Reply #84: My kid attended private schools (non religious) until this year

[Carni]

One of which was supposedly for "the gifted" (which I think in retrospect was a load of bull/ marketing type ploy)

We thought we were doing the right thing spending the extra money to go the private route from Kindergarten through 3rd grade (why I don't know)

This year we couldn't afford it and my daughter started public school...and guess what?

After being told for three years that she was doing math three grade levels above what she is and after being told that all her other subjects were being at least performed at two grade levels above what she is -- she's not, she is doing well but at her own grade level.

I have friends that switched their kids to public after being told much the same type of crap--and they were appalled to find out their kids weren't even at grade level!

In other words IMO based on my experience if you shell out the $$$ to send your kids to a private school they'll stroke your ego and tell you a lot of great things (that aren't necessarily true)

I have a couple of complaints with the public school vs private school experience

The number of kids per class is my main complaint and I am not used to the stringent rules that the public school my daughter is in seems to have.

Truthfully, I have not been all that excited about dealing with "the system" but that is just my contrary personality lately in this bush age.

In my daughter's private school things were very relaxed socially and outside the box type thinking wasn't frowned upon--in her public school I think there are rules about the rules (I understand they have to do that/I'm just not a fan of it)

But with all that said I tend to agree that most private schools aren't doing anything above and beyond in the way of educating kids and the private schools should have to administer the same tests if they want to crow about how superior they are.