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Pingry is excellent and one of the best in NJ. but application deadline for Kinderg for Sept 08 is closed. Delbarton is an all boys high school and I think Morris Town Beard too is for older kids. Delb is excellent. For youngewr kids, Pingry is tops then there is Peck in Morristown (I visited there and was told they offered Latin but not spanish and I thought that was strange and a bit snobbish; which is more relevant to 21st century? It claimed to be progressive but I felt it was a bit too intense for my girls) and for girls, Kent Place and Oak Knoll. Our Lady of Peace School in New Providence is a great, small, less expensive school. Montclair Kimberley too is great. I hear there are also a few great ones in Ridgewood area.
Go on the websites, call the schools and visit during school when you can observe the kids and see if the learning environment is a happy one.
Application deadlines are fast approaching and I am now waiting to hear if we got into Pingry, M'Clair or Kent Place. Will hear back from most schools in March.
My "care giver" for my 2 girls is an ex-teacher in Chatham and while she has kids in the schools there she says, if she can afford it, she would definitely go the private school route. There is also a catholic school in Chatham; I think its called St. Patricks, I hear that too is a great school.
Thank you! I just looked on the Pingry website and based solely on their curriculum I was not "wowed"--just again, because I am probably biased based on our experience here. It was good to hear you say they were considered solid--sometimes, the only way to see is to go personally. Certainly the web site alone is not enough. Do you mind sharing with me what you learned and what led you to the desicision to apply to the schools you picked? I understand if you prefer not to or if you want to PM me--whatever you are most comfortable with.....
I think regardless of what we do, we will probably at least try the public school system and hope for the best. However, as we are planning how much to invest in a home, where to live etc, I'd really like to have a solid "plan B" in place in case we opt out of public..... I can tell that PS is going to be a bumpy ride--for me anyway!!--due to what we got used to!! The kids will be fine--it's their mommy (me) I am worried about now that I got spoiled sending my kids straight into Sesame Street (which is what this schools' Early Learning feels like!)
Gosh, I hate moving....I wish we could stay. Of course, if we did, there would be issues here too.... So we will move to NJ, try and pick a great PS system and hope I mix in enough academics, love, nurturing, guidance, play, ethics, attitude, sports and most importantly some pixy dust so we can turn out well- adjusted, informed, intellectually curious and most importat loving and smart children!
Hmmm . . . I went to public schools that were supposed to be crappy (in South Florida), and I didn't know anyone who was struggling or needed a tutor. School reputations seem bizarre to me, and particularly ironic, given that you'd expect academic assessments to have some academic weight behind them.
The thing to watch out for with private schools is that so many of them are religious-oriented, and some temper the material they teach so that it's consistent with the attendant religious doctrine. That doesn't exactly fit any criteria that I recognize for a "good school".
Oh please, there is no school, public or private where every child is fabulously gifted in every subject....."and I didn't know anyone who was struggling or needed a tutor", is a rather silly statement. I'm guessing you didn't know too many people then because in every school some kids will struggle with some subjects no matter how good the school is. I personally don't have a private tutor for my kids, they are doing very well in this school system. Some people are more obsessed with grades, AP classes, the *best* universities etc etc and get tutors to make sure the kids are able to perform at that level. Personally I want an all round good education and happy, not overly stressed kids.
Is this a national figure or a NJ figure? The only teachers in NJ that I know of that send their children to private school live in towns where they feel the schools are less than adequate...usually because they can't afford to live in towns with better districts.
As a NJ teacher I can say that there is a big difference between school districts but a lot of it has to do with the parents. If you are concerned enough about your children's education and you participate in the education process it is likely that your child will do well in many educational environments...however, are the children in your child's classroom receiving the same level of home involvement? I clearly see this within the district that I work in. I see this with the children in my class. The parents that regularly communicate with me have students that perform better. They receive instruction and help at home. Whereas the students with little or no parent involvement with me are the students that never do their homework and generally progress at a much slower pace.
Parents who are concerned about education and make it a central factor at home are likely to move to towns that have strong school districts so the town ends up having a system where teachers and parents work together and the children's academic success follows.
So, to answer the OP's question, as a parent concerned about education, that are looking to move into a district with schools that demonstrate a high degree of success; these schools should provide your children with the support and rigor you expect.
all round good education and happy, not overly stressed kids.
I agree and have to say---while some private schools ABSOLUTELY create stressful environments for children, that is NOT what I am after....
What I want--if it exists--- is something akin to what we are experiencing here in Atlanta. A stress-free environment where children are taught in small groups, are challenged but supported, and in a place they enjoy attending every day. A school with a strong parent community where function matters more than form and where the only goal is to build our children's self esteem by inspiring and challenging them.... Is there such a place in NJ?
I realize I am part of a very special school here in Atlanta and I may never find that again. However, I truly hope that what I am experiencing here in this private school is *some* of what you find in some of the better public schools in NJ.... What I fear is teaching to standardized tests, emphasis on rote memory vs discovery and pigeon-holing children based on preconceived notions of where kids "should be" without accounting for individual differences.
Ironically, the very things I fear are the very things I personally experienced in the 80s in NJ parochial schools whilst growign up. The very things I seek are the very things I experienced when I finally broke out of Catholic school to attended public high school in NJ in the 1980s. But I have been told repeatedly that that was then and this is now.... Since i have not lived in NJ in over 10 years---and since I am getting my advice from a small group on very biased pro-private school folks-I am hoping to get the skinny here....0.
I have to say too that I am VERY involved. I am the room mom and on the PTA....and my children are not even in Kindergarden. They are 5 and attend a preK3-12 school. I got involved so I could keep an eye on things since my babies were 3 when they started. As it turns out, it has been a wonderful learning experience FOR ME. I developed amazing relationships with the teachers and administrator. Best of all, I have gotten to see first hand what a difference creative and experienced teachers can make.... If I were to stay in Atlanta and keep my kids at this school, I would do so knowing that in my case the money was going not to get them a "tony education" or to make us feel "cool". I'd stay here and I would pay the money because the children would be getting something of true value: a fantastic education, stimulation and a community around them that support the very goals we want to instill in our children: self esteem, discovery, citizenship.... By comparison, my friend's kids came home from school today with worksheets for homework. The type you get in the supermarket in those big "PRESCHOOL WORKBOOK" for $3.99....
I get sad when people assume private school is merely about the ego.... but I get JUST as sad when I consider that throughout most of the US our public school system is failing. (Not merely an opinion but a measurable and well known fact.) For all the knocks NJ gets ON THIS VERY BOARD, NJ has one of the most exemplary school systems in the nation. Knowing I won't have to pay for a top notch education is one of the most attractive features of coming to NJ. For that reason, my intent with this thread is to inspect if that is true! I hope you will continue to help me understand whether the best of the best public school wise will stand up to the little "private school that could" where we now send our kids.
Thanks for keeping the dialogue going. It is appreciated.
...and if the "oh boy" is meant to make me feel bad, please know it worked but... only a little bit! :-) I did not set out to be super mom, just kind of happened here! Once they know you are willing to volunteer, they are all over you! But kidding aside, I will try and do this again as it has turned out to be a decent strategy for them and a nice outlet for me. It truly has helped my kids both on advocating on their behalf AND in reinforcing what they are learning, etc etc. I have been more easily able to make friends (given we are not from here) and to enable playdates. Most of all, I can keep an eye on things and this has come in handy once or twice with twin 3, 4 and now 5 year olds. I do know this will become less necessary but right now, I feel good about that involvement. It works for us so don't knock it!
I
So, to answer the OP's question, as a parent concerned about education, that are looking to move into a district with schools that demonstrate a high degree of success; these schools should provide your children with the support and rigor you expect.
Let me throw a wrench into this discussion; what about the good public school in those towns with no diversity. As an A-American, I'd love to send my kid to one of those public schools but she'd be one of maybe 5 a-americans in the whole "excellent school". That wreaks havoc on kids' self -confidence ( I know, I went to a boarding school in England) and then there are teachers who have low expectations of them and so don't push them like they would other kids.
What to do? Look for private schools where diversity is becoming important; those schools are recruiting diverse faculty, admitting multi-cultural students, providing scholarships for kids with less means as well as incorporating diversity into the curriculum. This results in better educated kids who graduate and go to excellent colleges and are ready to tackle a world becoming more diverse on a daily basis.
So while I live in a town in Jersey where the schools are excellent and pay high taxes, I choose to look into those private schools that are working on providing a welcoming environment for children of all creeds, economic backgrounds, races and family structures.
Heaven knows where we'll get the annual $44k needed for both our girls but what better to sacrifice for...............
Ironically, this is a HUGE issue at our private school right now. The school has diversity--for example, we have a child of disabled parents, a child of a gay couple and latino (us) and asian children. Fab but where are the African Americans???!!!! Especially in Atlanta!!! I have a very close AA friend and I feel for her children because they don't have enough people who look like them reflecting back...
I agree and have to say---while some private schools ABSOLUTELY create stressful environments for children, that is NOT what I am after....
What I want--if it exists--- is something akin to what we are experiencing here in Atlanta. A stress-free environment where children are taught in small groups, are challenged but supported, and in a place they enjoy attending every day. A school with a strong parent community where function matters more than form and where the only goal is to build our children's self esteem by inspiring and challenging them.... Is there such a place in NJ?
I realize I am part of a very special school here in Atlanta and I may never find that again. However, I truly hope that what I am experiencing here in this private school is *some* of what you find in some of the better public schools in NJ.... What I fear is teaching to standardized tests, emphasis on rote memory vs discovery and pigeon-holing children based on preconceived notions of where kids "should be" without accounting for individual differences.
Ironically, the very things I fear are the very things I personally experienced in the 80s in NJ parochial schools whilst growign up. The very things I seek are the very things I experienced when I finally broke out of Catholic school to attended public high school in NJ in the 1980s. But I have been told repeatedly that that was then and this is now.... Since i have not lived in NJ in over 10 years---and since I am getting my advice from a small group on very biased pro-private school folks-I am hoping to get the skinny here....0.
I have to say too that I am VERY involved. I am the room mom and on the PTA....and my children are not even in Kindergarden. They are 5 and attend a preK3-12 school. I got involved so I could keep an eye on things since my babies were 3 when they started. As it turns out, it has been a wonderful learning experience FOR ME. I developed amazing relationships with the teachers and administrator. Best of all, I have gotten to see first hand what a difference creative and experienced teachers can make.... If I were to stay in Atlanta and keep my kids at this school, I would do so knowing that in my case the money was going not to get them a "tony education" or to make us feel "cool". I'd stay here and I would pay the money because the children would be getting something of true value: a fantastic education, stimulation and a community around them that support the very goals we want to instill in our children: self esteem, discovery, citizenship.... By comparison, my friend's kids came home from school today with worksheets for homework. The type you get in the supermarket in those big "PRESCHOOL WORKBOOK" for $3.99....
I get sad when people assume private school is merely about the ego.... but I get JUST as sad when I consider that throughout most of the US our public school system is failing. (Not merely an opinion but a measurable and well known fact.) For all the knocks NJ gets ON THIS VERY BOARD, NJ has one of the most exemplary school systems in the nation. Knowing I won't have to pay for a top notch education is one of the most attractive features of coming to NJ. For that reason, my intent with this thread is to inspect if that is true! I hope you will continue to help me understand whether the best of the best public school wise will stand up to the little "private school that could" where we now send our kids.
Thanks for keeping the dialogue going. It is appreciated.
Lola
Well, good luck in your search. Maybe something you could do is narrow down the area and then look at local schools, both private and public. I have to admit the school your kids are in at the moment sounds lovely.
One thing an old lady said to me when I had my first child was the best thing she ever did for her children's education was to join the PTA, and volunteer in the classroom. Sounds like you're already half way there.
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