If you had to choose between private school for elementary or high school, which would you choose?

[Anonymous]

If you are set on private, i would do it for elementary.

Publics give your kid so many more options than small private schools in terms of activities, social groups and course offerings. There are more chances for your teen to find his people at a public high school and less pressure to be just like everyone else.

If you must do private HS, pick a larager one of at least around 200 kids per grade.

[Anonymous]

It is still early for us but I am considering private for HS and maybe middle school because when our kids hit those difficult teenage years I want them to socialize with (and yes, date) kids from families with a high income and social class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is still early for us but I am considering private for HS and maybe middle school because when our kids hit those difficult teenage years I want them to socialize with (and yes, date) kids from families with a high income and social class.

If this is your thinking why would your target social class want to socialize with you?
Think about it.

[Anonymous]

Public high schools may offer more extracurriculars, but for anything in which a limited number of kids can participate (athletic or academic teams, editorial boards, student government, etc), it is a lot easier to be one of the 20 best kids out of a hundred than it is out of 500. Many private school extracurriculars have no cuts at all, but to participate at a large public, you have to be a superstar.

[Anonymous]

If your child is average, go private in ES. If your child is advanced, go public with a good gifted program. Privates are not equipped to teach gifted children the way publics are.

[Anonymous]

We have experience with both. Oldest did public until middle school and youngest did private until high school. On balance, I wish we'd waited on private school until 6th or 7th grade. Private school is so costly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is average, go private in ES. If your child is advanced, go public with a good gifted program. Privates are not equipped to teach gifted children the way publics are.

Disagree. Gifted in public starts in 3rd grade. Our child was pulled out for special instructions with a handful others from 1st grade on without us asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is average, go private in ES. If your child is advanced, go public with a good gifted program. Privates are not equipped to teach gifted children the way publics are.

Disagree. Gifted in public starts in 3rd grade. Our child was pulled out for special instructions with a handful others from 1st grade on without us asking.

My child received informal pull outs like this in public too before the official gifted program started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public high schools may offer more extracurriculars, but for anything in which a limited number of kids can participate (athletic or academic teams, editorial boards, student government, etc), it is a lot easier to be one of the 20 best kids out of a hundred than it is out of 500. Many private school extracurriculars have no cuts at all, but to participate at a large public, you have to be a superstar.

Agree. And, I would add, that the large size of public high schools in this area often fosters a less fluid social culture -- there are the jocks, the theatre types, the student government set, etc., and not a lot of mixing among these groups. In private schools there's more crossover -- a jock might also do math team and might have a best friend who does theater and also writes for the student newspaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public high schools may offer more extracurriculars, but for anything in which a limited number of kids can participate (athletic or academic teams, editorial boards, student government, etc), it is a lot easier to be one of the 20 best kids out of a hundred than it is out of 500. Many private school extracurriculars have no cuts at all, but to participate at a large public, you have to be a superstar.

Agree. And, I would add, that the large size of public high schools in this area often fosters a less fluid social culture -- there are the jocks, the theatre types, the student government set, etc., and not a lot of mixing among these groups. In private schools there's more crossover -- a jock might also do math team and might have a best friend who does theater and also writes for the student newspaper.

Crossover happens everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is average, go private in ES. If your child is advanced, go public with a good gifted program. Privates are not equipped to teach gifted children the way publics are.

Disagree. Gifted in public starts in 3rd grade. Our child was pulled out for special instructions with a handful others from 1st grade on without us asking.

My child received informal pull outs like this in public too before the official gifted program started.

Same with my child in public - pulled out for special instructions with a handful others from 1st grade on without us asking. All public schools differentiate from K on (most start at 1st though) but the separate gifted program where it's full time and with gifted peers, so there is not need for pull outs, doesn't begin until 3rd. We did public AAP through 8th and then went private for HS with our oldest two. We will do all public with the youngest because he's in AAP and because the HS has improved since my oldest came through.