Tell me about private schools

[fastfredracing]

It looks as if a great opportunity has come up for my family. My lady has been offered a job at a local Private school. Her sister works there, and a position has opened up that is in her field, and she should be able to slide right in. This means that our 4 year old boy will have the opportunity to attend a private school next year for seriously reduced tuition.
I was a product of the public school system, and while I turned out O.K., I dont think that I was really ever challenged enough. My kid is lucky in that he has my lady's smarts, and it seems as if he will be one sharp little cookie.
One of the issues I am worried about is that he will be one of the poorest kids in the school with me being an auto mechanic, and her in administration.
All in all though, I think that this is a no brainer, should open up a lot of doors for him, and maybe that will help shield him from the riff raff in the public school system. Even though we live in a nice area, that is rural, I am always hearing about the drug problems existent in our local school. We were previously thinking about home schooling but now that this has arisen, We are both really exited .
The job for her would be pretty much a lateral move, pay would be about the same, and travel distance would be a tad bit closer. Plus, her current boss is getting older, and has been contemplating selling the company.
Anything special I should know about??

[porsche4life]

I'm not a big fan of private schools but the two around here sucked so YMMV.... If its not a financial burden and you like the school go for it...

[Seahawk]

What type of private school? I send my kids to both public and private schools.

[Joe Ricard]

Why do private schools have higher testing scores?
Because they only let in the smart / rich kids.

Pulic schools let everyone in to include special ed.

Are the private schools better? I think not.

Any parent that would rely on the school to teach the kid everything they need to know is not doing thier job.

[dd74]

I would do it (private school) in your situation. Hopefully, if it's a good school, it will give your son a foundation to become a good student, which is very important toward the rest of his education. Private schools are more likely to do this, IMO, than public because they usually have smaller class sizes and are more attentive to each student.

[masraum]

When I was 11 we moved. The public schools in the area were atrocious. I'd have probably learned a lot about fighting, drugs, and getting my azz kicked. My parents moved me to a private school (it was a Christian school and was the best private school in the area). The education was top notch, really, really good. I only attended that school for 3.5 years before we moved again (5th grade- 1st half of the 8th grade).

I can't imagine my life without having gotten that education. I'd heartily recommend sending your kid if you've got the opportunity.

That said, I've heard of some private schools that make a lot of money, but don't necessarily provide the same level of education. Still, probably 99% of the private schools provide a better education than 99% of the public schools.

[Rikao4]

all those things you fear..
exist in private schools..
but..the parents are more likely to be involved in whats going on/ being taught..
smaller S//T ratio, better lunch, and the teachers are most likely not Union clock punchers..
tried public schools for my dogs...
fail..sniff everyone / & thing
got me a private tutor..
fass = you better start running..

Rika

[KaptKaos]

My kids are in private school.

You will have problems in them too.

What you gain is:
1) more parental involvement
2) better discipline
3) problem kids will get kicked out

Education is a function of discipline. So for that alone, its worthwhile.

Good luck.

[URY914]

My kid is in private school and always will be.

[Bill Douglas]

I believe there is good and bad in both. Public schools in VERY good eareas I think are the best balance. The drugs fighting thing; if the parents provide great support and rules the child won't slip into this sort of lifestyle. I went to both private schools and public.

[daepp]

Originally Posted by Joe Ricard

Why do private schools have higher testing scores?
Because they only let in the smart / rich kids.
That is so patently untrue. Where did you get this info? Do you have some grudge against private schools? Upset you didn't send your kids to one? I have been involved with private schools since I was 4 years old and I can tell you that is just untrue.

Pulic schools let everyone in to include special ed. True, but should they?

Are the private schools better? I think not. By what standard do you make this statement? Privates schools exceed public schools by every standard I can think of. Graduation rates. Behavior of students. Private school cost in many areas are far less than the surrounding public schools and produce much better prepared students.

Any parent that would rely on the school to teach the kid everything they need to know is not doing thier (sic) job. How is this relevant to the discussion?

I have had my three children in private k-8 for the last 14 years. Two are now in private high schools, with the third starting a an all boys private school next fall. These have been affordable schools, costing much less than the payment on a a lot of the new cars I have seen over the years at the public schools in town. My oldest is looking to attend a private liberal arts college in Michigan, which again is affordable because they do not rely on the government (public) for anything! I wouldn't have it any other way.

There is so much dis-information about private schools it always amazes me. I am not a conspiracy freak but sometimes this really makes me wonder.

And don't get me started about all the immorality now taught in the public schools! Seen the stories on BHO's education secretary?

[jhynesrockmtn]

It's probably a good deal but don't kid yourself that putting your kid in a private school in some ways protects them from riff raff. My nephew went to a very expensive private school in Bill Gates's hood. Many of the kids in the school were basically being raised by nannies and had access to money and other things including drugs you wouldn't see at the public school level. They put him in the public school system after 6th grade. He's now a Duke grad and doing well.

[M.D. Holloway]

The more expensive they are the better they are...

[daepp]

There is a normal mix of good and bad people at any private school. The 10K a year Lutheran school my niece teaches at has the same mix as the 4K a year school my kids went to.

And the 33K high school in the area - they too have the normal mix. But the private schools and the parents that support them wont tolerate the troublemakers for very long and actually do something about them.

When you have to write that check every month - no matter what the size, for most people, it makes you demand excellence from your kid, the school etc.

[Rick Lee]

I was in public school through 8th grade and then went to a prep school. We weren't rich. My dad was an alumnus (he grew up poor and won a free ride by scoring highest on a test for the school) and my mom worked there in admin. On my days off I often went to the public high school in my town with my GF to see my old friends from public school. Sitting through those mindless, boring classes made me so appreciate my private schooling even when I was 15 and thought I knew it all already. There were very few bad kids, since the school would kick them out with no refund for something as minor as fighting and definitely for cheating or failing. There were lots of poor kids at that school because rich alumni set up scholarships for those who could handle the work. There were also lots of kids of rich and famous people. Most were totally normal. I think I got a pretty good balance of it all by having been to public school first, staying in touch with my friends from those days and spending a semester in Germany my junior year. I can't ever imagine sending my kids to public school now.

[dd74]

Most ironic is the fact that in many cases public school teachers in L.A. are paid much more than private school teachers.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

The drugs fighting thing; if the parents provide great support and rules the child won't slip into this sort of lifestyle. I went to both private schools and public.

Depends upon the schools/area. In that school, I'd have either ended up getting my butt kicked or learning to fight. My first day of class in the 5th grade, 2 big fat kids got into a fistfight in the middle of the class room. The teacher couldn't stop them. It was a very rough school that apparently served a very poor part of town.

We moved and I eventually ended up going to high school in Northern Virginia. I went to a public school. It was top notch as far as public schools and academics. We'd generally have several folks get perfect 1600s on the SATs each time they were given. The school had about 3200 students. There were 700 in my graduating class. There was drugs and fighting in that school, but it was much less prevalent than the other school. The high school that I graduated from was a top notch public school.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by dd74

Most ironic is the fact that in many cases public school teachers in L.A. are paid much more than private school teachers.

I don't think they made much money at my prep school either, but they got a free house and meals as part of the job. And their kids got free tuition, which alone is worth $30k a year nowadays.

[McLovin]

All depends on the areas and the individual/specific schools.

[stevepaa]

Originally Posted by DAEpperson

There is so much dis-information about private schools it always amazes me. I am not a conspiracy freak but sometimes this really makes me wonder.

And don't get me started about all the immorality now taught in the public schools! Seen the stories on BHO's education secretary?

a little disinformation about public schools ?


for fast fred, . you need to look at the school and see for yourself if it is "better" than public for your kid