Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:51     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
When my child was at MCPS they had a diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia, and the learning specialist would meet with seven kids at a time and accomplish nothing. With these budget cuts even more reading and learning specalist are going to cut and overwhelmed. I’ve spend years advocating for kids who have diagnosed disabilities in the public schools and although they are legally supposed to do things that their IEP say this is not always the case and things are only getting worse. I agree that there are no perfect situations or schools but if you have the money I would strongly suggest you get out of MCPS, especially the kids who do not have severe learning needs and only need some support. The other thing that some private and parochial schools offer is for you to have specialist come in and meet with your child during school hours, which is so much better for them cognitively. I know this is another added cost at most schools for the parents. But the original poster said if you had the money, which I realize that not everyone does.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:49     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:We moved from an elite private school to MoCo schools. Personally, my child wanted (and we supported) a less 100% privileged environment. We appreciated the coddling when they were little, but have no interest in our kids going into their adulthood literally never having been friends with someone who needed free lunches or came from a non college educated family. No judgement to those who do private the whole way - great people and families. We just wanted different exposure a little younger than they did. These are people’s formative years and I wanted them broader experiences for my kids. We have never regretted the choice.


We are not in MCPS but this is our reason for not doing private as well. Not only could we afford private, but my in-laws, who are seemingly horrified that we chose public school, keep offering to pay for it thinking we just don't want to spend the money. Nope, still not. Our kids are thriving in public school.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:48     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There’s no perfect school and some of the problems discussed here are overblown or not applicable


+1

Fearmongering is out of control


A school shooting is my greatest fear right now for my kids.


School shootings occur in private schools too. You'll have to move out of America if you want to reduce that fear.


Out of 134 school shootings from 2000 to 2018, 8 occurred in private schools, while 122 occurred in public schools. https://www.cato.org/blog/are-shootings-more-likely-occur-public-schools
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:48     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:Because we're in a position to make up for MCPS's deficiencies. MCPS fails all students, but those failures don't fall evenly. If you're an educated, UMC family you can fill in the gaps. Maybe you luck into the advanced options that still exist, and if you don't you supplement that at home. If you've got a gifted kid but you're not in a position to supplement or if you have a special needs kid that MCPS is really fighting giving services, you're probably out of luck, but that's not us.


+1 This. We do a lot of enrichment activities for our kid that we wouldn't be able to afford if we were shelling out $50k/year for a private (and we don't find any of the cheaper religious options to be attractive in our area). We've been in private school in the past, and find that due to the strong benefits/pension etc, MCPS teachers are very qualified, and in some cases were much more experienced than the private school teachers we encountered.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:45     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:I would argue that the science curriculum is much stronger at their parochial school than an MCPS, which is a joke. Also, the language arts, writing and humanities are much stronger in the private schools. I will say that the kids at MCPS are further along in math, however, most of them do not have great foundational skills, and this comes and hurts them later on. I believe MCPS parents want to believe that their kids are getting a good education, but I can assure you, starting in middle school, that is rarely the case. I also think if you look at the college attrition list even the better public schools, W Schools, at MCPS have gone down recently in terms of the schools kids have been getting into and the number of kids that used to get into play top universities.


I agree that public schools don't teach writing well. We use a private tutor.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:45     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There’s no perfect school and some of the problems discussed here are overblown or not applicable


+1

Fearmongering is out of control


A school shooting is my greatest fear right now for my kids.


School shootings occur in private schools too. You'll have to move out of America if you want to reduce that fear.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:43     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
I would argue that the science curriculum is much stronger at their parochial school than an MCPS, which is a joke. Also, the language arts, writing and humanities are much stronger in the private schools. I will say that the kids at MCPS are further along in math, however, most of them do not have great foundational skills, and this comes and hurts them later on. I believe MCPS parents want to believe that their kids are getting a good education, but I can assure you, starting in middle school, that is rarely the case. I also think if you look at the college attrition list even the better public schools, W Schools, at MCPS have gone down recently in terms of the schools kids have been getting into and the number of kids that used to get into play top universities.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:38     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Because we're in a position to make up for MCPS's deficiencies. MCPS fails all students, but those failures don't fall evenly. If you're an educated, UMC family you can fill in the gaps. Maybe you luck into the advanced options that still exist, and if you don't you supplement that at home. If you've got a gifted kid but you're not in a position to supplement or if you have a special needs kid that MCPS is really fighting giving services, you're probably out of luck, but that's not us.


That’s the ticket. If you ask nothing of MCPS except what they are currently offering then yes you probably feel it is excellent. For anyone that has a neurodivergent or special-needs child public education in Montgomery County is hell.

Can you explain what the private/parochial schools can offer in terms of neurodivergent or special-needs children from licensed and trained professionals? I was always under the assumption that they don't have extra staff to work with individually or even in small groups? Are they trained to work specifically with neurodivergent kids or is it just another body to help the teachers? I'd really like to know how a regular (not the most elite) private school in the county can provide that without the costs being 50k per year?
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:36     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:Because private school would not accept my kid with LDs


Also meant to add, my kid has ADHD and wouldn’t do well in a therapeutic school. Private schools all wanted teacher recommendations which we would have been unable to obtain easily.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:34     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:Because MCPS, at least the two elementaries, two middle schools, and two high schools that we experienced, is actually excellent.

We're in a circle that's half private, half public. The privates include Sidwell, Landon, GDS, a couple of special needs privates, and the publics include MCPS, FCPS and DCPS charter schools.

Honestly, education begins and ends at home.
I have supplemented math, science reading and writing, taught cursive, discussed classics and current events, with my children.

My twice exceptional kid (gifted with special needs) received supports and accommodations in MCPS that he would never have received in top privates, and he was also able to take advanced courses that he would never have been offered in SN privates. He graduated with 12 AP courses and high test scores.

My merely gifted child bypassed the conventional acceleration tracks in MCPS to do her own thing in high school, which is not possible to do at Sidwell and other rigorous privates.

So frankly for all of MCPS' problems, I have found ways to make it work for my children. And that's the secret, OP. Whatever you choose for your kids, you need to figure out how to make collective education work for your kids. Otherwise you can homeschool - that can be a great option too. I know a military family whose kids were excellently taught by their mother at home.


Same. Public school has been better for my 2E kid, but like you, I've put in a lot of time myself, with tutors, and with an EF coach. I'm 99% sure I would have put in the same amount of time at a private. His issues were 95% his and 5% his teacher's. He didn't have any teacher that could fully engage him for 60 minutes.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:34     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Because private school would not accept my kid with LDs

Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:31     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Because those aren’t academically strong and most are not $12k. Rather put the money into tutors.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:30     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:Because we're in a position to make up for MCPS's deficiencies. MCPS fails all students, but those failures don't fall evenly. If you're an educated, UMC family you can fill in the gaps. Maybe you luck into the advanced options that still exist, and if you don't you supplement that at home. If you've got a gifted kid but you're not in a position to supplement or if you have a special needs kid that MCPS is really fighting giving services, you're probably out of luck, but that's not us.


That’s the ticket. If you ask nothing of MCPS except what they are currently offering then yes you probably feel it is excellent. For anyone that has a neurodivergent or special-needs child public education in Montgomery County is hell.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:24     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Because we're in a position to make up for MCPS's deficiencies. MCPS fails all students, but those failures don't fall evenly. If you're an educated, UMC family you can fill in the gaps. Maybe you luck into the advanced options that still exist, and if you don't you supplement that at home. If you've got a gifted kid but you're not in a position to supplement or if you have a special needs kid that MCPS is really fighting giving services, you're probably out of luck, but that's not us.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2026 12:18     Subject: If you can afford it why wouldn’t you switch your kids to private with all the terrible things going on
Anonymous wrote:Cost you dumba$$. You really have to ask this?


So you wouldn’t go private even if you could afford due to the cost?