Partner Blog- Kelly

Private school isn't as private as it may seem. After speaking with Sarah about her blog topic, I gained more insight to the education realm. Prior to talking with Sarah, I had never given much thought about private versus' public school. As I'm sure you have already read from her post, Sarah attended private school and told me that she did enjoy her experience because of the smaller class sizes which allowed for more one-on-one time with her teachers and she also became close friends with everyone she went to school with. When asked if she enjoyed attending a private school, Sarah said that "The sports were more competitive because we played against other private schools that were closer in size. However, the curriculum was almost more difficult because teachers could focus more on individual students and get more material covered due to the small amount of students he/she was responsible for".


I proceeded to ask Sarah if she wished she had gone to public school and she informed me that based on the area that she lives in, that she would not because of the danger and academic ratings of the public school system of her area. However, Sarah did reveal that if the Decatur public school systems was safer and had a better academic reputation, that she would have liked to see what it would have been like to attend a public school and to experience the differences.


Sarah said that while she liked attending private school that "because of the small amount of students that attended my school, there was more drama because things got around quickly".


I look forward to seeing what information Sarah finds from her research and what she decides is a better school to attend.

"Study Examines Public, Private Schools" By Nancy Zuckerbrod

Another popular debate topic about private and public schools was discussed by Nancy Zuckerbrod of The Associated Press News Service, where she compared standard test scores from both types of schools. “Students at independent private schools and most parochial schools scored the same on 12th-grade achievement tests in core academic subjects as those in traditional public high schools when income and other family characteristics were taken into account, according to the study by the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy,” says Zuckerbrod. She performed this study in Washington state, but many cities across the country may differ. One example is Decatur, Illionis. In Decatur,  ACT scores for private school students are higher on average than those attending public schools, different than the results Zuckerbrod received from her study.

In my opinion, going to a private school doesn’t always mean earning higher test scores, but the curriculum is usually more challenging, preparing the student more to take these important exams. Public schools often have an atmosphere where learning can be put on hold while teachers deal with misbehaving students and fights, causing teachers to fall behind in their lesson plans, which in turn hurts the ability of the students to perform well on tests. At the end of the day, if students are not learning the material teachers have planned, their test scores will show, whether they attend private or public school.

Resources

Zuckerbrod, Nancy. "Study Examines Public, Private Schools." The Associated Press News Service [Washington] 10 Oct. 2007: n. pag. Print. 1 February 2013

Public and Private School Sports

As everyone knows, one of the biggest parts of high school is going to sporting events, but some schools are saying private schools have the advantage with their athletic teams. Public schools are made up of districts, and students can only attend school and play sports at the school in their district unless they play a hefty fee. Private schools, on the other hand, are allowed to recruit students from anywhere, without having to worry about where they might live. Now this doesn’t seem fair, does it? On the other hand, private schools do require students to pay tuition each year, which may discourage athletes from going there and instead attend the public school in their district. A school’s athletic program can make or break the school’s reputation, and the best players go where they can be a winner.

There have also been similar debates on which school can better prepare students for the pressures of college, athletically and academically. Many parents say private schools offer more intense training because there is a smaller student to teacher/coach ratio, giving athletes more time to improve their skills. Public school students claim they are exposed to stronger competition and are offered better equipment to use, as well as the finances they need to maintain a gym and new uniforms when needed.

In my opinion, both types of schools have equal opportunities to recruit great athletes, and both have the ability to train their athletes to be winners. Coming from a private school, I know how difficult it can be to get student to come to your school for sports, mostly because tuition can be a burden on families. No matter where a student attends school, athletes can always find a team to play for.

Resources

Parks, Brad. "A Public Debate - The Shifting Balance of Power between Public and Private - High Schools Has Turned Competition into Pure Contention." The Star Ledger [Newark, NJ] 16 July 2012: n. pag. Print. 1 February 2013