Private School vs Public School (mover, attorney, law school)

[stoneclaw]

I really have no dog in this fight since I do not have children yet. But my understanding is that there's certain things you can get in private school that you can't get in public school and vice versa. While private school may offer a better education, it also is more of a controlled environment which the child may end up brainwashed and sacrifice some of their independence. Public school offers the ability to see different kinds of people. beliefs, etc which can be both good and bad.

But i see private school as a barrier, keeping the child secluded, thus caging the beast. Sometimes when you try to shelter someone for so long, it can backfire and can they grow up a little rebellious.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by KatieKennedy

My daughter went to a very good public school in HISD (rated in top 10 elementary schools) but then switched over to private school for middle and high school. The public school education was very good, especially for g/t kids. However, we found that the private school kids are about a year ahead in their curriculum than the public school kids. For example, in private school the kids take algebra in 8th grade and then move into geometry in 9th grade. They take Spanish and many are ready to go into Spanish 2 or 3 in 9th grade. The public schools have to teach to the all important ratings tests, and the class sizes are larger. If you are zoned to Harvard or Oak Forest, you can always go there for elementary and then go back private for middle or high school.

Ah, but if you are a demanding bastard that gets into the hair of admin at ever turn you just might find that your children are taking Algebra II at HISD their Freshman year.

How willing are you to study up on educational law and the constitution? If you know it like the back of your hand, you can get pretty much anything, anytime in public education.

Keep in mind what I do for a living and KatieKennedy, this was by no means a slight towards you.

Those that are in the system generally don't know better, and quite frankly who has the time?

[swopoe]

My oldest child is only 9 (today actually!), and my kids are in public school in FBISD, but I always find this discussion fascinating. When I was in school (and I graduated in 1994), I went to public schools. Granted they were in a mid Atlantic state, but still. I had two years of Spanish by the time I was out of middle school. I also had three years of calculus by the time I was out of high school (I started with algebra in the 7th grade). And that was all with a good ol' public education. Granted, it was the gifted and AP track back then, but still. I tested out of calculus in college and was a calculus tutor as a freshman, while many freshmen at my private college were taking calc I.

So there. Private isn't always better. As far as education goes, it not only depends on the school; it depends on the kid, and their parents. That's all.

[hendersj31]

I realize this has nothing to do with the education component of private vs public, but I agree with the statement below. My son attends private school and sometimes people will argue that we can obtain the same education in public school the "who you get to know" piece always gets overlooked. My son has friends who come from all walks of life but we also have friends who come from very successful families. Sure there are a few who will take advantage and do some of the negative things mentioned in this thread, but most seem to be good kids. I am happy that my son will have these connections as he grows. What if he wants to start a business of his own one day? He will likely know people who can help him. People with real business skills, lawyers, judges, doctors etc....
Sure you can make these connections anywhere, as well as get a good education anywhere, but private school in many cases just makes it easier.

Originally Posted by theSUBlime

People don't realize that with a brand name school there is also a network. Your network is what gets you a job and not really your personality or education. Most people get jobs because they knew someone and who has the best networks?

At the very least your friends were held accountable to care when it mattered (on paper). I'm not even sure my mom got my report card half the time. I'm sure you make plenty of money but there are people who make more than you, I'm sure.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by hendersj31

I realize this has nothing to do with the education component of private vs public, but I agree with the statement below. My son attends private school and sometimes people will argue that we can obtain the same education in public school the "who you get to know" piece always gets overlooked. My son has friends who come from all walks of life but we also have friends who come from very successful families. Sure there are a few who will take advantage and do some of the negative things mentioned in this thread, but most seem to be good kids. I am happy that my son will have these connections as he grows. What if he wants to start a business of his own one day? He will likely know people who can help him. People with real business skills, lawyers, judges, doctors etc....
Sure you can make these connections anywhere, as well as get a good education anywhere, but private school in many cases just makes it easier.

Um, you'll find the same connections in a good public school.

[crone]

My brother went to a very private school in Houston. His classmates had the same names as streets, building, museums and performing arts centers. Most were a bunch of slackers and drunks.

My neighbor's kid went to a noted northwest Harris County private religious school. Her entire class needed help with college freshman math.

Parents need to understand exactly what their kid needs to know and start advocating for their kids. Parents can rid a school of incompetent teachers and administrators. Most of the parents in Houston just want to be nice. They should be effective.

TASB and the organization for superintendents are one of the biggest scams in Texas. All we know about schools is what they tell us. What other group of business owners and employers gets by with blaming their failure on their victims. The education industry has had 100 years to learn how to educate the kids of dope dealers and hookers. The TEA and 75% of the trustees and superintendents should be run out of the state.

[Schumacher713]

What Crone said is what I generally found most friends that went to private schools. Slackers, drunks, and did lots of drugs. Their education seemed to be well behind mine. My friends went to St Thomas, Episcopal, SBS and St Johns. I will say that St Johns is the exception. Bother my friends that went there went Rice and Princeton. I still would not spend 30K a year on my kids HS education. I would rather buy a very expensive house in a good area. At least my house will appreciate. You are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars before college if you have multiple kids. That is just crazy to me. My neighbors kid was at a fancy private school. His parents thought he was so sweet and innocent going with his nice fancy schoolmates. In reality he was one of the drug dealers at school. Kids lie to their parents. No, not my child. Yes, yours too.

BTW, when I say drugs. I am referring to weed, coke, xtasy, prescription drugs. You name it.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by Schumacher713

What Crone said is what I generally found most friends that went to private schools. Slackers, drunks, and did lots of drugs. Their education seemed to be well behind mine. My friends went to St Thomas, Episcopal, SBS and St Johns. I will say that St Johns is the exception. Bother my friends that went there went Rice and Princeton. I still would not spend 30K a year on my kids HS education. I would rather buy a very expensive house in a good area. At least my house will appreciate. You are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars before college if you have multiple kids. That is just crazy to me. My neighbors kid was at a fancy private school. His parents thought he was so sweet and innocent going with his nice fancy schoolmates. In reality he was one of the drug dealers at school. Kids lie to their parents. No, not my child. Yes, yours too.

BTW, when I say drugs. I am referring to weed, coke, xtasy, prescription drugs. You name it.

I dont have kids in private or public...I went to pubic - K-->12, Private College, Public law school...I got a great education...My public education through High School & Law school was great....My private school college education was great.

If your concern is drugs - then it does not matter public/private. Drugs all the way from weed to Heroin are in ALL SCHOOLS. Yes, some of the private school kids have more money, so they can get more of it, but there are plenty of public kid schools where the brother of a kid there is the one selling it to the private school kid. There is no shortage of drugs/alcohol in ANY school...Same is true for sex and booze....no kid in the world care whether or not his parents are paying for school or not, when it comes to sex....Your stereotypes are inaccurate. Times have changed since I was in school, and EVERY school is rife with drugs/alcohol/sex - there is not a bigger problem with it in private than public.

What did I see as the difference? Attention. Private Schools care about the student more when it comes to responding to their needs...Why? Because you are paying for it and the school is held accountable. I never had problems getting into classes I needed in private school, if the class was full and I had to have it that semester, I petitioned the teacher, explained my circumstance and they opened a seat for me. It was easy b/c people there cared....they had too - they could be fired - unlike public schools. I have a brother at ATM, and UT, both have a terrible time getting classes. The professors don't open extra seats for you, regardless of your situation....they are tenured state employees with pensions, and they can't be fired. Accountability is less and there are so many students, that all the students blend in together to a professor....

I said it before, Ill say it again. Pick your school based on the demographics/morals/standards of the parents & students. Private vs public DOES NOT MATTER.

I made ALL of my connections that are valuable, and I mean truly valuable, in law school - not high school or college.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by hendersj31

I realize this has nothing to do with the education component of private vs public, but I agree with the statement below. My son attends private school and sometimes people will argue that we can obtain the same education in public school the "who you get to know" piece always gets overlooked. My son has friends who come from all walks of life but we also have friends who come from very successful families. Sure there are a few who will take advantage and do some of the negative things mentioned in this thread, but most seem to be good kids. I am happy that my son will have these connections as he grows. What if he wants to start a business of his own one day? He will likely know people who can help him. People with real business skills, lawyers, judges, doctors etc....
Sure you can make these connections anywhere, as well as get a good education anywhere, but private school in many cases just makes it easier.

The flipside of that is if your child is socially awkward, say bye bye to all your connections. Also, all the movers and shakers in town will remember your socially awkward child in the future.

[hendersj31]

Um, of course, I even said in my post that connections and education can be found anywhere. We chose private school because we lived inner loop and were not zoned to the best schools. In fact they were quite bad.

I am by no means advocating private over public. Private school just made it easier for us to get a better education as opposed to moving.

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Um, you'll find the same connections in a good public school.