Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 21:51     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I continue to be shocked at how often people come on this forum to try and talk others out of the decisions they've made for their kids. People choose to spend money on a load of stuff that I don't even bother to try and understand. If you have the privilege to make the choice between private and public (because recognize that for many the choice is made for them), you need to decide what's best for your family and where you want to spend your money.

I am not one of those people making 3M+ a year and still choose private school for my kids. I sleep well at night and haven't once regretted my decision or wondered what I could be doing with that money. Because guess what, for me...its not about "inertia" - I made the choice because I can and its what I wanted for my kids.

If private school doesn't make sense to you - you think its the same as public - you wonder who you just "ended up" in private school - etc etc....its really simple...just send your kid to public school.


I’ve found most of these responses incredibly reasonable so far. Not sure why they seem to be getting under your skin.


I find this sort of chatter a little gross because it always comes across as weird/gross crowd sourcing. Like folks need an anonymous forum to validate their educational choices. If there legit seems like there is no difference between public and private to someone - it really should be simple...then don't spend the money.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 21:49     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I continue to be shocked at how often people come on this forum to try and talk others out of the decisions they've made for their kids. People choose to spend money on a load of stuff that I don't even bother to try and understand. If you have the privilege to make the choice between private and public (because recognize that for many the choice is made for them), you need to decide what's best for your family and where you want to spend your money.

I am not one of those people making 3M+ a year and still choose private school for my kids. I sleep well at night and haven't once regretted my decision or wondered what I could be doing with that money. Because guess what, for me...its not about "inertia" - I made the choice because I can and its what I wanted for my kids.

If private school doesn't make sense to you - you think its the same as public - you wonder who you just "ended up" in private school - etc etc....its really simple...just send your kid to public school.


I’ve found most of these responses incredibly reasonable so far. Not sure why they seem to be getting under your skin.


I guess the parent is insecure that spending 800k in school education is the best choice.

If you are secure and confident this is a normal topic. It’s like saying that it’s better to buy a Toyota instead of Audi. That’s ok for most people. The opposite is also ok. No drama.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 20:53     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Find the school that is worth the tuition for you. Otherwise, send your kid to public if you feel it's not worth the money. It's that simple.

This. We applied to two schools for DC for 9th grade (coming out of private k-8). DC is 2e and the public elementary and MS options were not good for meeting both needs. We always planned to reassess for HS anyway. We decided our public option wasn’t fantastic, but it would be ok if needed, so the bar for private school became, is it a better option than public? And the answer was only “yes” for two schools. For all the others we looked at, when we asked ourselves whether, if that was the only school DC was admitted to, would we enroll DC there or send to public, the answer was public. So we didn’t apply.

DC did get into both schools and is loving the one they ended up at, and it is worth the cost for us. But each family has to weigh those options for themselves.


Great advice! Also have a 2e kid. Which schools would you recommend?

We are in VA and commute was a factor for us. DC applied to SSSAS and Flint Hill. We considered and discarded O’Connell, Field, Potomac, and the New School (for a variety of reasons - all good schools, not the right fit for our situation). The k-8 was Congressional, which was fantastic for DC. Of course, every 2e kid is different!
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 20:52     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:I continue to be shocked at how often people come on this forum to try and talk others out of the decisions they've made for their kids. People choose to spend money on a load of stuff that I don't even bother to try and understand. If you have the privilege to make the choice between private and public (because recognize that for many the choice is made for them), you need to decide what's best for your family and where you want to spend your money.

I am not one of those people making 3M+ a year and still choose private school for my kids. I sleep well at night and haven't once regretted my decision or wondered what I could be doing with that money. Because guess what, for me...its not about "inertia" - I made the choice because I can and its what I wanted for my kids.

If private school doesn't make sense to you - you think its the same as public - you wonder who you just "ended up" in private school - etc etc....its really simple...just send your kid to public school.


I’ve found most of these responses incredibly reasonable so far. Not sure why they seem to be getting under your skin.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 20:31     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Find the school that is worth the tuition for you. Otherwise, send your kid to public if you feel it's not worth the money. It's that simple.

This. We applied to two schools for DC for 9th grade (coming out of private k-8). DC is 2e and the public elementary and MS options were not good for meeting both needs. We always planned to reassess for HS anyway. We decided our public option wasn’t fantastic, but it would be ok if needed, so the bar for private school became, is it a better option than public? And the answer was only “yes” for two schools. For all the others we looked at, when we asked ourselves whether, if that was the only school DC was admitted to, would we enroll DC there or send to public, the answer was public. So we didn’t apply.

DC did get into both schools and is loving the one they ended up at, and it is worth the cost for us. But each family has to weigh those options for themselves.


Great advice! Also have a 2e kid. Which schools would you recommend?
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 20:27     Subject: Re:Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:We make $3M+ and it still feels like an insane amount going out the door (we have no family money and both went to public schools growing up). We have one in private and one in public (DCPS) - both elementary aged. I'm keeping the younger one in public for as long as it works/she is ok with it. Ideally until middle school starts but she might want to join her sibling before that.

If I could give anyone advice: hold off on private as long as you can absent an exceptional need for a private that is very kid dependent. In elementary at least, I am seeing very little difference.


Serious question- how are you apparently bright enough to gross more than 3 million a year and yet don’t quite get that an education at the very best independent DC school is leagues better than even the very best DCPS elementary school with its centralized curriculum, relative dearth of outdoor/ recess minutes, mandatory inclusion of even the most disruptive explosive kids, and larger pupil:: educator (not paraeducator) ratio?

Not to mention the relative lack of writing instruction, minutes of science a d history instruction and minutes of art instruction each week?

If you’re telling the truth, then how do you explain hoarding your money to ensure your kids get a relatively inferior product?
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 20:04     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:Find the school that is worth the tuition for you. Otherwise, send your kid to public if you feel it's not worth the money. It's that simple.

This. We applied to two schools for DC for 9th grade (coming out of private k-8). DC is 2e and the public elementary and MS options were not good for meeting both needs. We always planned to reassess for HS anyway. We decided our public option wasn’t fantastic, but it would be ok if needed, so the bar for private school became, is it a better option than public? And the answer was only “yes” for two schools. For all the others we looked at, when we asked ourselves whether, if that was the only school DC was admitted to, would we enroll DC there or send to public, the answer was public. So we didn’t apply.

DC did get into both schools and is loving the one they ended up at, and it is worth the cost for us. But each family has to weigh those options for themselves.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 19:50     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
I find all the responses very suspicious and def ending.

Most people I talk to they like to mention the things that are happy and unhappy with in their private schools.

Here people like to say that everything is perfect and they have no regrets. Red flag for accuracy of statements.

Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 19:39     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
It’s not at all like buying a car. If you are wringing your hands over whether private school is worth the money, that’s a sign you are either at the wrong school or you should send your child to public. We decided private was not “worth it” for elementary but have zero regrets sending DCs to private for upper grades.

Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 19:12     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:I continue to be shocked at how often people come on this forum to try and talk others out of the decisions they've made for their kids. People choose to spend money on a load of stuff that I don't even bother to try and understand. If you have the privilege to make the choice between private and public (because recognize that for many the choice is made for them), you need to decide what's best for your family and where you want to spend your money.

I am not one of those people making 3M+ a year and still choose private school for my kids. I sleep well at night and haven't once regretted my decision or wondered what I could be doing with that money. Because guess what, for me...its not about "inertia" - I made the choice because I can and its what I wanted for my kids.

If private school doesn't make sense to you - you think its the same as public - you wonder who you just "ended up" in private school - etc etc....its really simple...just send your kid to public school.


It’s not that is good or bad. Most likely both public and private are good, and private might have an edge over public. The question is it worth it?

What can go wrong if your kid is sent to public school? Or alternatively what good thing could I expect if I send them to private school?

So far I don’t see many bad things in public and not many good things in private to say that is worth the money.

It’s when you buy a car. Maybe you need the Audi and it makes you happy. But if you drive to work maybe you are happy with a Toyoya and things will not be different for you.

Of course this your kids education and not car, buy sometimes I feel that there is a social status element in private schools (like buying and Audi).
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 19:03     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
I continue to be shocked at how often people come on this forum to try and talk others out of the decisions they've made for their kids. People choose to spend money on a load of stuff that I don't even bother to try and understand. If you have the privilege to make the choice between private and public (because recognize that for many the choice is made for them), you need to decide what's best for your family and where you want to spend your money.

I am not one of those people making 3M+ a year and still choose private school for my kids. I sleep well at night and haven't once regretted my decision or wondered what I could be doing with that money. Because guess what, for me...its not about "inertia" - I made the choice because I can and its what I wanted for my kids.

If private school doesn't make sense to you - you think its the same as public - you wonder who you just "ended up" in private school - etc etc....its really simple...just send your kid to public school.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 18:56     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Find the school that is worth the tuition for you. Otherwise, send your kid to public if you feel it's not worth the money. It's that simple.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 18:32     Subject: Re:Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
I'm struggling with this myself and DC is only in elementary school. And we don't have bad publics, but very very highly rated publics with what I think is bad curriculum. But the school does have great student:teacher ratio with only 16 kids in each class and a shared classroom teacher's aide most of the day. They have daily Phys Ed, Spanish 4x/week, Library every week, and Art and Music on alternating days. They don't have sports, clubs, or activities, but do offer band.

Is it worth paying 25-35k/ year to put my kid in a private elementary ... pretty much for the curriculum and what I hope are higher academic and behavior standards? Privates around me have 20-22 kids in each class with no teacher's aide, fewer Phys Ed/Spanish/Music classes? They do tend to have school sponsored sports and clubs along with band. They do group by level for math and English, which the public doesn't do until middle school.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 18:17     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
I am glad that everyone is happy and content and agree that is the best possible education for your kids. I have experienced both public and private in elementary and don’t see big differences in terms of academics and well being for my kids.

I understand to pay extra if in puvlic the quality is bad or if there is more bullying. But oi don’t see that. The only difference is in the ratio of students to teachers. My kids are extremely smart so o don’t think that these make a big difference.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 18:13     Subject: Is the cost of attending independent schools justified?
Anonymous wrote:OP, what does private school have to do with Ivy League colleges?


tuition of 60k. Is it a fair value?