I went to an elite prep school in the northeast, worcester academy...30k a year...kids in my class included jarret jack and colt brennan, craig smith...lots of athletes and ivy leaguers...i was neither unless golf counts...i only got into holy cross because of the high school i went to...1140 sat
I think prep schools are totally overrated unless you go to a select few in New England. I went sports driven prep school (middle or lower of the pack for academics) and was not impressed. If your not a superstar in sports these middle of the road prep schools aren't worth the money. Most of the teachers are underpaid and overworked. Just my opinion.
Every year the American public school systems graduate well over one million young men and women who are either well prepared for advanced education (college); well prepared to enter the active work force or both.
With few exceptions, the bulk of the American public school system provides everything that a young American needs in order to be fully literate, proficient in math and sciences and prepared to continue forward as a productive member of the adult community.
All of the above, however, is reserved for only one group of students - those that WANT to have some or all of the above.
For the group of students (primarily teenagers) who do NOT WANT to make use of the amazing resources provided by the American public education system, there's really not much difference as to whether they are enrolled in a public or in a private school system.
With few exceptions, the bulk of the American public school system provides everything that a young American needs in order to be fully literate, proficient in math and sciences and prepared to continue forward as a productive member of the adult community.
All of the above, however, is reserved for only one group of students - those that WANT to have some or all of the above.
For the group of students (primarily teenagers) who do NOT WANT to make use of the amazing resources provided by the American public education system, there's really not much difference as to whether they are enrolled in a public or in a private school system.
My personal experience:
private school has an overall greater parental involvement than public school. That is the greatest benefit. Not isolated examples, but overall.
If if you are paying $12,000 a Year, you tend to be more involved.
we know all of our kids friends, particularly their parents. The benefits of communicating with your kids' friends' parents is huge.
I am in no way saying a public school kid is destined for hardship nor a private schooled kid not becoming a junky. Just overall, there are huge advantages in the private school system, in my experience.
3 kids, private school from the start, 2 of them in a reputable colleges with mid level jobs working on a career, one in high school that should probably get smacked more often, but doing pretty good sports wise and grade wise.
Invest in your kids. Why wouldn't you.
private school has an overall greater parental involvement than public school. That is the greatest benefit. Not isolated examples, but overall.
If if you are paying $12,000 a Year, you tend to be more involved.
we know all of our kids friends, particularly their parents. The benefits of communicating with your kids' friends' parents is huge.
I am in no way saying a public school kid is destined for hardship nor a private schooled kid not becoming a junky. Just overall, there are huge advantages in the private school system, in my experience.
3 kids, private school from the start, 2 of them in a reputable colleges with mid level jobs working on a career, one in high school that should probably get smacked more often, but doing pretty good sports wise and grade wise.
Invest in your kids. Why wouldn't you.
Thats a good post. I just think public schools get a bad rap. Especially teachers. My wife is a middle school teacher and the hardest worker I've ever known....cares, does all the extra things for the district. The problem is...there are some kids that truly don't care. It comes from the parents...sometimes it doesn't matter how hard teachers try.....some kids just won't even try.
The kids might be better at private schools.....doesn't mean the teachers are. You're seeing scandal after scandal at private schools as well.
The main difference isn't the education, it's the kids that go to each school.
Parents that have the money and/or the interest in sending their kids to private school will usually have more intelligent kids who are interested in doing well.
Can more kids dunk a basketball on inner city outdoor courts than the kids playing in the suburbs because of the conditions? No, it's because of which kids you find playing there. The suburb kids could play twice as much as the inner city kids, but they still aren't going to be dunking like they do in the inner city. Busing the suburb kids to the inner city to play isn't going to make them dunk more.
Do you think this kid is headed for public or private school?
Parents that have the money and/or the interest in sending their kids to private school will usually have more intelligent kids who are interested in doing well.
Can more kids dunk a basketball on inner city outdoor courts than the kids playing in the suburbs because of the conditions? No, it's because of which kids you find playing there. The suburb kids could play twice as much as the inner city kids, but they still aren't going to be dunking like they do in the inner city. Busing the suburb kids to the inner city to play isn't going to make them dunk more.
Do you think this kid is headed for public or private school?
the assumption is private school is giving college prep courses. they also are supposed to offer more extracurricular opportunities to make well rounded students. at the end of the day, there is no substitution for focus and hard work so public or private doesn't really matter most of the time. however, it naturally makes sense that a motivated student would take more advantage of the resources available at his/her private school.
