Economic Effect on NYC Private Schools (Stuyvesant, Westport: middle school, university, moving)

[clevedark]

My friend moved to Brooklyn and put all her kids in the public schools there (elementary, middle and high school) and they did just fine. One is at SUNY Geneseo, and they've since moved to MA. She said the middle and high schools were a little dicey, but they couldn't afford private for 4 kids so let it be and supplemented at home where needed. Everyone survived.

I have a few friends who were educated entirely in the NYC public school system and they turned out just fine. Intelligent and well educated. Actually a few went to public universities in NYC, too. The key as the above poster said, was steady support at home for academics.

Look, you can get the best education from the most exclusive schools and, yes, for sure it can get you pretty far. It will open doors for you. But you can't teach mental agility. At some point your native intelligence will be far more valuable.

[Forest_Hills_Daddy]

I’ve been following this issue for a long time since I have a child turning nursery-age soon. What gives NYC private schools a lot of pricing power and the chutzpah to absorb a lot of overhead costs is that generally speaking, the choices parents have are at polar opposites. Either you send your child to an expensive private school w/ good academics (and other baggage like individualized instruction and extra-curriculars) or to a public school system where academic quality is inconsistent. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be that many “in between” options.

But that’s just on the surface. If parents looked hard enough, they will find options that are less painful on the wallet. For instance, some good Catholic schools charge only $5K to $7K per year, but you’ll have to contend with larger class sizes (20 to 25 per class) and fewer extra-curricular options. Or you can rent in good suburban school districts which offer a wide diversity of courses, but you’ll have to be on top of the subjects that your child will be taking or he/she might end up choosing the easiest and most fun subjects only.

[Viralmd]

With Catholic schools you also have to deal with the proselytizing, which is a basic function of the Catholic church. No thanks.

[Forest_Hills_Daddy]

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That's not true. You have to take religion subjects, but they won't force you to convert or attend Christian rites. One well-performing Manhattan school I looked into had 15% of students who were non-Catholic. If taking 3 units/year of religion classes is the only concern, then it beats paying an extra $20K/year.

[Viralmd]

No, it IS true. That's why my niece was removed from the Marymount Manhattan School. The faculty just couldn't resist.

[Forest_Hills_Daddy]

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I attended Catholic schools (Jesuit) for 16 years and had classmates from all faiths. None of them had issues w/ proselytizing. For my own child, I've looked into 7 schools in the Metro area all run by groups ranging from Jesuit, SSJ, Sacred Heart and the archdiocese. All had >10% non-catholic population. Marymount is the first time I heard this issue come up.

[Valentina86]

I went to a private Catholic school on Long Island for elementary school and then went to a NYC private school (Convent of the Sacred Heart) from 9th to 12th grade. So, my opinions are based on these experiences.The admission and interview process was a lot like what was already mentioned above. Since I applied in 9th grade I also remember writing an essay and having a teacher recommendation form from my previous school. My high school was also an all girls school. I feel that the faculty gave a lot of attention to students both academically, as well as towards athletics. The curriculum was also very rich and we did a lot of community service in the neighborhood. But I will admit that the days were a little longer than public schools and the faculty can be very strict and rigid in their conventions. I also did not get to keep most of my textbooks. Many of my peers were on scholarships, so there was a bit of economic diversity.
I just graduated with my masters in education and what I am struggling with right now is actually finding a teaching position. I would prefer a private school but it is probably wiser to look into both private and public, although both are not really hiring.

[clevedark]

Don't forget charter schools.

Good luck.

[homeowner35]

I read an article in the New York Times stating many people are moving to areas with good public school districts in NYC. Living within your means is now envogue.

[znycgirl]

Here's the NYTimes link.
It's a great article about "The sudden charm of public schools."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/re...s&st=cse&scp=6