Public school teachers whose child(ren) attend(s) private schools
 

Many public school teachers enroll their own children in private or parochial schools. What does this say, if it says anything about the teacher? How do you feel about this? Does private mean better qulaity while public means poor quality?

:confused:

The answer is actually quite simple:

1. Teachers have their employment in public schools because that's where the money is (well, granted there isn't really that much money to begin with, but private school teachers get paid even less than public school teachers who hardly get paid anything at all); and

2. Teachers enroll their children in private school because it's a better atmosphere for a proper education. In public schools, you find a lot more overcrowding, social promotion and behavioral problems that you rarely find in private schools (parents are a lot more proactive in disciplining their children when they're forking out several thousand dollars a year in private school tuition which they could forfeit if their kid gets expelled).

Plain and simple economics; nothing more, nothing less.

I am a public school teacher who teaches in a school for children who have been retained due to discipline problems, and/or sometimes someone simply did not take the time with these students and this is where they end up. I did my student teaching at a private/public school so I have seen both sides of the fence. As teachers we often complain about a lack of resources, parental involvement, low pay, etc.
At the school I am at now I wold LOVE to complain about some of the "problems" I thought I had at the pivate school I did student teaching at. Oh my gosh! I had to sometimes chase parents away with a bat at the private school, and now I can't even get a parent to call me back. We don't even have a copy machine for teachers at my school now.
The point is my four year old will be in kindergarten in the fall and I have applied for admission to two private schools. I am an employee and an educator who does value and believe in my school systems "potential", but more importantly I am a parent and I do not have the time or luxury nor will I use my child as practice while I am waiting for public schools to catch up to their potential.

I totally agree with you Wonderful1908,

Although I am not quite a teacher I did begin my first semester of student teaching at our University lab school. The parents are extremely active in the classrooms and many parents stay 30 min. to an hour after dropping their children off EVERY morning to help their children transition into the day and assist with morning activities. As unfortunate as it is you will not fin d this kind of participation in 99.9% of public schools. The children have many more opportunites for growth than children at local public schools. If a teacher puts their child in a private school while teaching at a public school it may just mean the teacher wants the absolute best opportunites for their child. If they can afford it I say go for it.

This is something that hasn't been considered yet:

Some teachers do not want their children to go to the school at which they teach. They don't want any personal issues/conflicts to interfere with their professional lives.

This pretty much sums up my reasons for sending my son to private school although I teach at a public school. Another big factor for me was religious education. I wanted God allowed in my son's classroom. I don't mind paying tuition when my son gets a lot individual attention (smaller class size), his own textbooks/workbooks/arts & craft supplies , and even physical discipline (w/parental consent) if/when he steps out of line.

My mother is a teacher in public school and sent me to private for pretty much the same reasons that Wonderful listed.

I went to a Catholic school first and when they wanted to skip me two grades she decided she needed to dfind someplace that was academically challenging for me, and in NYC that meant a private school. I HATED it and bear a lot of emotional stuff from my time there but I know that she was doing what was best for me at the time and I can't argue with that.

But to parents who are sending their kids to private school, especially ones where they are minorities, PLEASE be careful and above all talk to your kids to see what is going on! It can be overwhelming for a child to enter an environment where they are always the other and you will have to compensate at home.

You can't shield your child from what they will encounter but you have to prepare them for it and talk to them about it. Make sure that they always retain confidence in themselves because in that environment it's very easy to let your sense of self slip away.

I don't know about that....
 

My father was my elementary school principal. Before that, my sister came through the same primary school with her father as principal. The same rules applied, we both got our a$$ whipped at school, then we had to contend with moms when we got home. My mother still attended PTA, even though her spouse was there. There were not any conflicts or issues...

Then, my mother taught in the junior high setting. My sister and I went to the same school where she taught. The same thing applied, however, my mother made it perfectly clear to her collegeagues that she only wanted to discuss matters with them concerning her children at the appropriate time...ie planning periods, not over the water cooler.

I attended Wonderful's "private" school too. :rolleyes: I had to get my buttocks back into the public school. LOL

But, I've seen it where my elementary teachers had their children in private schools. These private schools were established for only CERTAIN people, and I mean CERTAIN. So, that too is another factor to consider.

When I started the thread, I thought about what I've heard colleagues mention. One of our administrator's child attends private school. "How can you teach someone in a system, but you do not have enough faith/trust in that system to educate your child?


:confused:

Both of my parents were administrators in the public school system (Dad, a Vice Prin and Mom, a counselor).

They sent us to private school from Pre-School through 12th grade. Pre-8th we went to a private Catholic school, high school was a private prep day/boarding school. Soror AKA2D'91 is on point about those school being made for "certain people". Being the only black child in my class all the way the preschool through 8th grade was tough on a little BAP girl. HC I was the only child who had to make sure my swimcap was air-tight during swim class? HC all the questions about what I was putting in my hair or why I didn't wash my hair every day? :( sorry...had to release that flashback...)

Why? Though they believed strongly in the public school system, they felt that the education and opportunities were stronger in private schools. As a parent now, I have chosen a private christian school for my kids. I've opten for a christian school rather than a catholic school, because of my family's religous preferences. In this particular school, my kids will also usually have at least 1 or 2 other black children in their classes. The public school district where we live is currently trying to cutback $6 million annually from its budget. To do so, they are closing schools, increasing class sizes, eliminating librarians and music programs, and also eliminating the Gifted and Talented program.

My parents felt that they worked hard to be able to afford to send us to the schools we went to and I really appreciate their sacrifices. I was more prepared for college than most of the freshman who went to public schools. I can honestly say that my senior year of high school was far tougher than my freshman year of college.

I understand that. However, it wasn't that my parents could not afford to send us to a private school, but why do that when there are capable teachers to provide the same education? I had dayum good teachers growing up. I admit, this was in another era, but from K-6, 8, my teachers were excellent. Those teachers (primarily all were AA, except 3 or 4) were OLD SCHOOL. :eek: :D In high school, I went to a magnet school, which was college prepatory, that training stayed with me throughout college and graduate school.

I sometimes feel that this is the reason why the public school has faltered. Why should one care whether or not Shameka or Dre passes? Who cares about accountability because my so and so is not affected.

Re: I don't know about that....
 

I agree.

My mother has been a public school teacher and administrator for the last thirty years. My sisters and I all attended a private elementary school before we moved out into the public school system. We went from pre-K until the 6th grade and then we all attended public middle and high schools.

Although my mother believes in the value of the public school system, she understood the common shortcoming of it that can hinder a student's success. She wanted all of us to have a firm educational background and to be able to learn in a somewhat "safe" environment before attending public school.

At my elementary school, I was the only black student in my class almost every year, until I was 11 years old. I had to deal with white teachers who had no clue what they were doing trying to comb my hair for school pictures (remember those little black combs with the tiny teeth). Other kids asked me stupid questions like "do you get tan in the summertime?" One little girl actually asked me if I liked being black. And, this was supposed to be a multicultural school.

I might get alot of flack for this, but I do not feel that the education provided in the public school system is the same as private schools. Now, this may not be the case in all areas/school districts. But here in Monterey, CA it is the case. I know that as I was growing up, the curriculum that my private school provided was 2 grades ahead of what public school classes at my grade were doing. My son is in Kindergarten now and his class is doing alot of the same material that 1st and 2nd graders I know are doing in public schools.

In addition to that, test scores in my area are higher at the private schools. In my high school, 100% of my class went onto college...only one person went onto a junior college (and that was frowned upon). In the public high schools, the percentages are drastically different...only a small percentage go on to 4yr colleges, some to 2yr colleges, some to trade/business schools...many just go out and get jobs.

Once again, this is just my opinion and stems from what happens where I live. Further, I agree 100% that a students' progress relies desperately on parental involvement and interaction..public school or private school.

I am not a public school teacher whose children attend private school; however, I am a student who attends a private university and attended public school from kindergarten up until I graduated from high school. I just wanted to express my feelings about both private and public schools.

I love being at a private school. I know that going to a private university is different that going to a private elementary, middle or high school, but through my experiences attending a private university, I have decided to enroll my children in private school throughout their life.

The class-size average at my university is somewhere around 23 students. In my opinion, this provides for a better learning environment for the students. The class-size average is no where near the class averages of a publich university. I also think that the quality of teaching at a private school is better than that of a public school. (I did attend a public junior college for a spring semester and summer session.)

In between classes, in our quad, we occasionally have a small, 5 minute prayer service. Now that it is lent, we have been having at least one a week. Also, for Catholic holidays, usually our 9:20am and 10:20am classes are cancelled so that we can all go and celebrate mass together.

On September 11th, I went to my 9:45am government class where my teacher knew nothing about what had happened. Stunned, he said it was only right that we not have class and all go to the chapel to pray. This would have never happened at a public school.

I go to a BIG TEN University, and this happened at my school as well....this was a special situation, so maybe it's not fair to use that example, ya know???


With that aside, I am also not the child of an educator, but I attended Catholic school from K-12, and I am so grateful that my mother did that for me!! With the money she spent on my pre-college education, she could've bought a house when I was younger, and bought us matching Cadillacs...but she sacraficed so much for my education....

I grew up in Chicago, and there was a point when the public schools were on strike all the time. My step-sister attended a public high school. She wasn't alowed to take books home (WTF??), her "Chemistry" class was in the cafeteria (big sinks I guess), and the average class size was over 30 students. Even as a teacher, why would you want your kids subject to that when you have the means to pay for a better education???

Up here in Minnesota, there is a school district that has cut back educational funding so much, that teachers are getting laid off, school days last from 9am-1pm, and the school WEEK is cut to FOUR days....

To the question at hand, maybe these educators or school administrators feel they can help their community build up, and become better, that's why they work in publc schools--and till that time comes, they send their kids to private schools.

Never say never....
I work in a public school system. The school did not stop everything at that moment, I did, but the next day, school was canceled for the ENTIRE school system in light of the events.

I apologize. What I meant by On September 11th, I went to my 9:45am government class where my teacher knew nothing about what had happened. Stunned, he said it was only right that we not have class and all go to the chapel to pray. This would have never happened at a public school. was that never would a public school have cancelled class to have its students all go together and pray. Classes may have been cancelled in public schools, which I think most were, but being able to go to a chapel 2 minutes away from your classroom to pray with your fellow students, professors and staff is something that is so awesome and doesn't happen in a public school setting.

I just wanted to clear that up. I hope you all understand what I meant now.

I attended public schools my whole life and I must say that I am grateful for the education I received from my teachers. I think people tend to criticize public schools and the education that students receive there. I would not send my kids to a private school because I feel that learning starts at home and if I raise my kids right and give them a strong foundation, I won't have too many problems with them.

I also learned to deal with various situations that I would have not encountered had I attended a private school.

I am happy I had the opportunity to attend a school where I did not ge asked ignorant questions.

I attended an all black high school and grade school.

I don't think any one should be an adminstrator in a school district and not send his/her child to that school if they live in that district. They don't have that much stake in the district.

I think people who are curious about public school might want to actually check them out for your self. You never know what you might find.

:) :D :cool: ;)

There are negatives and positives to this. For me, the negative was one of my children had a kindergarten teacher that was new, did not seem to genuinely like children :eek: , and was inequipped to deal with them. I am very stern, and she was a bit different. Her classroom was very unstructured and you could tell when you walked in it. Anyway, because I worked there, if my child had a behavior issue, she felt the need to pull me out of class several times a day. For talking, because his feelings were hurt and he cried. Mainly he was a talker (still is). My point is, I had dealt with him, would do "spot checks", but I felt it was more convenient for her to pull me rather than for her to actually be stern with him. It was very frustrating. It got to the point to where other teachers noticed and commented that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. When she began to see how apparent it was, she cut it out - and tried to ween me off of the "spot checks" but she'd already sent alarms ringing in my head, so I had to make sure he was in the best environment.

Now, the positive thing was that I could monitor my child very closely. Being on the inside, I was aware of which classrooms would do the best for him, and I could suggest certain teachers. That was a definate plus. If I still worked for the school system, I would't put my children in a private school for this very reason.

I no longer work in the system. I wanted to make a difference, especially after my child's initial experience and some of the crap that I've seen, but I couldn't afford it. I've said it b4 and I'll say it again - teachers are underpaid. :mad: The school that I worked in b4 was an excellent school. The school that my kids are now in has made me loose faith in the public school system a bit. For instance - one particluar room didn't have a teacher for the entire quarter, then did not have a set teacher - they had rotating subs. All of the kids were graded for the quarter on one assignment and over 1/2 of them failed in that subject. One grade. And these are elementary school kids. And over 1/2 of them did not remember either be assigned the project, or said they turned it in, but with inconsistent amounts of teachers in the room, ... :confused: ... who would have reiterated this to them? Guess what classroom will be regraded and will do that project over? I'll try it one more year in a different school, but if things are not right, I will put them in a private school.

Originally posted by tammy-
I attended public schools my whole life and I must say that I am grateful for the education I received from my teachers. I think people tend to criticize public schools and the education that students receive there. I would not send my kids to a private school because I feel that learning starts at home and if I raise my kids right and give them a strong foundation, I won't have too many problems with them.

How optimistic of you. I know a lot of kids raised with some strong foundations who went to public schools. Not all of them went bad of course, but MANY of them did not reach their full potential. The public schools were unable to give them the slightest notion of what was out there for them in the world- academically, with scholarships, professionally with jobs, and let's not even talk about SAT prep.

They were also unable to adequately prepare them for that first year of college. I know so many kids who were completely unprepared for what colleges put on their plate because of the sub-par education the public school system gave them.

This is something that seems to vary by economic levels. If you are from a middle or upper-middle class community then there is no reason in the world not to send your kids to public school for the most part. But for those of us in the urban blue collar or worse neighborhoods (who happen to be raising more than half of all black children in this country)the best thing you could possible do is to get our kids out- and that means private education for a lot of them (I remember at the public school in my neighborhood the drug dealers never bothered to hide. They were sitting on the front steps of the school every day. Why? CAUSE THEY WENT THERE. I was afraid to walk past the school after dark!)


I also learned to deal with various situations that I would have not encountered had I attended a private school.

What situations were these exactly? There are few social experiences in public school that you can not have in private too. In my experience it is sometimes the exact opposite- private school kids have way more exposure to different people and situations. In real life you have to deal with white people. You don't get that in the 95% black public schools with no funding that the majority of OUR children are going to.


I am happy I had the opportunity to attend a school where I did not ge asked ignorant questions.

I attended an all black high school and grade school.

See above point. White people are a fact of life. Teaching others about our culture because they have either been too ignorant or too lazy is an unfortunate fact of life. Going to private school can give you some lessons in diversity - not just with Whites but with Asians and the hispanic diaspora that can be great experience for when you enter the workforce.


I don't think any one should be an adminstrator in a school district and not send his/her child to that school if they live in that district. They don't have that much stake in the district.


I think that's a very naive thought.

:confused:

Our (public) school played a very prestigious private school in our metropolitan area. When our cheerleaders (squad made up of asians, blacks, and whites) who are anything but your "traditional" squad went to visit the visitors, they were bombarded with racial slurs, ice thrown at them, boos, and other melicious acts. So, if that's diversity, then Lawd help us.

Our assistant principal sent the archdiosese (sp?) and the school a letter regarding the incident. Do you think they responded or apologized, heck no! We have since removed them from our schedule.

So much for diversity...

I wish that all private schools did not have race problems but that would be unrealistic. Our society has race problems, so every facet of it has race problems.

I didn't say it was always going to be a loving and supportive diverse environment. A lot of times with diversity comes conflict, and yes there are private schools where it is not a priority. I suppose that my thoughts are colored by my experience in NYC, where all of the private schools are fairly diverse.

And my main point was that we live in a world where we are 12% of the population, and not everybody likes us by a long shot. Private schools will expose you to how the world works, the good and the bad in terms of race relations.

NO CHARGE!
 

It's unfortunate that money had to spent to learn that. :(

I fortunately was exposed by my parents and also my teachers (public school) of how the world works..the good, the bad, the ugly interms of race, LIVING and SURVIVING.

It must be that Southern (chopping/picking cotton, sugarcane, cleaning up the man's homes/camps, and taking care of their chil'ren)experience that had them to expose us. :confused:

My long dissertation...
 

I am a proud product of the public school system. I went to a pseudo-private public school (on a military base), a neighborhood junior high and a sr. high school across town. Having said that, I am not a public school teacher, but if I were, I would probably send my child only to public school at the school in which I taught, or to the 3-4 out of 40 public schools in the city.

It seems to me, at least in Cali, that we have constrained public schools to the point that most cannot provide an effective teaching environment.
1. Public schools are tasked with educating ALL children in the area--with all kinds of emotional, physical, mental and behavioral problems. If little Johnny is majorly acting up and disrupting the class, it can take at long as 6 months to get him out of the class/school...meanwhile, he's also ruined or disrupted the learning experience for the other 20+ children plus the teacher. Public schools have to fund other classrooms and schools for little Johnny, which is why public schools are always short money. Another reason, IMHO is the way we've set up the promotional infrastructure: the only way, outside of seniority, to be promoted as a teacher is to move into administration--as a result, we have a lot of top heavy school districts, with the best teachers earning good $ in admin while new teachers are teaching. There are no "uber teacher", "master teacher" levels that would reward you for being the BEST teachers (with more $, regardless of seniority by testing and other methods).
2. Because classroom sizes are so large, teaching to the slowest student in class is a real challenge for public schools—one student could be a grade below the class, and the kids performing at a higher level are stymied. It is un-American to admit that students should be “tracked” based on testing to certain classes, so most teachers are left with 3-4 ones unprepared for the classwork, 8-12 at grade level and 3-4 above grade level, but not necessarily G&T.
3. Safety: A student is not going to perform at his/her highest level when they are more concerned with the local dealer/violence than arithmetic. Safety is a factor in private schools too, but it tends to be easier there to round up the trouble makers.
4. Academics: As a product of public school, I have noticed that it is difficult to be "smart" in a public school. It's even worse for black boys. Most of the kids at the average public school act like they are not interested in benefiting from an education, and mock you for doing so...therefore, I've seen many supersmart black boys and girls succumb to peer pressure and devalue their intelligence and desire to learn in order to be with the "in" crowd. I want my children to attend schools where everyone's trying to get into college (or some post secondary education), and studying after school is not a "nerdy" or "square" thing to do.

Having said that, I would not carte blanche send my children to any type of private school either...there are a lot of bad private schools out there, and can be worse than the public school experience for children. A private school must meet with my values, objectives and goals before they get my $.

I went to a public school that had a college prep program for the more intellegent children. I had all honors classes all through out high school. I had the opportunity to interact with people who were not motivated to attend school. I saw just where that type of thinking took them. I use to teach high school for several years at a public school. I was able to to tell my students about my experiences in school and what happened to people around me that did not take school very seriously.

I learned how to deal with violence in my community and how to stay away from trouble makers. I can now spot people who are not goal oriented by talking to them for a few moments. I also know how to get out of bad situations because I went to school with some people who did not have my best interest at heart all the time. I was also able to relay that info to my students in the classroom- how to get out of situations like that etc.


I also feel it was a great experience to inteact with people who were not middle class and understand what they were going through. Although it would be good to interact with people of various races- I had the opportunity to interact with people of my own race first before interacting with people of other races. I attended a college that was mostly Caucasian and I had the opportunity to interact with people of other races there.

I was very prepared when I went to college. I did not miss a beat. Everyone seems to think that there are so many problems in public schools but I don't feel that way. Maybe the students will work harder if they know they have to be better than the other kids because they don't have the same resources that they have. Blue collar kids have to work their butts off to get the same education as middle class kids. Everyone cannot afford private schools......... I know I worked my butt of to succeed and rise above the B.S. that may have surrounded me in grade school, high school, and college.

Once again- I applaud my teachers in the public school system who told it like it was with no half stepping. That is what I did as an educator also....

PROUD public school product
 

In no way am I against private schools or anything like that. Honestly, I feel like we are dealing with a problem that was caused by "WHITE FLIGHT" from our cities. So while THEY are chillin in the suburbs, we are left the clean up their mess.

I am a product of not only a public school, but of one in Mississippi as well (although I did attend high school in Kansas). The public school system in Mississippi (in my town that is) was the TOUGHEST curriculum I have ever encountered! Failure was NOT an option (unless you dropped out of school). If you failed a class, you had to repeat that whole grade over again (or attend summer school). In junior high, our required curriculum were courses such as pre-algebra, algebra, civics, foreign languages, etc. So imagine my suprise when I moved to Kansas and found out the following:

1. In high school, you pick your own classes! I knew plenty of juniors and seniors taking easy classes like basic math and physical sciences just for the grades. In Mississippi, this was unheard of! All freshmen took Algebra, sophomores took Geometry, juniors took triganometry, and seniors took calculus, and so on. Huh, you want to chose your courses...THIS AIN'T BURGER KING!!:D

2. Teachers did not grade homework! OK, why should a student even bother to do it?

3. In Kansas, the grading scale was as follows:
A=100-90
B=89-80
C=79-70
D=69-60
F=59 BELOW
Also, some teachers did grade on a curve

In Miss, our grading scale was as follows:
A=100-95
B=94-90
C=89-85
D=84-80
F=79 BELOW

What's a curve?

Now, with this these things in mind, I believe that my public school in Miss was the way that it was because of parental involvement within the school. Sure, there were plenty of private schools in the area, but I believe most parents felt like why should they pay taxes, levies, etc. and support a public school system that doesn't prepare their kids for the future? My mother, although not active within the PTA, was very involved/knew each one of my teachers and spoke with them at least every two weeks. If something went on that wasn't right, you better believe the principle and/or school board heard it.

Our public school system is in the shape that its in because a LOT of parents expect someone else to clean it up for them. Instead of actually going to parent teacher conferences, PTA meetings, school board meetings, etc. most parents will sit back and let the teacher shoulder the ENTIRE responsibility of looking out for their child and their child's future. Unfortunately, when something goes array, these same parent will fuss and say "the school system is terrible and I'm pulling my child out and putting him into a private school"! So as parents pull their children out of the schools, there goes the funding, the best teachers, etc. And what does that leave? It leaves mostly black and hispanic children in those public schools to be terrorized by violence and to receive a sub-par education from some teacher that really don't care (they are only their until all of their student loans are forgiven). And then some folks wonder why children now a days don't seem to care about anything :confused:

Situations like this in the MAIN reason that I do not support vouchers(public tax money) for private schools and I continue to lobby against them by voicing my concerns to my state senators and state BOE.

I know that I have gotten so far of topic that I am on another message board:p but I do think that if you as a public school teacher feel like the system that you work for and represent is not good enough for your own children, I really think you need to look in the mirror. You could be apart of the problem.

Hmmm...
 

I find it interesting that some posters try to extrapolate other poster's experiences/opinions and make generalizations about the state of all private schools or all public schools. Most of the time, our opinions are merely a product of our individual life experiences, so we can't (or shouldn't) have an "answer back" for everything others might say. I say all this to say that while some of us may have had great/horrible experiences in either public or private schools, our individual experiences/observations don't neutralize or negate the opinions/experiences/observations of others.

*Taking a big breath*
Having said that, here's my two cents: While a recruiter/admissions director for a private, Catholic girls high school in Chicago whose students were predominantly below grade and poverty levels and had a host of urban socio-economic issues, I saw that hands-down, public and private school teachers chose to send their own kids to private school. Once, while making a presentation to eighth graders in a public school, I had a teacher exort her students to make sure and go to a private high school, since that's where her own kids had gone. She commented that the public high schools had nothing good for them. I also had another public school teacher ask me why I was in her classroom making a presentation, since most of her students weren't going to graduate from high school anyway. She also told me that her own kids would had never stepped foot in a public high school. I observed that low expectations were common among the public school classrooms I visited, while the Catholic school ones, mostly inhabited by the same neighborhood children (and plagued by some of the same issues faced by public schools, seemed to expect more of the kids, and often got it from them.

Personally, I agree with an earlier poster who stated that while as an educator, she believes in the potential that public schools have, she's not going to use her own children as guinea pigs while the school system works its serious kinks out. I can't fault a public school educator for wanting to ensure, not just hope, that their children's educational foundation is solid and filled with opportunities.

Re: PROUD public school product
 

Now, I haven't formed an opinion about vouchers, yet. It's been discussed a little bit around these parts.

Quote:

I know that I have gotten so far of topic that I am on another message board:p but I do think that if you as a public school teacher feel like the system that you work for and represent is not good enough for your own children, I really think you need to look in the mirror. You could be apart of the problem.

Girl, that's okay. This board is a means of communication, where we exchange information. It's not like we can talk on the phone and chit chat...:p

SAY WHAT YOU WANT! :D

I am a product of 11 years of public education and 2 years of private. How can that be you ask, the numbers add up to 13. When my mother received our class ranks in the middle of my junior year found out I had less than a 2.0 and ranked exactly 300 out of 600 she decided something had to be done. She pulled me out of public school placed me in private school and made me repeat my junior year.

I can honestly say that it was the biggest monetary sacrifice she had to make as a single mother (over $8000/year) and to this day everyone involved agrees that it was the best decision she ever made. I would have never been accepted at a 4 year institution without it. What she found out when they tested me to enter the private school that my grades were more likely a result of my being bored in class (not challenged) than that I couldn't do the work. The public school was treating me as if I couldn't cut it and didn't take the time to see if there might have been a reason. As soon as I entered I was making honor role every semester. And I scored well above the national average on the SAT.

My private school had a 0 drop out percentage and 99.9% of the graduating went on to 4 year colleges. Junior College was discouraged at this institution as well.

From my experience alone I will strive to send my future children to private school, and I will defenitely be checking out any and all schools carefully (for the criteria I feel is important) before I enroll my children.

***sorry so long this topic just hit home :D ***
Stepping off soap box now...

back to the top
 

I think that it is an individual preference on what type of school a parent sends their children to, even if that parent is a teacher in a public school. As a teacher, I have no preference about what type of school I will send my child to (when I have one). I do feel that it is a choice that will he made by me and my husband (when I get one).

I teach in a "private public" school. (It's a public school, but it's only for children with severe behavior problems.) I have gone my entire life through public schools and I have no problem with that. I also know people who have gone to private schools and the liked their experience. The opposite could have happened and those experiences could have been horrible. For me, the issue doesn't lie in whether the school is public or private, it lies in what kind of eduaction/experience will they receive.

I know that private schools tend to have more certified teachers, resources, smaller class sizes, etc., but will my child learn and thrive in that environment? I know that not all public schools have 100% certified teachers, resources, and classes may be larger, but does that mean that my child will be slighted?

It all comes down to preference. I personally like public schools (maybe because it's what I know), but I am open. If the school is fundamental to the eduactional and personal growth of my child, be it public or private, it has my vote.

This is a very interesting topic. My dad teaches in one of the public school districts of our area and I went to private school my whole life. A private day school from pre-4th grade and catholic school from 5th-12th grade. At the end of 8th grade my parents did want to pull me out of Catholic school and send me to public school (it would not be the same district as my dad's school). When it came time for me to test the administration played games and said I would not be able to take honors classes b/c I didn't start on that track in like 7th grade and they didn't want to let me into the honors program. So I stayed in Catholic school and I was able to take all honors classes my whole way through with no trouble. I would never send my children to public school because I HATE the tracking. I can only speak for my own area but that has shaped my opinion. In my area at my district(and the others) you start your track in like the 7th grade and stay there as long as you can maintain a specific grade level. And they make cuts every year. It's also extremely hard to get into these high tracks. It's like they track people's lives b/c you know the high level students are going to the best colleges and the so on down. That just rubs me the wrong way. (I know private schools have tracking as well, mine did, and I didn't like it there either) I also don't like the tracking b/c some how it always turns out that Black people are on the lower tracks...imagine that.

I am a Public School teacher... (i also taght for a couple of years in a private church school) and I have a daughter (she is only 6 months)... I do however, plan to send her to private elementary school..

My reasons--

I want her to learn phonics..not may public schools teach it anymore

I also want her to have a STRONG Christian foundation, her father and I believe that this will reinforce what is taught at home.

As a middle school teacher I know that a child must have a STRONG personality and beliefs not to get caught up in a bunch of stuff.

Loviest95,
Can you email me, I have some questions for you.

Kay
Kaydphia@hotmail.com

I agree...
 

This is issue is very similar to the charter school situation...No matter where a parent sends their kid the teacher is there to teach it is the responsibility of the parent to be involved with the academia of the child...public nor private school can really do that effectively....the whole infrastructure of the "school' is based on parental support...The "school's" role is to ensure that they provide a sound curriculum and quality teachers to teach it. Yes, as teachers we take a far more greater role but only by choice and usually teachers are more compassionate, caring, and nurturing...like parents. Public schools tend to be overcrowded,so what ...if more parents/community took a more active approach to "school" involvement maybe that would help..if the trend continues, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone will pay for an education elementary, middle, or otherwise....parental accountability IMHO is the detriment to schools particularly in the long run

Hello Sorors & SFs,
I have been away for a long time and miss all of the wonderful info I get from everyone.
I am a public school teacher and my children attend private schools. My reasons are simple: it is not that I don't feel public school ed is "good" enough because I am a product, however, I have a problem with public school politics. For instance in my parish, we are currently being desegregated (which should have happened a century ago) the best black teachers are being sent to the best white schools while the worst white teachers are being sent to the black schools. Also I have a problem with the alternative certification teachers in my school. Now I believe that a good teacher is born and an ed major does not make one a great teacher, but just because someone is intelligent in other fields does not make them a great teacher either. So why should my kids receive inferior teachers because of the system when I can provide them with the best money can buy. Now that doesn't mean that I should deprive my students with the best teacher that they deserve (ME). So until my district considers children the most important factor in their decision making, a mom/teacher has to do what she has to do. Sorry so long.

Its sad but most schools track kids according to their SES or race.

White kids are usually in the highest tracks and black kids in the lowest. I do not know if I would send my kids to private schools- I do not have any but I would however send my kids to a great public school. Not all public schools are great but quite a few are. I guess it depends on where you are at.

Hey wait a minute...
 

I am a product of alternate certification, I agree there are some sheisty teachers certified or not out there. But because of the major shortage of teachers in the critical areas schools (public or private) have to market to those who orginally did not plan to teach. Are they gambling with kids education? It depends on what side of the fence you straddle. A person who did not go into education in college may bring field experience to those kids who are not college bound for example. IMO, what makes an inferior teacher is a person who is basically there for the check. He/She checks out when the bell rings and has no sincere interest in TEACHING the kids even if it is outside the curriculum. So many teachers associate certified with quality and to me that is simply not true! Even if you pay top dollar at a school you never really know that type of quality teacher and education your child receives until he/she is able to successfully apply it in the "real world".

Need a little help from GC Educators. . .
 

I actually posted my question in a previous thread (unfortunately, it didn't get any responses), but ran across this one and thought that this might be better answered on this thread.

Can you give me some ideas as to where my daughter should be academically? She is 8 years old and in the 2nd grade. She's a very bright child (and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter) but I am concerned about her math "skills". She reads very well and is attending a private school where they focus a lot on reading. Most of the homework that she has is vocabulary and the like, but she doesn't really bring home much math or science homework (she did have multiplication tables for homework yesterday). I've seen some of her classroom work where they are doing some science, but no homework in these other subject areas. My husband says we need to work with her more, and I agree, but what should she know at this age/grade level?

I am planning to take her out of this school and place her in a charter school where they have more afterschool activities. She can learn Spanish, do computer projects, play musical instruments, etc. Any words of wisdom?