Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PP's point was about facilities and it is not really tenable to say that GDS has better infrastructure than Maret, at least at present, given the cafeteria. The other point, that GDS has more prestige, is just laughable, but perhaps backlash from dealing with the DC government will change that. Seriously doubt it though.

The point wasn't which school has better infrastructure/facilities. It's how each school deal with its facilities limitations. GDS spends considerable money building better facilities. Maret steals from DCPS kids.

Anonymous wrote:One of these is not like the others.... since when did gds become a top school!!! Bs!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

pbraverman wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an Asian parent. Maybe it's my culture, but I do not care about facilities or prestige. I care about the quality of teaching and results. Somebody mentioned it to me but I did not have the time to verify it: is it true that Maret has the highest concentration of PHDs in its faculty compared to all the other DC privates?

I agree entirely that the quality of teaching is by far the most important aspect of a school's appeal. However, I was a teacher for three years and a private school administrator for 20, and I have never seen even the slightest correlation between a Ph.D. degree and the quality of teaching. I hired and worked with fantastic teachers from no-name colleges, and I fired teachers with degrees from schools near the top of the US News list.

The skills needed to obtain a Ph.D. and those needed to communicate effectively with a roomful of eighth graders are almost entirely distinct, perhaps even incompatible. As much as we'd like to believe we've found the formula for the perfect [student, teacher, school, life], we haven't. That's because there is no formula.

There's also no data that Maret has the highest concentration of PhD in its faculty relative to other DC privates. But if you click your heels together and wish, perhaps it will come true.

Do you need a PhD to teach third grade math?

For high school, not for elementary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

pbraverman wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an Asian parent. Maybe it's my culture, but I do not care about facilities or prestige. I care about the quality of teaching and results. Somebody mentioned it to me but I did not have the time to verify it: is it true that Maret has the highest concentration of PHDs in its faculty compared to all the other DC privates?

I agree entirely that the quality of teaching is by far the most important aspect of a school's appeal. However, I was a teacher for three years and a private school administrator for 20, and I have never seen even the slightest correlation between a Ph.D. degree and the quality of teaching. I hired and worked with fantastic teachers from no-name colleges, and I fired teachers with degrees from schools near the top of the US News list.

The skills needed to obtain a Ph.D. and those needed to communicate effectively with a roomful of eighth graders are almost entirely distinct, perhaps even incompatible. As much as we'd like to believe we've found the formula for the perfect [student, teacher, school, life], we haven't. That's because there is no formula.

There's also no data that Maret has the highest concentration of PhD in its faculty relative to other DC privates. But if you click your heels together and wish, perhaps it will come true.

Do you need a PhD to teach third grade math?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op is your child unmotivated because they’re possibly bored:not challenged enough? We moved from another private to Maret because Dd wasn’t sufficiently challenged and was frustrated/bored. The nice thing about Maret being small is how well they’ve been able to meet DD’s academic needs and how thoughtful they are with their curriculum. I agree that their fields/etc aren’t as fancy as some other schools ( we left a school w a “bigger/nicer” campus) but I figure we are paying tuition for great teachers/academics not for DD to feel like she’s at a resort.

Your lower tuition reflects the fact that Maret uses (abuses) public resources because they haven't made the investments in their own fields.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opin...9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html

With the correct link this time.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dcs-parks-department-is-playing-for-the-wrong-team/2019/09/06/884e41c2-c808-11e9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html

Anonymous wrote:

pbraverman wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an Asian parent. Maybe it's my culture, but I do not care about facilities or prestige. I care about the quality of teaching and results. Somebody mentioned it to me but I did not have the time to verify it: is it true that Maret has the highest concentration of PHDs in its faculty compared to all the other DC privates?

I agree entirely that the quality of teaching is by far the most important aspect of a school's appeal. However, I was a teacher for three years and a private school administrator for 20, and I have never seen even the slightest correlation between a Ph.D. degree and the quality of teaching. I hired and worked with fantastic teachers from no-name colleges, and I fired teachers with degrees from schools near the top of the US News list.

The skills needed to obtain a Ph.D. and those needed to communicate effectively with a roomful of eighth graders are almost entirely distinct, perhaps even incompatible. As much as we'd like to believe we've found the formula for the perfect [student, teacher, school, life], we haven't. That's because there is no formula.

There's also no data that Maret has the highest concentration of PhD in its faculty relative to other DC privates. But if you click your heels together and wish, perhaps it will come true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op is your child unmotivated because they’re possibly bored:not challenged enough? We moved from another private to Maret because Dd wasn’t sufficiently challenged and was frustrated/bored. The nice thing about Maret being small is how well they’ve been able to meet DD’s academic needs and how thoughtful they are with their curriculum. I agree that their fields/etc aren’t as fancy as some other schools ( we left a school w a “bigger/nicer” campus) but I figure we are paying tuition for great teachers/academics not for DD to feel like she’s at a resort.

Your lower tuition reflects the fact that Maret uses (abuses) public resources because they haven't made the investments in their own fields.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opin...9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html

Anonymous wrote:Op is your child unmotivated because they’re possibly bored:not challenged enough? We moved from another private to Maret because Dd wasn’t sufficiently challenged and was frustrated/bored. The nice thing about Maret being small is how well they’ve been able to meet DD’s academic needs and how thoughtful they are with their curriculum. I agree that their fields/etc aren’t as fancy as some other schools ( we left a school w a “bigger/nicer” campus) but I figure we are paying tuition for great teachers/academics not for DD to feel like she’s at a resort.

pbraverman wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an Asian parent. Maybe it's my culture, but I do not care about facilities or prestige. I care about the quality of teaching and results. Somebody mentioned it to me but I did not have the time to verify it: is it true that Maret has the highest concentration of PHDs in its faculty compared to all the other DC privates?

I agree entirely that the quality of teaching is by far the most important aspect of a school's appeal. However, I was a teacher for three years and a private school administrator for 20, and I have never seen even the slightest correlation between a Ph.D. degree and the quality of teaching. I hired and worked with fantastic teachers from no-name colleges, and I fired teachers with degrees from schools near the top of the US News list.

The skills needed to obtain a Ph.D. and those needed to communicate effectively with a roomful of eighth graders are almost entirely distinct, perhaps even incompatible. As much as we'd like to believe we've found the formula for the perfect [student, teacher, school, life], we haven't. That's because there is no formula.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PP's point was about facilities and it is not really tenable to say that GDS has better infrastructure than Maret, at least at present, given the cafeteria. The other point, that GDS has more prestige, is just laughable, but perhaps backlash from dealing with the DC government will change that. Seriously doubt it though.

The point wasn't which school has better infrastructure/facilities. It's how each school deal with its facilities limitations. GDS spends considerable money building better facilities. Maret steals from DCPS kids.

No it was not. It was a passing potshots about facilities and prestige and was wrong on both counts.

That’s your opinion. When I hear people refer to a big 3, I most commonly hear GDS included among with Sidwell and the Cathedral Schools. GDS was also one of the first integrated private schools in this area and has socially progressive values and wouldn’t screw over public school kids the way Maret has been doing for a decade.

No none ever used Big 3 outside of the board. And even on this board, GDS as part of the term is up for debate. But Maret remains more difficult to get in to than GDS. That's just the way it is - draw your own conclusions.

My conclusion is that Maret is hard to get into because it is a very small school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PP's point was about facilities and it is not really tenable to say that GDS has better infrastructure than Maret, at least at present, given the cafeteria. The other point, that GDS has more prestige, is just laughable, but perhaps backlash from dealing with the DC government will change that. Seriously doubt it though.

The point wasn't which school has better infrastructure/facilities. It's how each school deal with its facilities limitations. GDS spends considerable money building better facilities. Maret steals from DCPS kids.

No it was not. It was a passing potshots about facilities and prestige and was wrong on both counts.

That’s your opinion. When I hear people refer to a big 3, I most commonly hear GDS included among with Sidwell and the Cathedral Schools. GDS was also one of the first integrated private schools in this area and has socially progressive values and wouldn’t screw over public school kids the way Maret has been doing for a decade.

No none ever used Big 3 outside of the board. And even on this board, GDS as part of the term is up for debate. But Maret remains more difficult to get in to than GDS. That's just the way it is - draw your own conclusions.

My conclusion is that Maret is hard to get into because it is a very small school.