Private School or State School? (America)

[Dream Angel]

Ok there are a couple of threads on rich and poor at the moment. So I thought I would ask the questions

1)What does everyone think of Private Schools and State Schools?
2) Advantages/Disadvantage? I can think of disadvantages and advantages for both?

Personally I went to a Private School - so if you have any questions please feel free to ask!

[angellous_evangellous]

In a public school, students are rewarded with medocrity. Honors courses are simply grade level, and often students are educated to pass a state test that measures only what the stupidest human being can learn. I see no advantages at all in American public schools. It is a void that is despicable.

I prefer private schools that follow the classical method. There are only advantages/disadvantages to be weighed in choosing a private school.

[Comprehend]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

In a public school, students are rewarded with medocrity. Honors courses are simply grade level, and often students are educated to pass a state test that measures only what the stupidest human being can learn. I see no advantages at all in American public schools. It is a void that is despicable.

I prefer private schools that follow the classical method. There are only advantages/disadvantages to be weighed in choosing a private school.

amen to that. I started out in public school but finished in private school. I realized after going to private school what a total joke public school is.

[doppelgänger]

I'm a product of a public elementary, middle and high school.

[SoyLeche]

I made it through public school all right - but I'm still waivering on whether or not I want my kids to go that route. I think it will largly depend on where we are living in 4 years when it becomes an issue.

[GeneCosta]

It depends on where you live, really. My district is ranked as one of the best in the country and can easily outperform most private schools, but that's probably because of the concentration of wealth.

In a comparison between similar students enrolled in public schools and private schools, the public school students actually did a little better.

[SoyLeche]

Really - I would be willing to bet that the main difference can be found in the parents. Children who have parents who are willing to go to the trouble of putting them in private schools would very likely excel in public school as well.

There is an interesting chapter on this in "Freakonomics". Basically, when the Chicago school system had a lottery to allow a voucher type system (not everyone that wanted into the system could get there) - there wasn't much of a difference between public and private when controling for other variables, but there was a correlation between attempting to get into the system and performance. In other words, the fact that the parents tried to get their kids into private school was a good indicator of how well their kids would perform. Whether or not they were successful in getting them into private school didn't indicate much.

[Shadow Wolf]

Costs is the biggest issue, and as Gene said, wealth and money being pumped into the schools, the teachers, etc. But overall, private school can provide a better education, but you have to consider if such an advanced education will be used.
One of my friends, graduated from a school that has poor and below average marks, goes to Purdue on full scholorships, and is even working at Disney World at this moment as part of an internship. In the end, personal motivation, or in his case, extreme amounts of intelegence and can grasp everything very easily, determine were you go, not private or public schooling.

and often students are educated to pass a state test that measures only what the stupidest human being can learn.

Thanks....I really did struggle with math.