At What Price Education?
By Glinda
In my world order prior to having kids, I had always envisioned my child going to private school. I went to private schools, and I think I turned out none too shabby. The Munchkin currently attends a private preschool, and I like it just fine. The natural progression was going to be private kindergarten and so on and so forth.
Until I looked at tuition.
Now, his preschool is pricey enough and I sometimes wonder if I am being overcharged. Not that they don’t do a good job, but I find myself thinking blasphemous thoughts such as, hmmmm, exactly how expensive is that construction paper? And why is it that I am asked to make playdoh for the class when I am paying upwards of three hundred dollars a month? Don’t even get me started on the fundraisers.
Some people argue that a good education is priceless. That no amount of money is too much to ensure that your child is taught solid fundamentals, which can do nothing but contribute towards success later in life.
Well, private schools have heard those people loud and clear.
When I checked into how much it would be for my son to continue at his current school for kindergarten, the price jumped to a whopping $550. A month. My heart seemed to stop when the secretary told me the amount, and I bet they have a defibrillator in the office ready for people like me. You know, cheap-asses who don’t give a crap about their child’s education. I tried to hide my shock, but I could see the pitying look in her eyes.
I do care about the education my son receives. I care a lot. But do I care 55o dollars a month care? I’m not sure.
Over the course of nine years at that school, I would be spending over $45,000 for an elementary school education! That is equal to the tuition to some four year universities! And in a lot of cases, such as the excellent UC Berkeley, a heck of a lot more. That isn’t even taking into account the tuition for four years at the high school level, which I shudder to even think about.
The public school district we live in happens to be well above average, with test scores that place most of them in the top 10 percent of all schools in our state. If they weren’t so fabulous, I don’t think I would have a choice in the matter. If the schools were no good then I would almost feel forced to send the Munchkin to private.
But I do have a choice, and I am seriously leaning towards saving that five hundred bucks or so a month and saving part of it towards his college education, part of it towards extracurricular classes and activities, and perhaps the tiniest bit towards a couple of new pair of shoes.
For me.
Because with the stress of all this potentially life-altering decision making, I deserve them, don’t you think?
March 6th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Good public schools can be just as good as good private schools. When I was growing up (admittedly a while ago, and in another state), several parents pulled their kids out of the “top” private school in the area to get them into the advanced academic programs in the public schools, because the magnet programs in the public schools were better. Obviously not true in many cases, but there’s nothing inherently “better” about private or public schools–the judgment needs to be made on a case by case basis. PLUS I firmly believe a child’s ultimate quality of education (over the full 12 years or more) depends more on the parents and the home environment than on any one teacher, class, or school. And on the “match” between the child and the school.
If you’ve got good public schools in your area, why pay for schooling twice? (Since your taxes are supporting the public school system.)
March 6th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
OK, I was going to comment on your undoubtedly high property taxes and parental involvement, but Marvel beat me to it.
For what it’s worth, my fiance and I both attended public school and both got into a top-20 university (the tuition for which was $3000 a year in the early 80s — I can’t imagine paying that much for preschool!). After that, I got into a top-20 grad school.
My former employer’s recruiting strategy was to seek the top students at state schools. They avoided the Ivies. The theory was that the best students at Mississippi State were probably kids who could have gotten into the Ivies but were limited by finances or the desire to stay close to home. They also thought that the Ivy students had probably had it pretty easy in their lives and wouldn’t work as hard as someone at a state school.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Looks like my private school was totally gouging my parents, cuz it was $8000 for the single year I attended and I won’t tell you what century that was in. But I had better teachers at public schools, quite frankly.
As a good citizen I will say that engaged, intelligent and committed parents are the single best thing any school can have. I cringe whenever people who meet that bill send their kids to private school, because by default they are less involved in their community’s public life. They have chosen a community which sets an entry barrier based on riches (and don’t give me that “We’ve got two scholarship kids in the class” diversion). They have, in a sense, opted out of public society in a deeply meaningful way.
And I say this as a woman with an abiding fondness for preppies. I can’t help it: it’s the cardigans.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
This is not like buying a house. You can change your mind!!! Easily!!! It won’t kill the kidlet to switch schools if the public option isn’t working out. In fact, it’ll probably make them a more adaptable person later on. If you’re having a hard time swallowing the price, it’s probably not the right decision for you and your family.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
raincoaster–my mother was a teacher and then administrator in our local public school district, and my father was an administrator who was elected to the County School Board after he retired. Perhaps they are the exception rather than the rule, but I wouldn’t say they were less involved in their community’s public life just because they sent me to private school. Of course, their reasons for sending me to Catholic school may differ from the reasons of other parents; it had nothing to do with exclusivity or perceived quality of education but with learning environment. If I had been a different sort of child they would have sent me to public school, but as it was, I needed the extra help and attention I got at the tiny private school.
Admittedly, my parents did suffer some teasing at work about not putting their child in the school system they had devoted their lives to.
March 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Thanks for your perspective, JaneC. I am enough of a pessimist to prefer to make involvement with the public school system an imperative for parents, rather than an option. It’s just too easy to look at the public schools and say “oh, that’s not good enough for my child” and turn one’s back; if your kid is IN the school, you’ve got an incentive to work to improve things.
March 6th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
But nobody is saying I deserve the shoes! Come on, give a woman a little support!
March 6th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I, for one, think you deserve the shoes, but not because of anything having to do with school. Your birthday is coming!
Raincoaster says that “if your kid is IN the school, you’ve got an incentive to work to improve things.” While that may be true, the real problem is on the other end: in a world of compulsory education and no opportunity for school choice, public school administrators do not have the correct incentives to make the changes parents demand because they know the kids aren’t going anywhere. It screws inner-city families and those from low-income districts in the worst way.
March 6th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Buy the shoes! Buy the shoes! I thought that was a given!
March 6th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
$300/month for Preschool. $550 for private Kindergarten?? I wish our area was that cheap. I used to pay $1000/month for both my kids daycare when I was working. The local private schools start at $700+ per month. Sigh. I have the feeling they can get away with those prices because our public schools are some of the worst in the nation.
Buy the shoes. Much better investment.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:46 am
@Krista- The school I have quoted is by no means the most expensive one in this area, I think the highest runs around three grand a month.
This is just the one that we ccould most likely afford, since I work barely part time.
I just wonder if it is all about perceived value, though. Although in your district, it sounds like they have you over a barrel, so to speak.
March 7th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
dgm: your parents obviously didn’t know how to make noise the way mine did. There’s at least one retired principal who missed bonus one year because of them. When will the public learn who public servants work for?
Glinda: of COURSE you buy the shoes. You work for The Manolo: you can write them off.
March 7th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
As a good citizen I will say that engaged, intelligent and committed parents are the single best thing any school can have. I cringe whenever people who meet that bill send their kids to private school, because by default they are less involved in their community’s public life. They have chosen a community which sets an entry barrier based on riches (and don’t give me that “We’ve got two scholarship kids in the class” diversion). They have, in a sense, opted out of public society in a deeply meaningful way.
Given where I live, my choice is private school or one of the worst public schools in my district. It’s dreadful, and this is in comparison to schools in a state that consistently ranks in the bottom 10% in the nation.
I would like to send my children to public school because I mostly agree with raincoaster. Public schools will only thrive when parents are active and involved with them. However, I can’t solve this problem by myself, and I’m not going to actively sabotage my children’s delight in learning by sending them to a an actively bad school. Classist? Yeah, it is. Unfortunately, as with all things in life, there is no perfect solution.
March 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Sidian, I wouldn’t say you’re being classist. You simply prioritize your values differently. Some people value the abstract idea of public schools over the reality of public schools on the lives of individuals. It’s easier to support the abstraction when your own kids aren’t trapped in shitty schools.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
When I was teaching, in a middle/working class public school, I felt like too often, kids were used as guinea pigs for this or that new educational philosophy (which was encouraged by the administration) and many fell through the cracks. This, combined with a limited budget made my husband and I consider homeschooling as an option. While it doesn’t work for all people, it is nice that we have choices. Make yours based on the individual school and the individual kid.
March 9th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
[...] Glinda… I do care about the education my son receives. I care a lot. But do I care 550 dollars a month care? I’m not sure. [...]
March 9th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I came here from the manolo’s weekend links, and perhaps my perspective will be much different because I myself am still a teenager in school. I’ve been to 3 private and 5 public schools. As I’m sure has been said, the circumstances for private vs. public schooling are important and very varied. Some kids really do exceed in a public school environment, particularly if the schools are good. Even though the public school I currently go to is, apparently, very good and ranked on all these lists, I personally don’t enjoy it. I find that private schools offer smaller classes, more freedom, and closer relationships with people. It’s not always the book learning that makes a school good, although I feel like more personalized lessons and more accessible teachers have helped me to learn better. My two younger siblings are also very bright, but they enjoy public school just fine. In my family the “different for everyone” concept is demonstrated.
Since your son is still young, I would think that you should make the executive decision. As he becomes older and you can get more of a sense what he needs/wants intellectually, I really encourage having a discussion about it. My mother and I talk(ed) about education a lot, and even though it’s “my” education, from parental standpoint her input is always helpful.
Hopefully that was somewhat insightful? Good luck with your choice of shoes!
March 9th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I think the choice I make about the education of my future spawn will depend on the enviroment at the time, but I’d rather send the future mothlings (mothlets?) to private school if my options are the same as what I was given as a child with public school. This is strictly non-negotiable as long as there’s an actual advantage for the child, to the extent that I will manufacture footware out of discarded food stamps if need be.
But I don’t have children yet, and you know what they say about non-parents and their naive plans.
March 9th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
*environment, oops. See? Awful public school!
March 9th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
As a teacher in a fantastic public school, my rule is always go with what is best for your kid.
A good public school or even a mediocre public school with supportive teachers or peers can give a kid a fantastic education. However, some kids need smaller class sizes than the public schools can offer; and some need an alternative to the public school curriculum or learning environment.
Usually good public school systems have small class sizes in kindergarten, so why not start the Munchkin in the public school? As one commenter said above, you can always make a switch.
I am also curious as to why you see going from a private preschool to a private kindergarten as a “natural progression,” when just about everyone who is in preschool is in a private preschool? There is no public preschool option in most U.S. communities, so lots of kids go from private preschool to public school.
March 9th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
I live in the upper midwest where public schools are generally regarded as just as good, if not better, than the private schools in the same area. The difference is, as others have pointed out, you’re paying for school twice (taxpayer dollars and tuition) and most private schools have a religious slant. Which seems to be the main reason most parents send their children to private school around here.
My grandparents would have been considered to be at the poverty level but because of their religious beliefs they insisted on sending all 10 (TEN!) of their children to private school up through high school. My mother wanted to send my sister and I to private school as well but opted for public school instead. Personally I don’t think it would have mattered as far as education goes, my parents would simply have been poorer because of it.
I have cousins who live in areas where public school is simply not an option, however, due to violence and poor education. It’s troubling and hard to change, but I hope someday parents can feel free to send their children to any public school with confidence and trust.
But as others have stated, the first step is an involved and committed parent.
March 10th, 2008 at 11:17 am
You only have one shot at the RIGHT educations. There are no do overs!! Sacrifice for your childs education. They are so worth it.
Maybe a cheaper car, and do we really need to spend that much on a vacation?
And would you really put that money aside for college??
March 10th, 2008 at 11:56 am
@Eilish- I agree with you about the “fad” thing. They dropped phonics for a long time and guess what is back with great success? Of course, phonics!
@dani- Thanks for your input! It’s always nice to get the perspective from one who is actually still in school! Because us old people forget a lot of the time what it was like!
@Phalene- You made me laugh with that!
@Dent- I think it is critical for a school to have an involved, caring parent community. From what I hear, the public school has one as well.
@Lisa- I wasn’t saying it was a natural progression for everyone, but a natural progression in my mind. Such as, he would simply continue at the same school rather than switching over to public.
@Sandy- I wouldn’t put the entire monthly amount away, but we have already established a 529 plan, and we are big savers already as well. And listen, I’ve already got a cheap car and we don’t go on vacations!
The point here is that I am not currently working full time and thus the sacrifice would be HUGE and I’m not sure that big of a sacrifice is worth it when the local public schools are top-rated. Whereas the private ones do not test, and so it is difficult to tell exactly how good they are.