by NYC Private Schools on March 7, 2010
There is an unending supply of stories and news articles about the admissions and application rates to private school amidst the backdrop of the economic recession. It is almost being used as a litmus test of the determination of parents who have been so vocal about Private School. In a recent article in slate.com, the author polled readers about their Private School choices; who was keeping their kids in Private, who was switching and their reasoning for each.
When I asked readers if they’d recently transferred their children from private to public school or vice versa, or were thinking of doing so, I got a flurry of like e-mails from parents going public.
Many of them were forced to pull their children out of private schools because they could no longer afford it, and, more than Alex, they expressed mixed feelings.
One of the most interesting aspects of this article, and what makes it different than many others, is the realistic response covered here that is usually not discussed in many articles. Most reports tell you how many parents are taking their kids out of Private School or how many parents are keeping their kids in Private School. This article was able to follow up with parents who had made a decision and the repercussions of that decision.
They lamented the loss of sparkling curricula and enviable amenities. Some simultaneously confided happy surprise at all that’s available at their local public schools for free. Others decried unresponsive administrators and tattered textbooks. (I also heard from parents who stopped at the brink of making the switch and detailed the extreme lengths they’d gone to in order to keep their children in private schools—for instance, raiding their own retirement savings.)
This is, realistically, what many parents will find when the leave their chosen schools. Some will be able to place their children in excellent public schools that surpass their expectations; others find their children learning in sub-standard educational facilities with tired and outdated equipment.
The realities of leaving private school are uniquely dependent on what public alternatives your child has available.
by NYC Private Schools on February 23, 2010
The argument over tax credits for Private School tuition, vouchers for Private School tuition or about funding, refunding or fund-a-mental public money used to support Private Schools sparks an intense debate from all sides of the argument. When it comes to the education of our children its understandable that the discussion evokes such strong emotional reactions, so it is always nice when someone puts their response in a way that is both simple and supportive of the children themselves.
Whitney Tilson’s blog recently wrote on the subject of vouchers for education.
A lot of what I write about relates to charter schools, but by no means do I think charters are THE solution – they’re one of the 100 1% solutions that are necessary. In many cities and states, there are few/no charters schools and the public schools are terrible, so what alternatives are available? In many cases, the answer is Catholic schools. I think it’s nothing short of insane to, for example, spend nearly $20,000/student for a NYC public school that’s failing miserably, while a Catholic school right down the block shuts down due to lack of funds despite achieving real success with the same students spending only $5,000/student. Thus, I am a big supporter of carefully targeted voucher/tax-credit scholarship programs like the ones in Florida which my friend John Kirtley has been instrumental in championing.
Vouchers and credits for Private School tuition money are hot topics all around the country’s education industry. Some areas of the U.S. provide student vouchers for children who are at a disadvantage in their current school district or who have not been able to receive an appropriate education in their public school. Public money, however, quickly brings up the subject of public oversight, which is something that Private Schools do not wish to subject themselves to.
Parents and educators alike work and sacrifice towards the goal of helping children learn, and the environment in which that happens are varied. Be it in private or public schools, by voucher, Financial Aid, full scholarships or full funded, or publicly funded, an education must be our top priority.
Loading ...