Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

MY DS was not accepted at magnet. I am starting private school search. Could you tell what are considered some good privates in Bethesda area?

Most of the "good" private schools are sending out their decisions about now, for applications that were due a few months ago.

I sense this PP got rejected from one of those "good" private schools. My condolences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

So to compare a given public elementary school with a given private elementary school, we'd use results from standardized tests? But I thought that private elementary schools don't give standardized tests, don't teach to standardized tests, etc. I thought that was one of the major advantages of private elementary schools.

No, you misread this. I was challenged as whether the "W" clusters had the best schools, and testing shows that they do. Comparing MCPS schools. Not private to public.

Now as to how we compared the private to public, the biggest glaring issue was English. MCPS is great at teaching math, but horrendous at teaching English and writing. DC's writing skills have improved immensely since we moved him to private. Also class sizes are smaller in private. You can't argue with that.

Test scores tell us that the students at that school test higher than students at other schools. That is all that test scores tell us. No more, no less.

Well for us, it is a data point that matters. It says a lot about a school. The students test higher for a number of reasons. Better teachers. Better learning environment. Better parent involvement. Maybe this doesn't matter to you. That is fine too. Some people are totally fine with mediocrity. That is what makes us so diverse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

MY DS was not accepted at magnet. I am starting private school search. Could you tell what are considered some good privates in Bethesda area?

Most of the "good" private schools are sending out their decisions about now, for applications that were due a few months ago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

So to compare a given public elementary school with a given private elementary school, we'd use results from standardized tests? But I thought that private elementary schools don't give standardized tests, don't teach to standardized tests, etc. I thought that was one of the major advantages of private elementary schools.

No, you misread this. I was challenged as whether the "W" clusters had the best schools, and testing shows that they do. Comparing MCPS schools. Not private to public.

Now as to how we compared the private to public, the biggest glaring issue was English. MCPS is great at teaching math, but horrendous at teaching English and writing. DC's writing skills have improved immensely since we moved him to private. Also class sizes are smaller in private. You can't argue with that.

Test scores tell us that the students at that school test higher than students at other schools. That is all that test scores tell us. No more, no less.

Anonymous wrote:I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

MY DS was not accepted at magnet. I am starting private school search. Could you tell what are considered some good privates in Bethesda area?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

So to compare a given public elementary school with a given private elementary school, we'd use results from standardized tests? But I thought that private elementary schools don't give standardized tests, don't teach to standardized tests, etc. I thought that was one of the major advantages of private elementary schools.

No, you misread this. I was challenged as whether the "W" clusters had the best schools, and testing shows that they do. Comparing MCPS schools. Not private to public.

Now as to how we compared the private to public, the biggest glaring issue was English. MCPS is great at teaching math, but horrendous at teaching English and writing. DC's writing skills have improved immensely since we moved him to private. Also class sizes are smaller in private. You can't argue with that.

Anonymous wrote:

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

So to compare a given public elementary school with a given private elementary school, we'd use results from standardized tests? But I thought that private elementary schools don't give standardized tests, don't teach to standardized tests, etc. I thought that was one of the major advantages of private elementary schools.

OP here. Wow, some interesting comments shared. Thank you for sharing. For my child we applied to HGC and to a private. Home school has not been the best choice for her. The only reason we waited it out was because we were supplementing at home. We decided to wait and try for HGC instead of just pulling out for private immediately. We did not get an email yesterday, so DD was obviously not accepted. It's a shame though. There are many smart/gifted etc kids that will not be accepted (way to many kids and to few spots). DH and I are just making sure we are doing the best for DD, and we think that will be private at this point. I was hoping there would be enough challenge/differentiation at home school, but it has not been the case so far. So, I cannot see that changing for 4th and 5th grade.

For those posters who think this is about setting up kids to go to HPY, it's not that for us at all. It's about DD liking school and feeling challenged (her words not ours).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP here. Actually we know from both elementary and middle school. Our cluster is considered one of the best in MCPS. It is a good option for most people. Much better than many of the other schools in MCPS. If we couldn't afford private, we would have happily stayed. But I am saying that the private we are in is better...much better in many respects. And I would guess that would apply to all the schools in MCPS, considering our local school is among the top.

Now, if you feel I am wrong, that is fine. Go ahead and settle. Many do and they end up just fine. We will just be better than fine.

There is that circular reasoning again. "W" schools are the best in MCPS; I know this because "W" schools are the best in MCPS.

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

That doesn't make the school the "best" school. It usually means the parents at the school are wealthy.

Here's what the best school is like: a school where the admin and teachers really care about the kids; a school with lots of different programs and options for kids with different interests and needs; a school where there is lots of parental involvement. A school where a kid can find all different kinds of kids to make friends with.

Is this your school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah. You are saying that all private schools are better than the local public school.

Yes...and I know from experience...from a W cluster and was in public for 7 years. Now in private. A world of difference on many levels.

Specifically, you know from experience with one (1) public school and one (1) private school.

By the way, I think it's interesting how often posters on DCUM assume that the elementary schools in Bethesda/Potomac are the best in the system, and so if those elementary schools are bad, all of the other elementary schools must be worse. From reading DCUM, I'd assume that the opposite is true. There are lots and lots and lots of complaints about elementary schools in Bethesda/Potomac; far fewer about any of the other elementary schools.

PP here. Actually we know from both elementary and middle school. Our cluster is considered one of the best in MCPS. It is a good option for most people. Much better than many of the other schools in MCPS. If we couldn't afford private, we would have happily stayed. But I am saying that the private we are in is better...much better in many respects. And I would guess that would apply to all the schools in MCPS, considering our local school is among the top.

Now, if you feel I am wrong, that is fine. Go ahead and settle. Many do and they end up just fine. We will just be better than fine.

Curious... what makes a school the "best school" in a district? Is it because the district sends all the most qualified teachers there? Do they have the best playground? Are they served different foods than the rest of the county schools? Or, is it that they have the highest test scores, most of the parents there are wealthy, that there is less than a handful of dark skinned kids there?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP here. Actually we know from both elementary and middle school. Our cluster is considered one of the best in MCPS. It is a good option for most people. Much better than many of the other schools in MCPS. If we couldn't afford private, we would have happily stayed. But I am saying that the private we are in is better...much better in many respects. And I would guess that would apply to all the schools in MCPS, considering our local school is among the top.

Now, if you feel I am wrong, that is fine. Go ahead and settle. Many do and they end up just fine. We will just be better than fine.

There is that circular reasoning again. "W" schools are the best in MCPS; I know this because "W" schools are the best in MCPS.

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

Anonymous wrote:

PP here. Actually we know from both elementary and middle school. Our cluster is considered one of the best in MCPS. It is a good option for most people. Much better than many of the other schools in MCPS. If we couldn't afford private, we would have happily stayed. But I am saying that the private we are in is better...much better in many respects. And I would guess that would apply to all the schools in MCPS, considering our local school is among the top.

Now, if you feel I am wrong, that is fine. Go ahead and settle. Many do and they end up just fine. We will just be better than fine.

There is that circular reasoning again. "W" schools are the best in MCPS; I know this because "W" schools are the best in MCPS.

Well a neighbor of mine had kids in private for years...1 child switched to public for a special program. They loved the school so much they pulled the rest to mcps....non w cluster even. No one way is better then others for all kids..

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah. You are saying that all private schools are better than the local public school.

Yes...and I know from experience...from a W cluster and was in public for 7 years. Now in private. A world of difference on many levels.

Specifically, you know from experience with one (1) public school and one (1) private school.

By the way, I think it's interesting how often posters on DCUM assume that the elementary schools in Bethesda/Potomac are the best in the system, and so if those elementary schools are bad, all of the other elementary schools must be worse. From reading DCUM, I'd assume that the opposite is true. There are lots and lots and lots of complaints about elementary schools in Bethesda/Potomac; far fewer about any of the other elementary schools.

PP here. Actually we know from both elementary and middle school. Our cluster is considered one of the best in MCPS. It is a good option for most people. Much better than many of the other schools in MCPS. If we couldn't afford private, we would have happily stayed. But I am saying that the private we are in is better...much better in many respects. And I would guess that would apply to all the schools in MCPS, considering our local school is among the top.

Now, if you feel I am wrong, that is fine. Go ahead and settle. Many do and they end up just fine. We will just be better than fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah. You are saying that all private schools are better than the local public school.

Yes...and I know from experience...from a W cluster and was in public for 7 years. Now in private. A world of difference on many levels.

Specifically, you know from experience with one (1) public school and one (1) private school.

By the way, I think it's interesting how often posters on DCUM assume that the elementary schools in Bethesda/Potomac are the best in the system, and so if those elementary schools are bad, all of the other elementary schools must be worse. From reading DCUM, I'd assume that the opposite is true. There are lots and lots and lots of complaints about elementary schools in Bethesda/Potomac; far fewer about any of the other elementary schools.