Public vs. Private

Private vs. Public

     Private or public schools? Which one is better? Is there a better choice?  When it comes to public versus private, public is a clear winner, hands down. There is more of everything, choice in curriculum, sports programs, fine arts programs and diversity. Public school is a better route than private school because public school provides more opportunities,that private schools can't, for your child. 
     In an article written by Valerie Strauss on The Washington Post's website, Strauss shares her thoughts on public school. She believes public school students can out do private school students. A recent study done proves her theory correct, "We analyzed instruction and performance for over 300,000 elementary and middle school students in 15,108 public, charter, and private schools.  What we found surprised us.  Students in public schools actually outperform those in private schools." Better performance and little to tuition, sounds like a win-win to me. When I hear private school, I think cha-ching. It seems crazy to me, for parents to pay for their child's education prior to college, when they can get the same thing or better for free. Why rush to dish out an extra five hundred dollars every month per child from the time your child is school age, about 5 years old, until he or she graduates, about 18 years old. By their senior year you would have spent approximately $78,000, and let's not forget you have not even begun to pay for their college education, which will be an additional $240,000 if you continue on the private school route. Personally, I have attended public schools my whole life, I have been very successful in school and sports. Out of 1056 students in my graduating class, I'm in the top 8%. College-level classes have been a must since freshman year, those classes kept me challenged and continually prepare me for college. While keeping up with school work I also played soccer for my school. Being apart of a team provides you with experiences not offered anywhere else. Teammate and friend relationships leave a lasting impression and survive a lifetime.
     Don't get me wrong, there are a few perks to private school, there are smaller classroom sizes, challenging curriculum, and specific topic focus. But smaller classrooms aren't always what there are cracked up to be, just because your child is in a smaller classroom doesn't directly mean the child will be a scholar. It is up to the individual to decide their destiny no matter the obstacles. Challenging curriculum? Nothing a few AP or dual credit courses can't fix, plus possible college credit. Why spend all your time on one specific topic when you can spend time learning everything, the more you learn, the more you know.
     Choosing the "right" school is overrated and over speculated. Whether you choose public or private, your child will receive a quality education. But if the only difference is $78,000 and a few more students in the classroom, the decision seems simple. Your child's must influential years will be sent day in and day out at school, so why not provide your child with every opportunity possible. 
   

                                 

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