Private because of class size. Fourteen in my child's K class, with one teacher and one aide. Our child is shy and would be lost in a a big class.

I'm reading a book now on education ("The Good School"), that says class size matters but not as much as we think. Don't kill yourself paying for private to get from 27 students in a class to 20. However, small class size matters "most" up through the 3rd grade. And the ideal class size is 13-17 students.

I would (and did) start my child in a small private, with the intention of doing public high school. We might go public before then, but for now, during these first few years, we're happy to have very small class sizes (16 kids with 1 teacher and 1 aide).

We actually regret sending our kids to private school for the elementary grades, because in these grades kids are learning the same things in public and private schools: how to read, math facts, et cetera. It's starting at the upper grades of elementary schools that the differences between public and private begin to emerge, in terms of more music and social studies in the private schools.

You cannot make a statement to the effect that "private is always better than public" for every pair of public and private school options, or for every kid. That just defies common sense. It totally depends on your kid and on the public school in question. My kids have been in private and public elementary schools. One kid loved private school. The other was bored stiff and begged to be be transferred to the local public where he was more challenged (he's now in a magnet - public schools do better with that sort of kid). Private schools are better for kids who need more attention, but on the other hand some kids will find the small school size and increased attention stifling, as a PP pointed out and which one of our DCs also found. If your kid gets into a top private school you might find the pedagolical and other differences worth the $35K price tag, but you can't know which private school choices you will have until you go through the application process.

Start in public, if it doesn't meet your child's needs..change for the next year. I think it would be difficult to give up some private school perks ( like small class size and more teacher access) once you have it but many children are just fine in public school and then you can save your $$.

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the how the child fits with the school environment and is accepted by the school. Race, ethnicity, religion and other demographics may affect fit and how a child is treated by fellow students, teachers and the leadership. There a centuries of experience confirming the latter. For a given child a private school may be as torturing experience as the local public school a more liberating and nurturing environment. And class size and all the things you enumerate are moot.

There are many studies that show that class size does make a difference, especially in the lower grades. Friends have children in public K with 25-28 students. Our school has between 19-21. That difference is large enough to make a noticeable impact according to research.

http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2011/0511_class_size_whitehurst_chingos.aspx

Definitely private. Average kids can easily slip through the cracks at public school. This doesn't happen at private. I also agree with all of PPs reasons. We live in MoCo in a highly regarded school district, however, we have decided to go private, at least for elementary, for the smaller class size, one-on-one attention that our average kid could definitely benefit from, PE and recess, and more developmentally-appropriate curriculum.

start in public, private for MS or HS. they are colorblind, are mixed with socially and economically diverse kids and truly see that kids are all the same, they learn the abc's and 123's, and if they are middle or upper income learn that most people don't have it so good, even though parents work often many jobs to get by. by MS you've got a rather humbler and well rounded child who will recognize, by that age, the vast differences in amenities, class size, and rigor of private vs. public --and admitting counselors are often very happy to place kids who aren't spoiled from a life of the gated community among many of their "own kind".

The beginning is the most important part of the work . . .

Go private for the reasons outlined thoughtfully by pp.

I would say do public school unless your child isn't close to reading - then I would do private for the smaller class size. Or unless your public elementary is bad. What school is it?

I think it depends on the how the child fits with the school environment and is accepted by the school. Race, ethnicity, religion and other demographics may affect fit and how a child is treated by fellow students, teachers and the leadership. There a centuries of experience confirming the latter. For a given child a private school may be as torturing experience as the local public school a more liberating and nurturing environment. And class size and all the things you enumerate are moot.

Private because
1) the classes are smaller
2) private schools are just as diverse ethnically/racially
3) kindergartners are too young to grasp the significance of the lack of economic diversity at many private schools
4) there tends to be much more physical activity (PE daily and 1-2 hrs of outdoor play) compared to public Ks
5) developmentally appropriate curriculum--no homework, no worksheets, etc.
6) no shortage of school supplies (i.e., teachers don't have to buy their own supplies)

Once the children are older, I think that there is a very good argument for public schools.

I think most think private is better, but don't think the difference is worth the price.

What do you think?

I think most think private is better, but don't think the difference is worth the price.

Is your child ESOL? If not, then, presumably, your child will pull the school test scores up?

We live in Alexandria (Fairfax County). Our house is zoned for an average, not great, elementary school. I think the school is fine but it has a pretty high ESOL population that pulls the test scores down. The English speaking American kids all seem to do fine on the tests.

Do you think an average kid is better off in public school?