Public, Private or Home School

[TheGirlNextDoor]

How many people have children of grade school/middle school age and are they attending public school, private school or are being home schooled?

What has been your experience in the quality of education your child(ren) are receiving in the choice you've made in their education and what do you believe could be changed in order to improve the quality of their education.

As a side note - did you attend a public or private school, or were you home schooled and what was your personal experience? How does, say, public school eduation differ from when you attended? Is it better or worse than when you attended?

 

[Aunt Spiker]

I home-schooled my oldest so for a while and I consider myself to still do it partially with all the kids - though they're officially in public school and I teach them according to that materials.
Over the summer is when I do a full home-school routine with everyone - I started this purely for necessity. My oldest two have learning disabilities and when the school year starts it's very difficult for them to get back into the pace of things. If they're still given assignments and so on over the summer then they won't forget quite as much and hte school years starts much more smoothly.

I've been doing it like this for a few years, now, and will likely keep doing it. . . and whenever my kid's come to something they don't know or don't understand (homework and otherwise) I'm always willing to help them through it.

 

[Arcana XV]

My daughter has been attending international bilingual (French-English) private schools since kindergarten. The Swiss school system varies greatly by canton (state) and I don't like the system in the canton where we live so we went with the private option. She just started high-school and I'm very happy with the quality of her education so far. As an ex-pat brat I attended both private and public schools in a variety of countries and had good experiences in all of them. My father was an asshole, but he was very good at choosing our schools, gotta give him that much. All were based on the French secular education system which I think very highly of to this day.

 

[friday]

I was homeschooled for most of my k-12 years. I went to public school for two and a half years and my learning suffered, as did my self-esteem. It was a particularly bad situation where there were too many bullies and not enough outcasts. A kid brought a knife to school in 4th grade. He called it the “John Killer” but on his list of names I was number 3. Since he was the kid of one of the staff members, he was sternly admonished by the principle for this “joke” and sent home early that day. I was back in homeschool for 5th grade and on.

In homeschool, I skipped 8th and 12th grades and started college when I was 17. I had plenty of opportunities to build strong relationships and friendships by being on a martial arts team that competed nationally and through my church. It did take me a long time to recover from the verbal and sometimes physical abuse I had received for my short time in public school. By the time I reached college, I was fine and had no difficulty getting involved and making friends. In my first two years of college I was the president of the Business Club, member of student government, and co-editor of the yearbook. I won one of two student leadership awards for my participation.

I am now happily married to my wife, another homeschool success story, and we just adopted our first child. I am working on two Masters degrees and expect to finish the first in 2011. I hope to go on for a PhD.

We understand that learning styles are different and may choose to enroll our son in public or private school depending on his abilities. He makes us a racially mixed family, so that will factor as well into our decision depending on the school environment. We love our son and celebrate our beautifully different family, but 3rd and 4th graders don’t always see diversity that way.

 

[peas_and_corn]

How extensive is public funding for private schools in the US (counting both federal and state funding)? The answer will of course be different from state to state, but I want to know this so I can form some base of comparison with the rate at which private schools receive public funding.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

I was public schooled. I'll do anything in my power to make sure my children-- when I have them-- have a better life than I've had, and that includes homeschooling them if at all possible.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I am a product of public schooling and I send my kids to public school. I have no problem with the institution.

 

[OscarB63]

My two older kids (biologically mine) went to public school and had no problems. My two adopted sons were developmentally delayed and struggled with public school. The teachers found it easier to label them "trouble makers" than to deal with their learning disabilities. So we pulled them and they are now home schooled.

IMHO, public school is fine for the "average kid". but if you are smarter than average or below average, public school is a disservice to you.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

My two older kids (biologically mine) went to public school and had no problems. My two adopted sons were developmentally delayed and struggled with public school. The teachers found it easier to label them "trouble makers" than to deal with their learning disabilities. So we pulled them and they are now home schooled.

IMHO, public school is fine for the "average kid". but if you are smarter than average or below average, public school is a disservice to you.

I strongly agree.

My oldest son had issues grasping conceptual words and terms like 'difference', 'between', 'because of' - things that are used frequently in school. Eventhough he was in special-ed classes his teachers didn't recognize this. I, at that time, didn't see it either because I was accustome to how he could understand me - I guess over the years I kept it simple.

When I chose to homeschool him (something I did for 6 months) I realized these things -as well as many other things - that were a barrier to him fully understanding what was going on.

When he went back he was a different kid and did so much better. . .and I kept up that same level of involvement after that.

 

[Josie]

I'm a public school teacher. When/If I have kids I will home-school them. Why? Frankly, I don't trust the teachers or administrators. Every year they have a different teacher - sometimes they'll have an excellent teacher who loves what they do, loves to read, is funny, loves kids, etc. But some years they'll inevitably have the burnt-out, veteran teacher who just gives worksheets, rarely laughs with the kids and would rather be at home watching The View OR the shrinking violet first-year teacher who doesn't have a clue what she's doing and lets the kids run the class. And they might have to suffer their entire school career with a superintendent that lets the principals slack off, school boards that refuse to punish bad teachers, etc.

I have my masters in education - I know who I am, my attitude towards kids and learning - I trust myself.

 

[Gipper]

Public school is a joke in America. I call it "conformist fascism". I was public schooled and hated it because of the focus of attention based on intelligence. If you're on the right side of the bell curve, you're essentially left alone and not nourished academically - while the teachers give futile effort to the dullards and those on the wrong side of average. This is all because every parent tells his or her child that he or she can grow up to be president.

It's not politically correct to tell a kid that you're just f'n stupid, and that you don't need more than rudimentary skills to fulfill your career of pumping gas or asking people if they want to super-size their #3. There's some belief that you have to reach every kid, and that you cannot tell early on who's destined to be a doctor or lawyer, and who's destined to be a factory grunt.

If and when I have children, I would never expose them to that environment. I would put them in an establishment that catered to their abilities and strengths.

 

[TheGirlNextDoor]

My two older kids (biologically mine) went to public school and had no problems. My two adopted sons were developmentally delayed and struggled with public school. The teachers found it easier to label them "trouble makers" than to deal with their learning disabilities. So we pulled them and they are now home schooled.

IMHO, public school is fine for the "average kid". but if you are smarter than average or below average, public school is a disservice to you.

I've had this same experience.

My son is adopted and my daughter is mine biologically. My son has a host of medical issues that he still struggles with and public school hasn't been kind to him.

When they first entered school, my then husband and I enrolled them into a private Catholic school. My son did OK (he was at that time undiagnosed with a differing things, so that explains why he only did OK, but they did seem to WANT to help him succeed) and my daughter was off the charts.

Then when only one of us was employed, we couldn't afford the tuition, so they went into public school. Their education has been only satisfactory, but since I worked for the school district shortly after enrolling them, I was a VERY strong advocate and was extremely involved in the entire educational process. I no longer work for the district but the people there still know me and know my expectations for my kids. I'm sure they see me coming and cringe.

I am not really thrilled with the NCLB and haven't been a fan since it's inception. It's been my experience that most teachers want "cookie cutter" children and my son does NOT fit that at all. I believe in holding my son responsible for his part, but I also don't let teachers label him a "problem" simply because he is going to take a little more effort in some areas (mostly organization and planning). I've been told numerous times that they don't have "the time" to help him. Bull****. I work sixty hours a week and run a household with two teenagers and I have time to be actively involved in their school work and activities.. surely they can help out in small but significant ways.

My daugher is in AP classes and while my son is very bright as well, he does have some things he struggles with and needs a little boost in some areas. Schools always tell me they want 'involved' parents.. but yet when parents DO get involved, it bothers them.

If I had a choice, I would home school them both, but unfortunately, I don't have that option.

 

[molten_dragon]

I went to public school. It was a decent school system, and I got a good education. I was adequately prepared for college, and did well there.

As long as the public schools in the area where I live are of decent quality, I will most likely send my children there when I have them. If not, then they will most likely go to a non-religious private school.

They will absolutely not be homeschooled. I know a few people who were homeschooled, and none of them are well educated. Not all parents really try all that hard when they homeschool their kids, and even those that do try aren't trained educators.

 

[TurtleDude]

When I grew up Cincinnati had two good private schools one very good public school (we lived in the city of cincinnati and that was the magnet school-you had to test to get into it Walnut Hills) and a very good Jesuit school (St Xavier) which was not an option since my mom-a big planned parenthood advocate wouldn't have anything to do with a Catholic school.

So I spent my first 6 years at one-it was girls in the upper school but went COED when I would have in in the upper school. It came down to Walnut Hills and the other private school-I went back and forth back and forth and went to the private school My father had gone to the same place but then to a boarding school which I was no interested in. (One of my brothers went to a prep school though)

this placed kicked my butt which was good-I partied freshman year in college, cut lots of classes and still had a B average after that pretty much a 4.0 while playing a couple sports. My son is at the same place I went my last 6 years. The public schools where we live are good but they are huge

 

[repeter]

I would want my kids to go to a public school for elementary and middle school so they can experience it, and understand how to socialize with less reputable people. For high school, though, the absolute best because that will determine where they go for college. I'll of course have to bolster their education while they're in public schools, and make sure that they're way ahead of the public curve so they can cope with the rigors of a good private school.

 

[TheGirlNextDoor]

Excuse me, but "less reputable people".

Wow. :doh

 

[Fiddytree]

No children, but public education will be what I support.

 

[TurtleDude]

Excuse me, but "less reputable people".

Wow. :doh

some private schools exist to deal with children who got tossed out of public schools for everything from smoking weed to what might get you a rape indictment in some places

 

[repeter]

Excuse me, but "less reputable people".

Wow. :doh

I could have said stupid, ignorant, gang-banging f**k-heads, but that doesn't sound very good. From my experience, a lot of those people can't afford to go to a good private school.

 

[Kal'Stang]

How many people have children of grade school/middle school age and are they attending public school, private school or are being home schooled?

What has been your experience in the quality of education your child(ren) are receiving in the choice you've made in their education and what do you believe could be changed in order to improve the quality of their education.

As a side note - did you attend a public or private school, or were you home schooled and what was your personal experience? How does, say, public school eduation differ from when you attended? Is it better or worse than when you attended?

I have 1 child in kindergarten and one in pre-headstart. Since I had already decided what I was going to do before I ever had my kids in regards to their education I will answer these questions.

First I went to public school.

As for my kids they too will be going to public school. However unlike how I was raised I plan to also give them an education at home. No way in H E Double Hockeysticks am I going to let the school system in the US be the sole teachers of my children. I am sending them to public school because A: I'm too poor to send my kids to private school and B: I don't know everything. But I CAN do my own research and make sure that what my kids are learning in school is accurate by using more than just 1 book as a source guide. (yes I plan to take a VERY ACTIVE role in my childs learning). I can also teach them things that public schools seem to be ignoring now adays due to political correctness.

 

[TurtleDude]

I could have said stupid, ignorant, gang-banging f**k-heads, but that doesn't sound very good. From my experience, a lot of those people can't afford to go to a good private school.

that's why so many concerned parents will almost kill themselves to live in an area with good public schools. Its why many of them oppose section 8 housing being placed in what is normally high property tax areas. I used to represent a public school system-it was a mix of most of the upper middle class blacks in greater cincinnati and middle to upper middle class whites. The school was the product of a merger. I know the black leaders of the area were highly opposed to government plans to put S 8 housing in the area. These people had worked hard to live in the area with good schools (as opposed to say moving to a white area where their kids would be a small minority or staying in Cincinnati and getting stuck in pathetic all black schools) with lots of hard working black kids and the last thing they wanted were people they thought were as interested in keeping the schools excellent

 

[Fiddytree]

I could have said stupid, ignorant, gang-banging f**k-heads, but that doesn't sound very good. From my experience, a lot of those people can't afford to go to a good private school.

There is no need to call the majority of the population gang-bangers or stupid.

 

[lizzie]

When I was having children (a little over 30 years ago), public schools were still adequate, but I started seeing a decline toward my oldest son's early high school. If were having children now, it would be private schools for me, but all the home-schooled children that my younger friends have do very well. I just don't have the patience to teach.

 

[repeter]

There is no need to call the majority of the population gang-bangers or stupid.

I'm saying that the majority of stupid gang-bangers go to public schools, not that most people are stupid gang-bangers. Sorry for the misconception.

 

[digsbe]

I was home schooled and I would strongly recommended it. I would home school my kids if it was solely my choice, but that's a decision for me and my wife to make together whenever I get married and have kids.