[quote=Anonymous]Some private school don't seem to welcome parents speaking with their teachers and/or classroom visits by parents. It almost feels if these schools are insulted that someone would question their program. We are surprised by the direction in which our decision may turn. Has anyone else turned down a prestigious name school for a magnet program (and cost is not a factor)? Would appreciate understanding your thought process.[/quote]

In the middle of that thought process right now! It's very likely our DC will be accepted to a public magnet, and we wonder if we'll be prepared for the decision. The private school is a "sure thing", yet the even playing field of public magnet is equally attractive. I don't like the fact that so many great kids who would thrive at our private school just will never know the opportunity, and while values and world views start at home, don't want to be smug in feeling like part of the "1%", if the education is equal. Anyone jumped the private ship and care to share?

SAM2 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, but the rest of the stuff about how getting into a magnet depends on who your parents know and how much they are willing to donate to the public school system?

Maybe you missed the smiley face at the end of that post, which I took to mean that it was a joke. And I think that person posted up higher on this page to make clear it was a joke.

That was my post with the winking smiley face and, yes, it was a joke. But I was attempting to apply irony to the second poster on this thread, who seemed to be in dead earnest when she said "Only the wealthy, connected students get into the top public school programs."

Academics are much better at DC's private than at our local public HS. Categorical claims/judgments don't make much sense -- the right choice depends on the kid and the actually available options. One specific thing that appealed to me about DC's school was focus on writing from an early age and class sizes small enough to enable teachers to give frequent writing assignments, read drafts, and provide lots of feedback (stylistic and substantive) beyond just the grade.

Anonymous wrote:OK, but the rest of the stuff about how getting into a magnet depends on who your parents know and how much they are willing to donate to the public school system?

Maybe you missed the smiley face at the end of that post, which I took to mean that it was a joke. And I think that person posted up higher on this page to make clear it was a joke.

OK, but the rest of the stuff about how getting into a magnet depends on who your parents know and how much they are willing to donate to the public school system?

Anonymous wrote:Slander against public schools that has been debunked so far on this thread:

1. Magnet admissions are all about wealth and connections.
2. Magnets are designed to redistribute population rather than academics.
3. Public school kids and their parents never talk to their teachers outside of classtime, and never get to know their teachers.
4. Public school teachers are jailbait but private school teachers are squeaky clean.

Where do you guys get this random, stupid stuff? My kids have been in private and public schools, so maybe I have more perspective. But some of this is so ludicrous that it looks like you're just trying to justify your own decisions.

22:20 never said that public school kids and their parents never talk to their teachers. They said private schools don't welcome parents in the classrooms or talk to them.

I responded that IME, that was not true. I also never said that public school teachers don't talk to parents, but that you need to ask for recommendation letters when you have the teacher as opposed to private school where teachers that have a smaller school population and will be more likely to remember your child.

Slander against public schools that has been debunked so far on this thread:

1. Magnet admissions are all about wealth and connections.
2. Magnets are designed to redistribute population rather than academics.
3. Public school kids and their parents never talk to their teachers outside of classtime, and never get to know their teachers.
4. Public school teachers are jailbait but private school teachers are squeaky clean.

Where do you guys get this random, stupid stuff? My kids have been in private and public schools, so maybe I have more perspective. But some of this is so ludicrous that it looks like you're just trying to justify your own decisions.

Anonymous wrote:ridiculous pp -- if you don't think they're everywhere -- you're dreaming

Well that's the thing. Bad behavior is everywhere. Trying to say there's bad behavior among public school teachers and administrators, but not among the private school teachers and administrators, is just wrong.

ridiculous pp -- if you don't think they're everywhere -- you're dreaming

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are families still choosing a private high school education for their students when it appears from many posting in this board, other listservs and our own research that the academics at many public high schools, magnets and IB programs especially, are as good if not better than even the top private schools and that admissions at top colleges may prefer students who don't attend elite private schools? Besides the issues of class size, sports and desiring a certain community (religious), are what the other reasons?

Many AP high schools truly teach to the test - might as well go to Kaplan. Few papers and large classes. FCPS had a meeting on the SRR yesterday-Studnts Rights and responsibilities. 2 out of the 4 principals of high schools lauded as exemplary are beyond sketchy:
Robinson high school- Dan Meier [his brother is an AP at Langley]
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime-and-punishment/teachers-principals-caught-fraud-case
http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwblog/files/2009/09/feeley-opinion.pdf

Mount Vernon -Nardos King-placed a year book ad for her business selling scam products for weight loss and increasing sex drive
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072903137.html

yes these 2 [or 3] did something really wrong and are paraded as pillars of the school system. A girl has been expelled due to acne medication.

But the sex offenders seem to congregate in the private schools. So take your pick, folks!

Anonymous wrote:

We talked to our friend on the school board, and immediately my kid's test scores jumped over the magnet threshold! We have a friend who offered to pay MoCo three times her property tax assessment, and her kid got into their first-choice magnet.

Another lie. This poster lost credibility a longtime ago. She can't even fake it.

Umm, that was my post. You didn't think it was serious, did you?

Anonymous wrote:Why are families still choosing a private high school education for their students when it appears from many posting in this board, other listservs and our own research that the academics at many public high schools, magnets and IB programs especially, are as good if not better than even the top private schools and that admissions at top colleges may prefer students who don't attend elite private schools? Besides the issues of class size, sports and desiring a certain community (religious), are what the other reasons?

Many AP high schools truly teach to the test - might as well go to Kaplan. Few papers and large classes. FCPS had a meeting on the SRR yesterday-Studnts Rights and responsibilities. 2 out of the 4 principals of high schools lauded as exemplary are beyond sketchy:
Robinson high school- Dan Meier [his brother is an AP at Langley]
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime-and-punishment/teachers-principals-caught-fraud-case
http://valawyersweekly.com/vlwblog/files/2009/09/feeley-opinion.pdf

Mount Vernon -Nardos King-placed a year book ad for her business selling scam products for weight loss and increasing sex drive
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/29/AR2010072903137.html

yes these 2 [or 3] did something really wrong and are paraded as pillars of the school system. A girl has been expelled due to acne medication.

I said it was easier from a private school. Of course, some kids from publics will be recruited. UVA is a state school so it is more likely it might recruit from a public school.

Disagree. Knew a student who chose to go to public high school because she was a star soccer athlete. She not only got early acceptance to play soccer for UVA but a scholarship.
Depends on the student and the sport.

Do these sports limit the schools one applies to?

You bet. Ivies and LAC. Private schools with large endowments. This is the route for closet Ivy and elite school worshippers seeking bigtime athletics.