Terrified About Public Schools!! Can Anyone Help Please!

You know I firmly believe in the Public Schools, in most cases. I think it helps the area you are in, and it teaches children reality. Children will get out of school what they want. My son is in DISD in Lakewood, and I'm very happy with it. We plan on him going all the way thru the public system until Graduation, unless something horribly drastic occurs. A lot of our neighbors have supported the local schools and I think the results are fantastic. Woodrow has just in the past years had three National Merit Scholars, has been voted the number one Theatre dept. The Jr. High, has been The State Champions in Math and Science. These kids get out of the school what their parent support puts in. So if you are in full support of the school and your children, they will be successful. My husband went to Woodrow in Dallas as well, Went to SMU on scholarships and graduated with two degrees. So, when people say public schools are bad...it's b/c they are teaching kids they are bad. Many of the Private schools around, are behind academically! So BEWARE of private.

N.,

One reason you may consider sending your son to Private kindergarten is that it may be 1/2 day where as most public schools are full day. That totally depends on what how you think he will do with the extended day.

My kiddos are in DISD. I love my local elementary school, it is very community oriented, wonderul teachers, involved parents. I am not too sure about the Jr and Sr High- but we need to move more b/c of space than anything.

Go to your local school, visit the classes, go at lunch time and see the lunch room, go to a PTA meeting and see what the parents are doing.

Personally, I think it is scary seeing our little ones go off anywhere for the first time :-)

D.

Just to make light of the situation I went to a private Catholic school & became more aware of life when I went a public school during high school. I felt the private school held me back on reality.

Any school can be great as long as the parent takes a lead role in their child's education. I'm more than happy to send my daughter to kindergarten but as being a SAHM it makes me sad to let go. She's so ready to go next Fall!

If you have any concerns I would contact your local elem. school & ask to talk to the counselor. They will help you in any way.

Good luck! And don't show any fear infront of your child. You don't want her to have your worries.

I suggest you go visit the public school that she will attend. I would also question where your mother got her information...the media makes public schools out to be horrible. I have been a public school teacher for almost 10 years now and have absolutely no reservations about sending my child next year. With the rare exception, all of the teachers at my school are exceptional and very professional. Good luck

Moms are good at making us nervous, and afterwards leave us to make important decisions on our own, aren't they generous? lol. Now a days we have to worry about our childs safety and the influence sorrounding them. I can tell you that even though private schools are viewed as safer and hold a higher education rate than public schools, statistically speaking, the difference is not by much or not at all in many cases. Let me give you an example, I have 2 co-workers, one has their kids in a catholic private school. She is a very honorable person, and she gets a call from the teacher at least 2 times a week complaining about her kids. She says how hard she works with them at home and yet they keep getting bad grades. I have another co-worker who is just as honorable, has her kids in the same grades in public schools. They are learning the same things and they are doing a whole lot better. Again, not everyone's situation and not everyone's opinion. But this goes to show you how things can go both ways in both places. My daughter goes to a public school, they are really big on security where the parents have to be buzzed in and everyone that goes in and out is video taped. The teachers are above educational standards. As an honor student, I have always been really big on education, and I can tell that my daughter is doing well. As far as influence goes, that's when your role as a parent comes in, teach her what you are expecting of her as a student and teach her to distinguish good from bad. Don't get over-worked on your decision. It sounds like you might want to try public school, I say, try it out, if you are not satisfied than try private school.

My friend is a first-grade teacher at Seaburn, which is in Mesquite. She is an awarded teacher and her principal is terrific. No worries if that's your local school.

WOW! I am so impressed with the responses I've read. I just knew this was going to be a "public school bashing" when I read the title but the responses were quite the opposite. I am also a public school educator in Duncanville ISD. I have worked in 3 school districts during my career and they all had very good as well as not so good things about them. I am now a reading specialist and I work with lots of children coming from the private/charter school sector and, believe me, it is not always as rosey as it seems. Some of my children are 1-2 years behind in reading but their parents spent hoards of money for private school education. It's very sad because these parents thought they were doing a good thing by paying for private education and it just didn't turn out the way they expected. One thing to keep in mind is when you send your child to private school, many of these schools don't offer special services (ex.speech, diagnostic testing, tutors). So if your child ever needs these services, and I hope they never will, you will have to pay for private sessions. These services come free with public education. There is a lot to think about. However, the choice for me is clear...I will be a PTA member and an involved parent of public school educated children.

I was raised in a private church school through the 8th grade. Academically I was way ahead of my classes when I started going to the public high school in 9th grade. Socially, I was shy, but would have been that way no matter what school I had gone to previously. I love the fact that while I had to adjust to bigger classes, more people, more/different peer pressure, I did not have to think about my classwork, it was pretty easy. That being said, I love the private school systems, but don't see that in my son's future. We would have to sacrifice so much, including my SAHM status! He's currently in our church preschool, mostly for the social skills, but he's learning so much. He'll be there for another year, but currently there's no kindergarten, so then he'll switch to public school. If there was a kindergarten program at our preschool, he'd go there simply because I think it's a great foundation with Christian principles. I think the public schools get a bad rap. There are good and bad, but that's true in private also. Next year I plan on visiting the school he'll be attending and being a very active parent once school starts. Then, if there are problems, we'll address them at that time.
Sorry to be so long! Just wanted to give you the whole thought!

I would recommend you take a look back at YOUR schooling. Do for your child what you would have wanted or think would have been beneficial to you. If you went to a public school and it was great, then make sure to prepare your child with the tools for succeeding in a public school. My son currently attends a private Christian school, and I sometimes have the thought "Is it better to teach him about God at home and leave school to be school or risk others teaching him beliefs that may contradict our own?" In the end, no matter where your child goes, you will have questions that nag and make you wonder. The important thing is to make an educated decision based on your experience and information you can gather from the schools. My personal opinion? Keep your baby in the church until she has to go somewhere else.