning anything in. So if they do an occasional assignment or quiz, they can get their grades up to 60% and pass.
9) no school newspaper, no school yearbook club, no school spirit.


This sounds exactly like Kennedy, minus the classes of 35-38 kids. Overcrowding is not an issue at our school.


PP here -- we play Kennedy in sports, and I would tend to agree that they are pretty similar.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 20:45     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:my kid was in private through 6th. 7th grade in MCPS was a dream. But 8th, 9th, and 10th have been horrible. If I could afford larger schools with more kids, I would send him back to private. But I can only afford the smaller schools and those are too socially stifling.


Could you elaborate on why 8th to 10th have been horrible?


8th because of COVID, although the teachers went above and beyond.

9th and 10th because of a weak principal at a school with a significant FARMS student enrollment. It's not the student demographic alone -- I love Clarksburg High -- and they have an incredible principal. But it takes more oversight to manage in a healthy, productive way. And it is grossly lacking at my child's school.

1) underfunded sports where kids don't have sufficient equipment
2) underfunded classrooms without enough books to hand out to the entire class
3) almost no engagement in PTSA, so no significant fundraising to address gaps
4) classes of 35-38 kids
5) discipline policies that don't work, so students are assaulting teachers, cussing them out, showing up high to class, fighting in the bathrooms, vaping everywhere -- hallways, classrooms, etc.
6) many weapons in the school on a daily basis
7) kids (and parents) driving like maniacs in and out of the school parking lot, cutting cars off, flipping other drivers off, ramming other parked cars, going in exits and almost hitting other parents, hotboxing in the parking lot. And that's what I've seen. I have heard of knife fights in the parking lot before and after school.
8) poor academic policies that allow kids to get 50% for not turning anything in. So if they do an occasional assignment or quiz, they can get their grades up to 60% and pass.
9) no school newspaper, no school yearbook club, no school spirit.


This sounds exactly like Kennedy, minus the classes of 35-38 kids. Overcrowding is not an issue at our school.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 20:29     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:my kid was in private through 6th. 7th grade in MCPS was a dream. But 8th, 9th, and 10th have been horrible. If I could afford larger schools with more kids, I would send him back to private. But I can only afford the smaller schools and those are too socially stifling.


Could you elaborate on why 8th to 10th have been horrible?


8th because of COVID, although the teachers went above and beyond.

9th and 10th because of a weak principal at a school with a significant FARMS student enrollment. It's not the student demographic alone -- I love Clarksburg High -- and they have an incredible principal. But it takes more oversight to manage in a healthy, productive way. And it is grossly lacking at my child's school.

1) underfunded sports where kids don't have sufficient equipment
2) underfunded classrooms without enough books to hand out to the entire class
3) almost no engagement in PTSA, so no significant fundraising to address gaps
4) classes of 35-38 kids
5) discipline policies that don't work, so students are assaulting teachers, cussing them out, showing up high to class, fighting in the bathrooms, vaping everywhere -- hallways, classrooms, etc.
6) many weapons in the school on a daily basis
7) kids (and parents) driving like maniacs in and out of the school parking lot, cutting cars off, flipping other drivers off, ramming other parked cars, going in exits and almost hitting other parents, hotboxing in the parking lot. And that's what I've seen. I have heard of knife fights in the parking lot before and after school.
8) poor academic policies that allow kids to get 50% for not turning anything in. So if they do an occasional assignment or quiz, they can get their grades up to 60% and pass.
9) no school newspaper, no school yearbook club, no school spirit.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 17:51     Subject: Re:Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:Oh, boy! More backdoor private school recruiting!


Wouldn't they name schools if they were really doing that?
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 17:49     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:Math in private k-8 won't be anywhere close to MCPS. Private HS might have legit math teachers...or not. It's a gamble.

Catholic elementary schools provide a solid foundation on all subjects...which mcps cannot.

Hindsight being 20/20: K-8 in private school equips kids for success in advanced classes in HS.


Certainly not in math
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 17:48     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Anonymous wrote:Leave MD

This topic has been covered over and over again

Religious privates do not give you a better education

It does give you plenty of pedo loving


Very true
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 17:44     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
I would be very concerned about the lack of diversity in private schools particularly if my kids were there k-12. If we have specific needs that come up, I’ll consider it, but I definitely believe in the value of public schools.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 17:31     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Math in private k-8 won't be anywhere close to MCPS. Private HS might have legit math teachers...or not. It's a gamble.

Catholic elementary schools provide a solid foundation on all subjects...which mcps cannot.

Hindsight being 20/20: K-8 in private school equips kids for success in advanced classes in HS.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 16:42     Subject: Are you jumping ship to private and why?
Leave MD

This topic has been covered over and over again

Religious privates do not give you a better education

It does give you plenty of pedo loving
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 16:35     Subject: Re:Are you jumping ship to private and why?
We moved our two sons from Pyle and Carderock to an independent Catholic school.

We became convinced that all the school staff and faculty really cared about was the programs, edicts and directions given them by the MCPS bureaucracy.

Two incidents at sleepovers led us to believe that not all of the parents shared our values.

The sports coaching was dreadful. It was obvious it wasn’t a priority for them.

We saw other parents heavily involved jockey for position and advantage. They probably thought of it as being their children’s advocate. We didn’t want to have to do that.

Both of us parents were educated in public schools.

But disappointment after disappointment led us to talking to our neighbors who sent their kids to private schools about their experience.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2023 15:52     Subject: Re:Are you jumping ship to private and why?
If you can read this you probably went to a public school.

If you can respond without hyperbole then you definitely went to public school