Are Private Schools Worth It?

We've talked about home schools on Momversation, which was pretty controversial. And bring up private vs. public schools, and it's an all-out brawl. Turns out, parents have a lot of opinions when it comes to educating their kids (go figure). So, is there a big difference between sending your child to a public school and a private one (besides the cost)? Giyen Kim of Bacon Is My Enemy asks, 'Are private schools worth the money?"

Do your children attend a private or public school? If you had the money, would you send your child to private schools? Do you think the government should give vouchers for private schools? Or do you think we should put our energies into our public school system? Join the Momversation by commenting below.

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Showing the Latest of 13 Comments

Jill
1 years ago

I think that

NJ_2_NorCal_Mom
2 yearss ago

ceburke
2 yearss ago

My children are enrolled in a small (< 400 kids, K-8) parochial school, which we chose because I knew all the teachers there due to my previous work. We really, really wanted our local public school to be the best choice for them - not only for financial reasons, but for reasons of ethnic/academic/economic diversity as well - but it just wasn't. When I met with the principal prior to kindergarten (at roundup), she was really dismissive of my questions about differentiation for kids at the more advanced end of the spectrum - her exact words were "I know your type." Our district is also set up with K-2/3-5/6-8 schools, so they would be changing schools every three years, which I think for *my* kids would be difficult. So we chose this private school, and we're happy with it. It's not particularly rigorous academically, but I know the teachers and the environment and my kids are in classes of 15 and 17 kids. They are comfortable and confident. Compare with local public schools where the class size is capped at 35 in the first grade, and I think for now this is the best choice for us. Although they don't offer the gifted/talented options that a public school would, there's enough opportunity for the teachers to differentiate on the fly because the classes are so small. Would we make a change? Yeah, maybe. We're expecting a baby in spring, and not necessarily expecting to be able to afford child care *and* private school tuition. We're fortunate enough to live in a state where public schools generally are good, and we are parents who want and intend to be involved with education. There is also that diversity piece, which is not being addressed as fully as I might like in our current situation. Also? By third grade, we won't be dealing with that dismissive principal anymore. I truly believe that every school has spectacular educators in it (though sometimes you have to hunt for them, or get lucky in being assigned to them), and, unfortunately, most schools also include faculty who are marking time. I think parental involvement is a key factor, and the fact of thinking about this question indicates some level of interest in being involved.

decorscout
2 yearss ago

We thought a lot about where to send our kids for school. We wanted something close to home to maintain a sense of community and be close to the kids/families that formed friendships with ours as possible. We looked at private - public and homeschooling seriously. We decided on public school with a mind to supplement at home where we see fit. We are against religion taught in school so most private schools were out of the running on this basis alone. We chose a neighborhood based on the quality of the public schools and parental involvement (this is the barometer for a good school, for us). Our kids are all school age now (3rd - k) and I am very happy with our decision. I do not work so I am at the school often helping out and staying involved. I also ended up supplementing with homeschooling grammar books for my son and reading books for my daughter because that is where I saw a deficiency. BEST ADVISE - try public schools. That choice does not cost you any (extra) money and you can always change your mind and look into a private school or homeschooling options if it is not working for you. You are also left with more money for supplemental learning like sports/dance/chess....whatever the heck the desire...and they will desire a lot! I like going with the cost effective option and supplementing at home. As a parent you cannot forget that they will learn the most from you so keep you eye open for teachable moments and use them! We cannot leave it all up to a public or private school.

Costumista
2 yearss ago

My Daughter just started Kindergarten, so I am just beginning to learn how to navigate school systems and choices. We had planned to keep her in preschool one more year and start her in kindergarten at 6 years old, but she started reading like wildfire at 4.5 years old, so we considered and then ended up rushing at the last minute to get her enrolled this year - school started 2 weeks before her 5th birthday! We have had alot to learn in a short time!! What I have noticed is that the presence of private and charter and magnet schools has made the "go to the school in your neighborhood" option seem like a "lesser" or "lazy"' option to many parents these days. My daughter is in a Montessori Magnet- we are lucky to have alot of different magnet and charter choices in our public school system. I do feel that the unquantifiable elements- like the attitude/behavior of the staff and the attitude/treatment of the children in the school- are really the things that make or break a school. Our daughter's Principal even cheerfully helped out when one of the kids pooped their pants and needed to be cleaned up! I was impressed. The staff and teachers are warm and welcoming to both the students and parents, and everytime I go there, I hear another parent gushing about how amazing the school/staff are and how they would not have their kids go anywhere else. Also, to address the "Are Private schools worth it?" question, I don't think they are unless you are wanting a specific ideological/religious/philosophical take on your child's education. Otherwise I think it is important to work for the change we want to see in our public school systems. If it's a "broken" school system, the parents are the most powerful voice for fixing it!

Hetta Hoo
2 yearss ago

For me it has much less to do with private or public and much more to do with education style. I strongly, strongly believe in the Montessori system and I definitely want my kids to go to a Montessori school- at least for kindergarten through grade school. In our neck of the woods that means private so they will be going to private school, but if there was a public school that taught in the Montessori way then I would have no problems sending them to a public school.

bwankel
2 yearss ago

It depends heavily on where you live. Where we are now, you need to pony up for a private school so your kid can get a good education and not get shot. But, where I grew up the public schools are great. I went to both and I don't remember a significant difference in the way I was taught, and that's seriously the only thing that matters, right? Is the kid learning what they need to learn? Are they having a positive experience? Ok, then that's a good school.

Talon
2 yearss ago

Okay, first of all, what happened to the auto-play stopping whenever you try to log in, or comment to an episode? Also, teal-deer alert. (tl;dr) Grrrrr. Okay, subject at hand. While pregnant with our first, we considered ALL schooling options. Where we live the public schools are abysmal with alot of them being closed in recent years, and the funding is continually cut. I lived and grew up and went to school in a small town from pre-school thru graduation with all the same kids, and those schools became, during my time there, state and nationally accredited schools. Today, people from the towns around my hometown move to try and get their kids into Fowlerville schools. If we lived back there...I might consider it. The schools are good, and the millages always pass so more funding goes to the schools. So, between the first child (who died at 4 days) and the second (three and a half years later) we looked into all our options. Private school was out. They were either religious, or there's the one that is only for black children. Very private, very good, so I'm told academically, but they only accept black students. We looked at charter schools and some of them were fairly good, but enrollment was tight and we discovered that a teacher in a charter school doesn't need to fulfill the requirements scholastically or any other way in order to be a teacher there. . . . In the end, we decided on homeschooling, and we've never regretted it. Technically our daughter is in a "private school" (because Michigan law for homeschooling works two ways), but the resources in this large-but-middle-sized city are like gold. Educational places offer homeschooling programs almost everywhere you look. Ripley's been going to the local science center, Impression 5 for their Homeschool Science class, Minds in Motion since she was five. There, she's studied the human body, chemistry, water systems and ecology, electricity and power (she learned to build actual circuits and switches to make a "block" for the classes "Techno City") paleontology when the science center hosted a moving dinosaur egg exhibit, micro-organisms, building and programing robotics, forensic science...hell I can't even remember them all. This year, she's nine, and she got a FULL scholarship for the program. Last year my husband was let go from his job, and while he had a temporary job last summer, since then he's been unemployed, because the economy is CRAP here. (things may be looking up here, however...we'll see) Last year she got partial scholarships for the summer camps, and for the Minds in Motion program. This year, she got one full scholarship and one partial scholarship for the summer L.A.B.S.(yay for summer camp!) and when we applied this year for Minds in Motion assistance, she got a full, complete scholarship. Everyone there knows Ripley...and I was touched and pleased at how much they thought of her. Their funding for that sort of thing is limited and people in Michigan are losing their jobs daily. It's a big deal for me. Our membership is also on a scholarship. Since Impression 5 is a member of the ASTC ( http://www.astc.org/ ) that means we get discounted or free entrance to any of close to 600 science-technology centers and science museums, but also nature centers, aquariums, planetariums, zoos, botanical gardens, space theaters, and natural history and children's museums all over the United States and 40 other countries besides. My ramble about Impression 5 does have a point. It isn't the only place locally that offers such Homeschool Programs. The local YMCA's have Homeschool Swim & Gym, a two hour program where kids get swimming lessons, then play gym games or climb the rock wall and run around with other homeschooling kids of all ages. When Ripley was little, the one she went to had ALOT of kids in it, and a diverse age group. For some things they separated the older kids from the younger, but when you put them together, the older kids didn't pick on the littler kids, they were very helpful, and pleased to encourage the younglings. There are plenty of parent run group things as well. I'm not so much into group things, and many of them are way too religious, but everywhere I go I see local businesses and places of interest offer the same "perks" to homeschooling families as they do to public school classes. And better, in some cases. Ripley "works" in the locally run pet store ( http://preusspets.com/store/ ) in the Reptile and Small animal rooms. She has a staff shirt and everything, and this year her "Uncle Jay" who is a co-manager of the reptile room gave her a birthday party there. (they do parties and school groups as you can see if you check out the link.) Private schools, like public schools are only worth what you put into them. Same with homeschooling. You get what you put into it, generally speaking. I don't mind living in a not so great neighborhood. But we live on a good street, and there's lots of kids of all ages for Rip to play with. And she does. And tonight she's sleeping over with a slightly older homeschooling friend. (YAY FUCKING YAY CHIBI FREE HOUSE!! Ahem) Ripley also has special needs, she's dyslexic, same as me, and same as me, she learned to compensate for it VERY early. She was reading simple sentences just before she turned 3 and tested at a sixth grade reading and comprehension level at age 5. She also has an unspecified spectrum disorder (Pervasive Development Disorder, though the current thinking by her dr leans towards Aspergers Syndrome, as I was diagnosed as an adult) and we are able to accommodate that and teach her skills to help her handle real life issues. (she has sensory integration issues along with very noticeable autistic traits) Homeschooling allows her to go at her own pace with academic things without the pressure of being rushed at things she isn't as good at, and bored with the things she IS good at. But seeing some things from homeschooling moms (who had once been teachers) whose children have chosen to go back to public schools...seeing what one teenager brought home re: an upcoming dance ( http://womenscolony.squarespace.com/derfwad-manor/2009/9/15/a-tale-of-tw... ) and how my daughter relates to the world in general...yeah...our "private school" (The Academy For The Gifted Youngster) is the only school for us. *reads the Mrs. G. link again* Crimminy monkey christ...

MeMyselfandMommy
2 yearss ago

I'm personally not into blanket education. I don't think children all learn and respond in the same way, but a school typically teaches everyone in the same way. A lot of kids end up getting left behind or seen as challenged or whatnot. I hope to be in a position to home school my children when the time comes. When you make the choice to go the private route, you have to buy into their philosophy of teaching or their core values. When some private schools cost more than college that can be a lot to buy into. If you don't agree with their methods and what they base their curriculum on, then you are better off going public or home schooling. I think private vs. public really depends on the family and child. It also really depends on where you live. Some parts of the country have great public schools, others do not. Some children love public school, and others prefer a more intimate learning environment. Most importantly, no matter what type of education you decide is best for your children, I think the factor that really helps children to get the most out of education is having involved, supportive and enthusiastic parents.

mommytoall
2 yearss ago

Our Daughter is in Private Christian school.We chose that because they teach the same value system we do she has chapel once a week. We also like that they have smaller class size which is great for us. our daughter is very active and talkative and doesn't tend to pay attention so I think in a Large Public school she would get lost Also more One on One with teacher. we researched all our local Private and picked one that not only had the best curriculum smaller classes and experienced teachers but we wanted a ethnically diverse school. Our private school also has things many public schools have gone away with like PE art classes Music classes and field trips. they also offer language classes in for a small pricel I went to both private and public and my public experience was awful so my husband and I said from the beginning we would either home school or private school. so far its working for us. If it came down to it that we couldn't afford private and I couldt stay home to home school I would find the very best Public school and move there. I think Parents know what their child needs and no one should judge what they do. I do think parents need to be involved either way.

Are Private Schools Worth It?

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