<p>fireflyscout: you make a good point. Obviously Texas isn’t doing THAT bad. Now let’s talk about Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Wyoming. . .the states with the lowest cutoffs.</p>
<p>It’s not about $. Smart parents produce smart kids. You can homeschool/unschool and your kids can be NMF’s for free–if they have the smarts.</p>
<p>The exclusive private schools are all about prestige and networking, IMO. No problem if rich parents want to pay for those perceived advantages–but not necessary by any means.</p>
<p>atomom- I strongly disagree. The private schools are about quality of teachers, small class size, love of learning, resources and safety. Remember, a lot of the kids who attend St. Mark’s and Hockaday live in the Dallas school district. Choosing private education made more sense to me than finding another place to live where one level of education (i.e. elementary school) might be excellent but another might be terrible (i.e. middle school).</p>
<p>I think SMS tries with respect to diversity, but as I pointed out earlier, the tragedy involving the suicide of my son’s peer shows how tricky that can be. That young man was literally caught between the Perots and the ghetto and simply couldn’t handle it. </p>
<p>Some of my best friends were SMS parents and are the most down to earth people I have ever met. What they have in common is a desire to provide their sons with the best education possible. Interestingly, I did NOT find the Hockaday parents as friendly. I felt a lot more competitiveness among the parents in that arena, for some reason. Some of them (including me) had kids at both schools, so go figure.</p>
<p>I hadn’t checked this thread in a while. Interesting prediction about Parish Episcopal, MOWC (post 67)…I wouldn’t be surprised! I’ve also gotten good vibes from that school.</p>
<p>I’m surprised no one from Dallas has brought up another great boys’ private school, Cistercian. They manage to graduate some stellar students at a much lower tuition cost than St. Marks.</p>
<p>I am not a fan of home schooling. I would pay double what St. Mark’s costs before I would home school my kid.
The resources, facilities and faculty of private schools are certainly not available to home schooled kids.</p>
<p>It would be pretty hard to list all the solid schools available in Dallas … in a wide range of tuition and admissions’ criteria. In this regard, Cistercian is to St Mark’s what Ursuline is to Hockaday.</p>
<p>The pecking order of the private schools is well established, and the feeder schools are sending different students to different schools.</p>
<p>BINGO! Tell her what’s she’s won, Johnny G.</p>
<p>I had a son who went to Jesuit and a son who went to our neighborhood public, each made their own choice because I was happy to have them at either. </p>
<p>In comparing the curriculum and level of difficulty, I found that the math and science classes were on par, the English and history classes were more writing based in the private. But, I felt that they both got a great education and are now successful college students.</p>
<p>Echoing MomofWildChild, I too strongly disagree with your assertions about private schools being all about prestige and networking.</p>
<p>While I agree that in many cases smart parents produce smart kids, there is still a difference in the overall education of a home schooled student. In the true liberal arts areas they may be able to compete with better public schools, however, there is not a home schooled student out there who can get the breadth and depth of advanced mathematics and science education unless their parents/home educators have advanced degrees in those areas and are current in their studies. I say this because even among ALL the public AND private schools in the state of Texas, St. Mark’s has the only AP Biology and AP Chem classes that Rice University will recognize for course credit. I don’t want to get into a debate over home schooling but your comment regarding NMF leads one to believe that the overall educations received are comparable when in fact that isn’t necessarily true in most cases. There are always very bright kids who test well too.</p>
<p>MoWC</p>
<p>The situation you describe was truly tragic but sadly was far more than being caught between the Perot’s and the ghetto. The mom (if you want to award her the dignity of that title) in question was out of control in sooo many ways and would have been difficult for him as a bright, ambitious young man to deal with in any environment, not just at SM. I’m not suggesting that the outcome would have been the same but he also might not have gotten as far as he had or for as long had he not been at SM. However for a school like SM to not continue to offer the opportunity of a world class education to less than privileged kids would be as sad as the one horrible incident that occurred. They are making a difference in kids’ lives; this past year a young man was awarded a full ride to HYPS that might not have even been able to GO to college without it, especially knowing the family circumstances surrounding him.</p>
<p>Well, Not exactly! Income is a VERY direct factor in SAT scores. And, with a small exception, the number of advanced degrees (smarter???) in the population is also.</p>
<p>Mass: (223 SAT cutoff)
33% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$:$53K
Per capita $$: $25K</p>
<p>Maryland: (221 SAT cutoff)
31% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$:$57K
Per capita $$: $25K</p>
<p>Texas: (215 SAT cutoff)
23.2% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$: $41K
Per capita $$: $19.6</p>
<p>**West Virgina<a href=“200%20SAT%20cutoff”>/B</a>
14% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$: $33K
Per capita $$: $16.4K</p>
<p>**Wyoming<a href=“200%20SAT%20cutoff”>/B</a>
21.9% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$: $34.7K
Per capita $$: $19K</p>
<p>**Arkansas<a href=“201%20SAT%20cutoff”>/B</a>
16% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$: $35K
Per capita $$: $16.9K</p>
<p>**Mississippi<a href=“202%20SAT%20cutoff”>/B</a>
16.9% of the pop 25+ have Bachelor’s degree or higher
Med. Household $$: $34K
Per capita $$: $15K</p>
<p>atomom also said:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have a long time acquaintance who home schooled his son. He told me that until his S turned 16 the boy had NEVER been outside the sight of either his father or his mother. </p>
<p>My S traveled all over Texas in track, CC and math club. Traveled all over the US in debate and Japanese competition. My S’s teachers had helped write several AP sections. </p>
<p>Over the years he heard speakers at SM who were famous thinkers and writers. In philosophy class he discussed ideas and thoughts other than just from biblical sourses. He learned about evolution and reproductive science. No subject was off limits and/or taboo.</p>
<p>He is a great public speaker from giving presentations at school. He knows from his school experience differences in people (including racial, economic and sexual persuasion), their ideas and prejudices. He met GIRLS and did social activites appropriate to his age. </p>
<p>He had a Japanese foreign exchange “little brother.” He got to meet and make personal connections with other kids who were Hindu, Buddists, Janes (his girlfriend), Muslims, agnostics and atheists. Just little things like that. </p>
<p>St Marks private education and life preparation: PRICELESS.</p>
<p>**eadad **: I doubt that MOWC wants SM to change its use of full ride scholarships to facilitate able students. It just was a damn shame and an unbelievable waste of opportunity. It makes me cry from frustration and anger. As did the suicide of the girl of affluence earlier that year at Greenhill.</p>
<p>A few years back (within the last 7) Rice asked ALL schools with AP programs in Texas to submit a detailed curriculum for AP Bio and Chem (and maybe Physics, though I do not remember on thiat one) as well as more narrative information. </p>
<p>Subsequently, they dug deeper into a number of individual schools offerings in these two areas. At that time, the only school that they fully accredited for a FULL year of credit and placement (including labs) was SMS because in their opinion, every one else was teaching to the AP exam and were not in fact equal to a full first year of college courses. This was relayed to me by several senior faculty members and may not now still be the case, but it was the case at that time. My S had friends at another local private school that were denied full year placement despite having scored 4s and 5s on the exams. Perhaps it served as a wake up call to the other schools.</p>
<p>If you look at the footnote regarding AP Physics this may be an indicator of what had been the case with AP Bio and Chem previously.</p>
<p>My D was a freshman at Greenhill when that occurred, it was also a terrible tragedy and in that particular case one that had had some early warnings in some of her writings (including classwork) and comments to friends that were unfortunately written off as pre-teen angst. The situation with the young man at SM really came out of the blue from what I remember.</p>
<p>eadad, I’m not dinging you. I put the Rice AP link up without comment. It could have easily been me. Half of what I know from only two cycles ago is already old news or incorrect. I have mentioned before that the half-life of my efficacy on this BB (and on my “knowledge” itself) is remarkably short. (Things keep getting faster and I keep getting slower.)</p>
<p>Didn’t take it as a “ding”…you and I have been around these boards for too long and I have ALWAYS respected and enjoyed your posts and sense of humor. In all honesty, I’m glad to see that it HAS changed; hopefully Rice didn’t relax their standards after getting too many complaints from other Texas high schools…but isn’t that how this original thread sort of began?</p>
<p>I started to PM you the other day to discuss your D’s and my S’s med school application process/experience but got sidetracked as usual.</p>
<p>If you get a chance and are so inclined, drop me a note.</p>
<p>Glad to hear acknowledgement that there are top-notch science programs in public schools in Texas. Our district’s problem has been keeping the good ones - they all move on to teach other teachers!</p>
<p>Of course, TFN (The mainstream voice to counter the religious right) is an interesting group:</p>
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</p>
<p>Fwiw, one should understand the differences between private schools and charter schools, and also understand how and why such hybrid animals have been allowed to see the light. There is a lot more than meets the eye.</p>
<p>Is it such a surprise that there are thieves and cheats in our education world? But, where does it ALL point to?</p>
<p>As a current TX high school senior, I’d like to add my 2 cents…</p>
<p>I go to a large public high school in a suburb of Houston, and our educational quality is amazing (at least in all honors/AP courses). Most who take AP tests get 4 or 5, and we have many NMF/Commended students. Getting into the top 10% is extremely competitive, and we consistently send students to top private schools (despite incompetent counselors… my only complaint). I personally know '07 graduates at: Yale, Brown, West Point, Harvey Mudd, MIT, Rice, Vanderbilt, etc. And many more that were accepted into the honors programs at UT (Plan II, Dean’s Scholar, etc.), A&M, etc… Our teachers are amazing, and many have said they interviewed to teach at our school specifically for its reputation in education (and sports).</p>
<p>I guess I just want to agree with rty456 in saying that while TX has its issues, I do not believe that the quality of education in TX is determined by public v. private. Also, my school district is classified as poor ($ wise).</p>
<p>As already stated, TX is very much an SAT state… ACT data is almost useless. Also, without offending anyone, TX does have a much higher percentage than other states of immigrants that do not speak English well and/or may not value a college education (not always related!). The Top Ten Percent Rule would also account for the “remedial classes” data, as the top 10% students from [Inner City HS] or [Rural Podunk HS] will obviously be poorly prepared for college level work. I’m not saying TX edu sys doesn’t need work (I think the whole US sys needs work)… I’m just giving possible reasons for those abysmal statistics.</p>
<p>I love my HS and wouldn’t change for anything. I feel so prepared for college, and frankly I’m a little offended by the posters who have made assumptions from out of state, etc.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, TAKS is a joke. lol. But I believe that’s been changed to be a final given in each subject each semester, rather than one broad test. Starts in 2009 I believe… won’t affect me so idk the details.</p>
I’m so sorry that you are offended by assinine assumptions. On this thread (as on most) they are made by people without the faintest knowledge of what they speak, but with a compelling desire to puff out their chest as if crowing “Me, and mine. The best there ever was. Er…uh…Caw.”. (I have largely stayed away from this thread because I do those things often enough on threads I start myself. ;)) </p>
<p>What are you to do? Engage in some internet argument with them that looks defensive and self-serving? You can but it’s not for me. I’m too old and tired. Lost my nerve . But you do what you feel is right.Thank you and your fellow non-innercity, non-podunk classmates for being a shining light, a veritable beacon for the rest of us Texans. Good luck in your future endeavors and if you see some of your less fortunate “age-equivalent” Texans, be kind to them. Will, ya? Share that day old Taco Torch burrito in your floorboard and please don’t floor your car as you approach them shuffling their cart across the intersection. I know you have important places to be but they’d appreciate it in their own simple way.</p>