These days, I often hear parents lamenting the cost of the private schools they desperately want their children to attend. Many have scrimped and saved for years but, with the state of the economy, the $15,000-a-year price tag might as well be $150,000.
If this financial private-versus-public-school conundrum sounds familiar, don’t panic; lots of families choose public school, even though they can afford a private academy. I met many such families when I covered education for a large newspaper. They view public schools as the better option—not the only option.
Henry, a media executive, and Shannon, a homemaker, watched their two older daughters thrive in private schools. But their youngest daughter was stressed out about her grades and felt her teachers always compared her to her sisters. After a chance meeting with the neighborhood public school’s principal, the couple did what they never imagined. They enrolled their child.
“We’ve been amazed at how great an education she’s getting,” Henry told me. “It is absolutely the best choice for her and probably would have been a great option for our other kids if we’d checked it out.”
How do families find the love when public schools are their destination of last resort and not their first choice? Many say their public school delivers on these ten important points.
1. Neighborhood school
Your child can go to school with her pals—the kids she plays with at the park and tumbled around with as a toddler. When families choose private schools, the kids scatter. Parents who send their child to public school say they love the proximity—some can walk to class—and the sense of community.
2. Choices
If your neighborhood school isn’t up to par, you may have alternatives. Many districts now offer choices such as charter, theme, or magnet schools. Some districts will allow you to transfer to a school in another neighborhood that has open seats.
3. Teachers
Don’t assume public school teachers are less capable than those at private schools. Many teachers choose public schools, motivated by a conviction in public education or a desire to teach all kids. They may also want to make more money. On average, public school teachers made $51,000 in 2007, according to the American Federation of Teachers. Teachers at academies belonging to the National Association of Independent Schools made $47,280 on average.
