Submitted by IndicationOver t3_ybjqmq in Connecticut
johnsonutah t1_itgrmrj wrote
Reply to comment by mintccicecream in CT got 3rd best school system after NJ, MA coming in first. by IndicationOver
Entirely depends on the town. Darien, Westport, New Canaan etc in Fairfield county, no need to private school. Same for farmington, Glastonbury, and some other towns in central ct.
Cities - need to go magnate or private
GoPikachuGo1 t1_itimmdb wrote
Pretty much this.
Would never send my kids to public school in Bridgeport, NH, Norwalk, Stamford, etc.
People who claim these are good schools are frankly in denial.
mintccicecream t1_itgs1t8 wrote
Thank you! Would there be any benefit to sending kids to a private school if we did decide to settle down in one of those towns?
fatherfatpants t1_ith3upy wrote
The only real difference (outside of religious schools) is that they are inevitably going to rub elbows and maybe even befriend the kid of someone with connections. Very often connections give people huge boosts in life.
That said public schools in those towns are great and I very much doubt that the level of education will be much, if at all, different.
IndicationOver OP t1_ithuiun wrote
>Very often connections give people huge boosts in life.
100% true, I don't know why people downplay where one goes to University for this very reason.
WhittlingDan t1_itiytnm wrote
Because people want to believe its a meritocracy.
Time_Yam301 t1_itjq484 wrote
Because it really only applies to a few select schools. For high school, there are only a few in CT - but probably more than any other state. At the college level, also perhaps a few nationally. Maybe 20 at best.
If you go to Choate and Yale, great. But that's rare.
76before84 t1_itm4wh9 wrote
That's the whole premise of ivy league schools and why I support a degree of legacy acceptance.
mintccicecream t1_ith6e3w wrote
Both of your comments are great takes! To be frank, I feel that I am well connected considering my parents weren’t and I worked my way up(although you don’t know what you don’t know so I’m 100% sure there are much better connections out there). For now, I think it would be better to invest in extracurriculars and spend quality time with my future kids/guide them academically to ensure that they become good people. I think I would honestly be embarrassed to be the poorest parent at a private school, but maybe my opinion will change later.
Thank you so much for your insight!
johnsonutah t1_ithcxbf wrote
If you settle in one of the Fairfield county towns I mentioned then no point to private school, as the public schools in those towns are among the best in the nation and better than many private schools. The only thing “better” IMO are elite New England boarding schools (eg Choate, Loomis Chaffee, Pomfret, Andover, Exeter etc). Those schools cost as much as college and your child most likely will not get the best experience unless they live there as a boarding student.
If you settle in Avon, Farmington, Glastonbury, Simsbury, West Hartford etc I would still argue that private school is not worth it because these are excellent school systems. An involved parent + these school systems + eyes wide open on how the college process works results in great education and optimal college outcome. I would definitely take these schools over generic private schools or religious private schools (from an education and community perspective).
Id also say that there are other towns with “average” school systems that are good relative to the rest of the country, and with involved parents kids will get a great education still and can indeed land at top colleges.
I saw someone below mentioned attending an Ivy League feeder private school - I also did. The education was great, but it cost so much that I couldn’t afford to attend an Ivy League and had to seek a scholarship elsewhere (just something to consider…)
mintccicecream t1_ithdy6s wrote
Thank you :) that is great insight. Fairfield County seems like the perfect place to settle down honestly.
The people on this sub are great and so informative! I’m really grateful.
IndicationOver OP t1_ithu8dr wrote
>Fairfield County seems like the perfect place to settle down honestly.
Literally probably one if not the best places to reside in USA.
notbad2u t1_iti09m7 wrote
Yes it just costs a lot. It's like a Rolls Royce, it's great area car if you have the money but you don't want that used one from ebay.
curbthemeplays t1_itly9mm wrote
Completely ignoring whole counties of the state with excellent schools?
johnsonutah t1_itlyjjb wrote
Not following - we don’t have county school systems in CT, they are town by town. I listed some of the best school districts by town - the list is not intended to be all encompassing.
What are some lesser known excellent towns for school systems?
curbthemeplays t1_itlzvy5 wrote
I wouldn’t say they’re lesser known. There’s excellent schools outside central CT (Hartford County) and FFC. Example, New Haven County has Woodbridge/Orange/Bethany, Madison, Guilford, Southbury.
As an aside, even the “next rung down” schools are pretty good. They don’t need sparkling test scores to be a place to get a great education.
johnsonutah t1_itm5y5y wrote
Yeah I guess in my head I know those schools aren’t in FFC but I sort of group them into that southern portion of the state
What are some of the next rung down schools?
curbthemeplays t1_itm7ivv wrote
Like Bethel, Milford, Branford, North Haven, Oxford, Southington, etc.
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