What do you like best about having your child(ren) in private school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safe, orderly class rooms with others who value education.

Others who value education?

Wasn't my reply, but I think the poster meant that the other families are almost always going to be the types who don't complain about homework and projects (I see that on the public school boards- people really hate when school comes home or requires extra supplies/weekend time), the types who will definitely have parents at conferences or school plays (probably both parents), the types who support teachers instead of assuming the teacher is somehow against their kid. Obviously, this comes with privilege. It's a lot easier if you have a job and resources to support it. And this exists in public school, of course. But my experience is that it's pretty universal at my private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can’t fly under the radar. Teachers will know them and encourage participation and provide lots of feedback.

+1 This is a big one, especially if you have kids who are in the middle academically. Having had kids in both public and private, what I appreciate most about private school is the constant presence and accessibility of the teachers and administrators. It's so important for kids, especially during high school, to have supportive adults in their lives who are not their parents who know them and hold them accountable for doing their best.

I would also add a more family-friendly calendar and echo what others have said about smaller classes and greater access to teachers when extra help is needed. This is especially true for my ADHD student, who needs structure and a stable learning environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the smug moral superiority that comes with telling my public-school neighbors that I send my kids to private school.

It is a bonus isn't it!!!!!

[Anonymous]

More science, art, engineering, PE and music. More joy. More flexibility. Fewer mandates and assessments. Fewer disruptions from unruly kids hindering learning for the rest of the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can’t fly under the radar. Teachers will know them and encourage participation and provide lots of feedback.

Just got off the phone with the principal of his school about a kid doodling and not paying any attention in class. I'm going to say that this is indeed a huge benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t fly under the radar. Teachers will know them and encourage participation and provide lots of feedback.

Just got off the phone with the principal of his school about a kid doodling and not paying any attention in class. I'm going to say that this is indeed a huge benefit.

Is he actually doodling and not paying attention or doodling TO pay attention? I have to do the latter as I am not an auditory learner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the smug moral superiority that comes with telling my public-school neighbors that I send my kids to private school.

I know (well, assume) this is tongue in cheek, but I actually feel bad when I tell people we are considering private school. I find myself going into this long explanation of why we are making this decision, and what our zoned schools are like.

[Anonymous]

Wow some of you wear your ableism right on your foreheads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safe, orderly class rooms with others who value education.

Others who value education?

Wasn't my reply, but I think the poster meant that the other families are almost always going to be the types who don't complain about homework and projects (I see that on the public school boards- people really hate when school comes home or requires extra supplies/weekend time), the types who will definitely have parents at conferences or school plays (probably both parents), the types who support teachers instead of assuming the teacher is somehow against their kid. Obviously, this comes with privilege. It's a lot easier if you have a job and resources to support it. And this exists in public school, of course. But my experience is that it's pretty universal at my private.

I am pretty sure most people understand exactly what the PP meant. I am also pretty sure the PP is as familiar with the terribly busy/important/wealthy absentee private school parent as they are unfamiliar with the hard-working blue collar public school parent who rides a city bus an hour each way to get their child to a good school and worries whether they will get to their second job on time. Which “type” values education more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow some of you wear your ableism right on your foreheads.

Why do you say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow some of you wear your ableism right on your foreheads.

Why do you say?

The early responses about having their kids in classes w/ kids w/ autism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No stress about absences. If we want to travel or have a recuperation day post travel… we just do it. On all fronts really, the school treats us like adults with good judgment.

Ummm you’re paying them. As long as you pay tuition you could live in Timbuktu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The overall calmness of the whole place.

This one of the benefits that most people don’t mention. The school is calm and the is plenty of space- in the classrooms, hallways, dining hall, etc. The entire experience is more civil. If the school wasn’t a great fit for my daughter none of the rest of it would matter, but it is very nice to have.

I totally agree. I go in to pick up my kindergarten daughter and the hallways are calm. She’s in aftercare and the kids are playing happily. No one is being loud and disruptive. There are just happy sounds of kids playing. They answer the teacher’s questions nicely. They know to clean up after themselves before they go home. It’s just … really nice.

+1 this was a weird private school benefit that I didn't think about. In our public school, the hallways are narrow and the kids rush from class to class but the private school we moved to have large hallways, students can gather and chat, more time between classes and even areas for kids to congregate that aren't in classrooms. It's very refreshing and does change the dynamic

This. For my inattentive ADHD kid, it does wonders for her disposition to not feel crowded and surrounded by constant noise and distractions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No stress about absences. If we want to travel or have a recuperation day post travel… we just do it. On all fronts really, the school treats us like adults with good judgment.

Ummm you’re paying them. As long as you pay tuition you could live in Timbuktu.

Ummm yeah and that’s why I pay them. To get treated like I pay them instead of like someone at the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No stress about absences. If we want to travel or have a recuperation day post travel… we just do it. On all fronts really, the school treats us like adults with good judgment.

Ha, we went to a private school and did this, and the teacher rang me up and yelled at me for half an hour.

Wow that’s crazy. I pulled my kid out last second to go to a protest at the Supreme Court and I didn’t get any pushback at all.