Public_vs._Private

Is paying for school really worth it' The question over whether private or public schools are better has been a highly debated issue for ages. Today education is a complex and compelling topic. Questions about school quality, accountability, curriculum, and teacher training arise each day, and are explored in newspapers, political debates, and over kitchen tables across the county. The distinction between public and private schools is no longer as straightforward as it once was. Many parents are faced with a difficult decesion when it comes to choosing the right school for their child. And the right school for one person may not necessarily be the right one for another. One important fact to remember is that not all public schools are the same and this is also true for private institutions. For every public school or private school that performs at a high level there is another one that performs below average. Because of this it is important for a parent to compare schools on a school to school basis, rather than based on overall national statistics. Some differences between public and private schools are obvious. But deciding whats right for your child entails educating themselves about and researching the subtle distinctions many parents ignore. The majority of people have a basis one way or another. Some assume that private schools offer superior everything, justifying their tuition costs. Others contend that public schools provide more real-life experiences or, in some cases, more developed specialtiy programs in athletics or science. Research does show that private schools generally tend to have superior academic programs, however, the gap between public and private may be narrowing and public schools are actually getting better. According to a 2009 Great Schools and Harris Interactive poll, "nearly one in four parents are currently considering switching their child's school either from private to public or public to private for various reasons". So how do we effectively gauge which form of education is better' This is a difficult question to answer. When it comes to comparing private and public schools it is like comparing apples and oranges. Private and public schools are two different things that are difficult to hold to the same standards. Both private and public schools have their advantages and disadvantages. Arguments can be made to support that either school may be better. For a parent trying to decide whether to send their child to private or public they should not focus on which school is better, rather they should ask the question which school is a a more suitable fit for my child' Nevertheless the debate rages on and we will look at the pros and cons of private and public education and the important factors that are involved in choosing the right school. Public schools are schools that are provided by state and federal funding. Ninety percent of the children today in America attend public schools. Private schools must generate their own funding. Private schools include both parochial schools and non-parochial schools. In the U.S. today there are approximately three public schools for every one private school. Seventy-nine percent of all private schools were found to have religious afilliation. Thirty percent were affliated with the Roman Catholic Church and fourty-nine percent are based on other religious groups. The remaining twenty-two percent were nonsectarian. Most private schools are located primarily in central cities and the urban fringe, or large towns. Only eighteen percent of private schools were found in rural areas. Some differences between public and private schools are obious. But deciding whats right for your child entails shedding light on the subtle distinctions many parents ignore. The most obvious discrepancy between public and private schools comes down to money. Private schools charge tuition, while public school is free. Private schools depend mainly on tuition fees and funds coming from non-public sources such as religious organizations, endowments, grants, and charitable donations. Public schools depend on local, state, and federal government funds. Private schools benefit from being independent from the state. Because they do not revceive government funding they do not have to abide by the regulations and bureaucratic processes that govern public schools. this allows many private schools to be highly specialized, offering differeniated learning, advanced curiculum, or programs geared toward specific religious beliefs. Since local property taxes suport the bulk of public education, the annual school budget exercise is a serious fiscal and poltical business. In poor communities or communities which have many voters living on fixed incomes, there is little room to respond to budget requests within the framework of projected tax revenue. Grants from foundations and the business community are essential to creative funding. Private schools on the other hand can raise tuition, and they also can raise significant amounts of money from a variety of development activities, including annual appeals, cultivation of alumni and alumanie, and solicitation of grants from foundations and corporations. The strong allegience to private schools by their alumni makes the chances of fund-raising success a real possibility in most cases. According to hte National Association of Independent schools, the average tuition for their memver private day schools in 2008-2009 in the U.S. was $17,441. Tuition for boarding schools was close to $37,017. Average tuition for nonmember schools is substantially less. Day schools charge $10,841 and boarding schools $23,448. Parochial schools are even more affordable. The National Catholic Educational Associaiton reports that the mena tuition for parish elementary schools is $2.607 and $6,906 for the freshman year of secondary school. Teaching According to a major study from the National Center for Education Statistics, public school teachers tend to be more qualified than their independent school counterparts in terms of education and experience. They are more likely to have a master's degree and have logged more hours pursuing inservice study. The report also indicates that on average public school teachers earn a higher salaries than those in private schools do. Public sector teachers are generally better paid. Naturally compensation varies widely depending on the local economic situation. Unfortunately, lowl starting salaries and small annual salary increases result in low teacher retention in many public school districts. Pricate school compensation tends to be somewhat lower than public. Again much depends on the school and its financial resources. Both public and private schools require their teachers to be credentialed. This usually means a degree and a teaching certificate. Private schools tend to hire teachers with advanced degrees in their subject over teachers who have an education degree. Teachers in public schools are state certified, which means that they have gone through the training required by the state including student teaching and coursework. They are required to hold college degrees and to be licensed by the state. On the other hand Private school teachers may not be required to have certification, and often have subject expertise and a degree in the subject they teach. Private schools have their own personnal requirements. School and Class size A smaller school will no doubt have a more controlled academic setting in the classroom, which provides an easier system of discpline. Small schools have some disadvantages as well, such as providing a fewer set of programs and services. A disadvantage of larger classes is that it will most likely cause teachers to give less attention towards each individual student. A larger student body could produce better programs and more diversity. Most private schools have small class sizes. One of the key points fo private education is individual attention. A studenst- teacher ratio of 15:1 or better is needed to achieve the goal of individual attention. Public school systems have to take almost any student who lives within its boundaries. Public schools will generally have much larger class sizes, sometimes exceeding 35- 40 students in some inner city schools. If the school size becomes to big it can become difficult to administer. Students and programs may fall into the cracks. But a school that is too small may not have enough money to suport specialized programs. According to the National Center for Education Statistics study, private schools tend to be half as large as public schools. A child is less likely to get lost in the shuffle at a smaller school which nurtures a sense of community and belonging. Private schools students -teacher ratios are much more favorable. Private schools have a students- teacher ratio of 9:1 as opposed to a 17:1 in public schools. Many states recognize the value of small classes and have provided funding to keep class size small in grades K-3. As students advance to higher grades, class size tends to get bigger in public schools, especially in large school districts and urban districts. Even though most private schools have small class sizes, there is no guarantee that such schools will keep their class size below a certain level. Catholic schools in particular traditionally have larger classes than public schools.