What Really is the Key Issue?
Much is being talked about these days regarding public schools vs. private schools. Is one better than another? Are private schools a better choice for your child today? Is homeschooling where it's at now?
I've gone on to say that if I had to do it over I'd homeschool in a heartbeat. I probably would if I were starting out today, because there is so much out there available to parents who make this choice now. When my children were starting kindergarten in the late 80's and early 90's, homeschooling was just about to take off. I had the option, but the networking wasn't quite there yet for someone like me who felt inadequate to do homeschooling. Private school was not within reach financially. It wasn't an option.
So I did what I thought was a compromise. I became vigilent in my children's public school education. I went to all the conferences. I was a presence in the school as much as possible going to everything I could go to and volunteering on a regular basis. I went on many field trips and baked many cookies especially during those early grade school years. When they got older I attended almost all games, meets and events my children were participating in even traveling great distances and standing in the pouring rain to do so.
I knew what was going on. I made a point to know.
I was reading today, according to a study from the Center for Education Policy, what helps your children the most is you! The research shows low-income kids in public schools do just as well as their peers in private schools as long as parents are involved. That would be our testimony. We were low-income barely scraping by for most of their school education while we were starting our business.
This makes a lot of sense. There is a huge difference between the kid who just goes to school and the one whose mom or dad plays an active role.
But having said that, it's not surprising that studies conclude that private schools are superior to public schools. The reason for this is that the parent's expectations are that their child will go onto higher learning and are more involved in the school and their child's education on a daily basis.
Private or public schooling is a choice parent's can make, but nothing beats having an active interest in what your child is doing regardless which system you choose. My children all did very well in the public school system because we cared enough to take an interest in their schooling. I can only imagine if we hadn't. Would the results have been different?
Tracey Bailey with the Association of American Educators said this:
“It’s not the physical location or the school setting that a child is in, but the degree of parental involvement, hands-on discipline and encouragement and support from parents. That’s the key issue.”