Regents School of Austin vs. other private schools (Andrews, West: theatre, elementary school)
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I used to attend a youth group with kids that went to Regents... they were very "exclusive" and rather snobby! i didn't enjoy "hanging out" with them at all! then, because they have such nice grounds and such, many of the kids were shocked at how "poor" other schools looked when they played games there- I played them!. these kids usually all live in West Austin, have million dollar homes, and have the best of everything! i could never go to regents!
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Take a look a private schools. Without exception they exclude anybody they don't believe has the ability to pay or who appears to be a difficult student. All others are dumped into the public schools. Indeed, I believe it is the very people who send their children to private schools who are most vociferous in their attack on public schools.
Raskolnikov, or anyone else with kids in private schools. Would appreciate your thoughts.
(Shamelessly cut and paste from a different forum)
Take a look a private schools. Without exception they exclude anybody they don't believe has the ability to pay or who appears to be a difficult student. All others are dumped into the public schools. Indeed, I believe it is the very people who send their children to private schools who are most vociferous in their attack on public schools.
Raskolnikov, or anyone else with kids in private schools. Would appreciate your thoughts.
Well it certainly makes sense that a private school (which bottom line is a business) would tend to favor those who can afford their services, no surprise there. And yes, they will tend to favor students who "fit in" to their vision of an ideal classroom mix. And yes, folks who send their kiddos to private schools often/usually do so because of perceived weakness of public schools (and they are indeed often not shy about expressing those weaknesses). So at face value most of the comments above are indeed correct.
I think though using terms like "dumped" is highly misleading. I guess all those poor EISD parents are "dumping" their kids into Westlake High. And those poor kids who are being forced to suffer through a lesser education at places like LASA and Westwood High.
It's funny, I know parents who sit on both sides of the fence. Some who who never dream of sending their kids to the evil public school system and those who can't fathom the stupidity of wasting money on private schools. Personally I choose the option that best fits the kid, the situation, and goals. Each has things to offer and in my opinion it's important to remember that the schooling, while important, is only a step along a path to adulthood and it's that goal of having my kiddos turn into happy fulfilled adults that are coming as close to maximizing their potential that drives any decisions I make, not preconceived notions of pre-adolescent schooling.
I'm a parent of St Andrew's students and can tell you that about 18% of the student body is on financial aid. A strong effort is made to achieve socio-economic diversity.
The part about difficult students depends on the school. St Andrews will try to work with ADHD students (see story on their front page) but it (and most private schools) doesn't have the size and scale to handle more serious issues.
I personally know several kids who have been kicked out of school for behavior issues, and frankly, this is something I like about private school. At their public school, these kids disrupted my kid's class constantly. When they did this in private, they were eventually asked to leave at the end of the year when they couldn't adjust their behavior.
Most parents I know well at St Andrew's support all schools, and do not attack public schools. Most are actually quite pleased with their public elementary school options...just not their ms and hs choices.
Last edited by GreenPlastic; 03-04-2011 at 07:58 AM..
My experience with private schools is much like Green Plastic, more financial diversity than you might think and often students with a variety of learning styles who benefit from the smaller class sizes of private schools. There are many MANY dyslexics in private schools (and not just schools that specialize in dyslexia) as well as folks with sensory integration issues, mild autism, and ADHD.
What you won't find in private schools are kids who qualify for federally funded meals (there are elementary schools where that percentage approaches 80+%), kids with a parent in jail, foster kids, kids from abusive families, kids from highly disorganized/fragmented families, kids facing homelessness.
In some public schools, one of the reasons that dyslexics, ADHD, and kids with learning differences are not better accommodated is that triage demands that teachers and administrators focus on the larger problems outlined above that affect some students.
As a citizen and taxpayer, I want excellent public schools for the benefit of all society. As a parent, I have to look at the needs of a single, unique child and find the place where s/he will thrive.
Thanks to the 3 of you for your insights. It seems to me that the odds of a child reaching his or her full potential is much higher at the private schools.
Equal opportunity at public schools is a great concept. But it seems to have been replaced with equal outcomes. In other words, they have become pits of mediocrity. Conformity and fear are not conducive to learning.
My boys are in public elementary schools this year. We will most likely make the switch to private schools (if we get accepted). Will find out this month.
Thanks to the 3 of you for your insights. It seems to me that the odds of a child reaching his or her full potential is much higher at the private schools.
Equal opportunity at public schools is a great concept. But it seems to have been replaced with equal outcomes. In other words, they have become pits of mediocrity. Conformity and fear are not conducive to learning.
My boys are in public elementary schools this year. We will most likely make the switch to private schools (if we get accepted). Will find out this month.
Caution, don't be lulled into a false sense of complacency when it comes to private schools. Not all private schools are alike and simply going to a private school doesn't ensure "reaching full potential". Personally I think the two things that factors highest into whether or not a kiddo will reach their full potential is a) the teacher (regardless of the school type) and b) the parents. Given that, if you take the time to be on top of your kiddos education, and that includes paying close attention to the teachers they get, then they have an excellent chance of doing well. Just spending $17K a year and plunking your kid into some private school with the expectation that they will "take care of it" will probably won't lead to enough of a statistically significant difference when you take into acct the financial investment. This isn't pointed at you, I just wanted to make sure folks took that into consideration.
Private schools do have the option of choosing their students, and that can make a huge difference, not just because they are choosing the student- they are choosing the FAMILY. Public schools have to make do with whomever walks through the door, at any point in the year. That makes a world of difference. Private schools also have the option of having kids leave if there are issues.
I also think that teachers have more freedom in private schools to teach the material their own way, depending on the classroom they have. This isn't the case in most public schools.
Parents have to take a strong stand in education, and in private schools parent participation is EXPECTED. Try not showing up to a teacher conference at a private school- you'll be hounded to death!
In the end, we all agree that a strong public school system is needed for a country like ours. Many of us disagree on how to achieve the best public school system. I don't think that criticizing the public school system we have now is unpatriotic, or wrong. It's apalling how much money we have thrown at the public school system and it's still not the best in the world. I have a huge problem with that.
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