Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a private school administrator reading the comments about the disparity in admin costs vs teacher salaries. I think that administrations might be scaled in some areas, but not in the DC area.

We want to put most of our time and resources towards the students, but the parents require an incredible amount of personalized attention in this region. You're busy, so we ramp up communications to make your lives easier. You want to socialize with your fellow parents or fellow alumni, so we hold loads of events. You want the very best facilities, so fundraisers are needed. You want lots and lots of hand-holding through the college process, so we staff up there. You want every kind of club and program to help your child find their specific strength and build a resume around it, so we're always adding new opportunities.

The Head of School, any associate or assistant heads, any division heads had better be available around the clock. I got torn apart by a parent on the phone this summer because I didn't answer a message within 24 hours -- while I was on a family vacation after the worst 2 years of school in the history of school. A colleague gets endless calls from alumni who think something is too woke, and lots of calls from alumni who don't think the program is woke enough. The language you use with us is DEMEANING.

We're all ready to quit. Teachers and staff. There's no amount of money that makes this job worthwhile. Everything that is wrong in society right now feels amplified in the microcosm of school. And hell yes, the pandemic has had a lot to do with it. The only people who will stay are those who can't imagine any other job than one working with children. Let's hope that there are enough of them.

But it’s a vicious cycle. People expect a lot of attention because they are paying such large prices. Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot. Parents demand a lot because schools charge a lot. Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot….

And schools have yet to hit a ceiling above which there aren’t enough rich parents looking for the prestige of the “elite” schools who will pay anything for the privilege. Plus those schools are unwilling to draw a line and say they won’t add facilities or more concierge services so they can actually admit and enroll a more diverse set of kids who can’t pay such high tuition.

Those concierge services and such are further proof that for many/most Private Ed has little to do with actual education and everything to do with status.

You're talking about the $40,000 and up schools, where the average student's parents are enormously wealthy and, among other things, the time value of money is such that those concierge services may well be worth it. The number of such schools is miniscule. The average private school tuition is ~$11,000.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All this and low pay too!

https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1561845478534389760?t=D55ewe_IHXIky7fG76pe_A&s=19

Did you quote a tweet?

I’m a private school teacher and this board is so biased. Many of us teach in private school for decent wages and less complaints than the myriad of public school teacher complaints.

I’m not picketing for working air conditioning and small class size today.

Probably not the "decent wages." Come on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s such a shame it feels impossible to have honest conversations about this in person on campus. Some of the issues raised whether about pay, hours, language, parental engagement or perhaps rather the manner in which they engage are real issues. So often conversations descend into attacks, which doesn’t solve anything. If we could discuss, perhaps we could all find common ground and solutions could emerge. Though perhaps that is admittedly wishful thinking

I agree somewhat although I think the biggest issue is a lack of leadership. The concierge model often leads to pay-to-play dynamics and a degraded experience/community. It can take some time for the school's reputation to decline, but I agree with the PP teacher who stated that the concierge model isn't healthy in the long term and creates a muddled focus with the many fractured interests. Good management knows how to prioritize resources, has a clearly defined mission, has a vested interest in supporting employees well, and emphasizes an inclusive and warm community.

Anonymous wrote:It’s such a shame it feels impossible to have honest conversations about this in person on campus. Some of the issues raised whether about pay, hours, language, parental engagement or perhaps rather the manner in which they engage are real issues. So often conversations descend into attacks, which doesn’t solve anything. If we could discuss, perhaps we could all find common ground and solutions could emerge. Though perhaps that is admittedly wishful thinking

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a “Big” DC private for a couple years and no amount of “independence” made up for the other crap. First, there was no real independence. You were independent from state standards perhaps, but the school had its own self appointed curriculum “experts” and you had to stick to their framework. None of those experts had any real training or experience in curriculum development, so I’m not sure why they were qualified. The pay wasn’t great and admin had this ridiculous notion that teachers needed to be on campus u til at least 430, but preferably 5 every day, even though the school day ended around 3. The general feeling was that there was no way you could get your work done unless your butt was in your classroom or office chair. and of course we know that when you can’t live anywhere near your school, leaving at 3:45 is a completely different situation than leaving at 5 o’clock. There were days I did not get home until well after six, and I only lived 7 miles away.

So yeah, some freedom!

This is interesting because I teach in public but sometimes wonder if I should apply to private schools as perhaps the work would be easier.
There is so much extra stuff on teachers plates in public - special Ed. Accommodations and paperwork, ESL kids, state requirements that have to be fulfilled, classes to keep up certification, etc. Grading is a lot since we have a large number of students in public. The range of learners is also challenging. I work 6-7 days during the school year to keep up with everything but maybe it will get better once I cross year 5 of teaching. The long summer breaks at private schools seem enticing

I’ve taught both. 6 of one, half dozen the other. There’s a lot of give and take and in private you still have learning plans, ESL (international families bring in $$), and most of us are certified even if the school doesn’t require it. We keep it as a constant back up plan if the school decides they are cutting enrollment etc. Most privates in the area offer free lunch for staff and other nice to have benefits. Of my educator friends I tend to receive more gift cards in December and June. There are certainly many perks, and as privates are all in an arms race to build the best buildings, the facilities can be great to work in.

One different that entices me about going back to public is the paid stipends to do extra work. In privates it is often expected for you to be the math teacher and coach two sports with no extra stipend. I see many public school contracts that list all of the possible stipends and amounts. It is more ambiguous in private and is more of an expectation.

Sure, the longer breaks are nice but we also don’t have a union bargaining for our sick/personal days (the latter doesn’t exist in my school for teachers).

Both are hard. Both are underpaid. And both are seeing shortages in applicants wielding multiple degrees and decades of experience willing to put up with the nonsense/low pay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a family who didn’t choose private for “the concierge service” - thank you to the teachers, staff and administrators who have given my child the social-emotional and educational support in a smaller environment they needed after a tough 2020/2021. We respect this isn’t easy right now for all the reasons stated above and appreciate all of your efforts.

I'm a teacher at a private school and cannot thank you enough for your kind comment! I sent my own children to private schools, and we paid full price at those schools ($40,000 plus per year for each child). Never in a million years did I expect concierge service for my children or my family. Our family looked for a community dedicated to the academic and social-emotional growth of our children -- with an emphasis on character development and values. These school communities were strong and did not cater to the "concierge service" mindset. And -- perhaps because of that -- the waiting list was long enough for those schools to undertake outplacement for "concierge service" families. My children benefited enormously from their schools and continue to have strong ties to them. A school that cultivates a "concierge service" mentality is not a school that will last. Too many disparate (and irreconcilable) demands can't build a strong community.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a private school administrator reading the comments about the disparity in admin costs vs teacher salaries. I think that administrations might be scaled in some areas, but not in the DC area.

We want to put most of our time and resources towards the students, but the parents require an incredible amount of personalized attention in this region. You're busy, so we ramp up communications to make your lives easier. You want to socialize with your fellow parents or fellow alumni, so we hold loads of events. You want the very best facilities, so fundraisers are needed. You want lots and lots of hand-holding through the college process, so we staff up there. You want every kind of club and program to help your child find their specific strength and build a resume around it, so we're always adding new opportunities.

The Head of School, any associate or assistant heads, any division heads had better be available around the clock. I got torn apart by a parent on the phone this summer because I didn't answer a message within 24 hours -- while I was on a family vacation after the worst 2 years of school in the history of school. A colleague gets endless calls from alumni who think something is too woke, and lots of calls from alumni who don't think the program is woke enough. The language you use with us is DEMEANING.

We're all ready to quit. Teachers and staff. There's no amount of money that makes this job worthwhile. Everything that is wrong in society right now feels amplified in the microcosm of school. And hell yes, the pandemic has had a lot to do with it. The only people who will stay are those who can't imagine any other job than one working with children. Let's hope that there are enough of them.

But it’s a vicious cycle. People expect a lot of attention because they are paying such large prices. Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot. Parents demand a lot because schools charge a lot. Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot….

And schools have yet to hit a ceiling above which there aren’t enough rich parents looking for the prestige of the “elite” schools who will pay anything for the privilege. Plus those schools are unwilling to draw a line and say they won’t add facilities or more concierge services so they can actually admit and enroll a more diverse set of kids who can’t pay such high tuition.

Those concierge services and such are further proof that for many/most Private Ed has little to do with actual education and everything to do with status.

You're talking about the $40,000 and up schools, where the average student's parents are enormously wealthy and, among other things, the time value of money is such that those concierge services may well be worth it. The number of such schools is miniscule. The average private school tuition is ~$11,000.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a private school administrator reading the comments about the disparity in admin costs vs teacher salaries. I think that administrations might be scaled in some areas, but not in the DC area.

We want to put most of our time and resources towards the students, but the parents require an incredible amount of personalized attention in this region. You're busy, so we ramp up communications to make your lives easier. You want to socialize with your fellow parents or fellow alumni, so we hold loads of events. You want the very best facilities, so fundraisers are needed. You want lots and lots of hand-holding through the college process, so we staff up there. You want every kind of club and program to help your child find their specific strength and build a resume around it, so we're always adding new opportunities.

The Head of School, any associate or assistant heads, any division heads had better be available around the clock. I got torn apart by a parent on the phone this summer because I didn't answer a message within 24 hours -- while I was on a family vacation after the worst 2 years of school in the history of school. A colleague gets endless calls from alumni who think something is too woke, and lots of calls from alumni who don't think the program is woke enough. The language you use with us is DEMEANING.

We're all ready to quit. Teachers and staff. There's no amount of money that makes this job worthwhile. Everything that is wrong in society right now feels amplified in the microcosm of school. And hell yes, the pandemic has had a lot to do with it. The only people who will stay are those who can't imagine any other job than one working with children. Let's hope that there are enough of them.

But it’s a vicious cycle. People expect a lot of attention because they are paying such large prices. Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot. Parents demand a lot because schools charge a lot. Schools charge a lot because parents demand a lot….

And schools have yet to hit a ceiling above which there aren’t enough rich parents looking for the prestige of the “elite” schools who will pay anything for the privilege. Plus those schools are unwilling to draw a line and say they won’t add facilities or more concierge services so they can actually admit and enroll a more diverse set of kids who can’t pay such high tuition.

Those concierge services and such are further proof that for many/most Private Ed has little to do with actual education and everything to do with status.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All this and low pay too!

https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1561845478534389760?t=D55ewe_IHXIky7fG76pe_A&s=19

Did you quote a tweet?

I’m a private school teacher and this board is so biased. Many of us teach in private school for decent wages and less complaints than the myriad of public school teacher complaints.

I’m not picketing for working air conditioning and small class size today.

Anonymous wrote:All this and low pay too!

https://twitter.com/abughazalehkat/status/1561845478534389760?t=D55ewe_IHXIky7fG76pe_A&s=19

Anonymous wrote:As a family who didn’t choose private for “the concierge service” - thank you to the teachers, staff and administrators who have given my child the social-emotional and educational support in a smaller environment they needed after a tough 2020/2021. We respect this isn’t easy right now for all the reasons stated above and appreciate all of your efforts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a “Big” DC private for a couple years and no amount of “independence” made up for the other crap. First, there was no real independence. You were independent from state standards perhaps, but the school had its own self appointed curriculum “experts” and you had to stick to their framework. None of those experts had any real training or experience in curriculum development, so I’m not sure why they were qualified. The pay wasn’t great and admin had this ridiculous notion that teachers needed to be on campus u til at least 430, but preferably 5 every day, even though the school day ended around 3. The general feeling was that there was no way you could get your work done unless your butt was in your classroom or office chair. and of course we know that when you can’t live anywhere near your school, leaving at 3:45 is a completely different situation than leaving at 5 o’clock. There were days I did not get home until well after six, and I only lived 7 miles away.

So yeah, some freedom!

What you are whining about is so insignificant that public school teachers are rolling with laughter.