For the sake of documentation -

[kyburg]

Kid went to school this morning.

I got a call half an hour into the teaching day telling me to remove my child. AT ONCE.

Jim lost the day after losing the morning to replacing tires (you remember the tires), turning around to pick him up, go home and dig up the necessary documents and then going to over to the home public school to enroll him.

Didn't make it in time to keep him there today, but he did get introduced to his new class. Jim took the paperwork home to complete it and answering the questions just about broke him.

You see, children are to be in school, no matter if they live in a home or a cardboard box and the forms ask you about it.

I've moved up the placement testing for new school, but kid can get a taste of public school for the next few days and I can get an idea from a fresh set of eyes of what really this is all about.

Kid hated school. I think it's as simple as that. He had no motivation to comply and bucked authority at every opportunity. They, on the other hand, have no motivation to try to do anything with him and threw him out. Such is the prerogative of a private school.

But I've had enough - so much for the rosy image of a cute little school with cute little classes and sweet, adoring teachers. BAH.

For my next trick, I try to explain what happened to him. Yeah. Six years old and they don't want you anymore. THAT is going to be a fucking walk in the park.

Comments

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

They, on the other hand, have no motivation to try to do anything with him and threw him out.

Eh, of course they have a motivation to keep students: they get paid to keep students.


I try to explain what happened to him

He's not stupid, I'm sure he knows exactly what happened. He acted badly and they booted him for it.

Anyway, I got kicked out of a kindergarten, I survived ;) The story as recounted to me was that they wanted me to do things in a certain order - beans before puzzles, etc - and I strongly disagreed. The next school was more to my taste, I guess.

I'm not sure why you want a private school anyway. Private schools are a waste of money.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

Ummm. Actually, no. Comparing my experiences of school with those of many of my friends, private school is not necessarily a waste of money. At least not if you are at the right private schools. I am not saying that they are all perfect. Heck, I'm not saying that any of them are perfect. Mine certainly wasn't. BUT, I got a much better education at each of the private schools I attended than many of my peers who were at public schools. Trust me. We discuss these things and compare notes and I am regularly astonished and vaguely horrified at their curricula or lack there of.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

*amused* I was in public school all the way through high school, plus I attended a public law school. I assure you, my education was every bit as good as yours, and it was free.

I will also happily match my brilliant public-school-educated child up against private-school kids any day of the week. Plus, my son is already nearly fluent in Spanish, at seven years old. Again, all free.

But hey, continue to put your kids in private school; it's not my problem. Meanwhile I will take the $5-$10,000 a year or so I save by not doing so and put it into my kids' college funds.

The only purpose I see to private school is if you need a very specific type of education. E.g., I have considered enrolling my children in Jewish day school for the Hebrew and Jewish education (which they obviously cannot get in public school.) Or I suppose it would be good if you lived in an area with really terrible public schools. I'm not sure why you'd want to raise children in such an area in the first place, though.

[turandot.livejournal.com]

Or I suppose it would be good if you lived in an area with really terrible public schools. I'm not sure why you'd want to raise children in such an area in the first place, though.

It's not always as clear cut as "if it's got bad public schools, it's a terrible place to live anyway". Hardly.

Most people would prefer to send their kids to a good public school all things being equal. But as someone who's gotten their education at public schools, plus also taught in some, not everyone is as lucky as you or I got.