I might do private for academics for non gifted kids, but the small social circle would give me pause.

For very high achieving kids, I would choose MCPS magnet, at least at the HS level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you're going to get what you're looking for at $10k, OP.

Yeah. Not even close.

I posted above… the former public school teacher who sent her own kids to Catholic.

We paid $8K/year for their k-8 education and it was phenomenal. The warmth of the classrooms, the rigor of the lessons, the high expectations for academics and behavior, the responsiveness of knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers… it was the best choice we could have made for our children.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Actually we found a sweet little school for 10k. Do we have to volunteer more as a family? Sure. But that’s also kind of what we are looking for; more involvement with the school. They are Catholic but 40 % of the kids there arent. They are as inclusive as they can be and if something is “missing” our kid will get that at home. They offer accelerated math in older years and work hard and Qing commitment with kids with learning differences. It may not be perfect but we can always switch back to public if we wanted to go back.

It sounds nice to me. Personally I am not a fan of traditional private schools (and I went to one on scholarship) because of the extreme money and privilege. Like my classmates vacationed in places I had never heard of. Like people on the DCUM travel board who talk about skiing in Austria. I'm sure it's amazing but it would never in a million years be on my radar, and I don't want my kids to grow up feeling "less than" like I did. I didn't mind it as much as many kids in that position, but I was always aware of it.

My impression of Catholic schools is that they are not like this at all, and also often have more diversity than the ritzy privates. So, if you are Catholic or ok with a Catholic education, and the academics suit you, why not do it? You can always switch back if it doesn't work out.

I have two kids at Bethesda Elementary. It's true that it's insanely crowded. There are 40 kids in my 5th grader's compacted math class. We are happy with the math instruction (for a very math-oriented kid). A lot less happy with the reading/writing instruction. PE and music/art are considerably less than what a private school can offer. But we can walk there, and they offer after care which is important to us as working/commuting parents, and the kids have a wonderful friend cohort. The school is much more diverse racially, religiously, and economically than you might think upon hearing "Bethesda." And at least 80% of our neighborhood sends their kids to public so it's a real community feel in the neighborhood too. So to us, the negative aspects are overcome by the positives. That plus we don't have money to send kids to private schools even if we wanted to without extreme lifestyle changes.

But it's a very individual decision. If you aren't happy with public school, then you should make a change, even if other people are happy! They are not you or your kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disagree. Pulled child from MCPS about five years ago for Catholic and paid a little less (pre-inflation it probably was this). Very pleased with facilities, education and overall care.

Which Catholic school?

Do your own research. Not gonna play.

It’s not a game and not everyone has the capacity to do a lot of research.

This does raise my index of suspicion that you are lying, however.

They have a phone with internet access, clearly. Find “the capacity.” Please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP are you talking independent Catholic? If not, I really don't think a Catholic school is better than MCPS, certainly in terms of rigor of work/curriculum.

Especially not in math.

Having sent my kids to both Catholic and public, I’d say the Catholic was far more rigorous. And Math seemed more intentional with a firmer foundation. And this was a parish school, not an independent.

I’m also a teacher, so I’m rather critical of curricula. But everybody’s milage varies, and schools are all different. Some publics are better than some privates, and the opposite is also true.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Actually we found a sweet little school for 10k. Do we have to volunteer more as a family? Sure. But that’s also kind of what we are looking for; more involvement with the school. They are Catholic but 40 % of the kids there arent. They are as inclusive as they can be and if something is “missing” our kid will get that at home. They offer accelerated math in older years and work hard and Qing commitment with kids with learning differences. It may not be perfect but we can always switch back to public if we wanted to go back.

Gag.

Anonymous wrote:OP are you talking independent Catholic? If not, I really don't think a Catholic school is better than MCPS, certainly in terms of rigor of work/curriculum.

I agree. Most private schools are not better.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you're going to get what you're looking for at $10k, OP.

Yeah. Not even close.

Anonymous wrote:OP are you talking independent Catholic? If not, I really don't think a Catholic school is better than MCPS, certainly in terms of rigor of work/curriculum.

Especially not in math.

Anonymous wrote:DP. I would offer two routes. Yes, you can go private. The other option is stay in MCPS but supplement heavily with tutors, after-school and summer programs. I think this latter option is a better route and what we do.

Certain schools in MCPS (nicknamed "the W's") still maintain descent academic standards. If you're worred about your hope school, just check their school profiles for % of kids meeting UofM college minimum standards and what % of kids took the SAT's. From there backtrack to the MS and ES and check their GreatSchool, Niche, and other ratings. If they're 7+, I think you're fine sticking with MCPS.

The only wildcard are the nut cases who want to radically change school boundaries or bus kids to promote their own personal social agendas. I think MCPS has been in decline for about 20 years now. It started when AEI changed hands around 2000, fueled by personal agendas by certain MCPS central office, boe, and county council members. A few still remain but are difficult to flush out, so the decline continues.

You’re giving ‘newby’ advice here. OP said her older kids were enrolled in the touchy feely days of Starr. Certainly is tracking on the W fallacy. Dude from Wootton was marking the place for a shoot em up - and got sentenced this week! So no salve in W’s anymore.

We have some perspective as we were in ‘old’ MCPS with your older kids.

We left in 2015 for many of the same reasons you site - though we could never have afforded downtown Bethesda. We were in Kentlands. Went Catholic and found different emphasis (grammar) and different math (slower)

Moved to adjacent public school district (Frederick) and found what we needed. The place is kind and FCC (the local community college) a gem for dual enrollment classes.

Good luck with decision but know that we saw this mediocrity in the system in your older kids years as well / it’s really a culture problem IMHO and that takes decades to make and decades to correct.

My sense is the mediocrity finally hit the richest district.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As much as we have loved MCPS, we are thinking to send our 3rd kiddo to private (catholic) but still struggling with "letting go" of the public school idea (neighbors being classmates etc). However, I am not expert on MCPS but seems like MCPS is on the decline.. crowded classrooms (ours is an ES in Bethesda), micro managing of teachers, not enough staff/resources to handle students with behavioral issues or different learning needs etc... Am I wrong? Our two oldest kiddos are a few years older than the last one... and seems that MCPS was in a much better place back when they started attending around 2013...til now. Would love to hear perspectives on this. If money was not an issue, would you go private vs MCPS? Thanks

My son did both MCPS and Catholic. We went back to MCPS. You will find the Catholic schools are behind in math, 2-3 years worth. Instrumental music doesn't start until high school. Teachers are not certified teachers.

Not true.

My children went through Catholic k-12. They certainly were not behind in Math. I also teach in a Catholic high school. Plenty of students take Calculus by junior year.

Instrumental music started in 3rd grade for both.

Teachers at the K-8 and my high school are required to be certified. Many are former public school teachers.

I worked in public for years before pulling my own kids out and putting them in Catholic schools. I transferred over myself. I have experience with both and can provide facts.

Typo - meant to say "home school" not "hope school". Freudian slip I guess.

DP. I would offer two routes. Yes, you can go private. The other option is stay in MCPS but supplement heavily with tutors, after-school and summer programs. I think this latter option is a better route and what we do.

Certain schools in MCPS (nicknamed "the W's") still maintain descent academic standards. If you're worred about your hope school, just check their school profiles for % of kids meeting UofM college minimum standards and what % of kids took the SAT's. From there backtrack to the MS and ES and check their GreatSchool, Niche, and other ratings. If they're 7+, I think you're fine sticking with MCPS.

The only wildcard are the nut cases who want to radically change school boundaries or bus kids to promote their own personal social agendas. I think MCPS has been in decline for about 20 years now. It started when AEI changed hands around 2000, fueled by personal agendas by certain MCPS central office, boe, and county council members. A few still remain but are difficult to flush out, so the decline continues.

Anonymous wrote:As much as we have loved MCPS, we are thinking to send our 3rd kiddo to private (catholic) but still struggling with "letting go" of the public school idea (neighbors being classmates etc). However, I am not expert on MCPS but seems like MCPS is on the decline.. crowded classrooms (ours is an ES in Bethesda), micro managing of teachers, not enough staff/resources to handle students with behavioral issues or different learning needs etc... Am I wrong? Our two oldest kiddos are a few years older than the last one... and seems that MCPS was in a much better place back when they started attending around 2013...til now. Would love to hear perspectives on this. If money was not an issue, would you go private vs MCPS? Thanks

This assessment feels spot on to me. We pulled our DC two years ago from MCPS and have been amazed at the difference in education he now receives.