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If you had enough money, would you send your child to public (government) school or to a private school & Why.
Parochial (which is Roman Catholic doctrine) but is considered "private" b/c it does not have to 100% adhere to government standards,which allows for greater flexibility in teaching & better discipline & rules.
I attended parochial 1-12 grades.
My dh was public.
It's just not a question in our home...the environment of parochial does not compare to public. I am a very strong believer in the parochial system& over time, my husband has also seen the light I am a SAHM, but if need be, I'll work nights/weekends to be the tuition source. I've taught in both public & parochial & hope to never have to teach in public again (state mandated testing that takes up the entire year & dress code to start the list of reasons why not...). I teach middle school so there are just some things that interfere with education at that level that can be avoided in the parochial system.
I've considered homeschooling, but I am so happy with the area we live in & the school that our children will be attending that I look forward to sending our sons there.
We currently have our older kids in private school. They are finishing 7th and 9th grade (today is oldest's last exam). They went to a public charter school for elementary school and my youngest is finishing 4th grade in that school.
The differences between public and private schools vary by region. Around here private schools offer smaller classes, more individual attention, as many activities as the larger public schools. I think that you can get great teachers or poor teachers in public schools. The teachers seem to be more consistently good in a private school, but there are some really fabulous public school teachers in the rather substandard FL schools.
We consider ourselves lucky to be in a private school setting where guidance counselors meet individually with each student twice a year. They get to know the goals and aspirations of the students as they progress through secondary school. Around here public schools are focused on making sure the bottom students get through. For many top students that means no attention from school administrators at all. It is assumed that the honors student will make their own way just because they are smart. For us, private schools allow our children to get the same academic attention as the bottom students get.
I think it definitely depends on the area you are in. My kids go to public school, and I am perfectly happy with this decision. In my area, many of the public schools actually have better academic scores than the private.
Our kids go to "county" schools, rather than the inner city schools, and yes, they might not have all the fancy electives, but they are not overpopulated, and there is a "family" feeling there.
For the most part, I would say that the family makes the child, not the school. Unless, of course you are in an area with particularly dangerous public schools, then in that case...........I would move!!
It depends. How good are your public schools?
How good are the private schools in your area?
Are your kids good students?
Are you an involved parent?
Are your kids easily influenced?
If the public schools are decent and suitable for your kids, I would keep them in public school and donate the money to a charity that feeds starving people or houses the homeless.
As others have said, it depends. In general though, public schools are bound by the "no child left behind" garbage and are focused on all-mighty test scores. So though they might be "great schools", to me this means they largely focus on testing well and not on learning to love learning for its own sake.
I would prefer private given both options simply b/c they can more of a "whole child" experience there. A poster above said their publics have better test scores than private. That's not really very shocking--private schools are teaching the kids things which don't come up on "fill in the circle" testing.
Still, all private schools are not equal, just as all publics aren't. I would not send a child to parochial school no matter what. As someone early on said, if you can afford the "best" private, then it would make sense (of course you have to decide what "best" is to you), but I wouldn't send a kid to a mid-rate private.
If the public schools are decent and suitable for your kids, I would keep them in public school and donate the money to a charity that feeds starving people or houses the homeless.
I love these kinds of statements. So someone should use that money to feed starving people b/c you've decided their money would be better spent that way? Should we look at the bank accounts of people who have kids in public and see if they are spending too much on extra curriculars for their kids, or on clothes for their kids, or just hand you their whole bank account so you can decide where their money is best spent?
A poster above said their publics have better test scores than private. That's not really very shocking--private schools are teaching the kids things which don't come up on "fill in the circle" testing.
Actually what I am speaking of are MANY instances where the parents have felt that their kids were not getting an up to par education at the private school. Then when they were moved to public schools (here) they struggled to keep up, and some even ended up moving down a grade. Maybe our private schools in this area are sub-standard......
I am not trying to bash private schools, I just don't put huge belief in it. Not that I put huge belief in the public school system either - I guess it still falls back on the family. Don't expect a school to make something of your child - that is our job as parents (and hopefully the school reinforces it).
Having my kids in public school is my own choice, and I don't feel that I am doing them a disservice in any way. People that send their kids to private school have their reasons, too. As long as it works for your family, that's all that matters!
I went to Catholic schools for 12 years and loved it. If I could afford it I would probably send my kids to Catholic schools.
I agree it depends on where you live. Where we live previously there was an abundance of private schools because the public schools were so bad. After living there only 2 years we moved out of state to get our kids out of those schools. My son would have gone to middle school there and I was afraid for his safety. There is No Way he could have gone to the high school. We currently live in a place where the schools are excellent and we are very happy with them. There are very few private schools here. I have heard that parents who send their kids to the private school for k-8 will send them to the public high school because it is in the top 2% of schools in the nation.
Before my oldest went to school I was so afraid to send him to public school because of all of the horrible things I had heard about public schools in general. I put him on a waiting list for the private school in our area but were told he probably wouldn't get in until 3rd grade. I sent him to the public school for kindergarten and a few weeks in I got a call from the private school saying they had an opening. I said no thanks he's happy where he is. He was loving every day at school.
So I guess it boils down to personal preference and the quality of the public schools where you live.
If I had to put the kids in school, though, I'd visit several different schools... the public school, the magnet school, and a few private schools, before making my decision. I don't think you can lump all public schools together, or all private schools together.
Yes. I'd pay for the public school my kids currently attend. Thankfully, I don't have to. Conversely, there are some private schools you could not pay me to send my kids to.
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I am a SAHM, but if need be, I'll work nights/weekends to be the tuition source. I've taught in both public & parochial & hope to never have to teach in public again (state mandated testing that takes up the entire year & dress code to start the list of reasons why not...). I teach middle school so there are just some things that interfere with education at that level that can be avoided in the parochial system. 
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