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Joined: Feb 2010
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I wonder to what extent the differences between public and private schools perceived by the author are true in general. And I really wonder how the private school operates on tuition of less than $7,000. Why I’m a Public-School Teacher but a Private-School ParentMICHAEL GODSEY The Atlantic MARCH 4 2015 Last week, I observed a high-school English class on a campus without bells. The school didn’t need them: Every student showed up for class promptly, and they remained attentive until the last minute—without packing their books early or lining up at the door. San Luis Obispo Classical Academy (SLOCA) is a private school in Central California that promotes "personal character" and "love of learning," and the tangible difference between this environment and that at the public high school in the area was stunning to me—even though I'm a veteran public-school teacher. And even though my own daughter is in her second year of preschool at SLOCA.
I’ve also spent the last four decades exclusively at public schools—either attending them, coaching at them, or teaching at them. I have dedicated my life to them, as have all of my good friends. I even superficially loathe the local Catholic school for its elitist attitudes and alleged recruiting techniques. But as my daughter embarks on her K-12 journey, my wife and I are leaning toward this small, 322-student private school for one really simple reason: The kids take pride in their personal character, and they admit that they love learning.
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SLOCA charges between roughly $3,000 and $7,000 per student in annual tuition
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Joined: Nov 2008
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I don't know about public/private differences in general, but I think small private schools have definite advantages over large public schools. The small, private school my son goes to exudes a love of learning, but the kids there are allowed to move through the core curriculum at their own pace, so everyone is constantly challenged and engaged. Most classes have around 10 kids, so the teacher is able to individualize to a degree that probably isn't feasible in a large public school.
Our private school is also a relative bargain--again, I believe, because of its relatively small size. For one thing, there isn't a lot of overhead in buildings and maintenance. There's no gym, for example; instead, PE and extracurricular sports activities take place at a public park one block away.
In many ways, our small private school does "more with less."
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Joined: Oct 2011
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One major way they're keeping costs down at SLOCA is by leasing space at an unused facility that saw its past life as a public elementary. Now the district wants that space, so they'll have to find other digs.
Privates also tend to pay their staff less, in both wages and benefits. This is a major reason why they hire teachers with lower credentials and/or less experience.
In addition, the privates in my area that are similarly-priced have large fund-raising activities, demand a certain number of parental volunteer hours as part of the price of tuition, and also have some hidden costs that are passed on to parents throughout the year.
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Joined: Mar 2014
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Our local public schools provide services I don't want and don't need (transportation, breakfasts and lunches) but won't let a 4 year old who can read start kindergarten.
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I was on the board of a small, independent, private school with low(ish) tuition (~$7000). We made it work, kind of as Dude says - lots of fundraising, lots of parental volunteering, lots of hard decisions when budgeting, and hiring young teachers. No hidden costs from us, but I'm sure other places may have those.
Aside from the lower salary benefits of an inexperienced teacher, you also get someone more willing to buy into your school's philosophy of teaching.
--S.F.
For gifted children, doing nothing is the wrong choice.
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Our private school has many ex-public school teachers and numerous faculty with advanced and terminal degrees. So at least in our case I see no "credential gap".
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Privates also tend to pay their staff less, in both wages and benefits. This is a major reason why they hire teachers with lower credentials and/or less experience. A teacher having a bachelor's degree in a field other than education is a positive IMO.
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Aside from the lower salary benefits of an inexperienced teacher, you also get someone more willing to buy into your school's philosophy of teaching. Also, by surrounding them with engaged students, you're automatically putting these teachers in a situation where they're primed to succeed. The author of the article summarized it well... while observing the private school classroom, she's thinking of WHAT to teach those children. Observing a similar public classroom, she's thinking of HOW to teach them.
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Joined: Oct 2011
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Privates also tend to pay their staff less, in both wages and benefits. This is a major reason why they hire teachers with lower credentials and/or less experience. A teacher having a bachelor's degree in a field other than education is a positive IMO. Public school teachers generally have to acquire teaching credentials over and above the requirements of a bachelor's degree, irrespective of the nature of their bachelor's. Entry-level teachers can often be hired without them, so long as they demonstrate that they are concurrently enrolled in a program to acquire them. Private schools typically have no such requirement.
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I think the love of learning comes through at our private school in part because the principal and teachers themselves are lifelong learners. The principal puts high value on continuing education and travel among her staff and seems to hire naturally-curious types with colorful hobbies and life experience. That zest for learning definitely comes through in the classroom.
But again, in our case, I think it's the small class size that ultimately lets the teachers focus on WHAT rather than HOW to teach. Classroom dynamics change as the class size decreases. At our school, classes are so small that everyone knows everyone. Age and gender distinctions don't come into play (even in middle grades). And I can't help but think classroom management has to be less challenging.
I often think my son's school must be a teacher's dream.
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