Anonymous
10/12/2025 16:54
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Our kids go to a neighborhood Title I DCPS school as an intentional choice. (We could have afforded private.)
We are now applying to move our oldest to private in 6th. We have always wanted to balance being part of an integrated society and community with our children being challenged academically. For our older one, we did this by augmenting at home, especially in math, starting during COVID. That's gone reasonably well. Even so, if I could go back I'd have made the move two years earlier.
So OP, in answer to your question, I wish we had moved our older child by 4th.
I agree, 4th was a sweet spot for us.
NP - can I ask why 4th is so pivotal? Facing similar decision but with younger kids.
It is the expansion year for many private schools and is less competitive than later grades.
Anonymous
10/12/2025 16:53
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We had an overall positive experience at our inbound DCPS elementary through 5th grade. We moved to a private school at the natural middle school transition (6th). We loved our local elementary community and wouldn't have wanted to leave sooner.
The quality of the curriculum our child received at their public elementary school made them well-prepared for private school. However, we supplemented outside of school to help our academically inclined child grow at their pace especially in the later grades. Because of a strong foundation plus supplementing, our child started on par or if not above their classmates academically who were already enrolled at the private school.
As much as we loved our local elementary school, the quality of education in 4th and 5th grade was not as strong and there were an exuberant amount of standardized tests (iRready, Anet, DC PARCC/CAPE).
Know your school's upper grade teaching model/focus, child, and access to other resources. If for any reason staying through 5th grade is not a good fit, I would recommend applying in 4th grade (a DMV private school expansion year). Request financial aid if needed, you don't know what you'll receive if you don't ask.
OP here again. Thanks for this. What are some examples of supplementing? Like a hiring a private language tutor? Or send them to specialized sports camp? Or organize a family book club and make them read more challenging material outside of school? All of the above?
Suggest Russian Math for Math, PPA for sports, Levine for music, and lots of reading at home.
Anonymous
11/22/2024 14:19
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Our kids go to a neighborhood Title I DCPS school as an intentional choice. (We could have afforded private.)
We are now applying to move our oldest to private in 6th. We have always wanted to balance being part of an integrated society and community with our children being challenged academically. For our older one, we did this by augmenting at home, especially in math, starting during COVID. That's gone reasonably well. Even so, if I could go back I'd have made the move two years earlier.
So OP, in answer to your question, I wish we had moved our older child by 4th.
I agree, 4th was a sweet spot for us.
NP - can I ask why 4th is so pivotal? Facing similar decision but with younger kids.
Anonymous
09/30/2024 09:50
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
I'd probably move if I were in your shoes now. We followed Charter Elem, Private MS, and DCPS application HS path. It has worked twice for us. But the landscape was different.
Anonymous
09/30/2024 02:29
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kid moved to a big 3 in 7th grade from DCPS. Looking back, I am glad they had the year of DCPS middle school - I think the experiences from that year were really valuable in helping keep them from becoming entitled and sheltered. They never had any tutoring or supplementation and have not been at any academic disadvantage whatsoever at the Big 3.
Ita
I miss Deal!
I agree too! All 3 of my kids spent time (between 1-3 years) in DCPS middle school before moving to a Big3. This was an incredibly valuable experience for each of them.
Anonymous
09/29/2024 23:59
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
I would recommend moving your kid to a good private starting by 5th grade at the latest. To get into a good private high school (not just STA/NCS or even SJC), your kid should be strongly prepared academically in middle school. The schools will be looking at their grades in middle school and the placement tests. I don't know what the applications rates or admissions percentages will be when your kids are looking at HS, but they were extremely hard and competitive this year. You want your kids to be well prepared and competitive.
Anonymous
09/29/2024 18:47
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:My kid moved to a big 3 in 7th grade from DCPS. Looking back, I am glad they had the year of DCPS middle school - I think the experiences from that year were really valuable in helping keep them from becoming entitled and sheltered. They never had any tutoring or supplementation and have not been at any academic disadvantage whatsoever at the Big 3.
Ita
I miss Deal!
Anonymous
09/28/2024 16:32
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
My kid moved to a big 3 in 7th grade from DCPS. Looking back, I am glad they had the year of DCPS middle school - I think the experiences from that year were really valuable in helping keep them from becoming entitled and sheltered. They never had any tutoring or supplementation and have not been at any academic disadvantage whatsoever at the Big 3.
Anonymous
09/27/2024 18:47
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The public school kids who joined our Big3 class are also among the strongest students.
All of the kids I know from public that go to the Big 3 schools supplement heavily. Many people make public work, but public alone isn’t enough to be competitive in math or writing from what I have seen.
Absolutely, I know one girl who was at DCPS through 8th and is now at NCS. Her process to get there involved constant one on one after school tutoring, summer academic programs, and weekend RSM classes. The cost must have been not much less than private so I’ve never understood why they didn’t bite the bullet a lot earlier and just pay for a higher quality school at a younger age.
Parent of a DCPS kid who joined a big 3 at 9th without any of these things ^^, questioning your observation and conclusions.
Anonymous
09/27/2024 17:01
Subject: Re:When to go private from DCPS
OP - we were in your shoes and had planned to wait until 6th to consider private. Covid accelerated our timetable and I’m glad we made the move in early elementary. The tuition bills are a lot, but it is harder to get in as kids get older. DS is happy and doing well. There’s no right answer. My parents switched me from public to private in middle school, but that was 30 years ago and things (especially in this area) are different now and competition for spots is fierce.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 21:15
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Our kids go to a neighborhood Title I DCPS school as an intentional choice. (We could have afforded private.)
We are now applying to move our oldest to private in 6th. We have always wanted to balance being part of an integrated society and community with our children being challenged academically. For our older one, we did this by augmenting at home, especially in math, starting during COVID. That's gone reasonably well. Even so, if I could go back I'd have made the move two years earlier.
So OP, in answer to your question, I wish we had moved our older child by 4th.
I agree, 4th was a sweet spot for us.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 20:49
Subject: When to go private from DCPS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:. In DC ? Are you kidding?Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP- we are in the same place as your. Our kiddo went to a private nursery school and is now in a charter for PK3. We're going to start private next year. I agree with a PP who said it's easier to move them when they are younger. I don't want to wait for behavioral issues to start before moving DD. We want to just avoid it all the way.
I also see private school kids being exposed to academic areas (especially science) starting in PK that public school kids aren't getting until middle school.
And yet, by HS, the top public schools spank the privates in STEM.
Which top DC high school is spanking GDS or Sidwell? That’s what I thought. This is a thread about DC publics not the soulless suburbs in FFX and Rockville
Ah yes, NW DC is the epitome of soul lol
Srsly, get it together 🥹. I live in NWDC but NOVA is diverse. You best get over yourself.