Interesting article about schools (Newark, Elizabeth: neighborhood, school district, college)

[ansky]

I came across this article today. It is specific to the West Orange schools but I'm sure the same holds true in other communities. I found two points interesting. 1) that there has been a recent exodus of students leaving private schools to attend the public schools. This is not too surprising considering the state of the economy and I'm sure many families are finding it difficult to pay the tuition. And 2) I found it interesting that people are finding the public schools actually offer a better quality education and more opportunities than private schools. Many people automatically assume that private schools are better.

West Orange Schools Battle Larger Class Sizes, Less Teachers - West Orange, NJ Patch

[bradykp]

Originally Posted by ansky

I came across this article today. It is specific to the West Orange schools but I'm sure the same holds true in other communities. I found two points interesting. 1) that there has been a recent exodus of students leaving private schools to attend the public schools. This is not too surprising considering the state of the economy and I'm sure many families are finding it difficult to pay the tuition. And 2) I found it interesting that people are finding the public schools actually offer a better quality education and more opportunities than private schools. Many people automatically assume that private schools are better.

West Orange Schools Battle Larger Class Sizes, Less Teachers - West Orange, NJ Patch

having come from an upbringing in private school education in Pennsylvania, where many public schools are a road to nowhere (parantel apathy due to rural living, kids will be taking care of the farm, why go to college, etc) unless you're fortunate enough to live in a town that people care, where property taxes are higher etc etc, i ended up in college with a bunch of students from NJ's public schools who had the same exposure to AP classes as I did, same preparation as I did, and in many cases, better class options than I did.

I've been telling people for a while now, even the "average" public schools in NJ are pretty darn good. Tuition from my high school topped out at about $6,500/yr my senior year. It's currently comparably priced to Seton Hall Prep in W.O. I just am not sure what the real benefit of going to a private school in NJ is...especially at the cost of many of them?

[mumra]

I cant believe i read that article but as a WO alum i felt drawn to it.

The only thing i find interesting in that article is that the average teacher salary is 80K, and automatically think WO = high taxes lol.

[Whoelsebutcharles]

Originally Posted by mumra

I cant believe i read that article but as a WO alum i felt drawn to it.

The only thing i find interesting in that article is that the average teacher salary is 80K, and automatically think WO = high taxes lol.

Those taxes are feeding Newark.

Besides that, private education IMO is an expense that should be avoided if possible, esp in the suburbs. Born and raised in Staten Island, we were the only family in our neighborhood (Annadale) who used the city public schools. Everyone else we knew was in Catholic school. Both my parents went through Catholic school in Brooklyn (mother used Cherry Hill public schools from 1970 on when they moved to NJ). They felt the way the Catholic school systems worked was too overwhelming and straight-jacket-esque and wanted a more down to earth environment. Needless to say we were going to school with children of junkies and jailbirds, who were outright troublemakers.

Any suburban school district is fine as long as the parents put forward their support and substantial involvement.

[RobRiguez]

Ive said it before, Ill say it again. I graduated from Elizabeth High School in 93 the top 5% of my class with a 1475 on my SATs, full ride to Rutgers accepted to BU, NJIT, and Stevens. I learned how to type using a word processing program on a computer not a typewriter. I was doing DO LOOPS and GOTO Statements and creating batch commands in BASIC at 8yrs old. I was doing Algebra and starting to learn about Physics at 10. I was first chair in the All City orchestra for 3 years before I gave it up. I had everything available to me at my fingertips and I used all of it. All provided to me through what many would consider an abhor-able public school system. I grew up poor, on welfare, surrounded by gangs and drugs and a lifestyle that was constantly trying to derail me. For all their faults, it was my parents that put me on the straights. It was my teachers that kept me there.

I not trying to toot my own horn. I'm just giving a personal example of how the NJ public school system DOES (or at least did in my case) provide awesome possibilities for children that want to and can excel.

[MaverickDD]

Originally Posted by mumra

I cant believe i read that article but as a WO alum i felt drawn to it.

The only thing i find interesting in that article is that the average teacher salary is 80K, and automatically think WO = high taxes lol.

There are some things in the article that I find to be a stretch too... like that $80K "average teacher salary." I doubt it.

Earlier this year, NJ.com reported that the average teacher's salary in West Orange was barely $69K. How did it jump $11K in seven months?

I suspect the $80K figure also averages in administrators' salaries -- and that the reporter played fast and loose with the numbers for purposes of aggrandizement, once again making it appear that teachers are paid more than they really are.

Or maybe the 28 teachers who were RIFfed were all on the low end of the payscale? That would make sense given seniority rules, and it could raise the newly calculated average significantly -- but an $11K difference seems beyond the realm of likelihood.