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Phillips Exeter which is a few miles from here is over 36K a year to start for a day student. Almost 50k for a boarding student. Add a couple of thousand for misc expenses so you can easily hit 70k a year boarding, 45 for a day student.
A quick look at a state like Tx where they spend from 7.5k to about 9.5k per student.Most Texas districts do not receive money based on what it costs to educate a student there. Instead, the state bases what districts receive largely on how much they raised through property taxes that year. Low income area schools are far from good. come from a big money area and the schools are much better. anyone with the resources send their kids to private schools. Low costs mean a higher teacher to student ratio. Cost staff and that goes up.
But cost per student really doesn't mean the school is better or worse.
OK, a somewhat extreme example for one of the very top schools in the country. And $20k in "misc expenses" is a bit much and if true would probably be spent on the same kids if they were back home in their local public school.
I'm curious. I grew up in Brooklyn in the 80's. Most everyone I knew growing up went to parochial school. NYC Public schools at the time were not well regarded or favored.
Since moving to NJ, I see such a differentiation in mentality. Everyone wants to live in a good town with good public schools but nobody suggests moving a nice or decent town and sending your kids to a private school. Huge deals are made on the status of the public schools in towns when people inquire about potentially buying there. It was the standard m.o. for me growing up.
Nothing is wrong with private schools per se.
The problem is, as more and more people who can afford to send their kids to private schools do so, the public school increasingly become dumping grounds for the poorest, most troubled, most difficult kids to teach. Plus, the people with the means to fund a decent public school system don't want to do it, because they don't see their own kids benefiting from it. It is one of those cases where what may be the best decision for an individual family creates a disaster when millions other families do the same thing.
@Sawdustmaker--you are entitled to your opinion but in the spirit of sharing information freely, I just wanted to give you a few things to consider. In our district (Millburn) we don't get many "right out of school" teachers. When we do, they are generally fantastic as every spot that opens up gets hundreds of apps.
I agree. I wasn't trying to be confrontational, just debating points brought up by other posters. It all works out in the wash as everyone has their own opinions.
Why would seasoned teachers be looking for new jobs? They moved and want a job closer to home? Old school was terrible? Better pay/benefits? My first question would be "Why do you want to leave your present position?" What's the answer in Millburn?
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Anecdotally, I taught an enrichment class for some of the area schools and have definitely noticed that the behavior and attention span of the public school kids was miles away of the local parochial school. I almost wanted to write a letter to those parents as I felt bad they were wasting their money!
Which set of parents?
Isn't that the point of "enrichment" classes? To help the slackers? They're everywhere. Public/Parochial/Private/Home Schooled.
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I sometimes think that I had sent them to the private school I considered, they would have missed the opportunity to have become as responsible and "with it" as they have.... They are very centered, well rounded and well educated small people--and sometimes I think I might have missed a bit of that if the school I had sent them to was more coddling.
So what makes you think private schools don't teach responsibility? What makes you think they "coddle"?
Private schools (at least the one my kids are in and each and every other one my friend's children are in) are ALL about personal responsibility. From pre-K on up.
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So not arguing--just making the point that it's not so black and white.
I'm not arguing either.
Last edited by Informed Info; 11-22-2013 at 08:04 PM..
The problem is, as more and more people who can afford to send their kids to private schools do so, the public school increasingly become dumping grounds for the poorest, most troubled, most difficult kids to teach. Plus, the people with the means to fund a decent public school system don't want to do it, because they don't see their own kids benefiting from it. It is one of those cases where what may be the best decision for an individual family creates a disaster when millions other families do the same thing.
In Camden/Newark?
Those kids :
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the poorest, most troubled, most difficult kids to teach
Would be "there" anyway. Even if no one sent their kids to private.
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Plus, the people with the means to fund a decent public school system don't want to do it, because they don't see their own kids benefiting from it.
But there is no choice. They (we, in NJ) fund the public schools through property tax dollars.
What I would LOVE to see is how things would change if folks with no kids or aged-out kids or those who send their kids to private were relived of their obligation to fund public schools through property taxes.
No more "Super I" making $300K + per year. That would be for sure.
i'd love some examples of places with highly regarded public schools and whatever you consider to be "low" property taxes.
Philadelphia suburbs. My parents pay $3500/year in property taxes for a 3 bedroom/2BA split level on 1/2 acre. They live in Council Rock school district (Bucks County) which is a highly regarded district. In 1995, the kindergarten teachers were making $95,000 per year. I pay, oh, 3 times that in property taxes!
The districting is absurd in NJ. Every single town has it's own district which means all it's own highly paid school officials. East Millstone kids go to Hillsborough public schools but they have their own superintendent to ??? Look out for the best interest of East Millstone kids vs Hillsborough township kids?
Plus, the people with the means to fund a decent public school system don't want to do it, because they don't see their own kids benefiting from it. It is one of those cases where what may be the best decision for an individual family creates a disaster when millions other families do the same thing.
How does someone avoid funding the public school system?
The districting is absurd in NJ. Every single town has it's own district which means all it's own highly paid school officials. East Millstone kids go to Hillsborough public schools but they have their own superintendent to ??? Look out for the best interest of East Millstone kids vs Hillsborough township kids?
Are you referring to Millstone?
The bucolic little community of East Millstone is part of Franklin Township, and as part of that large township, East Millstone has no public officials of its own.
I do agree with you that the practice of towns having their own school superintendent--even if their kids are sent to schools in a neighboring town--is nothing short of bizarre.
However, your comment does not apply to the community that you mentioned.
Mine is around 12K. And there is NO way my kids are going to step one foot in the public school system. No Matter where we lived.
Just my preference.
Some people believe in private education, just as some believe in public education, and will sacrifice petty enjoyments to send their kids to a private school.
You don't have to be "super wealthy", you have to be of the mind that your kid's education comes first and if you can swing it? You give up that 2x a year vacation, 3x a week eating out, that expensive car, the all about YOU stuff.
Whatever floats your boat.
Whatever floats your boat - I agree with you.
I won't sacrifice all those things just so my kids can go to a private elementary schools that provides no guarantee on their success. I will however, sacrifice if there's a guarantee.
Look at the forbes 400 richest in America, how many of them actually went to private schools?
I, myself went to public schools through out, my parents never care about my education, and I do just fine, probably better than a lot of private school graduates.
I won't sacrifice all those things just so my kids can go to a private elementary schools that provides no guarantee on their success. I will however, sacrifice if there's a guarantee.
Look at the forbes 400 richest in America, how many of them actually went to private schools?
I, myself went to public schools through out, my parents never care about my education, and I do just fine, probably better than a lot of private school graduates.
LOL!
That's what everyone says who has an issue with private school.
I'm sure you do better than a few private school graduates that I graduated with. School, private or public doesn't change your home life if it's crappy, doesn't stop kids from being drug addicts/alcoholics or from being lazy. Doesn't make them genius' either.
Those who want to learn will do so in any environment. I chose a private school environment for my kids.
But how do you feel about college? There are no "free colleges" or grad schools or medical schools, etc. and NO guarantee there either.
I think you described the difference between those who believe in a private education and those who don't: the willingness TO sacrifice "all of those things" to provide their children the best education they can WITHOUT a guarantee (if sacrifice IS necessary to free up money for tuition. It's not always the case.)
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