We are going to eventually transition from private to public schools due to the price of private high school. I have a son in 4th grade and a daughter in 1st grade. If you have any thoughts or experience, please share. The school they attend is prek-8. the school district where we live has elementary up to grade 5, middle school 6-8, and high school 9-12. Any input would be appreciated!

Rebecca

I did that last year switch from private to public. Let me tell you that I loved my kids private school but they were changing the 1st grade which had great teachers, these teachers left because of the change. I didn't want the teachers that they were putting into that grade, had them and been there done that situation. I must tell you that I thought I was going to pull them out of public by Jan. and put them back into the private school. I missed the school not my children, they could have cared less. My oldest is in 5th grade now and I gave her the option of staying in the private school, so she could finish. She choose the public school and I glad she did!

I thought my children would be so far ahead of the public school children because of what the private school had me believe that they were so great but guess what my kids are not. They make honor roll but they have to work at it. My oldest even told someone when asked is public easier than private, she said that public was way harder!

I would look at the public school every year, go on the tour they give. Every year I would find some reason to stay in the private school. But last year the public school finished a new building to cut down on class size. My children had no more than 18 kids in their class in private school, in public they have more but they also have aids. I must say the teachers, in public school, are wonderful and I had a friend ask me the other day if I was going to put them back into the private school. I told her no and asked if she wanted some uniforms!

I was afraid of public school but I really had no reason to be. I am glad I made the change. Plus I am so happy not to drive me kids to school, we walk now. I have saved so much on gas along with tutition!

I have had students here who have had parents want to pull their kids- they have toured the private schools here & have hated them. Said that we were doing a better job (one of my kids said when they sat in a fifth grade class- the teacher was teaching things we had learned months ago, and was explaining it wrong).

The schools here also have less requirements for their teachers as well. I know of some people I went to school with who flunked out/didn't get their degree & they get hired at the private school.

My boys switched from a parochial private school (PreK3-8th) to public school almost two years ago and our family couldn't be happier! I agree with kathylun when she said that she thought her kids would be ahead of the kids in public school but instead found out differently once they got there. Mine have adjusted rather well and managed to "catch up" and are doing great. When asked if they'd like to return to the same private school they both give a resounding "NO!"

I toured the public school(s) they attend before making the switch. I was impressed with both (one is in elementary school <K-3rd>, the other in middle school <4th-8th> but both are less than a mile apart) and I think the staff at both is outstanding. I honestly think that the public school has more resources and that they do so much more with the kids. I know our private school never had a full time counselor--which I think is absolutely imperative for a school to have.

Of course, every school is different and I think we've been very fortunate to have such a great public school locally.

Good luck with your switch!

Thanks so much for the advice! I am going to look into touring the grade school soon.

Rebecca

We did the same thing 1 1/2 years ago. I had had 2 back surgeries in the last 2 years and the tuition was going up, up, up. I finally had to make the break and I will tell you I had a much harder time of it than the kids did.

I felt like I had lost part of my family (we had been there 11 years!) but we have done well and moved on.

My youngest is in 5th grade now and she loves it. Wishes she had done it from the beginning and loves having kids in her class in the neighborhood. Before we always had to drive them to their friend's homes as they were spread over quite an area.

Good luck. I had a hard time giving up the uniforms too!!!

Vicki

I will be dealing with this in a year or so since my daughter is now in 7th grade and has always gone to a parochial school. It will be an adjustment, but in our community there is only one public high school and it is a good one (ranked in the top 15 in state). The reassuring thing is that about 80% of her current class will go to this highschool, so she will already know quite a few kids. If I had to make this decision in a bigger community, with just an okay highschool, I would have a much harder time.

I, too, will miss the uniform days.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

I also love the uniforms but will not miss the chocolate milk stains on the white polo shirts! lol

Here in Miami the public school do have uniforms!! But this is the kicker our principal does not enforce the uniform rule because not every parent wanted them. I cann't get my kids to wear them if their classmates aren't wearing them too!

I loved uniforms at the private school( didn't care for uniform store their were no price tags on the clothes you never knew what you where spending!).

I think what airbornearmywife said is so true about the teachers and standards. The private school didn't have the state standards to meet. I didn't know that my 5th grader should have learned how to write an essay in 4th grade. There is a 4th grade state test FCAT writing in public school. So when my dd went to public school in 5th grade one of her teachers told me she doesn't know how to write an essay. That was an eye opening moment because I thought that if I paid for school I was doing the best thing for my child and that the school was doing what it should. I was going the mind thought that I couldn't think of a better way to spend my money but on my child's education.

The only things that I miss from the private school is the Spanish and computer teachers. They were both great! My children get Spanish in public school but it is not on the same level as thier previous teacher. They don't even have computer class but I our local community college has classes for kids and I can put mine in a computer class for alot less $$$.

We did! This is the third year for us in PS. Everything has been wonderful!

We too experienced the private school saying their academic program was so fabulous that academically your kids are far beyond their PS peers. WRONG! Two of my daughters were drastically BEHIND in reading. Private school focused on phonics and the public on sight words...they are caught up now, but they had to work really, really hard.

Our classrooms have a maximum of 15 kids in grades K-5 and they loop meaning they have the same teacher for 1st and 2nd and then a new teacher for 3rd and 4th. The kids stay together all four years. I love this because there is no getting to know each other time involved in the beginning of the year. Also in 2nd and 4th grade, the teacher can pick up in September where they left off in August. Next year in 5th my oldest will have a new teacher and for the first time a new bunch of classmates.

The teachers have been wonderful and we have had no bad experiences with kids.

Our county enforces a uniform policy for our public schools. In fact, my boys could wear their old private school uniforms (navy pants/white polo) to public school.

I was surprised to learn that the private school my boys attended wasn't accredited! Granted, they did achieve it the year we left but up until then? Nope...

Speaking of curriculum, my oldest totally missed learning his multiplication facts in private school in 3rd grade and when he switched to public school for 4th grade he had such a hard time catching up. I know that his 3rd grade teacher spent a lot of time on "free learning" where the class got to pick what they did for the day...and more often than not it was making comic books. Gee, wonder where all that tuition money was spent??

I teach 7/8 grade in a private Montessori school. Our curriculum is different than the public school's, and we do teach different things in different years than they do.

However, some of my students go on to the parochial high schools, and some to their local public high school, and none of them have had any trouble academically. We emphasize research and critical thinking rather than memorizing, and those skills seem to be what the kids need to make the jump to high school.

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"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." --Matthew 5:9

Personally, I would (and did) save the private school for the high school level. Then you have some specific measurables to look at - drop-out rate, AP offerings and scores, and college placement - to evaluate whether you're getting your money's worth.

cj/

I would consider going the private high school route if it wasn't so expensive. It costs $7,000/year now, who knows what it will be 4 years from now. We will save close to $60,000 by sending our kids to public high school. (or more depending on the cost when my kids get there)

Rebecca

Exactly. The cost of private highschool is outrageous, and if you have more than one child, it's not even attainable. In many cases, more than college tuition. It's choosing private highschool or college. There's no choice.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

I went to private school and my parents pulled us out mid year to go to public school. My only suggestion would be to wait til middle school if possible so the transition is easier. It was really hard to be in sixth grade at a new school. If my parents had just waited til 7th I would have been in jr high and the transition would have been easier.

I guess my point was that I would save my private grade school tuition dollars and spend them on high school instead. Maybe you are telling me that you aren't spending anything on tuition at the private grade school. That would not have been the case for me.

cj/

Interesting point of view. A friend told me that I might want to consider switching now so they wouldn't have the stress of moving to a school w/o knowing anyone plus the stress of going to middle school on top of that. I thought it would be easier, like you said, to wait until middle school since everyone is the new kid.

Rebecca

Always check private schools to be sure that they are accredited. This is very important if students are college-bound.