Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes you pay to be told what you want to hear.

And sometimes, you tell yourself what you want to hear.

I honestly don't understand why anyone who could afford private would send their kids to public. Growing up, I attended a parochial K-8, then the IB program of a "top" public and a private school. There is no question in my mind which was the best experience- not just academically, but all around.

We moved our kids from private to public and now they're more challenged and happier socially. There are other DCUM posters who have had the same experience, being shocked to find that their public was better than their private. Personally, although my kids were in a "good" private according to DCUM, I can't understand why anyone would pay for a second-rate private school. YMMV, of course, depending on what your kid needs and the quality of your public.

Are private schools in US unique? How do we Americans score on International Pisa exams?

Anonymous wrote:http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/private-schooling-myth-debunked-20131012-2vfda.html#!

Nothing, academically!

This article is about schools in Australia.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/private-schooling-myth-debunked-20131012-2vfda.html#!

Nothing, academically!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the name of the Catholic school with 100% phonics based reading and Latin that a pp mentioned?

I'd like to know, too. Anyone?

St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes you pay to be told what you want to hear.

And sometimes, you tell yourself what you want to hear.

I honestly don't understand why anyone who could afford private would send their kids to public. Growing up, I attended a parochial K-8, then the IB program of a "top" public and a private school. There is no question in my mind which was the best experience- not just academically, but all around.

And if it's true for you, then it must be true for everybody! (Or maybe not.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the name of the Catholic school with 100% phonics based reading and Latin that a pp mentioned?

I'd like to know, too. Anyone?

Can you guys please stop arguing for a few seconds to answer the question above? Thx!

I honestly don't understand why anyone who could afford private would send their kids to public. Growing up, I attended a parochial K-8, then the IB program of a "top" public and a private school. There is no question in my mind which was the best experience- not just academically, but all around

It depends on what your options are. There are some parochial schools that offer pretty shitty educations. In the city I currently live in (no longer DC), the private options are far worse than the top publics, especially the magnets. They are far better than the mediocre to terrible publics, but the resources they have don't even come close to the top public schools. In the DC area there are so many great private and public schools that this really is a matter of opinion, what your family values, and what is the best fit for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes you pay to be told what you want to hear.

And sometimes, you tell yourself what you want to hear.

I honestly don't understand why anyone who could afford private would send their kids to public. Growing up, I attended a parochial K-8, then the IB program of a "top" public and a private school. There is no question in my mind which was the best experience- not just academically, but all around.

I think all the previous anecdote really says is different kids thrive in different environments. But there isn't anything inherently better about private versus public schools. Both have their advantages and pitfalls. There are really really phenomenal private schools and really phenomenal public schools and mediocre schools of both types.

If your high school is Wilson, there are plenty of kids from Lafayette, Murch, Janney, etc. who go to private middle and/or high school. If you are on the fence about spending huge sums of money in the early grades when you have a great public school nearby just for a guaranteed slot in high school, well that seems kind of silly. Who knows if your kid will thrive in that environment by that time anyway? So many things change by that time.

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes you pay to be told what you want to hear.

I'm not sure how seeing progress in national standardized test scores is paying to be told what I want to hear.

Sometimes you pay to be told what you want to hear.

Anonymous wrote:18:22, you realize, don't you, that your daughter is not working at the highest level. In fact, her private is selling her (and you) a bill of goods (literally!) that she is the best and the brightest. In fact, you say it yourself, she would not make it to the top group at a W school. Re-read your post and re- think whether it makes more sense that 1) the school magically coaxes some heretofore unseen genius out of your kid or 2) a school that wants your $30k has convinced you that they have?!

On a recent standardized test, she scored in the top 10% in reading and is right down the middle in math. She has excellent vocab and science top 1% nationwide. While she may not be as capable as some kids in the "W" district, I believe that the teachers teach to the standards of the high level group public group. So my DD is exposed to the highest level curriculum. She has made leaps and bounds progress.

18:22, you realize, don't you, that your daughter is not working at the highest level. In fact, her private is selling her (and you) a bill of goods (literally!) that she is the best and the brightest. In fact, you say it yourself, she would not make it to the top group at a W school. Re-read your post and re- think whether it makes more sense that 1) the school magically coaxes some heretofore unseen genius out of your kid or 2) a school that wants your $30k has convinced you that they have?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not PP but I agree that in general public school is great for kids at the VERY top as since there are so few of them, the public school has resources that the privates don't for these kids. For a motivated kid, they will have to work harder in the public to get the resources that they need but maybe the extra effort will pay off later in life. For a kid like my very average in some areas to super smart in others DD who is also not particularly motivated, private is a godsend. Every year though I say we will look at the public school and we don't. My younger DS may be a candidate for magnet. If so, it will be hard to say no.

Really?!?! I'm a PP who has had kids in private and at a "W" school in MoCo. It is just wrong, and funny, to suggest that there are "so few" of the very top students at the top public schools. Couldn't be farther from the truth. Some of these kids are knock-your-socks-off smart. Do you really think the doctors, lawyers, PhD's, lobbyists, journalists, etc. of Bethesda don't have equally smart, qualified kids in the public schools as the doctors, lawyers, etc. who send their kids to private? If you believe that, you are drinking some kind of kool-aid. Public or private, there are many very smart kids in this area.

I think you misunderstand what the PP was saying. I think the original point was simply that private schools are too small and don't have the same resources to deal with super-bright kids as well as public schools do. I completely agree with this. If you have a kid who's very bright, a good public school is a fine place. However, I also agree that if you have the average student who's not very motivated, private schools can be a godsend.

I posted the comment about the very top and PP explained what I meant. Completely agree that they are a lot of smart kids in public....but there aren't by definition many very top kids anywhere. I'm talking about the kid who memorized the periodic table in kindergarten etc...privates don't have resources to deal with these kids so public is better. My DD isn't that child. In public my DD who isn't super motivated would probably have been put in middle groups but at my kids' school they teach everyone at the advanced level. Now socially she loves her school two recesses, excellent art, music etc...She has a great peer group. She LOVES her school. At this point though I am thinking if it is not broken don't fix it. BTW I don't drive fancy cars or am status conscience. For my DD, I feel like I am providing her with a better future given her personality.