13 May 2008
Because you asked...
Shealynn wanted to hear more about my attitude towards private schools so I figured I would take this opportunity to post about it. The truth is I have nothing against private schools. What I have a problem with is parents that send their kids to private school so they can learn about their faith through school instead of teaching it in the home. As I posted before, this is our #1 job as parents, you can't write it off just because your kid has "chapel" 2 days a week. Also, as kids get older, private schools are known for having the most misbehaved and "party kids" around. Once you get kicked out of public school, private school is your only recourse, therefore the schools have disciplinary issues just like any other school. Also, a lot of parents figure their kids are "good kids" because they go to private school and therefore let them have way more freedoms than are healthy. The money and status involved allows parents to feel good about themselves without having to put their energy into being there for their kids. Rich kids can afford drugs and their parents aren't around during the day to supervise. In addition, in the past (laws are always changing) private school teachers didn't have to have a teaching credential or even a degree in some cases. You were basically paying more for a less equipped teaching staff. Now, I will say that a lot of private schools do have the money for art, music, and other extra curriculars that the public schools don't have the funding for, so that's a big plus for them.
I do agree that private schools are the perfect choice for some kids, and it is for each parent to prayerfully consider. I was raised with a strong awareness of being "in the world not of the world" as a kid because I was forced to defend my beliefs at a relatively young age in the public school system. This doesn't necessarily benefit kids who really care what the "cool kids" think about them and put their beliefs aside for acceptance. Now that we live in Utah I am really not sure what I will decide. I want my kids to be able to defend their faith but I don't want them to be crushed instead of being made strong. Private school is much more of a consideration now that we live where we do. We'll see.... So that's it, my reasons for being cautious about private schools, I hopefully didn't offend anyone, I just want parents to always be involved in their kids lives in a supportive, healthy way.
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6 comments:
Thanks for the response, Ric! Lots of thoughts going on in my head right now... definitely not offended...
* I agree with you when you talked about kids learning about their faith in school instead of home. Both are a plus.
* I also agree to an extent about there being more party kids. However, when we went to public school I hung out with a lot of that crowd. So, to use that as an excuse to not put your child in private school - I don't agree with. It's about teaching our kids, and hoping they make the right decisions when they are away from us. It's about clinging to God and praying for our kiddos everyday they go to school. Praying that God helps them make the right choices.
* Also, about involvement... ha ha. You'd be astounded by how many parents don't give a rip what their kids do in school. How many parents don't help their children or urge their kids to try. Mike and I are really involved with Angelina's education, and we have found [at least here] that we are a minority. Angelina is reading at a 3rd grade level in Kindergarten while most of her classmates aren't even at a 1st grade level. And Angelina has one of the best Kindergarten teachers at her school. She is phenomenal. :) At the end of the day it comes down to parental involvement.
* All teachers here, whether public or private must have credentials. No exceptions. Not sure how it can happen any other way. That's crazy! :)
* I think that public school and private schools can offer great things. I do think that curriculum wise private is a lot better. It's wise to carefully look at each school. Whether public or private. Angelina went to a private Christian preschool, and she really benefited from it. Private offers smaller class sizes too, which is a big bonus.
* As always, private school is not for everyone. Especially if money is an issue. There is a school here that we thought about putting Angelina in called Ravenwood, but it was $15000 a year JUST FOR KINDERGARTEN!!! Yikes. :)
Thanks for your thoughts, Ric! Love hearing what others think about things. Sorry my comment was so long.
xoxo
WOW! I didn't realize how long it actually was!!!! SORRY!!!
Well, as a teacher at a private school, I don't necessarily agree with your post. (sorry)
A parent must decide to be an active participant in their child's lives. That is a duty as a parent. So an uninvolved parent (either at a public or private schoo) would do a great diservice to their child. It doesn't matter where they attend school- the child will suffer. No school is a substitute for a loving and interactive home environment.
You are correct that not all private schools require their teachers to be credentialed. This should be a red flag to all parents. My particular school requires credentials, ACSI certification and renewal (which means a minimum of 5 Bible classes every few years), and encourages masters degrees. I would not send my child to a school with uncredentialed staff.
Not all private school families are wealthy. Many sacrifice and work hard so their children can receive a Christ-centered education. So the "spoiled rich kid" doesn't apply to all. I know many moms working two jobs so their kids can go to private school in this terrible economy.
My pride and joy as a teacher in a private Christian school is showing my students that I cannot separate God from my academics and my life. I do not have a "Jesus box" that comes out on Sunday only. He is integrated in every aspect of my life. As a Christian we should not be able to separate our Christianity and our academics, and I am grateful to show that to my students.
I appreciate the shelter that a Christian school offers. Personally, I attended both public and private. I love that I can hug my students, pray with them, challenge their beliefs, talk frankly (and biblically) about drugs, alcohol, etc, and be personally involved in their lives.
I think it's hard to sum up all Christian schools by just the "rich kids from OC".
Sorry.. that's a lot, but I had a lot to say I guess! :o)
Ok--here goes (ha ha)--I don't agree with the SHELTER of a private Christian school, and I am separating private from private Christian here. I am convinced that we need to learn to be in the world and not of it, and I don't think that christian school provides that stepping ground, and it is harder at home to teach that when your children are engrossed in "church life" for school as well, surrounded by christian friends, teachers, etc. The real world is not like this!! How are my kids going to grow up and fend for themselves in the real world when they grow up and try to get a job? Am I scared to send my girls through public school? Heck yeah!!!! That's the reason NOT to send them to christian school--I need to be praying, teaching them to be praying, stand up for what they believe in, and do what's right in the midst of everything wrong!! That's real life in the real world, and although I HATE it, God has put Satan in charge here. I can't shelter my kids from that! That being said, I'm talking about elementary up. I will send my girls to christian preschool, and possibly kindergarten to get the base. I don't think at 3 and 4 they have the complete boundries of what is right and wrong in beliefs to come home and even question it. They are still vulnerable enough to everything, that they take it as fact, regardless if it's right or wrong. I think that around k-1st grade they start being aware enough of what they have already been taught to question it. How are our kids going to learn to question anything if they are at a christian school?? Everything is going to line up with home, school, church! That's not the way it is! If that makes me hypocritical, so be it.
I went to public, then Christian University, and taught PE at a private (non-christian) Carden school. That's where all my thoughts come from. Just figured I'd throw in my two cents, or 3, or 4...(grin)--again, hope I didn't offend anyone, these are just my PERSONAL thoughts on the subject, "since you asked..."
Side note--every kid is individual--there are great kids that came from Christian schools, and rotten kids that came from public. So I don't look down or assume anything about people who send their kids to christian school--There are also great christian schools, as far as the sucky CA public school system, I would send my kids to private before christian....
You opened to worms Ricci! :)
It just comes down to praying about it with Joe and you'll know. THe two of you together. And nobody else. :)
Lovin' the feedback, keep it comin'
We have talked about public versus private in our family too. I went to public nearly my entire school life, and I'm glad I did. However, I see the benefits of a private Christian education, in that it *reinforces* what we would be teaching at home (but doesn't replace it--totally with you there, Ricci. It is our #1 job). Some teaching in public school would actually contradict what we teach at home--in some children, this is fine, as they can bring issues up at home and discuss them with their parents.
My qualms with private school are not with sheltering versus not sheltering, but in the fact that many Christian teachers do not have a firm understanding of the gospel (or the character of God in general) and can actually muddle it (if muddle is a word). A good friend of mine spent many years of her life wondering if she really was saved because so many of the teachers at her Christian school said she had to "follow Christ" completely--essentially to prove she was saved--and she never thought she was good enough.
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