Private HS worth the money?

[Anonymous]

Educational elitism as opposed to, say, meritocracy?

[Anonymous]

As in I want the best money can buy and I hate publics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As in I want the best money can buy and I hate publics.

I'm guessing you're a troll, but if you're not, your attitude exemplifies why we are going public.
- big 3 grad

[Anonymous]

Imagine you move to a new city.

Near your new house is a large farmers' market. There are some outstanding purveyors of fresh produce, grass-fed beef, etc. There are also a lot of mediocre purveyors. And the market is very crowded. Do you enjoy the challenge of sifting through the crowds, finding the best products, then taking them home and cooking yourself a delicious gourmet meal, all for a very reasonable price?

Or, do you go to the outstanding restaurant near your house? The service is excellent, the cuisine impeccable. Do you not mind spending a lot of money because the end product is so delicious and didn't require you to do anything but show up?

My point is, you can have an excellent experience in public school. But it will require a lot more effort, and overcoming of obstacles (inconsistent teachers, class sizes). At a top private, you can be confident of just walking in the door and having an excellent experience. But you will pay dearly for that privilege. Which is worth more to you?

[Anonymous]

We decided to send our DC to private mainly because the culture at our public was just too much for him to handle (his decision). With numerous suicides over the past year at our pubic high school, I think we certainly made the right decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We decided to send our DC to private mainly because the culture at our public was just too much for him to handle (his decision). With numerous suicides over the past year at our pubic high school, I think we certainly made the right decision.

You post this is in EVERY thread.

[Anonymous]

Your poor kids. You went private and you can't afford to give them as good a life as your parent's gave you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As in I want the best money can buy and I hate publics.

I'm guessing you're a troll, but if you're not, your attitude exemplifies why we are going public.
- big 3 grad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We decided to send our DC to private mainly because the culture at our public was just too much for him to handle (his decision). With numerous suicides over the past year at our pubic high school, I think we certainly made the right decision.

You post this is in EVERY thread.

So what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Imagine you move to a new city.

Near your new house is a large farmers' market. There are some outstanding purveyors of fresh produce, grass-fed beef, etc. There are also a lot of mediocre purveyors. And the market is very crowded. Do you enjoy the challenge of sifting through the crowds, finding the best products, then taking them home and cooking yourself a delicious gourmet meal, all for a very reasonable price?

Or, do you go to the outstanding restaurant near your house? The service is excellent, the cuisine impeccable. Do you not mind spending a lot of money because the end product is so delicious and didn't require you to do anything but show up?

My point is, you can have an excellent experience in public school. But it will require a lot more effort, and overcoming of obstacles (inconsistent teachers, class sizes). At a top private, you can be confident of just walking in the door and having an excellent experience. But you will pay dearly for that privilege. Which is worth more to you?

Ha! "Go to private. All you have to do is sit back and relax and your child will turn out perfect." You sure have been reading your school's marketing materials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine you move to a new city.

Near your new house is a large farmers' market. There are some outstanding purveyors of fresh produce, grass-fed beef, etc. There are also a lot of mediocre purveyors. And the market is very crowded. Do you enjoy the challenge of sifting through the crowds, finding the best products, then taking them home and cooking yourself a delicious gourmet meal, all for a very reasonable price?

Or, do you go to the outstanding restaurant near your house? The service is excellent, the cuisine impeccable. Do you not mind spending a lot of money because the end product is so delicious and didn't require you to do anything but show up?

My point is, you can have an excellent experience in public school. But it will require a lot more effort, and overcoming of obstacles (inconsistent teachers, class sizes). At a top private, you can be confident of just walking in the door and having an excellent experience. But you will pay dearly for that privilege. Which is worth more to you?

Ha! "Go to private. All you have to do is sit back and relax and your child will turn out perfect." You sure have been reading your school's marketing materials.

You sound a little defensive. I'm writing with the benefit of watching my son recently graduate after four fantastic years, and now preparing to head to an Ivy League school. It was a major sacrifice to foot the bill, but we feel it was a great decision. We went through eight years of highly regarded public schools before making that choice, and the difference between his high school experience and that of his friends who remained in the public system was dramatic.

The difference in resources, flexibility, encouragement, challenge and expectations enabled him to flourish. He might have ended up at the same place if he had stayed in public school - though I tend to doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine you move to a new city.

Near your new house is a large farmers' market. There are some outstanding purveyors of fresh produce, grass-fed beef, etc. There are also a lot of mediocre purveyors. And the market is very crowded. Do you enjoy the challenge of sifting through the crowds, finding the best products, then taking them home and cooking yourself a delicious gourmet meal, all for a very reasonable price?

Or, do you go to the outstanding restaurant near your house? The service is excellent, the cuisine impeccable. Do you not mind spending a lot of money because the end product is so delicious and didn't require you to do anything but show up?

My point is, you can have an excellent experience in public school. But it will require a lot more effort, and overcoming of obstacles (inconsistent teachers, class sizes). At a top private, you can be confident of just walking in the door and having an excellent experience. But you will pay dearly for that privilege. Which is worth more to you?

Ha! "Go to private. All you have to do is sit back and relax and your child will turn out perfect." You sure have been reading your school's marketing materials.

You sound a little defensive. I'm writing with the benefit of watching my son recently graduate after four fantastic years, and now preparing to head to an Ivy League school. It was a major sacrifice to foot the bill, but we feel it was a great decision. We went through eight years of highly regarded public schools before making that choice, and the difference between his high school experience and that of his friends who remained in the public system was dramatic.

The difference in resources, flexibility, encouragement, challenge and expectations enabled him to flourish. He might have ended up at the same place if he had stayed in public school - though I tend to doubt it.

What private school PP? Just curious cause we recently moved DS from public to private for HS and hoping we have the same experience. He otherwise would have gone to a highly regarded public.

[Anonymous]

Those unmotivated public school kids have done a mix of things. A few became stay-at-home moms, and married well. A couple of them became plumbers - their homes, cars, and vacations! One became an electrician. A few have became welders who live an average lifestyle. A few have became bankers, nurses, teachers, lawyers, financial planners, small business owners, and the like.

One of the most motivated girls in my class went to Purdue then to IU for law school, and could not find a man. She went to the Seminary at Princeton and got her Masters in Marriage. She now stays at home with 3 kids. What a waste of talent!

[Anonymous]

Yes, definitely worth it. Diverse students, small classes where everyone could express an opinion, school convocations, service learning which emphasized performing community service, clubs, personalized attention from teachers, individualized student four year curriculum planned out from 9th grade- and many daily experiences that expanded her mind and opened her up to learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those unmotivated public school kids have done a mix of things. A few became stay-at-home moms, and married well. A couple of them became plumbers - their homes, cars, and vacations! One became an electrician. A few have became welders who live an average lifestyle. A few have became bankers, nurses, teachers, lawyers, financial planners, small business owners, and the like.

One of the most motivated girls in my class went to Purdue then to IU for law school, and could not find a man. She went to the Seminary at Princeton and got her Masters in Marriage. She now stays at home with 3 kids. What a waste of talent!

I hate to derail threads, but I can't let this one slide. How incredibly sad that a woman who wants to devote herself to spending time with and taking care of her own children as opposed to working some job is now derided as unmotivated and wasting her talents.

[Anonymous]

Thank you pp.