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If you are sending your kids to Catholic school...
how did you decide? Especially those of you who live in a good school district. We live in a very highly rated district but feel like we should send them to Catholic school anyway for the religious education/ discipline/ structure/ values. However it's REALLY hard to bite that financial bullet when our public schools are so good.
Thoughts?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: If you are sending your kids to Catholic school...
for me I am going to send DD to catholic school, even tho I am in a good district, because
1. It supports the church we go to
2. I went to public school in a good district and DH went to catholic school and you can see a difference in how we think, etc. He learned so much about his faith and I really wish I had that... granted I was raised jewish and I am going through RCIA now, but I was always christian growing up, my father is catholic and my mom is jewish and I always wanted to go to church with my dad.
3. I will probably give my kids a choice when it comes to HS but I think that elementary we will definitely be sending our kids to catholic school. My DH went to catholic school up until college, his two younger brothers went to catholic elementary and public HS and they did just as well as my DH. In fact the youngest brother was Valedictorian.
I honestly think it is a personal choice. DH's family did it and so we will.
I think it's a matter of what's most important to you. If a religious foundation to your children's education is important to you then that's a pretty easy decision since you absolutely will not get that in a public school no matter how well it is ranked.
I don't necessarily think it is fair to do a straight apples to apples comparison of public schools versus private schools because they are fundamentally different. Private schools have a focus that cuts through the curriculum that public schools don't and, further, private schools are able to pick and choose their students. They are a different educational experience so I don't think it's surprising when parents who live in a "good" district choose private schooling for whatever reason.
ETA: I guess I should specify that when I write "private" schools I am referring to religious-based schools.
I agree with Moesten... even tho I compare my education to my husbands, I think that its not fair to compare, and again its personal preference.
The other thing I like about catholic schools is they also teach morals to kids. I think that it is the parents job to do that, but I think it is nice that it is also reinforced at school as well... Not saying public school doesnt do this, but there is a religious aspect to morality that if sent to catholic school and you are catholic, it should be more in-line with how/what you are teaching your kids morality...
make sense?
Financially we won't be able to send DD to Catholic schools, but I went to both public and Catholic schools growing up. I like that I know a heck of a lot more about religion than many of my friends who went to public schools. I'm not even Catholic but I got a really good education in religious history, as well as world religions. If we'd belonged to the parish it would have been nice as well to have that connection between school and church. My grade schools also had small class sizes that you might not get in a public school.
As far though as education and discipline and whatnot, I really don't see a whole lot of difference between public and Catholic. I think that really depends on the school, and the whole uniform thing is just a joke anyway, doesn't make anyone "equal", just helps control the problems with inappropriate clothes.
Griffin 10/2007
Mom to Lily Gayle 4.25.06 Charlotte Kathleen 3.27.09 Samuel Thomas ~8.4.12~
It is all about personal choice. There are some awful Catholic schools out there and there are some awful public schools out there. And just like there are fantastic public schools, there are fantastic Catholic schools. So you can't just assume that because you've chosen a Catholic school, it is on par with a great public school. You do have to shop around. One thing I always tell people who ask is to look at which Catholic high school the Catholic grade school feeds in to. There are some Catholic high schools in the Cincinnati area that are struggling to the point where they may not be around in ten years, or they will look VERY different. Pick the Catholic high school you'd be comfortable with your child attending, and then look at which grade schools feed into it.
If you've found a great Catholic grade school and you can afford it, then your decision is easier. You should also look at the price of the Catholic high school that the school feeds in to to make sure that you can afford not only Catholic grade school, but also Catholic high school, if that's a choice you want to continue. I maintain that the best way to find out about good Catholic schools is word-of-mouth, so ask around at your parish or your neighborhood.
DH and I both teach in Catholic schools but Leah will attend public school because of the cost. The only Catholic grade schools we would send her to in the area are beyond our price range. If, however, the public school scenario did not work out, we have first and second choice Catholic schools lined up and could dip into savings if the situation were dire.
I could go on and on about Catholic versus private schools, because there a ton of factors that make a good school, but it comes down to personal choice. If faith education is very important to you, and you can afford a good Catholic school, your decision will definitely be easier.
I couldn't have summed it up better, myself.
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I can get really passionate about this, so I won't get into my full opinion on the subject, right now (since you didn't ask for it).
EXACTLY! There are plenty of private schools out there with very limited opportunities, limited budgets, poor equipment, limited extracurriculars, etc. That's why I say it is not an apples to apples comparison. One must take their public school and compare it to the private school one is considering.
Also, reading the responses from PP's, I think there are a lot of misperceptions about what public schools are like. I have worked with both public and private schools and I can assure you individual attention, office staff knowing the parents, enrichment opportunities, sense of community and limited class sizes are not the sole purview of private schools. These things exist in public schools as well.
What does not exist in public schools is faith-based education. So if the faith component is important then the choice is relatively easy. But if it's the other things you are looking for (small class size, individual learning opportunities, extra curriculars, etc) do not dismiss your public school out of hand. In fact many public schools are far superior in these offerings than private schools are.
I agree, and I think the most important thing you can do, regardless of where your children attend school, is to get involved and take an active role in their education. Knowing what's going on in their school and in their classroom is going to make a difference in their experience.
I attended 12 years of Catholic school. What I loved most about it was the sense of community. I felt very at home both in my church and my school. I also would like to have Ellie attend a school where she receives a religious education.
However, we cannot afford it if I'm a SAHM. Actually, we might be able to afford Catholic grade school, but Catholic high school is another thing entirely. We really thought about far down the road when we considered what we want to do about schools. Of the Catholic high schools Ellie could attend, there is one I'm not comfortable with and several more, including my alma mater, that are way out of our price range. Neither DH or I were comfortable with Ellie having to go to public high school after eight years of private school. So that really helped make our decision.
I also do have concerns about Catholic school. There are definitely drawbacks to living day-to-day in that small environment. There are things about the school I attended that I really dislike. On the other hand, there are things a child at that school will not be exposed to because private schools don't have to accept everyone, and can more easily weed out the bad apples. Public schools don't have that option, and that makes me uneasy.
Photo by Melissa Nicole Photography
E!X!A!C!T!L!Y!
Just curious. Which public district do you live in? I have a feeling that I might [respectfully, of course] disagree.
i think our kids will be at the same school.
I think there are a lot of misconceptions about both types of schools, as well. Someone here mentioned that Catholic schools have smaller class sizes. This used to be the norm, but with declining enrollment, this is not always the case. I have had years where I've had 30 kids in every single class in our Catholic high school. DH teaches at another Catholic high school in Dayton and he has over 25 kids in every science class. Last year they ran out of desks in his room and had to cart in tables. His class sizes are generally larger than mine, but his school is academically stronger. You have to take everything into consideration.
I think there are also misconceptions about price. Different Catholic schools charge different tuitions. There are Catholic grade schools in Dayton that charge 2k a year, and there are Catholic grade schools that charge 6k or 7k a year. It is the same with Cincinnati high schools. Purcell-Marian's tuition is the equivalent of that at my school, but some of the single-sex Catholic high schools charge well over 10k a year.
For me, it comes down to one question: how important is faith-based education to your family? Do you feel you can provide the same faith-filled environment at home that a Catholic school can provide, if that is important to you?
And I may get flamed for this, but I believe that good public schools provide good moral education. It may not be faith-based, but the good public schools in this area do have morality built into their curriculums and programs. Most of them have service groups that cater to the needs of the community and participate in activities that encourage involvement in the community in a way that benefits the greater good. It comes down to faith-based education, in my opinion, not necessarily moral-based education. Morality is not exclusive to a religion.
My students have been taking tests all day, which is why it was easy for me to respond...but it is something I feel strongly about. My grad degree will be in Catholic education, and while I can obviously see the benefits of Catholic schools (I am a product of Catholic schools, as well), I think people often pick one type of school over another for the wrong reasons. I think it's really, really important that people are educated on the choice they are making so that it is the best choice for their particular family. There are just so many benefits to different choices, and it's important to research and pick for the right reasons.
I wish I could highlight (in flashing neon lights) the "...the best choice for their particular family..." part, then hang it up on a highway billboard.
We are sharing a brain, right now. No?
You are right. However, my point (and others', I think) is that the topic is far too relative to give objective answers. KWIM?
I do not like things that don't have answers. If you lived in Fairfield, would you look elsewhere?
Totally agree with Teacherjess and Moesten.
We will be a Cincinnati Public Schools family, and we aren't Catholic so I see no reason to send our children to Catholic school. As a product of a Catholic university, I certainly understand and appreciate why people of that faith choose that route for their child's education. My niece and nephew are in a Catholic school on the west side and I was pleasantly surprised by the school and the things they are learning.
However, (just as a general statement, not directed at anyone in particular here) expensive doesn't always equal better.
I wish I could say. Unfortunately, I can't. I don't mean to sound flippant, but I know absolutely nothing about that district, since I don't live there and never plan to. I have only kept my finger on the pulse of districts (namely, the one in which we currently live) that we are considering for our children.
Great discussion ladies.
TeacherJess: I am totally girl crushing on you right now.
Buckeye: I believe I did answer the OP's question. But it might not have been clear. So here is my $.05 answer. If a religious education is important to a family then I would choose a religious education.
Buckeye: A little more expensive (let's call it $.15) answer to your question: Some things that I look at in schools - percentage of students taking AP courses, # of national merit finalists and semifinalists, variety of classes and foreign languages offered, class size, average daily attendance rates, percentage of students going on to 4-year colleges, average ACT/SAT scores, the colleges attended by graduates, the variety of sports, extracurriculars, and clubs offered, and the reading curriculum used in the elementary school.
There is no doubt there are exceptional public and private schools in this town. We have a wonderful selection. Right now we have a plan for our kids that is loose and flexible. I am not married to one path right now. One thing that will come into consideration is my kids' individual learning needs and me asking myself in what environment I believe they would thrive the most. Also, as my children age, faith education may become more important or less important to us so I am leaving all options open presently.
I wish it was that simple. If you put a list of what DH and I want together, it would not be the same things. Of course, we come from 2 totally different backgrounds educationally. I see 3,000 student enrollment and get immediately overwhelmed. He hears 600 kids in a school and laughs at the lack of size and diversity. We are not set on anything. He is not concerned with her faith education being within her school day. I think we want the same outcome: her to be happy with all the opportunities she can have in a safe environment. I think we can get that in a lot of ways. I think I just want a more clear cut answer. This is why I am not good at debate or subjective grading courses, etc. I like things like math, where this is most often only 1 correct answer.
This topic and decision causes me a lot of mental debate and is a huge source of anxiety for me. What part of town do we want long term? What church should we settle into so we can be affiliated with the appropriate Catholic school if that is what we decide.
The reality is it's a personal decision.
DH and I have toyed with the idea of private school. We're not very religious... so we don't want a school with a religious grounding as we want to be have more say in B's religious education than the school. But at the end of the day, there are bunches of great public schools out there. The cost of that is way less.
Moreover, I'm currently tutoring a few kids in math. ALL of them go to well respected private high schools. This concerns me. Even one of the moms has said to me that she wonders if her kids will ever get the level of math instruction they really need in a private school. For her, the single sex education and the sense of community though outweighs this thought.
Because public schools typically pay teachers more than private schools, public school jobs in good school districts are much more appealing. Who knows what SB 5 will do to this... but right now that's the reality. For me, I feel as though public schools have a better grounding in reality (not everyone fits in, there are social misfits out there, education is for 'everyone'), several school districts have tons of opportunities for kids, and I can live in the community and have my kids go to school in that community (and not drive all over town).
But all of these reasons are my reasons. You have to choose what's best for you. That's what makes our country so great... and decisions so difficult. Trust your gut and go with what works for you. You can always tour the school when it comes time to make a decision.