Private schools vs. Pulic. How do you decide what's best?

[Chicago526]

This is a long way off, as we don't have any kids yet!

I live in an area where the school district is less than great. We just moved in, and I haven't met anyone in the neighborhood with kids yet so I haven't been able to ask their opinions of the grade school.

I'm toying with the idea of private school for our future child(ren), there are plenty in the area. The big drawback to private, though, is expence since public schools are "free" (well, included in my tax bill, at any rate!). But on the other hand, you get what you pay for. We could afford it (I think) by the time we would have to start paying tuition, but obviously it would change the way we'd live (or would want to live) as it would suck up a lot of our descresionary income.

So, for those of you that had to make the choice, how did you pick one over the other? Did you go and "interview" the public school? Did you base your decision on other parents thoughts and experiances with either the public or private schools in your area? Did you send your child to one, only to find it wasn't what you'd hoped, and then switched?

I guess I'm looking for advice about how to go about making the decision. Obviously I need to find out more about the grade school I'm zoned for, the more info I have on it, the easier it will be for me to decide. They have a web site, and it sounds like a good school (I especially like the fact that they have before and after school care available for working parents!) but what's on a web site and what actually happens are two differant things!

Thanks!

 

[chrissyk]

First of all, a LOT can change with a school district even between the time that your child is born and the time that that child goes to Kindergarten. DH and I bought a house in a school district that had a great reputation, and over the course of 7 years we watched that reputation gradually dwindle down to nothing. Most of my neighbors had their kids in Catholic school by the time we sold that house. Also, we were redistricted into a newly-built elementary school the year after we moved in, so what you're districted for now can change. What I'm saying is that it's tough to "school shop" until you're within the ballpark timeframe of actually needing the schools for your children.

In terms of public vs. private, I'd prefer public (but I won't rule out private either). My background is 100% private, and I had a very poor experience on the elementary level. I dislike the fact that ANYONE can be a "teacher" in a private school. There are no certification standards like there are in public schools.

We are avid school shoppers whenever we purchase a new house, though. Buying in a school district that is perceived as having a good reputation really does help your housing value/resale. When it comes time for us to send our future children to school, we'll shop all the schools in the area (public and private), and then decide if we need to move to a different part of the county or if private school is the answer. I hope that we can find a public school district that meets our needs, though.

 

[diznygirl]

A lot can change in the time it takes you to have school-age children. I imagine you have at least 5 years, maybe 6 or 7. You may even move before then. You should consider this situation when your child is probably 3 years old. Until then, you can worry about getting pregnant, and getting the nursery ready!!

 

[pattyT]

depends on the private school...
and the child...
we paid a LOT of $$ for our oldest to go to a perochial school -
but she had some problems they were not equipt to deal with, and I found that the teachers were not even certified, and the ones that were good left to public schools as soon as they could because the pay was better.
For me bottom line - I was paying for her to get a worse education!
the class #'s were a bit lower - but they didn't have an assistant in the room so it was a smoke show really.
So my advice would be to really look hard into the private...
the public usually CAN'T make a big smoke screen about #'s, tests etc...
the info is usually easy to find.
I also think the child helps dictate their needs to some degree...

 

[luvmy2sams]

A lot can change in the time it takes you to have school-age children. I imagine you have at least 5 years, maybe 6 or 7. You may even move before then. You should consider this situation when your child is probably 3 years old. Until then, you can worry about getting pregnant, and getting the nursery ready!!

Very true.

We made the decision to place DD6 in a private school when she started pre-K two years ago. This decision wasn't easy, especially since I come from a long line of public school educators. We based our decision on many things, but it all boiled down to the quality of education we believed she would receive in a small private school versus a large and underfunded public school system. We talked to neighbors, coworkers, and friends about their experiences and then interviewed the private school we were leaning towards. We're pleased with our decision so far, but we wouldn't hesitate to switch schools if the current situation changed for DD.

As a SAHM, the tuition did require an adjustment to our budget, but it's been worth every penny. We now consider this a necessary expense and not a luxury, given the current state of our local school system.

You've got years to research and plan and budget accordingly, but I'd second the advice of the previous poster. You'll have plenty of time to figure out what's best for your future kids once they're actually here.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I based it on my children. They are into music, art, things that private schools do not put a high priority on (at least in the area I used to be).

The academics were better I am sure in the private school. But by how much? Alot of it depends on your child.

My older dd is in Marching Band. My younger dd is being tested for the gifted program.

If I lived in a area where the school was awful I would move.

 

[Chicago526]

Oh, I know I've got the time to decide, I was just wondering how to go about making the decision when the time comes! Can I interview the public school? Would they let me observe a class for a little while? I don't want them to feel like they've got to defend themselves, but how else do I decide if the public school will give a good education?

And unless we move (unlikely at this point, but you never know what will happen, of course) the school we are zoned for WILL be our school, it's an established area (built in the late 40's) and the only way they could build a new school is if they tore down houses to make room, there is no empty land left with in a 20 mile radius. I guess they could rezone, but as far as I know, there are no other grade schools even close to where we are.

I'm just they type of person that likes to plan ahead, or at least have an idea of how I will go about something, so when the time DOES come, I've got all my ducks in a row!

PS: And moving to a better school district isn't an option at this point, anywhere else in the area is out of our price range for housing. One of the reasons why our city is so cheap to live in is BECAUSE of the bad rep the school district has!

 

[Disneyrsh]

We lived in a part of town that was very 'hip' but had bad schools so we put our daughters in very expensive private schools. Eh, then found out that the public school teachers here in the best district were better paid and had higher qualification requirements than the private school. And, my kids didn't seem to be learning ANYTHING!

So, we moved! Now we're in one of the best school districts (our elementary school consistently scores in the top 10% of the nation) and our kids are doing MUCH better in school with MUCH better teachers.

We found out that the private school was holding back about 30% of the class in any given year so when the kids did take the tests they scored higher because they were older. There was an 8 year old in my daughter's kindergarten class last year, for crying out loud! THe private schools have no incentive to tell you just how good or bad they really are, and they're VERY good with their shiny, glossy brochures and canned schpiel.

However, the bad public schools in my district, and I went and visited them and sat in on classes, were VERY, VERY bad. If you go public, you really want to find a school that's getting the good numbers, has the PTA involvement (that makes a HUGE difference), and is very achievement oriented.

Don't look at how fancy the school looks, look at what the kids are learning, because a fancy portico and a front entrance that looks like Tara doesn't mean they can teach your kids math.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm just they type of person that likes to plan ahead, or at least have an idea of how I will go about something, so when the time DOES come, I've got all my ducks in a row!

PS: And moving to a better school district isn't an option at this point, anywhere else in the area is out of our price range for housing. One of the reasons why our city is so cheap to live in is BECAUSE of the bad rep the school district has!

If you want to plan ahead this would be something to think about.

Sometimes children have learning issues or worse and the public school system is where they would be better served.
Or job loss or something can happen and now what?

I would at least afford myself the option if had to do it.

That is why we are in the 'burbs, for our kids.

 

[Chicago526]

Sometimes children have learning issues or worse and the public school system is where they would be better served.
Or job loss or something can happen and now what?

Well, obviously if those types of things happened, we'd take them into consideration! If I or DH lose one of our jobs or take a pay cut, then there really isn't a choice anymore, is there? And if our child needs special attention that a private school can't or won't provide, then again it's something we'd have to look at!

As I've said, repeatedly, I'm looking for info on HOW to choose when the time comes, not how to decide NOW, before the said children are even conceived!

 

[ElizaB39]

I interviewed the director of curriculum at our public school when I was making the decision to switch from parochial to public. During this meeting we also talked about strikes, at the time our teachers had just signed a 4 year contract so we are good for another 2 years (this year included) before the possiblity of a strike.

I reviewed all of the required curriculim standards for each subject of the grade level my kids would be in the following year.

I obtained report results of all standardized test results for the public and parochial school.

I reviewed the budget for both schools, particularly how much was budgeted per year for the library. I also reviewed listings of library material at both schools.

I talked to many, many friends, friends with kids in the public school, and friends that had already switched from the parochial school to the public school. I asked them "why"?

Talk to people that have, or have had, children in emotional support, gifted support, rudimentary support, high school and etc. Make sure to look at the high school's scores of the public school as well, this will provide some indication of how the students have performed that have come from the lower level (elem, inter, jr high) "feeder schools".

Good luck.

FYI, I developed a nervous eye tic over the period of 3 months that I was making my decision to move my kids . We are very happy with our decision.

 

[Gupsmom]

We were in the same boat...

1) Decide what you are looking for out of your child's school. Do you want religion? Does your child have special needs/talents? gifted/learning disability/musical/artistic/athletic? Which school can best meet those needs?

2) Visit the schools.


3) Are you willing to make a decison for each child or do you want all of your kids together? If you want them together, there may have to be a middle of the road on which school meets most of their needs...if you have kids with different abilities/interests.

One thing that became a decision breaker for us: The private schools in our area are almost all Catholic schools. I didn't so much mind that, but what I found was they didn't have a melting pot of people. They (and I'm speaking of only the schools we personally saw) were almost all white, all catholic, all upper middle class etc. I wanted my kids to be around lots of different people. It just seems more 'real world' to me. Of course, the fact that our public schools are fantastic made that decision easy.

Jess

 

[ElizaB39]

We were in the same boat...

One thing that became a decision breaker for us: The private schools in our area are almost all Catholic schools. I didn't so much mind that, but what I found was they didn't have a melting pot of people. They (and I'm speaking of only the schools we personally saw) were almost all white, all catholic, all upper middle class etc. I wanted my kids to be around lots of different people. It just seems more 'real world' to me. Of course, the fact that our public schools are fantastic made that decision easy.

Jess

Jess, we must be of the same mind! This is exactly what happened to us.

SEPA

 

[Toby'sFriend]

you can certainly interview a Public School. DH and I did that when we moved up to the Chicago area and all the schools were quite happy to talk with us. We took one house off our list of possibles after a talk with one school Principal - he made a comment about the student population that was quite in opposition with the values we try to raise our kids with, and we didn't want our kids in that school.

In order to understand "highly rated" vs "academic warning" of Public schools in Illinois, you first need to get a understanding of the ISAT/Prarie State testing and what is covered and what is NOT covered. That can give you a pretty good idea of where the schools are going to be placing the emphasis of their education. You can then decide whether or not you agree or disagree with that type of program.

Private schools can really run the gamut of terrible to excellent and the research there can be even more exhausting. You are going to want to know what qualifications they require of their teachers, what curriculum they favor and why, what religion (if any) they teach and how much of the day is dedicated to it, where do most of their graduates go to High School and College and how successful are they there? You will also want to inquire about what kind of standardized testing if any they do, and how their results compare to other schools. Tuition rates, expected donor contributions, what kind of extracurriculars they offer -- on and on. If the school is really competitive to get into, you will want to consider getting your kid into their preschool class, so you have an advantage at Kindergarten registration.....

It can give you a big headache.

 

[pattyT]

I don't think interviewing or observing ONE class will make a good refelection of the entire school system...
I would look at the curiculum, availability of extra curicullar activities that are pertinent to your child, 'behavioral programs' etc

(in my situation (in a nut shell) the private schol wanted me to put DD on Riddelin for ADHD/ADD - I was going to bring her to a specialist for further testing - then put her into public and determined withthe teacher to see how the year went...
final result - she does not have add or adhd - she needs a highly disiplined teacher... the public school has worked to refer her to the teachers that have set rules, scheduals, etc and we have not had a problem at all...
boy am I glad I didn't put her on the meds!)

 

[Barb D]

When we lived in an area with less-than-great public schools we chose to homeschool. It wasn't just because of the schools; at that point I would have chosen to homeschool for other reasons even if the public schools had been stellar.

We now live in an area with incredible public schools. I knew I didn't want to homeschool for high school (again, for a variety of reasons) so the choice came down to public or private. Our church runs a middle school/high school, so that was an option. We chose public, though. For one thing, they are free. Plus, they have a lot of resources and programs that the private school doesn't have. For example, the public schools have orchestras, and our church's school only has a band. (DD12 plays the viola.)

My big kids started public school last year in 6th and 8th grades. This year DS is in public high school, DD12 is in middle school, and DD6 is in public school K. So far it's working out great for us. The schools are very proactive about bullying, and I've never been in any of the schools during the day and seen chaos going on.

 

[simpilotswife]

The only way that I would place my children in a private school setting is if the public schools were very bad.

 

[disykat]

We moved the year before my oldest started Kindergarten to get into a better district. We actually moved near one of the less desirable elementary schools in the district, but I knew at that point I could open enroll into one of the other district schools if necessary. (It is much easier to open enroll within the district than out of the district) I went and visited the school and felt comfortable enrolling my child. My main goal was to get him into a good junior high/ high school.

I have taught in public school and also in private. My experience was also that there tend to be better teachers and better services in the public school overall. You might find a better group of peers in a private school, depending on the parent support level at your school - but you might also find uninvolved parents who think their money buys them the opportunity to not get involved with their kids. Either way, it's really a toss up depending on the school.

I would not do private unless I felt it was absolutely necessary for my child.

 

[Cindyluwho]

Well, here's our story. We moved to a lovely neighborhood because the school had such a fine reputation. A year before our daughter started Kindergarten the Mary K Latourneau thing blew up and suddenly our neighborhood school was turned upside down! They brought in a new principal, though, who was amazing and our DDs K-2 education was excellent. After the Mary K thing kind of quieted down they brought in a different principal. You would NOT believe how fast things slid. Test scores in toilet, weapons being brought to school and death threats (in 3rd grade!). I volunteered in class two days a week. This is a typical and TRUE converstaion between a third grader and the teacher:
teacher, "Harry, you need to sit down"
Harry, "F YOU, you can't tell me what to do" (BTW he said the whole word not just F)
teacher turns her back and pretends it didn't happen. You see, sending him to the office would just get her in trouble for not being able to "handle her students". The principal is still there, 90 % of the teacher's have left. We have been in Private school now since 4th grade. NO WAY would we go back!

 

[froglady]

If you can, find out where the children of the public school teachers go to school. In my area, the majority of them (that I met) sent their children to one specific private school, so when I finally had children, that's where my children went to school.

Our neighborhood school is barely making it. DD went all the way through pre-college attending private schools, and I have no complaints about her education...so far. DS is attending the same schools.