Public vs. Private Schools

When a parent is sending their child to school they can choose to send them to public or private education. Public school is free to all students and funded by tax dollars. A parent needs to pay out of pocket to send their child to private school. According to Benjamin Cory Harow, there are pros and cons to both public and private education.

Teaching Staff

In public schools, there are often experienced teachers. Private schools have new teachers since they do not pay them as high of a salary. This does not mean that one teacher is better than the other. Public school teachers need to complete more hours of professional development each year on many different topics.

Class Sizes

Private schools tend to have smaller class sizes. There is a better student to teach ratio in private schools. This will allow the students to get more attention and help from the teacher. With social distancing class sizes are getting smaller everywhere but private schools still usually have fewer children in the class than public schools.

Cost

This is a big issue for parents when it comes to looking at schooling for their children. Public schools are paid for by tax dollars. The parents may need to buy some school supplies and that it is. Private costs cost on average $11,000 a year. The cost will vary based on the school but there is a fee for this education. This is something parents need to think about and see if they can afford it.

Diverse Classes

Both of the schools need to offer the state curriculum and follow the common core standards. There are some other focuses that private schools can take. Private schools often focus on the arts. They offer additional classes in music, theater, and related courses. Public schools may not have the budget to offer these specialized courses. If a student is interested in the arts then the private school may be a better choice for them. In the high school years, private schools focus on preparing a student for college. They have additional gifted classes and advanced placement courses that look good on the transcripts. The students are also learning the skills needed to be successful in college. This can be beneficial if a student is going to college and they want to get a head start on the preparations.

Test Scores

Students in private schools often do better on state and other tests. They score higher on these tests. It can be due to the smaller class sizes and more attention from teachers. They can cover more information that can help the students on these tests.

These are some of the pros and cons of public and private schools. Both schools will provide a basic education. Some things will vary. A parent needs to think about what the best education will be for their child and then find the school system that will fit them best.