Does Anyone Think They Got A Bad Public School Education? Inspired by Voucher Thread

[Christine]

I think I got a very sub-par public high school education.

I went to high school from 1979-1981 in the Prince Georges County (Maryland) public school system. I remember back then that very few parents were ever even involved in the school or helping their kids make choices. I know mine didn't. I was an only child and my parents lavished lots of attention on me, but it never occurred to them to be involved in my schooling or question anything that did or did not happen.

All throughout high school, I rarely had homework, never had to study, and always made As and Bs.

I never was assigned one "classic" piece of literature to read. We spent the bulk of English Literature watching filmstrips of Shakespeare and having our heads on our desks.

I was never prompted to take a math course higher than Algebra 1. When it was over, I was told I could take more electives.

When it comes to World History, I know nothing. In fact, I just got finished reading a fiction book (based on non-fiction) about Cleopatra. I was *stunned* at the outcome. When discussing it at work today, I realized that I was the only person who really knew nothing about Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Julius Caesar except that they existed. This is not the first time.

Fortunately, my elementary and middle school education gave me a good base and when I got to college I ended up being able to "overcome" this. Plus, I consider myself to be an avid reader so I think I compensated for a lot of stuff on my own.

But when I think back to my high school days, it just makes me shudder.

I remember meeting with my guidance counselor about college and he was encouraging some of my choices because they were "good party schools."

I would have to say that my experience with my own children in public school has, fortunately, been much different. But I was wondering if anyone had a crummy experience also?

 

[Chicago526]

Mine was fine, but I went to two of the better school districts in the state (grade schools and jr. high's are differant districts than the high schools, so I went through two districts).

I went to grade school in the 80's and high school in the early 90's. As far as I know, the school districts I went to are still very good, especially the high schools.

However, I can't afford to live in those districts unless I rent. To buy a home there is $300,000 to $500,000. The sad thing is that DH and I make good money. We just choose not to have over half our take home pay go to the mortgage. So we had to buy in a district that has a VERY bad reputation. We don't have kids yet, but we will look at the state of the schools when we do and decide if we will move or stay put. If we do stay we'll have to decide if the kid(s) will go to private or public. The schools here have been said to improved quite a bit in the past few years, DH and I will have to see if that continues.

 

[diznygirl]

I had a sub-par private school education. I went to Catholic school, k-8. The good teachers left for higher pay and better benefits at the public schools. I did learn how to follow rules.

I had a great public HS experience with caring teachers and a fantastic guidance counselor who encouraged me to apply to schools I thought I could not afford, explaining to me the benefits of financial aid.

Everyone's experience is different, and things change over time. I hear that this HS is not a good place to be currently.

 

[froglady]

Mine was OK, but only because I was in an accelerated liberal arts program. (there was a choice between English/History or Math/Science) There were two other general college prep levels, business/secretarial programs, and Vo-Tech programs. My best friend moved in 5th grade, and her school system was much, much better than mine. I visited her classes from time to time all the way through HS (she lived in a different state, so had different days off) and I was definitely out classed!

The fact that there were 2,000 students in the school also contributed to a mediocre education, IMO. We called it "The Factory."

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I know someone who is a functional illiterate who made it to junior year in HS in the Chicago public schools. Can't read addresses correctly.

 

[Christine]

Mine was OK, but only because I was in an accelerated liberal arts program.

You see--the fact that you even HAD an accelerated program, blows my mind. If my high school had one, well, it was a BIG secret then. It was never discussed. It just seemed like everyone was all mixed up. My classes had some real geniuses in them and also had some real idiots. There was no "track", no nothing. My high school also only had about 700 students (grades 10-12 only).

 

[Kimickey]

I think I got a very sub-par public high school education.

I went to high school from 1979-1981 in the Prince Georges County (Maryland) public school system. I remember back then that very few parents were ever even involved in the school or helping their kids make choices. I know mine didn't. I was an only child and my parents lavished lots of attention on me, but it never occurred to them to be involved in my schooling or question anything that did or did not happen.

All throughout high school, I rarely had homework, never had to study, and always made As and Bs.

I never was assigned one "classic" piece of literature to read. We spent the bulk of English Literature watching filmstrips of Shakespeare and having our heads on our desks.

I was never prompted to take a math course higher than Algebra 1. When it was over, I was told I could take more electives.

When it comes to World History, I know nothing. In fact, I just got finished reading a fiction book (based on non-fiction) about Cleopatra. I was *stunned* at the outcome. When discussing it at work today, I realized that I was the only person who really knew nothing about Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Julius Caesar except that they existed. This is not the first time.

Fortunately, my elementary and middle school education gave me a good base and when I got to college I ended up being able to "overcome" this. Plus, I consider myself to be an avid reader so I think I compensated for a lot of stuff on my own.

But when I think back to my high school days, it just makes me shudder.

I remember meeting with my guidance counselor about college and he was encouraging some of my choices because they were "good party schools."

I would have to say that my experience with my own children in public school has, fortunately, been much different. But I was wondering if anyone had a crummy experience also?

I too am a product of the Prince Georges County Public School System and i graduated in 1995. I felt like I was so behind compared to other school districts. I remember begging my mother to send me to New York for High School. I so badly wanted to graduate from Nyack High School because I knew the schools in Rockland County, New York were a heck of a lot better than in PGCPC. I now have a daughter and REFUSE to send her to PGCPS, my ex hubby and I would rather pay an arm and leg for private school, she is in the second grade now is getting some of the best education out there.

 

[Beth76]

I went K-5 to a private Lutheran school. We lived in the city of St. Louis and that was much better than the public school. Then we moved out to the suburbs, into a really good school district, so I went to public school. I think I received a better education at the public than I did at the private.

 

[Christine]

I too am a product of the Prince Georges County Public School System and i graduated in 1995. I felt like I was so behind compared to other school districts. I remember begging my mother to send me to New York for High School. I so badly wanted to graduate from Nyack High School because I knew the schools in Rockland County, New York were a heck of a lot better than in PGCPC. I now have a daughter and REFUSE to send her to PGCPS, my ex hubby and I would rather pay an arm and leg for private school, she is in the second grade now is getting some of the best education out there.

So, it didn't get any better after 1981??? I had sort of thought it might have improved a bit because people were coming down hard on them in the late-80s. We lived in P.G. County until my DD was 3 years old and then felt I *had* to leave. I know some people who have their kids in private school there and are still having troubles with disciplinary problems (this is in the southern end of the county).

 

[castleview]

Mine was fine. I had great teachers but not the most rigorous and diverse curriculum. I lived in a heavy senior citizen, mill town where very few parents had gone to college and education wasn't a big priority. Trying to get a drama club through the taxpayers didn't work! My parents were teachers so they knew better than to let me slide by with easy stuff.

Now that mill town has some expensive homes and the amount of extracurricular activities at the high school just blows my mind.

While my sister and I went to good colleges, I was always astounded by what other opportunities my roommates had in high school.

 

[Sandy V.]

It depends on the subject. Had a very strong English/grammar background; I can conjugate verbs and read with the best of them. Also strong in American History.

Math and science . . . okay, but not great.

Our kids definitely have had a much better public school education thus far than DH and I had. But we live in an area where education is valued more, and the high school is definitely college-preparatory.

 

[Kimickey]

So, it didn't get any better after 1981??? I had sort of thought it might have improved a bit because people were coming down hard on them in the late-80s. We lived in P.G. County until my DD was 3 years old and then felt I *had* to leave. I know some people who have their kids in private school there and are still having troubles with disciplinary problems (this is in the southern end of the county).

no the educational system in PG county just pushes kids right along whether they are problem children or not and it's sad. I think the biggest issue is parental envolvement. The teachers feel as if the parents don't care so why should they and therefore the spit out barely educated adults. My daughter goes to Riverdale Baptist in Upper Marlboro, MD and they are pretty tough. Expensive as all get up but very strict on disciple. I know live on Bolling AFB and she continues to go to Riverdale but may be attending one of the Charters schools here in the district because of the out rageous cost for her private school. Again PG county has not changed and I only see it just being a county school system the will forever be horrible. BTW I graduated from Forestville High School, what school did you graduate?

 

[froglady]

You see--the fact that you even HAD an accelerated program, blows my mind. If my high school had one, well, it was a BIG secret then. It was never discussed. It just seemed like everyone was all mixed up. My classes had some real geniuses in them and also had some real idiots. There was no "track", no nothing. My high school also only had about 700 students (grades 10-12 only).

This was in the 60s, and schools started tracking in 7th grade, based on previous grades and standardized testing scores. It had both good and bad points. Good if you fit into the mold and were an "early" bloomer, not so good if you did not have "typical" academic development. It was very difficult to move up into a higher academic track once you had been placed, and being misplaced in a track above your ability could be emotionally devastating. (Although most people were placed correctly.) It was all or nothing; all of your core subjects were the equivalent of today's honors/AP courses.

Edited to add that this was a VERY diverse school. Mostly blue color, but with a modest group of somewhat more affluent families (doctors & lawyers) and many children of Portuguese immigrants (Cape Verdean) and poor whites. It was mixed urban/suburban, and we even had FFA because there were still farms around(we had a truck farm and raised chickens when I was little); we had rural students from MA attending our RI school. The only lack of diversity was religious; there were only two Jewish families, and Protestants were in the minority. (Less than 25%)

 

[RadioNate]

My elementry and jr high education was fine. My mom made the choice to send me to private HS and I'm glad she did. My best friend when to the public HS, graduated with honors and completely struggled through community college. Her senior year HS classes were child care, yearbook and bowling while I was taking calc, physics and literature.

I know my education would have been sub-par had I went to the public HS. On paper my best friend had great grades/gpa but low act/sat scores. I had a lower gpa but much higher test scored. I went to a very competetive college prep school are while my GPA was above a 3.0 I was in the bottom 1/2 of my class.

 

[Christine]

Again PG county has not changed and I only see it just being a county school system the will forever be horrible. BTW I graduated from Forestville High School, what school did you graduate?

I graduated from Surrattsville.

Riverdale Baptist has always been a good school and my BIL went there back when they were all living in Bowie (in the early 90s) and the Bowie schools were terrible.

Some of the "problem" private schools I've heard of are the brances of Grace Bretheren. I know people who have kids there and it sounds like they might as well be in the public schools.

 

[Christine]

Her senior year HS classes were child care, yearbook and bowling while I was taking calc, physics and literature.

Get this: during my senior year (second half), I took English in first period and my second period was as a teacher's aide in Typing class. After that I got to go home because I was taking two college courses in the evening.

 

[catherine]

What I don't understand is how people can graduate from these type of schools when they can barely read and write! Is there not a basic level of education that people need to attain before they can graduate?

 

[Kimickey]

I graduated from Surrattsville.

Riverdale Baptist has always been a good school and my BIL went there back when they were all living in Bowie (in the early 90s) and the Bowie schools were terrible.

Some of the "problem" private schools I've heard of are the brances of Grace Bretheren. I know people who have kids there and it sounds like they might as well be in the public schools.

Riverdale is a good school but at the whopping cost of $7,449.84 a year and that does not include lunch or before and after care, takes a toll on your pockets. My cousins wife went to Grace Bretheren her entire schooling and went on the graduate from the University of Maryland. I also have a friend who removed her daughter from GB because of the discipline and the teachers so I've heard that they are getting pretty bad too.

 

[Christine]

What I don't understand is how people can graduate from these type of schools when they can barely read and write! Is there not a basic level of education that people need to attain before they can graduate?

Well, in Virginia they are supposed to be "stopping" all of that with the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. But I'm sure there is a way around it.

My cousin graduated and can barely read. I know he has some type of learning disability that was never explored/diagnosed, etc. Fortunately, he was able to overcome this and went the "mechanical/trade" way of life. He is a mechanic, a master electrician, and a home builder and makes millions of dollars. Unfortunately he still cannot read well and this is an embarrassment for him. It made it very hard for him to pass the tests he needed for his career. I'm not sure that I can blame the schools for his reading problem, but they definitely had a part in it--and to think he NEVER failed a grade.

 

[jgmklmhem]

I think I got a great public education....BUT I was in the gifted classes and then did the IB program in high-school. Haivng said that the IB program was placed in the poorest school just to get their test scores up. You could definately see the difference btw what we were being taught and what the "normal" students were learning. Some of the electives we had together and they were a joke. The tests were exactly the same questions as what was sent home as a study guide with answers provided.