Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 17:45     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because everyone knows you almost have to do private school in dc tbh


Correct. There are some nutjob MCPS defenders here who find it offensive if you acknowledge that in many instances, private is the better option to MCPS.


Private is only the better option in MCPS if your child does not have disabilities or is not super gifted or is being bullied by a wealthier student. If any of these things are the case, private schools will happily "counsel" families out by telling them the school cannot meet their child's needs and the public education in the parents neighborhood would best serve their child. Many, many people don't understand how private schools really work.
Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 10:56     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MCPS parents, especially ‘W’ school parents like to operate under the misinformed opinion that their schools are “just like private schools” because they have already sunk money in real estate costs and realistically, would not be able to also afford private school. So they bristle at the possibility that they may not be providing their kids with the best education since they NEED to believe that they already have in order to keep up this guise and also, maintain their superiority complex. Therefore, anyone coming on here to ask questions about private schools is understandably met with ire and dismissed.

We are zoned for Wootton and my child attends private school. I can tell you with 100% certainty that my kid is getting a superior education to what she would have received at Wootton. Before this though, I used to think like many of you.


Superior is subjective and it depends on the teachers, admin and classes offered. The math track for privates is much slower. And, there are few privates in the country that aren’t religious.


Most private schools in the country are actually not religious. And I hear this “math track” thing all of the time as though math is weaker in private schools but that has not borne out in the schools we’ve attended. The private schools do go slower but that’s because they can and they are allowed to go more in depth than you can in public school, which is why your state math results are tanking but you do not see a similar decline in scores for private school students. So, it may be slower but they still have to finish the same curriculum ultimately and in addition to quizzes and tests, they have mid-terms and finals - something MCPS doesn’t have any longer. Also, my niece attends a private school in DC and they have the option to cross-register at Georgetown University if she ends up tapping out on their math offerings.
Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 10:45     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Think about all the times private parents are posting here. "So glad we got out" "This is why my kids are in private" etc. It goes both ways. Everyone is just a bit insecure about their choices I suppose.


With public it’s less of a choice, though right? For most, you’re forced to accept the public school you’re assigned to. And for private, if you don’t want to be there and it no longer serves your child, you can just leave, even in the middle of the year.


Most privates make you pay for the entire year.


No - most don’t. The majority allow you to pay in one lump sum annually OR in two installments - one per semester OR monthly, in 10 installment payments. All private schools also offer tuition insurance so for a specific list of reasons, you can get out of your contract and the school can be made partially whole. After COVID, many private school parents switched to monthly anyhow because we did not like that we had paid up front just to receive virtual schooling and few if any private schools were willing to issue refunds.


And this is why private schools went back to school first - parents raised holy hell because they had already paid their tuition and wanted in person school.
Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 10:44     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Think about all the times private parents are posting here. "So glad we got out" "This is why my kids are in private" etc. It goes both ways. Everyone is just a bit insecure about their choices I suppose.


With public it’s less of a choice, though right? For most, you’re forced to accept the public school you’re assigned to. And for private, if you don’t want to be there and it no longer serves your child, you can just leave, even in the middle of the year.


Most privates make you pay for the entire year.


No - most don’t. The majority allow you to pay in one lump sum annually OR in two installments - one per semester OR monthly, in 10 installment payments. All private schools also offer tuition insurance so for a specific list of reasons, you can get out of your contract and the school can be made partially whole. After COVID, many private school parents switched to monthly anyhow because we did not like that we had paid up front just to receive virtual schooling and few if any private schools were willing to issue refunds.
Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 09:40     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:MCPS parents, especially ‘W’ school parents like to operate under the misinformed opinion that their schools are “just like private schools” because they have already sunk money in real estate costs and realistically, would not be able to also afford private school. So they bristle at the possibility that they may not be providing their kids with the best education since they NEED to believe that they already have in order to keep up this guise and also, maintain their superiority complex. Therefore, anyone coming on here to ask questions about private schools is understandably met with ire and dismissed.

We are zoned for Wootton and my child attends private school. I can tell you with 100% certainty that my kid is getting a superior education to what she would have received at Wootton. Before this though, I used to think like many of you.


Superior is subjective and it depends on the teachers, admin and classes offered. The math track for privates is much slower. And, there are few privates in the country that aren’t religious.
Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 09:38     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Think about all the times private parents are posting here. "So glad we got out" "This is why my kids are in private" etc. It goes both ways. Everyone is just a bit insecure about their choices I suppose.


With public it’s less of a choice, though right? For most, you’re forced to accept the public school you’re assigned to. And for private, if you don’t want to be there and it no longer serves your child, you can just leave, even in the middle of the year.


Most privates make you pay for the entire year.
Anonymous
Post 03/29/2026 09:28     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
MCPS parents, especially ‘W’ school parents like to operate under the misinformed opinion that their schools are “just like private schools” because they have already sunk money in real estate costs and realistically, would not be able to also afford private school. So they bristle at the possibility that they may not be providing their kids with the best education since they NEED to believe that they already have in order to keep up this guise and also, maintain their superiority complex. Therefore, anyone coming on here to ask questions about private schools is understandably met with ire and dismissed.

We are zoned for Wootton and my child attends private school. I can tell you with 100% certainty that my kid is getting a superior education to what she would have received at Wootton. Before this though, I used to think like many of you.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 21:23     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Think about all the times private parents are posting here. "So glad we got out" "This is why my kids are in private" etc. It goes both ways. Everyone is just a bit insecure about their choices I suppose.


With public it’s less of a choice, though right? For most, you’re forced to accept the public school you’re assigned to. And for private, if you don’t want to be there and it no longer serves your child, you can just leave, even in the middle of the year.


Prior to the last BOE meeting there was choice within the DCC and nec.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 20:58     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:Think about all the times private parents are posting here. "So glad we got out" "This is why my kids are in private" etc. It goes both ways. Everyone is just a bit insecure about their choices I suppose.


With public it’s less of a choice, though right? For most, you’re forced to accept the public school you’re assigned to. And for private, if you don’t want to be there and it no longer serves your child, you can just leave, even in the middle of the year.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 20:56     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That's weird that they're so tolerant of private school conversations there-- it's just off topic in any of the public school forums. There's a private school forum you're supposed to go to to talk about private schools. This one is for MCPS families to talk about MCPS.


As a parent with one in private and one in public, I can tell you that public school parents regularly post in the private school forum and that 95% of those posts seem to have one goal: to denigrate private schools.


Most public parents don't care. Why would you pay for one child and not the other?


Umm, kids have different needs. Some kids thrive better in smaller classrooms, fewer or no behavioral issues, just a calm environment in general. You have to know this, unless of course, your child IS the behavioral problem.


Lots of behavioral problems in private. Small classroom is a code word for behavior, mental health or learning disabilities. Not good to play favorites.


I’ve found far more of these problems in public school. And I’ve had kids in both. Of course, I’ve only had my kids in very good private schools so maybe that’s the issue.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 18:34     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why would you ask about private school on either the DCPS or the MCPS forums? There is a private school forum.


Because believe it or not some parents want the perspective of other parents who’ve done public and private, ow who considered it and what they found, whereas some private school parents have only and always done private.

And not all DCPS schools are bad! Plenty of good elementary schools, and a few middle schools and high schools get great marks and reviews. To be honest, if you are in a good public school in MCPS or DCPS, private is usually better. Here, there are so many hard feelings about that fact.


Then ask in the general school discussion forum. This forum is not appropriate and you will continue to be reported.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 13:51     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Think about all the times private parents are posting here. "So glad we got out" "This is why my kids are in private" etc. It goes both ways. Everyone is just a bit insecure about their choices I suppose.
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 11:24     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
I find private school parents seem to think public parents care alot more than they do. Sure private families wonder if the tuition is worth it and public parents worry that their kids might not get as much but so much if life is like that. Be confident is your choice. That's all that matters
Anonymous
Post 03/28/2026 11:17     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That's weird that they're so tolerant of private school conversations there-- it's just off topic in any of the public school forums. There's a private school forum you're supposed to go to to talk about private schools. This one is for MCPS families to talk about MCPS.


As a parent with one in private and one in public, I can tell you that public school parents regularly post in the private school forum and that 95% of those posts seem to have one goal: to denigrate private schools.


Most public parents don't care. Why would you pay for one child and not the other?


Umm, kids have different needs. Some kids thrive better in smaller classrooms, fewer or no behavioral issues, just a calm environment in general. You have to know this, unless of course, your child IS the behavioral problem.


Lots of behavioral problems in private. Small classroom is a code word for behavior, mental health or learning disabilities. Not good to play favorites.


This has not been our experience
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2026 23:36     Subject: How Come in the DCPS Forum, Parents Don’t Jump Down Your Throat if you Talk About or Ask About Private School But Here!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That's weird that they're so tolerant of private school conversations there-- it's just off topic in any of the public school forums. There's a private school forum you're supposed to go to to talk about private schools. This one is for MCPS families to talk about MCPS.


As a parent with one in private and one in public, I can tell you that public school parents regularly post in the private school forum and that 95% of those posts seem to have one goal: to denigrate private schools.


Most public parents don't care. Why would you pay for one child and not the other?


Umm, kids have different needs. Some kids thrive better in smaller classrooms, fewer or no behavioral issues, just a calm environment in general. You have to know this, unless of course, your child IS the behavioral problem.


Lots of behavioral problems in private. Small classroom is a code word for behavior, mental health or learning disabilities. Not good to play favorites.