Study: Private schools no better than public?

[ltravis]

I am surprised I haven’t seen a discussion here on today’s news of the study that suggested that private school students do no better than public students once adjustments are made for socioeconomic differences in the two student bases. A couple links:
ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTeLFxNzHoi3mlS_IgEB_BtBi8YwD8S65B4O0
usatoday.com/news/education/2007-10-09-public-private_N.htm

Also, there is something of a challege already:
time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1670063,00.html?xid=rss-nation

So, how do you all feel about this? Considering academics alone, how are our catholic high schools faring compared to the public schools these days?

-LT

 

[pigtown]

I don’t know about the Catholic high schools but I do know that my daughter was treated badly in a Catholic elementary school. We had tried to get her into the local Catholic school for Kin. but the classes were already full. We ended up taking her to a Lutheran School until after first grade. We got her into the Catholic school in the 2nd grade. She cried constantly, both in school and at home because of the treatment she received (not physical but she was put down and told she couldn’t read and was stupid). She was also called a liar when she told the teacher that she had already read the 2nd grade reader in the 1st grade. I called her first grade teacher and was told that she had completely finished the book and was in the highest reading group in 1st grade. We took her out of that school and put her back in the Lutheran school for a couple of years and then switched to public schools. She went on, loved school, got good grades, including honors classes in high school and is now a high school teacher. She has always loved school except when she went to the Catholic school. Her other teachers have been great. I hate to think what may have happened if we had kept her in that Catholic school. I’m sure there are other Catholic schools that treat students with respect and I don’t think it was completely the fault of this particular school; but I do blame the teacher.

 

[shockerfan]

My kids attended Catholic grade schools until last year when we moved to another state. Since then they have been attending public schools.

Here is my opinion: The main force behind the success or failure of a child is the parents. At a Catholic school, the vast majority of parents are involved in their kids education, because they are spending a lot of money to send them there. At a public school, there are a lot of parents not involved, and it shows.

Now public schools have more resources. My kids can now take advanced placement and “gifted-talented” classes, where they couldn’t before…so there is an upside.

Next, and this is a big difference, is the Catholic atmosphere. In general, kids at a Catholic school are much better behaved than their public school counterparts. At the public schools, if its not nailed down, it gets stolen. Pens, pencils, markers, calculators, athletic shirts for PE, etc. We learned really fast to lock everything up.

Last, and not so much a problem in the conservative state we now reside, but would be a problem if in California or Maryland, is what gets rammed down the throats of our kids in terms of politically correct curriculum. You don’t have to worry about a teacher reading “Daddy’s roommate” or “Heathers two mommys”, when you send your kids to a Catholic school.

In my opinion, your kids are better off at a Catholic school, but can succeed fine at a public school, provided you make sure they continue to get a strong Catholic upbringing.