public schooling vs private

Amy - posted on 01/23/2010

I went to both public and private schools. I was in a public school for elementary and then a Catholic school for middle school and high school and I think that mix worked really well. My daughter isn't school age yet but my thoughts are that if there is a good public elementary school in our neighborhood I am comfortable sending her there. At that level I can probably supplement anything that I may feel is lacking from the classroom experience with activities at home or out somewhere with me. Once she hits middle school however, I will definitely be looking at private schools for continuing her education. I feel the discipline and the classroom resources are both superior from that point forward. I think that the Catholic high school I went to did an excellent job preparing me for college and I want my daughter to have the same opportunities.
To sum up, I would say if money is tight you can probably get by with going public for the elementary years and saving up the money to send your daughter to private schools once she hits middle school. The break between elementary and middle school is a good spot to make the switch since usually the social scene between elementary and middle school changes dramatically anyway, so being with a new group of people won't make it much more intense than it would have been if she had stayed in the public system.

Julia - posted on 11/19/2012

If you go to the church and have been a regular parishinor for some time (meaning you attend service regularly) they may be more willing to work with you if cost is truely an issue. I know that our school works with long time church members provided they have attended reguarlly. We love the Catholic school enviorment. It is a great community and the parents are all very involved.

Tina - posted on 07/20/2011

I am here to tell you that yes, private school is very much worth the price. You actually can not put a price on your childs education. Our daughter has been in a private Christian school since K. She is now going into the 6th grade. My husband and I have had to make sacrifices, but it is very worth it. The public schools in our area are over crowded, more kids per teacher ratio. In private school they are taught phonics in K. By the end of K they can read. There are no more than 12 students per teacher. The one on one attention your child will get is priceless. I substitute at the public schools in our area, and it is so sad to see children in the 4th grade that are only on a 1st grade reading level. Children that have to go to summer school. Private school also teaches children values. They are taught manners and respect. They are al friends. There is no bullying or clicks. In private school your child will be in the same school, with the same kids from K to 12. I hope our positive experiences have helped you with your decision. Let us know what you decide!

Rachel - posted on 01/24/2010

thank you all so much it really has shed much light on the situation.....we live in a nice suburban area that as far as i know have nice schooling the only problem is my husband is trying to get a job with the city because of the pay, but to work in the city you have to live in the city where the schools are racially divided and have horrible reputations, s

thanks

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I think it depends on where you are. In some areas, the public schools are really good. In others-not so much.



I went to a private school until I was in the 3rd grade, at which point I transferred to our public school because I absolutely hated the private school. I didn't want to go. The kids were mean and the classes were boring. I loved the public school I went to. I met all sorts of people and had a wider variety of classes than the local private school.



Look at what you can afford to do and at what the schools are really like in the area in which you live before you make a final decision. Public schools aren't all so bad-and private schools aren't all so good.

Medic - posted on 01/23/2010

I am all for Montessori schools that being said there are no good ones where we are so my son goes to a private Lutheran School for preschool. I don't especially care either way if there is God in his school or not because I don't feel it is for the school to teach my son what to believe but I do feel they have better educational resources for the kids.

Kate CP - posted on 01/23/2010

I love Montessori education and I encourage parents to look into it when they are getting ready to send their kiddos to school. I would suggest you look into the best method of learning that your child has shown interest in. If she learns better by example or hands-on then go for a school that will cater more to her needs. It doesn't really matter if it's a public school or not; just whether or not they can help your daughter learn.

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I am actually pro-public schools - if there are good public schools in your catchment area. The high schools where we are are hideous so we are looking at private schooling. Actually my preferred school is because of its teaching ethos rather than because its private (Steiner) but we will also be looking at a few others - regardless of religious denominations - because they have a zero tolerance for trouble.



Forget private vs Public and look at the behavioural and educational qualities of all the schools in your area and make your decision based on that (also factoring the practicality of costs). Talk to some of the local teachers and police to find out which schools have the best reputations.

Brenda - posted on 01/23/2010

My son who is 13 started off in private and it was great- but since 4th grade he has been in public- I truly believe it is what you want to do- but I think public has a little more resources to help your child if there is reading difficulty or anything like that- but I will say that I miss that God is not in his everyday learning- when he was young he would come to me and tell me a bible verse that he learned and they were taught more christian things and maybe since he had that before he is fine with it- he learned it early and I tried to teach him that too! GOOD LUCK!

Shilo - posted on 01/23/2010

I will not send my children to public schools in our area. If you can afford a private school and have a great one in your area, it is a great option to help reinforce the values you are teaching, a greater accedemic structure and atmosphere all around. The things that go on and the way children treat each other in the public schools here are appalling. I can't afford private school, so I homeschool. There are many options available and groups to be a part of. You don't have to stay in four walls and not have any time with other children because of homeschooling. My S in L started homeschooling because of the educational lapse and the problems because of in her childrens school. I was in private and homeschool when I was growing up. It was definately worth my parents sacrifice for me and my siblings.

Angie - posted on 01/23/2010

Do a lot of research on the public and private schools in your area. Our son started in Catholic school and I loved that every aspect of his learning centered on God. We lived in a city that had a horrible public school system. When we moved to another state and there was no Catholic school, he went to public school. The quality of education varies from public school district to public school district and private school to private school.

Jodi - posted on 01/23/2010

My kids go to a Catholic private school here in Australia. I have friends whose kids go to local public schools. I am so thankful my kids go to the private school, because some of the stories I hear at those public schools are awful (keep in mind, this is only in my local area). In fact, I have one friend who moved her kids to my school for this year because she was sick of the other school's policies (her kids were getting bullied and nothing being donw about it, and the teachers were not bothering to mark the kids work, so they really weren't learning properly). And another friend has booked her kids into the private high school for their secondary education.



From my experience, the education is at a higher level, and I have really been impressed with the strength of the school community, the level of special education when my son needed assistance, the way they have dealt with problem children, and the time the teachers will spend with the kids. Sure, sometimes we struggle to pay the fees, but we always find a way, and it has really been worth it so far :).

Sharon - posted on 01/23/2010

Kids are tough. I think that if you can do it - go ahead and start off in a private school. Hopefully its a good school and it will give her a solid start on how to LEARN (its not as automatic as some peopl think) and they'll teach her how to do homework ( again, this can be an issue in public schools who think all 5000 students will do everything, just this one way...)



Not all private school kids, stay private school A lot of them leave for the broader experience of a public school. So the classmates she starts off with, may not be the classmates she keeps until she graduates.



My kids go to public school, but my SIL is a teacher there and I feel more comforted by that fact as she is an outstanding person & teacher.



If she weren't there we probably would have gone the private school rout.