In my researched opinion, private school curriculae aren't that hot either. In some cases they are better, but never 40K a year better.

And don't be fooled by shiny new labs and luxurious facilities. It means they don't spend where they should, ie on teachers.

Your job as a parent is to supplement with intelligent dinner conversation, inspiring activities and get him into a magnet program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:he is in first grade, let him play and enjoy it .

But at least in his public school, he's not playing -- he's doing boring math and uninspired social studies, with only one 30 minute recess. But with no commute, he has more time after school at the playground and for playdates.

Many private schools boast that they have 2 recesses, but when you add in the longer day, and a commute to and fro, the kids lose more opportunity for outdoor play than they gain.

Anonymous wrote:Keep him there and decide when middle school comes around. Your current situation sounds like a dream.

I was going to say the same thing. What school? I want my kid there!

I would move him. This is when a love of school starts. If he is bored and uninspired now that really really sad for a 1st grader

Reading at grade level sounds okay to me..

If he's reading on grade level, and no higher, he may need the support in developing basic reading and writing skills that he may be more likely to get in public school.

If I could afford it, I would move him in a second. Seriously, why put up with this? It is education to the minimal level.

I don't care if it's first grade. In fact, that may be the most important factor. Do you want him bored all the way through ES, OP?

Nothing can replace the neighborhood environment, that community feeling and hopefully those friendships that can endure when they go their separate ways.

Anonymous wrote:Keep him there and decide when middle school comes around. Your current situation sounds like a dream.

OP here. Thanks for that reality check. It's hard not to imagine that the grass is always greener on the other side, but we really have a good thing, as long as we continue to get good teachers (and I know that there are good teachers and bad teachers in every school, public and private).

Keep him there and decide when middle school comes around. Your current situation sounds like a dream.

Supplement at home. We do Kumon workbooks. We 2nd is just as slow.

How much information do you have about the day to day in class? I mean K is very different from 1st, and you have only had a month or so 1st so far. That would be useful for comparison.

Anonymous wrote:he is in first grade, let him play and enjoy it .

But at least in his public school, he's not playing -- he's doing boring math and uninspired social studies, with only one 30 minute recess. But with no commute, he has more time after school at the playground and for playdates.

he is in first grade, let him play and enjoy it .

My DS is very happy in 1st grade in public school -- he had excellent, skilled teachers in K and now in 1st, class sizes at our school are in the low 20s. He loves (as do I) that he goes to school in the community, where we can walk to and from school and all of his friends are minutes away.

But I worry that his education is lacking. So much of the day is about the basics of reading and writing -- there is little to no science, social studies is uninspired, interesting projects are non-existent. He's not a strong reader (probably right at grade level) and is still learning how to write, but he's a very strong math student and is really bored -- the school offers an enrichment group twice a week, but that's only twice, and even that isn't very interesting.

Is the curriculum at area privates sufficiently more interesting that you would give up all the advantages of being in the local community and go to private?