<p>My son ,who had spent 8 years at a small private school ,wanted to visit the public high school .When I picked him up at the end of the day ,he said he could never go to a public school . Why ? He complained that every class he attended with a host student ,kids walked in late for the first 5-10 minutes .He felt it was very disrespectful to the teachers .That never happened at his school .The private school demanded a higher level of respect ,and the public school had a more laid back policy .</p>
<p>The independent schools I have been familiar with, compared to area public schools, generally (there’s that sweeping generalization!) had smaller classes, more accessible teachers, the luxury of a self-selected motivated student body and kicking out the few troublemakers, a safe environment where academic excellence is not teased or put down but rather looked up to, a radar where faltering students are given extra attention to get them back on track, and a comprehensive college counseling program. That is what the parents paid extra for.</p>
<p>fauzmaven…“He complained that every class he attended with a host student ,kids walked in late for the first 5-10 minutes .He felt it was very disrespectful to the teachers .” BINGO. That was the exact response both of my kids had when they shadowed at our local, highly rated, public. Having come from a private K-8 they were completely taken aback by the lack of common courtesy and manners.</p>
<p>I volunteer at DS Catholic all male HS. I am always addressed as Mrs. or mam. I have doors opened for me, the young men look me in the eye and are all around friendly, courteous and self assured. If a faculty member observes any less level of common courtesy and respect, it is immediately brought to the young mans’ attention. </p>
<p>In contrast, when I was at our local HS there was an incident with a student on the roof of the (1 story) cafeteria. When I muttered to myself that this was unacceptable behavior I received a tongue lashing from several students about my lack of empathy and sympathy for the roof topped individual. They didn’t seem to think this was out of the ordinary and the problem was not the student but my response!</p>
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<p>Depends on the private and public schools being talked about. For instance, after an uncle asked me about my experienced at a NYC specialized high school, his daughter’s academic interests(Arts oriented), and academic background(collaborative nurturing Montessori environment), we both concluded she was better off at a small NYC private school. </p>
<p>This was because the public school I attended was not only more of a pressure cooker, but also an environment where you either excelled in the math/science centered curriculum or you sank and classmates can get very cutthroat at times. Factors which would have made my public high school not only a poor academic fit, but a far more stress inducing one for her.</p>
<p>I don’t doubt any of the anecdotes above and some ways that many private schools have these advantages. Please keep in mind that the decision to go to private or public K-12 schools is not one that every family gets to make. Most people I know in my region must send their kids to public school, my family included. My kids did not suffer. It could have been better but they made out fine and we advocated for ways to make it work for them. Could they have truly enjoyed some of the fine private schools your kids attended? Sure! But most people I know where I live now and even when I grew up in suburbia, attend public school and never went about some “private or public K-12” decision making process. Public was the norm and expected.</p>
<p>soozivet-- at my son’s private, the headmaster stressed that there had to be time for the boys to reflect and to enjoy their lives. The goal was to educate them. The point was that this education included providing time managment skills and stressed the need to avoid procrastination so that the student could hande the work load and still get a reasonable amount of time to sleep etc.</p>
<p>There also was an effort made to “educate” the parents to realize that they needed to work with their son to help him understand and achieve balance and perspective in this life. There was an active effort to have the boys avoid the trap of having so many claims on their time that they had no down time. Admittedly, that did not work with all students and/or parents. We still had the boys who ran themselves ragged with schedules that providied no chance to rest or take a deep breath much less reflect on much of anything or “chill out.”</p>
<p>My S went to BS, his private day school sent just over half the kids to private HIgh Schools. We didn’t agree to let our S go to BS because we had a particular college end goal, but because it was the right school for him. I think he got more out of the experience then he would have at his well regarded local public HS. The smaller classes and availability of teachers were a huge plus for him. 90% of the faculty lives on campus, when he needed extra help with Chinese during the week the teacher was available 2 nights while on dorm duty, same with many other teachers. He could sign out of his dorm and meet the teacher he needed help from. We liked that everyone had an after school commitment, we also liked the uniqueeadership opportunities that played to S’s strengths. He is confident and capable as a 19 year old that I feel came from his experience as a boarder. I don’t think this is the right decision for every family, nor do I think public school is a bad decision. I know how fortunate we are geographically and financially to have had so many excellent options.</p>
<p>oops, I meant to say “unique leadership opportunities” darn IPhone.</p>
<p>It’s all about you, the student.</p>
<p>I went to a very good public high school with opportunities available for students who wish to challenge themselves (“honors” courses, no APs sadly). I worked hard, I got good grades, got involved in things outside school that I am genuinely interested in (no EC Padders!), and got into most of my dream schools.</p>
<p>One of my closest friends went to an excellent private school starting from 10th grade. All the APs you could ask for, 1 SAT Prep coach for every 15 kids, etc. He ended up getting rejected from most of the colleges he applied for. He didnt get involved in many things outside school, except for a few obvious “padding” activities.</p>
<p>konig, your first paragraph mirrors my kids’ experiences. As far as college admissions, I do think it is about the student too. </p>
<p>07Dad, I understand. I was just saying that staying up late with homework is not necessarily due to not being able to handle the workload but can be indicative of a kid who is very committed to time consuming ECs and also a very good student with high standards for their school work, as was the case with my kids. My kids didn’t have a lot of free time but it was out of choice. They loved their ECs too much to pass any up. Also, in some ways, living in a rural area, it is at ECs that you have a lot of social interaction as well. My kids also had to travel a lot to many of their activities due to the distances involved here. It also may be that at boarding school, the ECs are structured so that the student has the whole evening off for schoolwork. But my kids’ ECs were not all associated with their HS (some were). Many were off campus and in afternoons AND evenings and weekends. So, my kids often got home at 9 PM (sometimes earlier, sometimes later) from ECs and still had homework to do and perhaps at boarding school, the EC all end at 7 PM and in fact, the kids don’t have to travel far to attend these pursuits.</p>
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<p>This really does seem to me to be where the dividing line is for all parents. Are the parents focused on the education of their child to prepare them for life or is it to prepare the child to get into the “right” college? I’ve seen parents of students in public and in private schools on both sides of that line. </p>
<p>In my experience with family and friends who are or have been teachers in the public school system, the goal of the institution is mastery of the material. Beyond that goal, there are some teachers who strive to impart a love of learning. It is the fortunate student who happens to have the self-motivation to acquire knowledge, who has one or more of these teachers.</p>
<p>At least at the private day school my son attended, the initial and on-going assessment and screening process made sure that every student was capable of mastering the material. The intense involvment of and scrutiny by the vast majority of the parents helped assure as best possible that only teachers who could and would go beyond teaching the materials to provide the broader range of education were on the staff.</p>
<p>That was a heady environment in which to be a student.</p>
<p>Without careful watch and involvement, I don’t think my older kids would have gone to college. Private schools were an important component of what it took to get them there. My DH is not a private school fan, and my oldest brother is a staunch pubic school supporter who sent both of his kids to public school even though he could have afforded any private school for them. But he agreed that my kids were definitely at risk for not being college material in a public school environment. Oddly enough, he was also a student who nearly did not make it to college, having slipped through the cracks of the very good public school system. And he’s the one who has gotten the most degrees and is easily making the most money in fulfilling work than those of us who were considered naturals for college. He was on the ball in making sure his kids were on track at the public school and would not have hesitated an instant to switch them if it looked like they needed more or different attention that what their local schools provided.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the school, public or private. I think Bronx Science or Stuyvesant does a better job than a tuition-driven school with a bunch of wealthy student slackers and uncredentialed teachers. Depends.</p>
<p>I also think that a lot of posh, private schools, so focused on making sure that their students are doing college in high school, essentially, lose all intellectualism in the process. My daughter’s private high school (one of the “top” in the country) could be accused of being overkill, frankly. I just don’t see what’s so wrong about doing college in college.</p>
<p>I can tell you that my mother, a graduate of Hunter High (NYC, PUBLIC, testing school), when it was all girls, got as good or better education as I did at the top private high school in L.A.</p>
<p>I have a bit of a different answer to the OP’s question…</p>
<p>It is not a matter of private vs public. The best preparation comes from a school where skilled faculty and administrators are committed to providing a quality education for each child first and foremost. That means having a common vision, realistically evaluating what works and what does not, and having the flexibility to change and adapt according to the common goal of educating the individual student. It means putting second all peripheral issues like school reputation, or town politics, or influential parent pressure, or teacher and staff egos. How well a school does these things is not dependent on private or public. Although certainly it is easier to achieve in affluent communities and very, very difficult to do in schools where children go home to worries about personal safety or getting enough to eat. </p>
<p>Our DDs went to PS through middle school, mostly in an affluent school system that was widely considered one of the best in the state. The town was highly supportive of the schools and the system attracted the best teachers and administrators. There was an attitude of constant evaluation of programs, teachers, and curriculum and a culture of collaboration and best practice sharing. </p>
<p>A few years ago we moved across the state to another school system with a good reputation, that has a more diverse community, but also spends several thousand more per student than our previous system. Our DD’s experience in this school system was dreadful. There was no collaboration, no integrated curriculum, no best practice sharing and generally no accountability. Programs were started or stopped based on politics and personal philosophies, rather than data or results. Some teachers were dedicated and provided wonderful classroom experiences, and there was tremendous jockeying among informed families to get their kid into that teacher’s class. Overall you could get a decent, although somewhat uneven education if you were good at manipulating the system.</p>
<p>I was disgusted by the whole thing. It seemed to be all about the adults. Our DD was not happy and given the opportunity opted for a private prep for HS. She does not love the social scene, and misses her friends in PS. However, we all feel that this school’s primary mission is providing the best possible education for the students. If we had stayed in the first system she would likely have stayed in PS. Public or private, try to find the school that is about the students, and that is a good fit for your child, they only go to HS once.</p>
<p>We chose a public HS for my daughter. She was in private until 9th grade. The private school she would have attended (her MS was a feeder) now has drinking issues with many of their students. Her class seems to be the worst one. Long gone are the days, teens would be expelled for drinking at a party outside school. Donations are down and requests for scholarship dollars are up. Every private school is different. At the private elementary and MS, my kids attended - the big donors’ children were treated differently. The school made me feel they were doing me a favor by accepting my son who has some issues (fine motors and AdHd), even though he always had good grades and didn’t have behavior issues. We transfered my son to a different private MS school a short distance away and we don’t have any of these problems. Private and public schools are so different even in the same area. We have an elite private HS in our area. The students seem to love the school, but other parents also tell me they also feel like the school is doing them a favor, by letting their student attend. Their teens are at the top of the class. Public HS has exceed my expectations. We are fortunate to live in a district with a great surburban HS. I think we are really lucky. The community is involved. Yes, there are a lot of students that simply do not care about school, but they usually don’t take the higher level classes. They don’t have an influence on my daughter. Honestly, we are all happier now.</p>
<p>I’ve attended private, Catholic schools during my entire K-12 career. It’s easy to see that quality depends on the school itself instead of the type of school (Public or Private).
For the first three years of my education, I was at a less than stellar private school. Classes were crowded, supplies were inferior, and teachers seemed frazzled. After first grade, my parents moved me to a different private school on the opposite side of town. It was less than 15 minutes away, but the school was a world apart from my previous one. Teachers had managerial class sizes and held us accountable for our actions and school work. The gifted and talented program gave me opportunities to work with specialized subject matter and finally feel challenged. I spent seven wonderful years there. A few friends of mine went on to attend the local Public high schools.
In my years of catholic schooling, I never really felt as if we were entitled. We were always told that we were “citizens of two worlds” (spiritual and academic) and had to behave as such, that many of our parents sacrificed to give us the opportunity we had, and that a good education was the key to success in life. Sure, there were local college prep schools that did take the “we’re clearly superior and will take any chance we’re given to talk about it” route, but it never felt like that at my college prep H.S.
At my high school, I always felt challenged but supported. A.P. and honors classes were always available, and the teachers were mostly (with a few passable ones) amazing. We were ranked among the top 50 Catholic high schools in the U.S. and among the best high schools in Indiana. I feel lucky to have been able to spend four years in such a wonderful place.
My only point of comparison is what my friends who attend my local public high schools have told me. After our private grade school, they went in (on average) two years ahead of their counterparts. Many found there to be little or no challenge in the classes, and eventually made the switch back. My private school’s academic classes are equivalent to a public school’s honors classes. I personally feel that if I had attended a public school, I would have not nearly been as prepared for college as I am now. </p>
<p>My school:
Average SAT scores(CR+MATH):1084
Average ACT scores:24
Graduation Rate: 98.9</p>
<p>Local Public School District:</p>
<p>Average SAT scores (CR+M): 840
Average ACT: 19
Graduation Rate: 81.0</p>
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<p>Are you southern, by any chance? </p>
<p>Because I most assuredly do not want to be addressed as ma’am, especially by a young person who knows my name (that I’m Mrs. XXX to them). Ugh!</p>
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<p>I have no idea what you’re talking about. In my region, the private school teachers are usually more qualified than those in the publics. Thus, they often have multiple credentials and single-subject expertise, often on the Masters’ and Ph.D. levels, even though neither is required for public school secondary teaching. Sometimes they are even hired via placement agencies that require the candidate to demonstrate a full class session as a further indicator of competency – in addition to multiple interviews. Even some of the public charter schools are now following that same expectation.</p>
<p>I will agree that all private schools are not created equal. There’s a big difference even among those schools considered to be the “top” schools here in Dallas. In reality there are two single sex schools that are true standouts, three or four coed and single sex schools on the next level that are well below the first two and then all the rest.</p>
<p>My S graduated from the same all boys school that both MOWC and 07Dad mention though a few years earlier than their boys. It was an intense learning environment and if a boy was taking the typical AP track, intense might be an understatement. Many liken the learning environment to be like standing in front of a fire hose; you handle all you can…some can handle more but all will be better for the exposure to it. That said, they came out incredibly well prepared for anything that college has in store for them.</p>
<p>I know of two situations with students at two of the top public high schools, one Highland Park, considered to be the top public in Texas and the other the top in a suburb.
In the first case the boy was at student at the previously mentioned all boy’s private and just not cutting it…mostly Cs and D’s. His parents pulled him and put him in HPHS and he was an honors student from there on. His mother said the daily pace was much slower, much less homework and it was far less demanding/stressful. </p>
<p>In the second case, the daughter of a good friend (who is also my lawyer) was salutatorian at a top suburban HS…she went to Penn and told her parents that she was overwhelmed by the required amount of writing…she had never been asked to write so much and really struggled her first year. She graduated the same year as my son and he had several friends also at Penn at the same time…they all said that the writing was nothing when compared to what they went through in high school…in fact I’ve heard from virtually every parent that regardless of the school, HYPSM etc, that junior year at the all boys school was far tougher than freshman or sophomore years.</p>
<p>We made a lot of sacrifices to afford the tuition…lived in a modest home, took less vacations and the ones we did take were not fancy or expensive. Would I do it again? Without question.</p>
<p>eadad- Don’t you think Greenhill is pretty much up there with SMS/Hock? I always thought it was, just a different type of environment (no uniforms etc)<br>
Agree that everyone we knew who left SMS/Hock for HP Public or Plano Public had a much easier time.</p>