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06.05.08, 13:57 PM New York City
70 replies
Twenty Reasons Why Private School is better than Public School: [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
New York City 06.05.08, 01:57 PM Flag
 

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Connections [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 01:58 PM Flag
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I went to excellent public school. no complaints here. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 05:45 PM Flag
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are you going to post this 20 times? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 01:58 PM Flag
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1. Better Student to Teacher Ratio (1:8 vs. 1:28) 2. Ability to break classes down to smaller groups 3. Ability to teach children at their individual levels 4. More faculty members with advanced degrees 5. Better art offerings (in general) 6. Better music offerings (in general) 7. More advanced and broader curriculum (in general) 8. Ability to create and change their curriculum 9. Much better physical facilities 10. No lost time teaching to a test 11. No budget cuts 12. Much less turnover with Faculty 13. Much less turnover with Administrators (Principals) 14. Ability to remove problem children who can disrupt the class 15. More after school offerings 16. Better technology (Networks, computer labs, smart boards, etc.) 17. Better libraries and research facilities 18. Better connected community to help with employment and with continuing education. 19. Safer schools because they can control what children are enrolled. 20. No DOE [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 01:59 PM Flag
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I can refute you on all of these. For starters, there are less than 20 kids per class where we are, etc etc etc. All these are stereotypes. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:04 PM Flag
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If you do it is extremely rare. In our PS you are looking at 25-30 kids per class. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:16 PM Flag
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Go ahead, I am listening. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:20 PM Flag
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Our school does a great job with my kids adjusting to the level they need, not the level of the class. Very adept at accelerating. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:30 PM Flag
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Not sure how much better art and music you need - if your kid is talented in those things, and wants to make them a profession, then you will find outside organizations. if they are not talented in these, then its something they need through middle school, tops. not worth paying privat school tuition for, in any event. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:32 PM Flag
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It is worth it to some. If I could afford private and my dc was taking more art and less test prep I'd be thrilled. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:38 PM Flag
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np. I love it when people think they can use their anecdotal experience to refute general truths. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:33 PM Flag
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FUCK YOU. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:43 PM Flag
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What a brilliant retort. I'm sorry for you if the truth bothers you so much. In NYC public schools with less than 20 dc per class are the exception, not the rule. The same is true for most of the examples given by the OR. It's great for you if your dc is at one of the exceptions, but please don't delude yourself that your experience disproves the OR's post. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:26 PM Flag
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Its not a general truth then. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:46 PM Flag
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You think something can't be a general truth because there are some examples to the contrary? You need to check your dictionary for the definition of "general." [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:20 PM Flag
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no school has a 1:8 student/teacher ratio. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:04 PM Flag
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Two teacher 16 kids in private. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:15 PM Flag
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Actually, at BWL we had two teachers for 12 students in each of the K classes. So the ratio was 1:6. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:16 PM Flag
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not in my private school. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:17 PM Flag
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^^^actually, preschool has a high ratio. but i think publics also have a high ratio for preschool. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:19 PM Flag
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My dc's school has a 1:7 faculty:student ratio, which is not unusual for private school. It's the ratio of all full-time teachers to all students and is not just what you see in the homeroom class. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:13 PM Flag
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Many do and some have a smaller. Many have a 1:4 in K to 3. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 05:35 PM Flag
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While many of these are advantages over DOE schools, I am happy to report that less than half of them are advantages over Hunter. I think it is $500,000 well saved [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:07 PM Flag
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I'm glad your dc got into Hunter, but so few do that it's not all that relevant. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:17 PM Flag
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Unfortunately Hunter is not a typical representation of the NYC Public School system and only makes up an almost insignificant fraction of the NYC public School children. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:19 PM Flag
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Yes, but is often the centerpiece of its own"Hunter vs Private" debate. So the $30K spent on private is only buying about $10K of additional services over Hunter [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:31 PM Flag
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Looking at the 16 reasons, I don't see any in which Hunter would match a private school, with the possible exception of #4. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:26 PM Flag
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1) teacher ratio to kid ration 1 to 12 for first 4 grades. 2) specials are done on half a class so remaining 12 students are then split into two groups by the two teachers 3) Everything is individualized--if a child can do 3rd or 4th grade math in 1st grade it is given to them 4) Lots of masters in gifted education from Hunter college 5) Both art and studio art (ceramics and woodworking) 7) advanced curriculum--but accelerated and enriched and very progressive in early years to follow the interests of the child 8) They are completely in charge of their own curriculum and have been putting in a lot of positive changes since new principal arrived 10. Don't teach to the tests 11. Only nominally affected by DOE cuts because most funding is through CUNY, 12. Faculty turnover is mixed 15. Getting better in this area [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:34 PM Flag
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~~oh and now that I checked into the inside of the original post I will add 19) controls own admission and 20) No DOE [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:44 PM Flag
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All the independent schools I know do specials in one half class size. How many specials does a Hunter child have on a typical day? A typical private school schedule would have 3 or 4 specials daily, including science 3-5 times weekly in a half class size and gym 4-5 times weekly. How many times weekly does Hunter elementary have gym? How frequently is art taught (above K level)? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 04:58 PM Flag
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frankly I question the 3-4 times daily for specials--when do the kids have a chance to learn? Hunter has gym 2x per week and foreign language 2x per week (I think) other specials are 1x per week (art/studio, music, chess, library, math lab and science lab (after 2nd grade). I think it averages out to 2 per day. Foreign language starts in K which I know is earlier than many of the privates we toured. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 06:40 PM Flag
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oops I left off Cultural arts for the younger kids which is 2x per week through 2nd grade and covers science in 1 of the 2 classes. There is also a dance program that I think is just for 4th graders [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 06:42 PM Flag
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So a child in private school has twice the science, music and art as a child at Hunter? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 07:16 PM Flag
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I don't know if they really do or not. Perhaps no other school has chess or a separate math lab as a special, and those classes take the place of one art or science class. But at Hunter, art is twice a week in a half class, music is twice a week, language (either French or Spanish) is twice a week. Science varies depending on age. By older grades, science is 3 times a week, I believe. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 08:24 PM Flag
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Yes - the dance program is NDI, which is in other public schools. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 08:29 PM Flag
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BOTH ART AND STUDIO ART!!!!! OMG!!!!! TRANSFER MY CHILD NOW [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 05:29 PM Flag
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mock it all you want but I toured plenty of private schools and while the facilities were nicer at the privates I was pleasantly surprised at how similar the curriculum for the specials was at Hunter [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 06:41 PM Flag
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p.s. $30K per year in your pocket and not at the school bursar buys a lot of supplemental art, music and gym classes [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 06:46 PM Flag
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so by my calculations the private school parents are spending $10,000 per class for the extra science, music and art class per week [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 08:15 PM Flag
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And yet both private and public school families spend the same amount of money on private music lessons, sports and any other interest (dance, art, etc) lessons. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 08:17 PM Flag
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ita with "ability to teach children at their individual levels". Refute all you want, but my school district would not/could not do this for my son who was way ahead of the other students. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 05:40 PM Flag
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Middle school [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 01:59 PM Flag
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High school [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:00 PM Flag
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Yawn, can we please talk about something else. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:02 PM Flag
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top reason: you have some control over the other families in the school. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:10 PM Flag
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oh that is so rude [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:26 PM Flag
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but some truth to that [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:27 PM Flag
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didn't mean it to be rude. i just think it's very true. the biggest difference in public vs private is that in private, parents have more control. and it's not always a bad thing. i am religious and i don't want my dcs to be the "weirdos" so i send them to a private religious school where they are the norm and the school is reinforcing the lifestyle we lead. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:31 PM Flag
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that isn't what your or post stated. I am reliegious too, and I try very hard to live our life, support those around us. I would never dream of trying to"control" some family in our school [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:38 PM Flag
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She means she has control over who she's in school with not that she can control the other families. As a school, she chooses who to be with. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:40 PM Flag
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I know that. And I find it rude. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:43 PM Flag
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ok. but at least flame for what the post meant. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:45 PM Flag
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You find it rude that I send my dc to Jewish school? It's very acceptable in our culture to make these choices. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:52 PM Flag
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are you the OR? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:54 PM Flag
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yes [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:36 PM Flag
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Yes, I find exluding people rude. Even if you base it on something "good". Its not a postive. You may choose it, but it doesn't make it a postive. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:54 PM Flag
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OR: i think that is the underlying benefit of private school: that you have more control over the school (students, curriculum, administrative decisions, etc). You are free to disagree. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:56 PM Flag
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ITA. But that's my disgust with all organized religion. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:08 PM Flag
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Then only non-zoned public school would not be rude to you? What about selective publics? What about your job? Do they exclude people there by not choosing to hire them? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 03:38 PM Flag
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OR: thank you. yes, that is what i meant. and in non-religious privates, the parents have more control as well. (at least, that's been my experience. b/c the schools have more flexibility about where to put financial resources, flexibility with curriculum, etc) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:43 PM Flag
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I am sure some FDLS people use this to justify their schools. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 05:32 PM Flag
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Reason 21: overinvolved, micromanaging parents [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:27 PM Flag
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Just because they pay for education? My child is in public. She's getting a govt mandates education, her teacher has very little time to teach (her words) the way she could twenty years ago. Kids are prepped for tests, not the kind of tests that expand or deepen knowledge, tests that are designed to prove another point entirely. If we could afford private she could have gym four times a week, music four times a week, art five times a week, the education would be individualized if she needed it. My dd's public teaches to the middle, so wer'e lucky but I wish she could be in private where they still teach the top kids too. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 02:36 PM Flag
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22. pretentious parents. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 06:49 PM Flag
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23. Spoiled children who are told that they are better/smarter than children who go to public. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 06:50 PM Flag
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Private schools are far better for the average student--they really maximize a students abilities. For the brighter than average student, public can be better. The smartest kids, not the richest, are in public and if that's your peer group that's optimal. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 07:16 PM Flag
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Because if you have a kid that's the least bit "outside the box", private will give you the 'ole heave ho...unless of course you can hire a one-on-one "shadow. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 07:18 PM Flag
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well-said [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 11:53 PM Flag
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I agree that private can really help an average student, but I have seen how very smart children are challenged also. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 07:22 PM Flag
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This was a big concern with us with private. Went citywide G&T and hands down believe this was the best move for dc. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.05.08, 07:42 PM Flag
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