Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think 1:1 iPads in K is the mark of an excellent school—one that is up on the latest educational best practices, you are so very mistaken.

Yes because paying 50k to avoid tech, which we will use for the rest of our lives, is what I want in a school. Avoiding tech is not advocated for any kids at any age and that whole trend has been started by MAHA moms or ironically enough MAGA tech bros in Silicon Valley. Good progressive education while teaching real-life tech forward skills is what our kids need.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think 1:1 iPads in K is the mark of an excellent school—one that is up on the latest educational best practices, you are so very mistaken.

Yes because paying 50k to avoid tech, which we will use for the rest of our lives, is what I want in a school. Avoiding tech is not advocated for any kids at any age and that whole trend has been started by MAHA moms or ironically enough MAGA tech bros in Silicon Valley. Good progressive education while teaching real-life tech forward skills is what our kids need.

Anonymous wrote:If you think 1:1 iPads in K is the mark of an excellent school—one that is up on the latest educational best practices, you are so very mistaken.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about public school is "progressive" (whether in terms of pedagogy or otherwise)?

Well, the fact that public schools are required to provide every young person with an education for free, regardless of ability, disability or parental resources might be considered part of progressive values.

Progressive "values" (whatever that means) and progressive pedagogy are completely different things.

I understand. But elite schools in DC really emphasize inclusion, DEI, social justice, and progressive values.

On academics, many emphasize good college placement, and I never heard anything about "progressive" pedagogy or whatever that means.

Anonymous wrote:Nothing about a public school's educational curriculum is inherently "progressive" in values.

Anonymous wrote:Progressive education is hardly a new concept.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_education

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about public school is "progressive" (whether in terms of pedagogy or otherwise)?

Well, the fact that public schools are required to provide every young person with an education for free, regardless of ability, disability or parental resources might be considered part of progressive values.

Progressive "values" (whatever that means) and progressive pedagogy are completely different things.

I understand. But elite schools in DC really emphasize inclusion, DEI, social justice, and progressive values.

On academics, many emphasize good college placement, and I never heard anything about "progressive" pedagogy or whatever that means.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about public school is "progressive" (whether in terms of pedagogy or otherwise)?

Well, the fact that public schools are required to provide every young person with an education for free, regardless of ability, disability or parental resources might be considered part of progressive values.

Progressive "values" (whatever that means) and progressive pedagogy are completely different things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about public school is "progressive" (whether in terms of pedagogy or otherwise)?

Well, the fact that public schools are required to provide every young person with an education for free, regardless of ability, disability or parental resources might be considered part of progressive values.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about public school is "progressive" (whether in terms of pedagogy or otherwise)?

Well, the fact that public schools are required to provide every young person with an education for free, regardless of ability, disability or parental resources might be considered part of progressive values.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen a recent influx of posts from parents looking for a "nice private alternative" to MCPS or DCPS because they want "rigorous academics" and "small classes." As someone who has been through the cycle with multiple kids at Sidwell and GDS, I feel compelled to say: You are fundamentally doing this wrong.

If your primary goal is just a heavy workload and high AP/IB participation, stay in the public system. The top-tier tracks in MoCo and DC are just as rigorous as anything you’ll find in an independent school. In fact, if you go the private route just to "avoid" public, you often end up paying $45k+ for facilities that are—let’s be honest—frequently dated or even inferior to what a well-funded public school offers. I’ve seen some of these smaller parochial campuses in the Olney/Sandy Spring area, and I’m baffled why anyone would pay tuition for a "campus" that looks like a 1970s office park when the local public has better labs and fields.

You don't send your LOs to the crown jewels of DC private to escape public school. You send them for a values-based, progressive experiential education. You go because you want your DS to be an out-of-the-box thinker who understands social justice and pluralism at a cellular level.

What makes Sidwell special isn't the math curriculum—it’s the intentionality. It’s the school-wide Iftar dinners, the student-led seders focused on sustainability, the niche global theater productions (the recent African folk tale was breathtaking), and the Quaker values.

There’s also a deeper "values" component we rarely talk about. If a parent is fleeing public school to find a "stifling" or narrow environment—like some of the "diploma mills" up-county (GC comes to mind)—it makes me wonder if they’re actually just trying to avoid the diversity and pluralism that makes the DC area great. If you aren't seeking the beauty of a truly progressive education, you’re just paying for a smaller, more homogeneous pond.

Choose a school for its mission, not because you’re afraid of the public school "boogeyman." Otherwise, you’re just paying a premium for a mediocre outlook.

We are sending Larla and Larlo just for the social climbing.