Public vs Private & Academics

[FadePattern]

Private schools are run like a business and without students at the school the business goes belly up. So they must advertise and likewise have something positive to advertise. Boasting better test scores (average) is a big plus for parents looking where to put jimmy into school, so if there is of 50 out of a hundred kids, the private school would prefere the must well mannered, intelligent, and hard working one's that they can. Why??? well i just have one question for you, if you ran a school that depended on people choosing to come to your school and not being forced too, would you pick the kids who sleep in class and pull the fire alarm??

 

That must be a nice option to have.

[FCSprideatUT]

That must be a nice option to have.

 

Well i imagine the option of having a paycheck from the state is a good thing for a school to have as well... to each his own....

 

It goes without saying but i don't respresent the school...

[supersteve17]

This list is the work of Charles J. Sykes, author of the book Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. (The list has appeared in newspapers, although not necessarily in this book.) Many versions omit the last three rules:

 

Rule No. 12: Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic. Next time you're out cruising, watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20. Ditto for "expressing yourself" with purple hair and/or pierced body parts.

 

Rule No. 13: You are not immortal. (See Rule No. 12.) If you are under the impression that living fast, dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse is romantic, you obviously haven't seen one of your peers at room temperature lately.

 

Rule No. 14: Enjoy this while you can. Sure parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be a kid. Maybe you should start now. You're welcome.

 

Thank you for the clarification of the source and the additions.

[Indian]

Private schools are run like a business and without students at the school the business goes belly up. So they must advertise and likewise have something positive to advertise. Boasting better test scores (average) is a big plus for parents looking where to put jimmy into school, so if there is of 50 out of a hundred kids, the private school would prefere the must well mannered, intelligent, and hard working one's that they can. Why??? well i just have one question for you, if you ran a school that depended on people choosing to come to your school and not being forced too, would you pick the kids who sleep in class and pull the fire alarm??

 

 

That's why comparing ACT scores and the like between public and private schools is useless. Even a low-income student attending a private school had to have parents caring enough to fill out the forms, take out a loan, or at least be interested in something different in the first place, while some public school parents could care less if their children even show up for class.

[supersteve17]

That's why comparing ACT scores and the like between public and private schools is useless. Even a low-income student attending a private school had to have parents caring enough to fill out the forms, take out a loan, or at least be interested in something different in the first place, while some public school parents could care less if their children even show up for class.

 

Excellent point! Conclusion: parental involvement is a key to educational success. Does that also hold true for athletic success? Just wondering...

[FCSprideatUT]

Excellent point! Conclusion: parental involvement is a key to educational success. Does that also hold true for athletic success? Just wondering...

 

I agree that it does help a great deal in educational success. (i still say that a child can come from a low income family with parents who don't care and overcome that).

As far as athletics i would say that it does help in the same way. It helps alot if there is a parent who will drive the kid to practices and workouts and such, as well as ask how practices are going and keeping the kid interested in the sport.

[larry]

Excellent point! Conclusion: parental involvement is a key to educational success. Does that also hold true for athletic success? Just wondering...

Which is another reason private schools should be playing other private schools. Leave your kids in public schools and help improve the system for everyone. Granted, you can send your kids where you want but in doing so you should forfeit the ability to play the public schools you chose to abandon.

Edited January 19, 2007 by larry

[supersteve17]

Which is another reason private schools should be playing other private schools. Leave your kids in public schools and help improve the system for everyone. Granted, you can send your kids where you want but in doing so you should forfeit the ability to play the public schools you chose to abandon.

 

Do you advocate putting public schools with high parental involvement rates (and they are definitely out there!) in a different division or class as well?

 

BTW, I would venture to say that most of the public schools that we "chose to abandon" are in the larger classes -- 4A and 5A for football, especially in the urban areas where most of the private schools are located. Those schools are apparently not adversely affected by our abandonment at all, are they? Why should we "forfeit the ability" to play them?

[Morton]

Do you advocate putting public schools with high parental involvement rates (and they are definitely out there!) in a different division or class as well?

 

BTW, I would venture to say that most of the public schools that we "chose to abandon" are in the larger classes -- 4A and 5A for football, especially in the urban areas where most of the private schools are located. Those schools are apparently not adversely affected by our abandonment at all, are they? Why should we "forfeit the ability" to play them?

 

Ditto... I chose private school over the 4A high school my child was zoned for several reasons:

 

(1) When my child started private school, it cost about the same as I had been paying for daycare prior to school age.

 

(2) My 'neighborhood school' was no longer a neighborhood school. Kids are being bussed from 15 to 20 miles away. Do you think parents who have that far to drive, or do not live in the neighborhood , are going to volunteer for school events; much less have a vested interest or legacy in the neighborhood/school/families etc...? I know some do, but not the majority.

 

(3) Columbine...My child was in pre-school when this happened. It scared the crap out of me. I wanted my child to attend a school where I knew every parent, every kid, every rumor, etc... (trust me... at small privates your child cannot say 'boo' without everyone knowing... of course living under such a microscope is not always healthy either )

 

(4) My own public school experience... being extorted of my lunch money, being groped walking down hall, bullying and intimidation, inability of teachers to handle the 15 of 45 kids in my homeroom who had no respect for authority, teachers, or their own parents. Half the class period was spent disciplining or getting an assistant principle to the classroom to deal with the trouble-maker(s), violence every day in the forms of fights in classrooms and school corridors, my high school was SET ON FIRE during a "riot"...that is the truth.

 

Sorry... I borrowed money, and went without a lot of the extras to pay for tuition. I want my child to get an education vs. dealing with fear.

 

I know this post is going to be very harsh for many who read it. I think it will also ring true to many others. I truthfully think that a public high school can offer just as good an education, more interesting class offerings, better assimilation into 'real life,' and a more true representation of the diversity that makes this country incredible.

 

I just wanted to go to work everyday and not worry about my child being groped, bullied, or worse. I would give anything for our public schools to become a #1 priority of our government (state and federal). Don't you think I would rather have saved the $100,000+ I spent for private school for a college fund???? Instead I have NO college fund. BTW - Even though my child does not go to the zoned high school, I still participate in the fundraisers and volunteer. That is my duty as a citizen of the neighborhood. Hopefully, if more people get involved, my grandchildren will not have to go to private school to get an education AND be safe. Athletics are such a truly small picture of this debate. I would have loved my athletic child to attend the public school in our neighborhood... It just was not a decision I thought was in the my child's best interest. Not all private school students are rich prima donnas with private coaches/trainers. The majority are like my kid.... from a working class family who struggles to pay the bills like most people.

 

Until public schools are returned to the neighborhoods, privates will continue to the thrive. Of course, the separation of church and state is probably the #1 reason for privates to begin with, and I won't touch that issue with a ten foot poll.... I think the parings of publics vs. privates and this on-going debate will facilitate lawmakers seeing the inherit problems with the education issues in this state (and country). Return the schools to the neighborhoods and parents WILL get involved. I'm jealous of the rurals. You have such a sense of community and great, safe schools (you don't know how lucky you are). You are neighbors with the parents and teachers. The last thing I would worry about is the ability to compete in a state championship sport... that is such a small part of the picture (IMO).

Edited January 21, 2007 by Morton

[MPHSTIGERS87]

Ditto... I chose private school over the 4A high school my child was zoned for several reasons:

 

(1) When my child started private school, it cost about the same as I had been paying for daycare prior to school age.

 

(2) My 'neighborhood school' was no longer a neighborhood school. Kids are being bussed from 15 to 20 miles away. Do you think parents who have that far to drive, or do not live in the neighborhood , are going to volunteer for school events; much less have a vested interest or legacy in the neighborhood/school/families etc...? I know some do, but not the majority.

 

(3) Columbine...My child was in pre-school when this happened. It scared the crap out of me. I wanted my child to attend a school where I knew every parent, every kid, every rumor, etc... (trust me... at small privates your child cannot say 'boo' without everyone knowing... of course living under such a microscope is not always healthy either )

 

(4) My own public school experience... being extorted of my lunch money, being groped walking down hall, bullying and intimidation, inability of teachers to handle the 15 of 45 kids in my homeroom who had no respect for authority, teachers, or their own parents. Half the class period was spent disciplining or getting an assistant principle to the classroom to deal with the trouble-maker(s), violence every day in the forms of fights in classrooms and school corridors, my high school was SET ON FIRE during a "riot"...that is the truth.

 

Sorry... I borrowed money, and went without a lot of the extras to pay for tuition. I want my child to get an education vs. dealing with fear.

 

I know this post is going to be very harsh for many who read it. I think it will also ring true to many others. I truthfully think that a public high school can offer just as good an education, more interesting class offerings, better assimilation into 'real life,' and a more true representation of the diversity that makes this country incredible.

 

I just wanted to go to work everyday and not worry about my child being groped, bullied, or worse. I would give anything for our public schools to become a #1 priority of our government (state and federal). Don't you think I would rather have saved the $100,000+ I spent for private school for a college fund???? Instead I have NO college fund. BTW - Even though my child does not go to the zoned high school, I still participate in the fundraisers and volunteer. That is my duty as a citizen of the neighborhood. Hopefully, if more people get involved, my grandchildren will not have to go to private school to get an education AND be safe. Athletics are such a truly small picture of this debate. I would have loved my athletic child to attend the public school in our neighborhood... It just was not a decision I thought was in the my child's best interest. Not all private school students are rich prima donnas with private coaches/trainers. The majority are like my kid.... from a working class family who struggles to pay the bills like most people.

 

Until public schools are returned to the neighborhoods, privates will continue to the thrive. Of course, the separation of church and state is probably the #1 reason for privates to begin with, and I won't touch that issue with a ten foot poll.... I think the parings of publics vs. privates and this on-going debate will facilitate lawmakers seeing the inherit problems with the education issues in this state (and country). Return the schools to the neighborhoods and parents WILL get involved. I'm jealous of the rurals. You have such a sense of community and great, safe schools (you don't know how lucky you are). You are neighbors with the parents and teachers. The last thing I would worry about is the ability to compete in a state championship sport... that is such a small part of the picture (IMO).

 

Great post. I am one of those lucky ones who live in a rural community and am not forced to send my kid to a large public school. However I attend a large high school in a different state and I learned some valuable lessons on how to deal with certain situations that I wouldnt have recieved in a private or rural school. There are pros and cons to all things, and not all large schools are bad. Risk is everywhere, even in small schools. Look at Richland, a small rural barely 2A school had one of the first ever shootings. There is a private christain school near here where several kids in high school were caught drining alcohol under age. Nowhwere is excactly safe and kids have tough choices to make today in any size school. If you trust God and believe he has a purpose, you shouldn't feel fear to send your kid to any school.

[Antwan]

Ditto... I chose private school over the 4A high school my child was zoned for several reasons:

 

(1) When my child started private school, it cost about the same as I had been paying for daycare prior to school age.

 

(2) My 'neighborhood school' was no longer a neighborhood school. Kids are being bussed from 15 to 20 miles away. Do you think parents who have that far to drive, or do not live in the neighborhood , are going to volunteer for school events; much less have a vested interest or legacy in the neighborhood/school/families etc...? I know some do, but not the majority.

 

(3) Columbine...My child was in pre-school when this happened. It scared the crap out of me. I wanted my child to attend a school where I knew every parent, every kid, every rumor, etc... (trust me... at small privates your child cannot say 'boo' without everyone knowing... of course living under such a microscope is not always healthy either )

 

(4) My own public school experience... being extorted of my lunch money, being groped walking down hall, bullying and intimidation, inability of teachers to handle the 15 of 45 kids in my homeroom who had no respect for authority, teachers, or their own parents. Half the class period was spent disciplining or getting an assistant principle to the classroom to deal with the trouble-maker(s), violence every day in the forms of fights in classrooms and school corridors, my high school was SET ON FIRE during a "riot"...that is the truth.

 

Sorry... I borrowed money, and went without a lot of the extras to pay for tuition. I want my child to get an education vs. dealing with fear.

 

I know this post is going to be very harsh for many who read it. I think it will also ring true to many others. I truthfully think that a public high school can offer just as good an education, more interesting class offerings, better assimilation into 'real life,' and a more true representation of the diversity that makes this country incredible.

 

I just wanted to go to work everyday and not worry about my child being groped, bullied, or worse. I would give anything for our public schools to become a #1 priority of our government (state and federal). Don't you think I would rather have saved the $100,000+ I spent for private school for a college fund???? Instead I have NO college fund. BTW - Even though my child does not go to the zoned high school, I still participate in the fundraisers and volunteer. That is my duty as a citizen of the neighborhood. Hopefully, if more people get involved, my grandchildren will not have to go to private school to get an education AND be safe. Athletics are such a truly small picture of this debate. I would have loved my athletic child to attend the public school in our neighborhood... It just was not a decision I thought was in the my child's best interest. Not all private school students are rich prima donnas with private coaches/trainers. The majority are like my kid.... from a working class family who struggles to pay the bills like most people.

 

Until public schools are returned to the neighborhoods, privates will continue to the thrive. Of course, the separation of church and state is probably the #1 reason for privates to begin with, and I won't touch that issue with a ten foot poll.... I think the parings of publics vs. privates and this on-going debate will facilitate lawmakers seeing the inherit problems with the education issues in this state (and country). Return the schools to the neighborhoods and parents WILL get involved. I'm jealous of the rurals. You have such a sense of community and great, safe schools (you don't know how lucky you are). You are neighbors with the parents and teachers. The last thing I would worry about is the ability to compete in a state championship sport... that is such a small part of the picture (IMO).

 

I have no doubt that if I lived in Davidson County...my kids would have gone to a private school. I totally agree with your reasoning.

 

The sad truth though is...no school today is immune from a lot of the things you mentioned. School shootings can happen anywhere. I think the one in Paducah Ky. (Heath High) proves that. It's a very small school in rural West Paducah.

 

We do know what we have in our rural schools in this state. I am glad my kids got to attend one. We are very lucky here. Great school with great facilities. It's like most schools. A quality education is there if you want it. We have a lot of graduates that have done very well after their days here. I think the days of the small community public school in urban areas is a thing of the past. That really is a shame.

 

As for borrowing the money to pay for a private school...that was your choice. You could have lived in a rural area...and commuted. We have people (living in Smith County) commuting to Nashville and beyond every day. There are many good rural communities within commuting distance of any urban area.

[BDURHAM]

The great thing about America is that we have the individual

right to choose.

 

Ever think that God might want a kid to go to a particular school?

 

Great post. I am one of those lucky ones who live in a rural community and am not forced to send my kid to a large public school. However I attend a large high school in a different state and I learned some valuable lessons on how to deal with certain situations that I wouldnt have recieved in a private or rural school. There are pros and cons to all things, and not all large schools are bad. Risk is everywhere, even in small schools. Look at Richland, a small rural barely 2A school had one of the first ever shootings. There is a private christain school near here where several kids in high school were caught drining alcohol under age. Nowhwere is excactly safe and kids have tough choices to make today in any size school. If you trust God and believe he has a purpose, you shouldn't feel fear to send your kid to any school.