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We are middle class and our children attend a private nondenominational Christian school. For one student in 8th grade and another in 1/2 day kindergarten, the tuition bill is $6000. It is so reasonable considering the quality of education they get there. I would not want my children in the public schools around here. The Christian school is tops in caring, small classes, extremely competent teachers who work because they feel called to and not for a paycheck, as well as other students all with concerned parents. We all volunteer at the school. It is a parent-run school - the parents meet at least twice a year to elect board members and approve the budget.
We're a middle-income family that has used both private and public school for our two boys. We made appx 80K and paid appx 12K yearly (for two).
My older son was in play-based preschool, Montessori K-3, and now in quasi-gifted public school classroom. My most positive impressions -- his K year in Montessori and his current year in public. Private schools don't all have the same safety net for catching kids with various issues like they do in the public schools. Reading recovery, speech issues, ld's -- these are very common and often ignored, missed or excused in private schools.
My younger son had an IEP for speech delays in early childhood program in our public school, then went on to Montessori his K year and is there as a 2nd grader doing really well. But I will probably transfer him to public in the next year or two as well, due to what I see as limitations in their curriculum.
If you child has any developmental issues, I would first try public and see if they can identify the issue and help your child. My eexperience has been nothing but positive with our public schools, and we're not in a fancy upscale district. However, I do know several parents that would NOT put their child in Public because they just see them as having certain strong (but not bad) personalities that would be penalized or vulnerable in public school.
I assume that you homeschool. Many false generalizations are made of homeschooling. You are doing the same here.
You can assume away all you want. The fact remains, private schools have the same issues as public schools but at a private school you can ' buy' silence and protection for your children's bad behavior.
I think that if you have a child with educational issues (developmental delays, ADD, dyslexia, etc..) I think you'd be better off with a great public school system. They are ususally much better equipped to handle these issues. Private schools are great for kids who are at or above average ability and want to do it all- sports, art, theatre, etc. In the public schools, especially the larger ones, only the 'best' kids get to that (start on the football team, for example). Also, the religious component of schools is important for many. The curriculum is also a little more flexible in the private schools.
You can assume away all you want. The fact remains, private schools have the same issues as public schools but at a private school you can ' buy' silence and protection for your children's bad behavior.
That statement is not accurate. Private schools are not under the same regulations as public schools. Therefore, private schools have the ability to ask students with disciplinary/behavior/academic problems to leave. Not so w/ the public schools, since they are regulated to serve each and every child.
As a parent of three kids, in both private and public schools.....believe me...I know.
Private schools are not just bastions of the priveledged. Alot of private schools offer financial aide, so there tends to also be some middle class kids, as well.
With my three kids, I have expreienced both public and private schools (private being different catholic schools) and have found the private schools more responsive to parents and their concerns.
Public schools are much more PC and spent as much time on "socialization" than on academics, in my experience.
That statement is not accurate. Private schools are not under the same regulations as public schools. Therefore, private schools have the ability to ask students with disciplinary/behavior/academic problems to leave. Not so w/ the public schools, since they are regulated to serve each and every child.
As a parent of three kids, in both private and public schools.....believe me...I know.
That is not entirely true. Public schools can certainly get rid of problem students through expulsion, suspension or sending them to an alternative school. It doesn't happen very often but there are avenues that public schools can take to get rid of trouble makers.
You can assume away all you want. The fact remains, private schools have the same issues as public schools but at a private school you can ' buy' silence and protection for your children's bad behavior.
Actually the opposite is true. You not only don't have the protection of not getting kicked out of a private school as you do in public school but the private school HAS to answer to ALL the paying parents...so if one kid is causing a lot of problems they will ask them to leave. That is smart business...cutting one family loose not to lose the 10 or so families that are complaining. In the public school they can move you to another school if it's really bad, but you can't get kicked out of public school all together.
When my daughter was in public school, second grade, there was child who would nut up and begin shouting and throwing books and things. The teacher had the kids practise getting under their desks upon command so they wouldn't be hurt by the books. Somehow I can't see that occuring in the school that she is in now.
And last year they came home and told me that the bus driver was going to teach some of the older kids how to drive the bus in case she passed out. I was sure that they had misunderstood, but when I inquired, I was told that that was correct.
Considering all options. We are of average means and we're considering sending or kid to a private school. We can find a way to pay for it, but we're also considering the social implications of being a kid of average working class parents in the company of priveleged kids.
IMO Catholic school is really not that expensive. I am not rich by any means either. The good thing about private school is that everyone knows each other. My son attends a small catholic school. There is one classroom per grade with an average of 15 kids in each grade. Basically they grow up knowing all the same kids. The only downfall I am seeing is that the private schools don't have as much resoures as the public schools. My son is struggling with reading, and I don't think he is getting all the help that he could be getting if he was in public school. So right now I'm struggling with the decision to keep him in private and get him a tutor, or put him in public and ultilize their resources?
Last edited by sweetmichelle28CT; 07-03-2008 at 06:32 AM..
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