Private schools aren't magic. In fact their teachers are often less qualified (and paid less). They will get larger class sizes if they let more kids in and will have to cater to parents less as there will always be others with vouchers in hand. |
This is correct and I've seen it first hand. Also, because they don't have to follow any set curricula, they can just skip or skim over whole topics if they life, and there is no oversight or standardized test to catch it. |
Depends on the school. Doesn't matter public or private. Ours in private and it's wonderful. No, private is not magic but it offers a better shot of solid education as public sucks. You can have a kid in public do well but that's besides the point. Public's curriculum sucks - it's testing only. You can even get into a great college from a specific public because of demographics. But again the actual curriculum is what we are debating. I would always look at private but you still have to research and select the right one. |
This is not happening in states (or countries abroad) where schools were mostly open in 2021-2022. |
Half the day should be babysitting and the kids that can behave and earn the privileged should get to go to school half the day while the rest stay in the babysitting area |
Yes it is. Look at the new changes that Houston ISD is making. The reason is because discipline non-existent and kids are running wild. |
My kids went to a public school and seem to be having an easier time of college than a lot of their peers that went to private (mostly Catholic) schools. Mileage varies a lot. |
Black kids amirite? |
Behavioral issues are a problem and affect learning. The teachers I spoke to says that their hands are tied because admin won’t back them up. There are no consequences for bad behavior, skipping class, etc. Also cell phone usage in schools is out of control and causes constant disruptions in the classroom. To curb behavioral issues I would start with banning cellphone usage during school hours.
Curriculum is another issue. Gen Z has horrendous writing skills and I cannot imagine what the younger kids writing skills will be like. |
I also think parents should get together (though the PTA) and sign social media pledges. Kids and their parents would pledge for the kids not to be on social media. Schools can’t force kids off social media but if kids pledge to be off themselves and stick to these pledges bullying will decrease. Wait until 8th has suggestions on how to so this. |
My Canadian cousin is an art teacher and is on disability at the moment thanks to a middle schooler. The kid has also put three other staff members on disability.
Western countries seem to be taking the brunt of classroom problems thanks to bad parenting/home situations. |
I have a girlfriend in Canada. Maybe it's your cousin! |
There are good private schools and there are good public schools. Not all public schools are centered around testing--that's just a minimum bar to pass for some. And testing only occurs in a few subjects and in a few years so it's not that critical. |
Not accurate at all! |
One thing to be wary of is that the primary aim of private schools is to make parents--and to a lesser extent kids--think they are wonderful. They have to keep parents paying for a good they could get for free elsewhere. Make sure to get evidence beyond reputation and keep paying attention past the selection process. Private schools will do lovely things like make the curriculum sound amazing, give you narrative feedback on your child's learning etc. But there can be considerable gaps that can go unnoticed even in very good schools--and gaps between the curriculum on paper and the enacted curriculum. Due to our work which has required frequent domestic and international moves, I've had my kids in both public and private in a variety of settings (our agency has set relationships with schools so we often get access to very good privates). These moves have made me more aware of some of the gaps and more attentive to curriculum. In addition, my sister is a long-term teacher (now a dean) at one of the top privates in another state and she agrees the quality of teaching varies extremely widely-with some teachers basically acting like students' friends but not really holding them to any standards. She often advocates to hire former public school teachers as they are often more effective in her opinion. So my advice is, even if you love your private school, trust but verify. And make sure you compare to the curriculum/setting your child will actually have at their local public school (e.g., don't compare your kid to averages if they are going to be in AP/IB in high school or GT in ES). Private schools no longer give the college advantage they once did, so they need to be justified by their actual impact on your child's learning. |