My son got into several top Atlanta private high schools. Go private or stay in public school?

Flagpole wrote:

tdd wrote:

Your exact words were: “Religion has NOTHING to do with academic subjects, so ANY time spent on it in the classroom, even if minimal, is a waste. Religion has as much place in an academic setting as a love for professional wrestling would. It's mustard on ice cream...just should not be a thing at all.”

Are you correcting yourself and agreeing that religion should be part of a student’s curriculum? And, again, let’s keep it to these four schools the OP has mentioned, not some generic view of private prep schools.

You also said: “I do not dislike Christians simply based on them being Christians. I judge them on their actions and what they say.” You have demonstrated that you know little about these schools. I think you’ll admit that. How can you judge the quality of the education, content of the curriculum, student college preparedness or faculty makeup without knowing much about the schools. You don’t know their actions or what is said in the classroom.

As I said earlier, working in admissions, we found that students from these four schools, Westminister in particular, are very well prepared for college, have a very high success rate at our college and after college, were leaders on campus and were well-rounded coming into school.

I'm sorry that you are lonely and need to engage here.

Vouchers for all wrote:

Why do you consistently hijack threads like this and cast aspersions on others and impugn their motives? Speaking of gross and lacking character.

OP, we live in one of the top ten affluent counties in the US, but the public school atmosphere is horrendous. Both of my kids went to a public charter, K-8 school that focused on academics and character education specifically. What a great education that was. We didn’t realize how truly great we had it at the time. Then we found our way to the locally zoned public high school, which has been an incredible disappointment on so many levels. Academics, advising, character education, athletics… the list goes on. Just mediocrity on every level.

My generally peaceful and non controversial wife affectionately refers to it as “trailer.” Her consistent refrain is that the greatest mistake we ever made as parents was not putting our kids in private high school. I tend to agree. My oldest survived, in spite of the school, and found her way to a really good private college with a generous scholarship (with no help from her school advisor). She has told me over and over that her K-8 education prepared her for college better than high school.

My youngest is currently circling the drain, surrounded by depressed, suicidal and unmotivated peers. We are in the process of exploring a transfer, and just hoping she graduates and makes it to college, even with her amazing running talent, which is also being squandered by mediocre leadership and a lacking culture.

Having experienced education done “the right way” in the charter, I highly encourage you not to make the same mistake as us. You can’t protect and insulate them forever, but you can do as much as possible to help cultivate their potential before they become adults. Public schools are full of mediocre people and professionals who do nothing but whine and moan and don’t help solve the problem, but then complain when there is churn on the local school board, which is, frankly, a very healthy thing.

Remember… the “worst mistake we ever made as parents.” Let that keep ringing in your ears.

Flagpole wrote:

ATLDad wrote:

He was accepted to several of the top private schools in the Atlanta area this year. Anyone have any experience with moving from public to private schools? Should he attend a private school or continue in the public school system here?

He got in, huh? You mean several schools that you will PAY for him to attend would like him as a student so they can receive your money? Fascinating!

There are some good public schools around Atlanta. Tell me which one he would attend, and I'll tell you if he should go to one of those you have to pay for or not.

The vast majority of the time, other than in the Northeast, the better option is to go to one of the good public schools in the area. If you can't afford to live in one of those good areas and you get a serious break on private school tuition, then that's a viable option. As a general rule (again, except for the Northeast...still is the case many times there, but not enough to be a general rule), the public school teachers are more educated and better paid, so do understand that.

As I see it, there are two main reasons to go to ANY private k-12 school:

1) You want your kid to be immersed in the religion that is spewed there.

2) There is a SERIOUS violence problem at the local school and there actually isn't that (not just perception, but an actual difference) at the private school.

3) In the Northeast, there IS a higher quality of education at SOME of the private schools compared to MOST of the public schools. If you lived there, that would take some careful consideration and then determine if the cost was worth it.

In all sincerity, good luck!

bigmig19 wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

He got in, huh? You mean several schools that you will PAY for him to attend would like him as a student so they can receive your money? Fascinating!

There are some good public schools around Atlanta. Tell me which one he would attend, and I'll tell you if he should go to one of those you have to pay for or not.

The vast majority of the time, other than in the Northeast, the better option is to go to one of the good public schools in the area. If you can't afford to live in one of those good areas and you get a serious break on private school tuition, then that's a viable option. As a general rule (again, except for the Northeast...still is the case many times there, but not enough to be a general rule), the public school teachers are more educated and better paid, so do understand that.

As I see it, there are two main reasons to go to ANY private k-12 school:

1) You want your kid to be immersed in the religion that is spewed there.

2) There is a SERIOUS violence problem at the local school and there actually isn't that (not just perception, but an actual difference) at the private school.

3) In the Northeast, there IS a higher quality of education at SOME of the private schools compared to MOST of the public schools. If you lived there, that would take some careful consideration and then determine if the cost was worth it.

In all sincerity, good luck!

Well, yes you do have take an admission test and have grades for some. So now you know.

Unless the kid deeply hates the idea of private, why on earth wouldnt you send him? Ive attended good public and great private schools from k-12 and there is no comparison. I went to Jesuit school and I am an atheist. But let me tell you the jesuits take their craft seriously. As I have said before, you can go to public school and become president of the USA, but its easier through private. Better culture of excellence. Better culture of expectations. At this age these things are important. No tolerance for bullying. You cant get "suspended" from most private schools, they just kick you out.
Its no different than asking if you want your kid surrounded by a lot of bums or people who are going places. You want a decent coach or a great coach? All these things are no guarantee, you are just trying to hedge your bets on your kids. Isnt that what we do with everything with our kids? Just try to give them the best shot, assuming you can afford it? The cost analysis might not balance, but its your kid.

bigmig19 wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

He got in, huh? You mean several schools that you will PAY for him to attend would like him as a student so they can receive your money? Fascinating!

There are some good public schools around Atlanta. Tell me which one he would attend, and I'll tell you if he should go to one of those you have to pay for or not.

The vast majority of the time, other than in the Northeast, the better option is to go to one of the good public schools in the area. If you can't afford to live in one of those good areas and you get a serious break on private school tuition, then that's a viable option. As a general rule (again, except for the Northeast...still is the case many times there, but not enough to be a general rule), the public school teachers are more educated and better paid, so do understand that.

As I see it, there are two main reasons to go to ANY private k-12 school:

1) You want your kid to be immersed in the religion that is spewed there.

2) There is a SERIOUS violence problem at the local school and there actually isn't that (not just perception, but an actual difference) at the private school.

3) In the Northeast, there IS a higher quality of education at SOME of the private schools compared to MOST of the public schools. If you lived there, that would take some careful consideration and then determine if the cost was worth it.

In all sincerity, good luck!

Well, yes you do have take an admission test and have grades for some. So now you know.

Unless the kid deeply hates the idea of private, why on earth wouldnt you send him? Ive attended good public and great private schools from k-12 and there is no comparison. I went to Jesuit school and I am an atheist. But let me tell you the jesuits take their craft seriously. As I have said before, you can go to public school and become president of the USA, but its easier through private. Better culture of excellence. Better culture of expectations. At this age these things are important. No tolerance for bullying. You cant get "suspended" from most private schools, they just kick you out.
Its no different than asking if you want your kid surrounded by a lot of bums or people who are going places. You want a decent coach or a great coach? All these things are no guarantee, you are just trying to hedge your bets on your kids. Isnt that what we do with everything with our kids? Just try to give them the best shot, assuming you can afford it? The cost analysis might not balance, but its your kid.

Vouchers for all wrote:

Why do you consistently hijack threads like this and cast aspersions on others and impugn their motives? Speaking of gross and lacking character.

OP, we live in one of the top ten affluent counties in the US, but the public school atmosphere is horrendous. Both of my kids went to a public charter, K-8 school that focused on academics and character education specifically. What a great education that was. We didn’t realize how truly great we had it at the time. Then we found our way to the locally zoned public high school, which has been an incredible disappointment on so many levels. Academics, advising, character education, athletics… the list goes on. Just mediocrity on every level.

My generally peaceful and non controversial wife affectionately refers to it as “trailer.” Her consistent refrain is that the greatest mistake we ever made as parents was not putting our kids in private high school. I tend to agree. My oldest survived, in spite of the school, and found her way to a really good private college with a generous scholarship (with no help from her school advisor). She has told me over and over that her K-8 education prepared her for college better than high school.

My youngest is currently circling the drain, surrounded by depressed, suicidal and unmotivated peers. We are in the process of exploring a transfer, and just hoping she graduates and makes it to college, even with her amazing running talent, which is also being squandered by mediocre leadership and a lacking culture.

Having experienced education done “the right way” in the charter, I highly encourage you not to make the same mistake as us. You can’t protect and insulate them forever, but you can do as much as possible to help cultivate their potential before they become adults. Public schools are full of mediocre people and professionals who do nothing but whine and moan and don’t help solve the problem, but then complain when there is churn on the local school board, which is, frankly, a very healthy thing.

Remember… the “worst mistake we ever made as parents.” Let that keep ringing in your ears.

Flagpole wrote:

bigmig19 wrote:

Well, yes you do have take an admission test and have grades for some. So now you know.

Unless the kid deeply hates the idea of private, why on earth wouldnt you send him? Ive attended good public and great private schools from k-12 and there is no comparison. I went to Jesuit school and I am an atheist. But let me tell you the jesuits take their craft seriously. As I have said before, you can go to public school and become president of the USA, but its easier through private. Better culture of excellence. Better culture of expectations. At this age these things are important. No tolerance for bullying. You cant get "suspended" from most private schools, they just kick you out.
Its no different than asking if you want your kid surrounded by a lot of bums or people who are going places. You want a decent coach or a great coach? All these things are no guarantee, you are just trying to hedge your bets on your kids. Isnt that what we do with everything with our kids? Just try to give them the best shot, assuming you can afford it? The cost analysis might not balance, but its your kid.

As a blanket statement, what you say above is not true (and yes, I know about admissions testing, etc.). Depends GREATLY on the area of the country you are in. If you are in the Northeast, what you say is mostly true. If you are in most other areas of the country, what you say is not true. There are some piss poor private schools in this country. Here in Central Ohio, there are a lot of top-notch public schools and some very average and below average private schools. Wealthy people in Ohio don't just jump to private education...they just make sure to live in a great public school system...and there are MANY of those here. There are a few very good Catholic schools in Ohio, but the majority of the private schools in Ohio (and many other states) identify as "Christian schools" (meaning protestant, because many of the people who go to those schools reject Catholicism and don't even consider Catholics to be Christian).

The idea that private school education for k-12 is just better is just simply not true. Sometimes it is, but the vast majority of the time it isn't. Typically teachers in private schools get paid less and have less education than teachers in public schools. That's just a fact.

LRMBfullofdummies wrote:

Vouchers for all wrote:

Why do you consistently hijack threads like this and cast aspersions on others and impugn their motives? Speaking of gross and lacking character.

OP, we live in one of the top ten affluent counties in the US, but the public school atmosphere is horrendous. Both of my kids went to a public charter, K-8 school that focused on academics and character education specifically. What a great education that was. We didn’t realize how truly great we had it at the time. Then we found our way to the locally zoned public high school, which has been an incredible disappointment on so many levels. Academics, advising, character education, athletics… the list goes on. Just mediocrity on every level.

My generally peaceful and non controversial wife affectionately refers to it as “trailer.” Her consistent refrain is that the greatest mistake we ever made as parents was not putting our kids in private high school. I tend to agree. My oldest survived, in spite of the school, and found her way to a really good private college with a generous scholarship (with no help from her school advisor). She has told me over and over that her K-8 education prepared her for college better than high school.

My youngest is currently circling the drain, surrounded by depressed, suicidal and unmotivated peers. We are in the process of exploring a transfer, and just hoping she graduates and makes it to college, even with her amazing running talent, which is also being squandered by mediocre leadership and a lacking culture.

Having experienced education done “the right way” in the charter, I highly encourage you not to make the same mistake as us. You can’t protect and insulate them forever, but you can do as much as possible to help cultivate their potential before they become adults. Public schools are full of mediocre people and professionals who do nothing but whine and moan and don’t help solve the problem, but then complain when there is churn on the local school board, which is, frankly, a very healthy thing.

Remember… the “worst mistake we ever made as parents.” Let that keep ringing in your ears.

WOW - hopefully as parents you and your wife take responsibility for assisting your youngest who is 'circling the drain'

Because as parents 'you are the most influential and important person in your kid's life regardless of where they attend school' Let that keep ringing in your ears.

bigmig19 wrote:

Well, yes you do have take an admission test and have grades for some. So now you know.

Unless the kid deeply hates the idea of private, why on earth wouldnt you send him? Ive attended good public and great private schools from k-12 and there is no comparison. I went to Jesuit school and I am an atheist. But let me tell you the jesuits take their craft seriously. As I have said before, you can go to public school and become president of the USA, but its easier through private. Better culture of excellence. Better culture of expectations. At this age these things are important. No tolerance for bullying. You cant get "suspended" from most private schools, they just kick you out.
Its no different than asking if you want your kid surrounded by a lot of bums or people who are going places. You want a decent coach or a great coach? All these things are no guarantee, you are just trying to hedge your bets on your kids. Isnt that what we do with everything with our kids? Just try to give them the best shot, assuming you can afford it? The cost analysis might not balance, but its your kid.

ATLDad wrote:

bigmig19 wrote:

Well, yes you do have take an admission test and have grades for some. So now you know.

Unless the kid deeply hates the idea of private, why on earth wouldnt you send him? Ive attended good public and great private schools from k-12 and there is no comparison. I went to Jesuit school and I am an atheist. But let me tell you the jesuits take their craft seriously. As I have said before, you can go to public school and become president of the USA, but its easier through private. Better culture of excellence. Better culture of expectations. At this age these things are important. No tolerance for bullying. You cant get "suspended" from most private schools, they just kick you out.
Its no different than asking if you want your kid surrounded by a lot of bums or people who are going places. You want a decent coach or a great coach? All these things are no guarantee, you are just trying to hedge your bets on your kids. Isnt that what we do with everything with our kids? Just try to give them the best shot, assuming you can afford it? The cost analysis might not balance, but its your kid.

Thank you for your input. Our intention is to do what is in the best interest - both long and short term - for our son. It's difficult to understand some people's resistance to paying for school since there is a "free" option. There are lots of services we could get for free or at a greatly reduced rate, but we don't. Why should education for our children be any different? It should be more important.