W
Whitney
Guest
Do you/did you send your children to public elementary, Catholic private school or another private school? How did you decide, and how was your experience? Thank you for your time!
- Status
P
pianistclare
Guest
My experience was that Catholic grade school was wonderful.
Middle school, was different, and didn’t really prepare my children socially for what they would face in Public High School , where they excelled, but were appalled at what goes on with other teens.
The begged to return to Catholic HIgh school. One excelled, one found it too difficult (with other added traumas which I won’t go into).
Save your $$$.
Keep them in Religious Ed NO MATTER WHAT!
College is costly.
Middle school, was different, and didn’t really prepare my children socially for what they would face in Public High School , where they excelled, but were appalled at what goes on with other teens.
The begged to return to Catholic HIgh school. One excelled, one found it too difficult (with other added traumas which I won’t go into).
Save your $$$.
Keep them in Religious Ed NO MATTER WHAT!
College is costly.
W
Whitney
Guest
Yeah sometimes I wonder if I should save up to send her in older grades and use the free tuition now. She’ll be in kindergarten this coming year. In my state, pre-K 4 is public and free to everyone in most districts and she was leagues ahead of the curriculum coming from years of Lutheran preschool.
I went to public school my whole education and never changed schools so I am somewhat weary of changing schools often since I never had to be the “new kid”.
P
pianistclare
Guest
Yes, for you never know just how bad the public system may be in the older grades.
BUT…you may be one of the fortunate ones who live in a wonderful school district.
I would visit the Principal, the school counselor and ask them to tell them what they love and hate about their school. What are it’s strengths? What are the common problems? How frequently do authorities have to be called in? Social problems? Sophistry of bullying on the bus? Who do they deal with such?
What is the turnover rate of the teachers?
Good luck. I wouldn
t start over for anything. I’m rather enjoying their adulthood.
BUT…you may be one of the fortunate ones who live in a wonderful school district.
I would visit the Principal, the school counselor and ask them to tell them what they love and hate about their school. What are it’s strengths? What are the common problems? How frequently do authorities have to be called in? Social problems? Sophistry of bullying on the bus? Who do they deal with such?
What is the turnover rate of the teachers?
Good luck. I wouldn
t start over for anything. I’m rather enjoying their adulthood.
A
Allegra
Guest
I work at a public elementary school and I’m happy with sending my child there. In my experience, Catholic schools aren’t very good examples of Catholic teaching and have a substandard academic program compared with both the district I live in and work in.
W
Whitney
Guest
Would you mind elaborating a bit on this point? I’m wholly unfamiliar with catholic schools.
Statistically, catholic high schools have a greater graduation rate then public, have a greater percentage of graduates attending college and are awarded much more in college scholarship dollars too.
But the most importent thing is that God is freely worshiped and discussed in school.
But the most importent thing is that God is freely worshiped and discussed in school.
A
Augustinian
Guest
Of course, Catholic and other private school students have parents who care enough to spend a fair amount for tuition and are likely to be more involved.
Further, if a kid acts out too much, Catholic students can be expelled a lot easier that public school students.
A
Augustinian
Guest
My mum signed me up for public school for the 1962-3 school year.
The parochial school was more than a mile away as we lived on the edge of the parish. The public school was just a few blocks away and visible from our home’s picture window. Since my mum doesn’t drive, she felt better about that.
The parochial school was more than a mile away as we lived on the edge of the parish. The public school was just a few blocks away and visible from our home’s picture window. Since my mum doesn’t drive, she felt better about that.
V
Viki63
Guest
True, that God is acknowledged in Catholic schools. Both my children, however, went to Catholic school to 6th grade, and neither attend church any longer.
And my son was not allowed to continue after he was diagnosed with a learning disability, To be fair, they tried to help by having him bused for half a year to a public school for special instruction, but that was difficult.
The public schools have to accept everyone, so of course their graduation rate is lower.
And my son was not allowed to continue after he was diagnosed with a learning disability, To be fair, they tried to help by having him bused for half a year to a public school for special instruction, but that was difficult.
The public schools have to accept everyone, so of course their graduation rate is lower.
Last edited:
I
Irishmom2
Guest
My 3 went to Catholic school. They Were excellent schools for the money. Because we moved several times, I am familiar with 4 schools in 4 different states, and they all were wonderful. In only one state would I have “had” to send them to Catholic school because the public schools were not good school systems. In 2 states, the public school systems were excellent.
But we wanted our children to grow up knowing that God should be a part of their day every day, not just once a week. Every day started with a prayer. Mass once a week when they were in grade school. In high school, every class began with prayer. All of the schools had a sense of family to them.
The high school they all attended had very high ratings across the state, although they were one of the least expensive tuitions in the diocese. The amount of scholarship money this school’s students received was way more than the local public school here despite the fact that they are a fraction of their size.
Yes, there are good public schools, I don’t dispute that. For my family, Catholic school was the best choice.
But we wanted our children to grow up knowing that God should be a part of their day every day, not just once a week. Every day started with a prayer. Mass once a week when they were in grade school. In high school, every class began with prayer. All of the schools had a sense of family to them.
The high school they all attended had very high ratings across the state, although they were one of the least expensive tuitions in the diocese. The amount of scholarship money this school’s students received was way more than the local public school here despite the fact that they are a fraction of their size.
Yes, there are good public schools, I don’t dispute that. For my family, Catholic school was the best choice.
Last edited:
not opinions.
G
Gertabelle
Guest
Don’t forget about the charter schools in your area that may be available.
Any time you have a school that has to be selected by the parents, and they commit to getting their kids there without buses, and agree to donate time to the school throughout the school year – the student population is generally going to be more committed to success.
I would never send my son to the schools in the district where I teach. We have some of the best, most knowledgeable, most caring teachers I have ever known. But we are constantly fighting against a culture of failure and “settling for” among the students. My son would either go nuts being surrounded by that and/or become the target of every bully on campus.
Charter schools can be associated with a school district, or they can be under a state or national umbrella.
Do you know any teachers in the area who could give you their opinion of schools in the area? We found my son’s charter school by talking with the GT teacher at my school – she couldn’t say enough good about the school, and we’re thrilled with it so far (he’s in 8th grade, and the school is grades 6-12).
Good luck and God bless you!
Any time you have a school that has to be selected by the parents, and they commit to getting their kids there without buses, and agree to donate time to the school throughout the school year – the student population is generally going to be more committed to success.
I would never send my son to the schools in the district where I teach. We have some of the best, most knowledgeable, most caring teachers I have ever known. But we are constantly fighting against a culture of failure and “settling for” among the students. My son would either go nuts being surrounded by that and/or become the target of every bully on campus.
Charter schools can be associated with a school district, or they can be under a state or national umbrella.
Do you know any teachers in the area who could give you their opinion of schools in the area? We found my son’s charter school by talking with the GT teacher at my school – she couldn’t say enough good about the school, and we’re thrilled with it so far (he’s in 8th grade, and the school is grades 6-12).
Good luck and God bless you!
D
Domer90
Guest
I wish this were true in my area! With the trauma my kid experienced, as well, as other stories from other parents, the schools give suspensions because they need the keep the student population high or risk closing.
D
Domer90
Guest
After my son’s experience in public, private (Quaker), Catholic and cyber school, we decided that he will finish his three remaining high school years in cyber school. Granted, we’re in a unique position because my son has mild Aspergers and presents as a bit socially naive. He has made leaps and bounds socially in his freshman year at a Catholic high school. Sadly, he became the object of another girl’s desire, and it has not been pretty. Her dad yelled (literally) at me for my son “scaring and making advances at his daughter. It was the other way around. We just received his third quarter report card commending us on his perfect discipline record.
Sadly, the stress of the rumors this girl started about him caused a huge amount of stress that is reflected in his grades. He couldn’t maintain the math average to stay on track for the upper level science classes he wanted to take. The school would not allow him to take an intensive summer Geometry course to get back on the math track he needs to take AP Chemistry and AP Physics. The school knew about the problem but wanted us to make all the accommodations because we were the more reasonable parents.
Finally, we decided to throw in the towel for brick and mortar school and chose a highly ranked private cyber school for him to attend and get back on track. Yes, he will miss out on some of the high school experiences, but he will also, if things continue, ruin his chance to get into a college of his choice. He’s counting down the days until the end of the year…as are my husband and I.
Sadly, the stress of the rumors this girl started about him caused a huge amount of stress that is reflected in his grades. He couldn’t maintain the math average to stay on track for the upper level science classes he wanted to take. The school would not allow him to take an intensive summer Geometry course to get back on the math track he needs to take AP Chemistry and AP Physics. The school knew about the problem but wanted us to make all the accommodations because we were the more reasonable parents.
Finally, we decided to throw in the towel for brick and mortar school and chose a highly ranked private cyber school for him to attend and get back on track. Yes, he will miss out on some of the high school experiences, but he will also, if things continue, ruin his chance to get into a college of his choice. He’s counting down the days until the end of the year…as are my husband and I.
X
Xantippe
Guest
Some thoughts:
–The school situation in different areas varies a lot.
–There are a lot of good public elementary schools
–Public middle schools are usually terrible.
–Large public high schools have a lot more resources and activities than small private high schools.
–Special needs kids (and you may not know yet that you have one) have special needs.
–Keep an eye on how highly the school weights sports and make sure it’s consistent with your needs.
–Our oldest went to public pre-k in a nice neighborhood of Washington DC and we had a fine experience. Despite the fact that DC is famous for bad schools, it actually has many good elementary schools. It’s around middle school that middle class families flee.
–We moved to TX nearly 11 years ago and our kids have been in a single private school since then.
–When we started, our costs were slightly less than $5k a year for one child in kindergarten. Next year, it’s going to be in excess of $27k for an 11th grader, 8th grader and a kindergartner. We’re facing two more pretty tough years of paying for school. BEWARE tuition creep…
–The junior/senior high school has relatively few activities, but the kids have gotten a lot out of them.
–We have really enjoyed and benefited from the social and academic continuity and convenience of having all of our kids in a single school system.
–It means a lot that every adult in the building knows my kids. Also, my older kids know a large percentage of the kids in their building.
–However, we have one car and we vacation at grandma’s, despite an excellent household income.
–We’re a college family, so we don’t have to worry about our college expenses as much as typical families–therefore high PK-12 tuition costs are not as long-term damaging for us as for other families.
–The school situation in different areas varies a lot.
–There are a lot of good public elementary schools
–Public middle schools are usually terrible.
–Large public high schools have a lot more resources and activities than small private high schools.
–Special needs kids (and you may not know yet that you have one) have special needs.
–Keep an eye on how highly the school weights sports and make sure it’s consistent with your needs.
–Our oldest went to public pre-k in a nice neighborhood of Washington DC and we had a fine experience. Despite the fact that DC is famous for bad schools, it actually has many good elementary schools. It’s around middle school that middle class families flee.
–We moved to TX nearly 11 years ago and our kids have been in a single private school since then.
–When we started, our costs were slightly less than $5k a year for one child in kindergarten. Next year, it’s going to be in excess of $27k for an 11th grader, 8th grader and a kindergartner. We’re facing two more pretty tough years of paying for school. BEWARE tuition creep…
–The junior/senior high school has relatively few activities, but the kids have gotten a lot out of them.
–We have really enjoyed and benefited from the social and academic continuity and convenience of having all of our kids in a single school system.
–It means a lot that every adult in the building knows my kids. Also, my older kids know a large percentage of the kids in their building.
–However, we have one car and we vacation at grandma’s, despite an excellent household income.
–We’re a college family, so we don’t have to worry about our college expenses as much as typical families–therefore high PK-12 tuition costs are not as long-term damaging for us as for other families.
Last edited:
J
jlc2k2
Guest
My kids are in public school. It’s a good district but one of the lower scoring schools. We love it though! They’ve made great friends, are doing well academically, and are engaged in the school’s leadership program. The teachers and staff know them and definitely care about their students.
On the religious side, I homeschool their religious ed through our parish’s program. And it is a part of our day to day life.
On the religious side, I homeschool their religious ed through our parish’s program. And it is a part of our day to day life.
Q
QwertyGirl
Guest
So I went to Catholic school K-12. Then, I sent my daughter to public school K-12. I would say it really depends on the public school district in your area. Unfortunately, we haven’t come to a point (thinking you are in the US) where our public education opportunities are equal for all. I am lucky enough to live in a community where the public schools are on par with a lot of private schools in different areas of the country.
I few tips I would give, if you send your child to public school (actually good advice regardless of where you send your kid):
I few tips I would give, if you send your child to public school (actually good advice regardless of where you send your kid):
- Keep them the heck off the bus. That is where a lot of trouble starts. Drive them, or set up a carpool with friends and neighbors you are comfortable with.
- Stay in contact with their teachers. Often. This is how you will find out what is going on not only in the classroom, but within the adminstration at the school. Make sure they know who you are, in a good way, and that you have a vested interest in your kid.
- volunteer often
- Don’t be afraid to speak up and have changes made with regards to your kid’s situation when you have an issue with something going on. The public schools in my area were always happy to accomodate us. Don’t go in thinking you are going to change the entire school. It usually isn’t necessary. Deal with your child’s situation.
A
Augustinian
Guest
You don’t seem like much of an advocate for Free Range parenting. When I was a kid, that’s the way I was raised. Once I got to 10th and 11th grade, I left the house to go to school in the morning, and didn’t make it home until after dark plenty of days coming home from my after school job.
Of course that was a number of years ago, but taking city buses and making my own way around was a lot less of a burden to the parents.
Q
QwertyGirl
Guest
I am good with it to an extent. I took the public bus system to and from high school, and the school didn’t have buses. It was great…I lived in a larger metropolitan area that had a great public transportation system. I live in suburbia now, with not much of a public transportation system so that wasn’t an option when my child was young. Also, I believe in safety in numbers but my daughter was an only child so she didn’t have a sibling to buddy with like I did.
When she was in highschool I got her a car but she was only allowed to drive herself. Caught her driving a friend a few times and she lost the priviledge. She was a good kid though and didn’t get into trouble. Car was necessary becasue she had an after school job and needed transportation.
When she was in highschool I got her a car but she was only allowed to drive herself. Caught her driving a friend a few times and she lost the priviledge. She was a good kid though and didn’t get into trouble. Car was necessary becasue she had an after school job and needed transportation.
- Status