Private school vs public school: Which one is right for you?

This is a touchy subject because some people will always have their own opinions and I for one don’t knock anyone for what they do with their child. This post is about my children and what I want for them so let’s start with the big ole debate. Let’s talk about the public school or private school debate.

Public school or Private school Debate

I grew up in private school and then transitioned to public school so half of my schooling was done in private the other half in public. I can’t speak for anyone else but when I went to public school for the first time in 7th grade I was shocked at how far behind the kids seemed to be. Things they were working on I had done almost 2 years prior. My mom only had a high school diploma and she felt that the way to get rich was through education. She knew that it was too late for her so she drilled into me the importance of school. I felt that private school gave me my book smarts and the public school gave me my street smarts.

Now that I’m a parent I get into debates a lot with other parents. Why would you pay for private school when you can just move to a county with a good school? Or I went to public school and I’m smart and have a good top paying job. Or Private school isn’t what it’s cracked up to be it’s just for rich people who think they are all that. I have heard it all. I have even had some folks try to be in my finances and say well Kita you are a single mom there is no way you can afford private school. But did I ask you?

I prefer private school for my kids

There are a few counties in GA that have great schools but the housing in those counties are the most expensive ones you will find in the state of GA. Sure I can buy a 300,000 house in Alpharetta and pay over 2500 a month for a mortgage. I can also buy a cheaper house in the country and pay the same amount and go to private school. Same amount of money if you ask me. Most rich folks send their kids to private school so they have big houses and still send their kids to private schools even in the “good districts”. I live in a horrible school district but my mortgage is under 1000 bucks.  My same house closer to the city would run me about 1900 a month. I can take that 900 and put my kids in the best. I know some people don’t like my way of thinking but it’s my way of thinking. Private schools offer more options than public schools such as tennis, ballet, swim, film production, computer science, etc. Maybe your public school offers that but mine doesn’t. I feel strongly that private schools run how they want to run and they don’t have to follow the state rules so to speak. I also think when a child goes to private schools the doors to college seem to open up a bit faster and a bit cheaper for them.

What kind of school are my kids in now?

So right now my kids are in a charter/theme school. It’s the best school in the county but I feel they don’t offer a lot and I want more these days. More focus on computer classes because that’s the way the world is going, more focus on the arts because my daughter loves her crafts, more focus on what’s going on in the real world and not just the books. Everyone and their mama want their kids to go to the Ron Clark Academy because it’s fun, it’s driven, it’s more….more of what I want for my kids.

I have gotten into debates with a lot of folks this past couple of weeks and I admit it’s my fault because I’m asking folks their opinions on what to do with my child. I have to make sure that I do what I feel is best and not worry about what others think. So what does that mean? That means that I am opening up my options as my kids get older. My son will be done with his school after the 8th grade and he will not be going to the high school that I am zoned for. That school has the lowest graduation rates there is and my son will not get lost in the shuffle. So we will be looking at private school options these next 2 years.

So now the question I have for you. Would you do private school or public school? Would you do neither and just homeschool? If you have a child going into middle school make sure you read my tips on how to transition into middle school.