There was a thread last year about some home schooled kids who went to college in their early teens, and in that thread I think I expressed my disgust with the public school system. My wife and I bought some home school books and to give home schooling a try over the summer. It didn't work out. So I enrolled my daughter in private school.

She has been in the private school for one week, and while she hasn't made any earth shattering academic progress in that short time, I can notice a significant difference in her attitude and morale. When she was in public school, I would ask her "What did you learn today?" to which she would always reply "I don't remember," "I don't know," or "nothing." Now when I ask her that question, she gives me a detailed and exuberant answer like "Well, first I learned about bugs and we got to go outside and catch some and look at them in the magnifying glass, and then I did some math, and then we played basketball, and..."

This private school is really small. They only have 6 kids in the 1st-4th grade classroom, and she's one of two 2nd graders. Maybe 40 kids in total, k-12. My daughter has 5 different teachers, which are distributed among the 25 students in k-6. It's basically a home school on steroids, ran and taught by current and former home schoolers. They operate out of a rented suite in a business complex, not someone's house, and they have an almost legit gymnasium. It has everything that a public school has, and they let the kids work at their own pace (which is typically faster than a public school elementary teacher's pace). She gets one-on-one time with her teachers, so they have a feel for what she actually knows, and what she's not getting, and they focus on the things she doesn't get.

I didn't shop around for private schools. I enrolled her in this one because I knew the lady who started it, and my sister went to that school for a little bit. I'm paying about $600/mo for it, and I'm not sure if that is expensive or cheap for private school. I suspect this pretty cheap, because the feeling that I got from interviewing with the principal and teachers is that they work on an almost volunteer wage* - calling driven type people. They encourage parents to donate equipment and supplies and volunteer time to the school. I'm curios if anybody here on the forum either has kids enrolled in private school, or went to a private school as a kid. I want to know if what I have described is typical of a private school, or unique. Do you think it's a good deal or not?

*doing the math:
40 students * $600/mo = $24,000/mo
$24,000 - $4,000 estimated rent = $20,000
$20,000 / staff of 10 = $2,000/mo = $500/wk = $12.50/hr
This does not include the cost of curriculum, which I know is very high, or incidentals. These people quite possibly work for less than minimum wage.

 

My experience has been that good students thrive in whatever environment they find themselves in. Bad students cannot succeed in any environment, and the mediocre may or may not respond to any particular approach.

I was never able to justify the expense. Two of my three children graduated from High School. One of those two graduated from college with significant credit card (>18% per annum) debt, but now at age 31 is doing OK and working off the debt. I'm unconvinced that it was a good investment.

 

My experience has been that good students thrive in whatever environment they find themselves in.

The fastest runner ain't gonna run so fast when you choke the oxygen out of him.

 

My daughter completed her 2nd week of 1st grade. She is at a private school where she also attended pre-k and k.

She brought home her class work yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she completed her 3rd grade assignments with nary an error.

 

While I agree with most of what papabravo said, I seem to be the exception. I was "sentenced" to public school by the poverty of my parents. I did not thrive there, I slept there. I started and finished correcting my teachers when I was 7 years old. It only took once for me to see that there was nothing there for me. I educated myself, slept through school, aced the tests, and prospered in spite of the seemingly interminable years wasted by the public schools.

Meanwhile, I am excited about your success! You have picked a good path to keep your child's growth from being stunted by the lowest common denominator school system. I saw a boy, 5 years younger than I, born to a family with money. When he was 10, I was teaching him. When he was 15, he was teaching me!

Do it! Set your kids free in a place that can keep up with them! You will be amazed when they find where their talents lie and surpass everyone around them.

 

My daughter completed her 2nd week of 1st grade. She is at a private school where she also attended pre-k and k.

She brought home her class work yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she completed her 3rd grade assignments with nary an error.

That's awesome joey! Not to pry, but I am curious. If you don't mind disclosing, perhaps in pm, I would like to know how much you are paying, what type of school, how many students, how many teachers, curriculum they use, etc. If you aren't comfortable with that, I understand. My feelings won't be hurt. I apologize if this is too personal of a question.

 

I've heard that a good percentage of people who drop out of High School are bored. I was a C student...it didn't matter if I was in regular classes, or advanced...C's were my game. I was bored and teachers didn't make anything interesting. I dropped out because my best friend had an affair with a teacher and she began to fail me and other teachers followed suit. Awesome. I'd say 600 is an amazing deal, especially if the child is happy and learning. Plus, you can't beat that one on one time...I mean on of two second graders, that's great.

 

...

I didn't shop around for private schools. I enrolled her in this one because I knew the lady who started it, and my sister went to that school for a little bit. I'm paying about $600/mo for it, and I'm not sure if that is expensive or cheap for private school.

...I suspect this pretty cheap, because the feeling that I got from interviewing with the principal and teachers is that they work on an almost volunteer wage* - calling driven type people. They encourage parents to donate equipment and supplies and volunteer time to the school. I'm curios if anybody here on the forum either has kids enrolled in private school, or went to a private school as a kid. I want to know if what I have described is typical of a private school, or unique. Do you think it's a good deal or not?

I think this is a very important point...the quality of the teachers.

I only attended the Public school system. I have to say I was also bored more often than not. I had one particular Algebra teacher who would teach by reading out of the book. When a question was asked about something you didn't understand, he would refer you back to what he had just read to you, and then go back to his newspaper... He got paid for that

But, I was fortunate to have some excellent teachers in both science and math, who loved teaching. When asked a question they were excited and determined to help you understand. That made learning fun...
Even though class sizes are larger than some private schools I think you do receive a quality education when the staff is quality.

 

...but I am curious...how much you are paying, what type of school, how many students, how many teachers, curriculum they use...

She attends a Montessori school (google it). She is in a class of 24 students, grades k through 2. They are shuffled into various groups during the day for different activities (i.e., math, reading, social studies, science, etc.). The group she is in for each activity depends on her capability, not on her chronological age or grade level. Most of the work she is doing is 2nd and 3rd grade level.

We pay $940 per month. But that doesn't bother me nearly as much as the $4,000 I spend each year to send kids who are not my own to schools that I'd kill myself before sending my own child to.

 

...the $4,000 I spend each year to send kids who are not my own to schools that I'd kill myself before sending my own child to.

Did you lose a bet or something?

I'd also like to remind you not to write online anything you don't want to possibly stay online forever.

 

Did you lose a bet or something?

No comprende...

I'd also like to remind you not to write online anything you don't want to possibly stay online forever.

But...why not?

 

No comprende...

Why are you paying 4 grand a year for children that are not your own?

 

Property taxes. Americans are taxed to pay for public schools, even if they have no children.

 

Aha! And your tax form states that exactly $4k will go to public schools? That sounds kinda high. But then again, I don't know the Greek equivalent to compare, or even if it is published.

 

Public schools are supported by taxes that we all pay on the real property we own (house, land, etc.). It does not matter if we have kids in school or not. We can certainly give up on Public Education, but I predict terrible consequences if we do. Parents will be responsible for dedicating a portion of their income to educating their children -- some will, and some won't. What kind of society will result from great disparities in educational opportunities and achievement? Seems like like a race to the bottom to me.

 

Public schools are supported by taxes that we all pay on the real property we own (house, land, etc.). It does not matter if we have kids in school or not. We can certainly give up on Public Education, but I predict terrible consequences if we do. Parents will be responsible for dedicating a portion of their income to educating their children -- some will, and some won't. What kind of society will result from great disparities in educational opportunities and achievement? Seems like like a race to the bottom to me.

Public education is a race to the bottom, IMHO. But for me to elaborate further would require a political discussion and, likely, debate. So I'll just have to leave it at that.

 

Public schools are supported by taxes that we all pay on the real property we own (house, land, etc.). It does not matter if we have kids in school or not. We can certainly give up on Public Education, but I predict terrible consequences if we do. Parents will be responsible for dedicating a portion of their income to educating their children -- some will, and some won't. What kind of society will result from great disparities in educational opportunities and achievement? Seems like like a race to the bottom to me.

Who said anything about giving up on the public school system (inferred as a whole society)? Things are just fine the way they are, IMO. You can send your kids to school and get an education "for free" or if you want something better, you pay the difference.

 

Aha! And your tax form states that exactly $4k will go to public schools? That sounds kinda high. But then again, I don't know the Greek equivalent to compare, or even if it is published.

Property taxes in the US are local, and are computed on a countywide basis (at least in Florida). Each county has various "tax districts", and each property owner pays a "millage" proportion of their assessed property value to each district. The millage rate for each district, and the assessed property value, is published to each property owner every year.

So, yes, I know *exactly* how much I pay to the "Education District" each year.

 

...Things are just fine the way they are, IMO. You can send your kids to school and get an education "for free" or if you want something better, you pay the difference.

No. You don't pay the difference. You pay the sum of your tax liability (for public education) plus the additional cost of private school. This is patently unfair, as my child is not a "load" on the public school system.

Whether one with no children (either in private or public school) should be required to fund public education is a different, debatable question.

 

The school systems are about teachers and unions.

Kid are in the way.