Premium Essay

School Choice: Public vs. Private

In:

Submitted By whitney84
Words 1334
Pages 6
School Choice: Private vs. Public Schools

School choice is a hot topic concerning education, especially when it comes to public vs. private schools. How parents choose to educate their children is highly debated, though there are several advantages and disadvantages of the two. Therefore it is very important that both options be explored and the choice must be based on what is right for each particular child. Topics to research include tuition fees, admission protocol, academic curriculum, test scores, and teacher qualifications. Let’s take a look at several factors that may direct your decision in the right path. Fortunately, enrolling a child into a public school does not include tuition fees. Public schools are funded through federal, state and local taxes. When employed residents of a city pay taxes, they are providing the expenses needed to fund children’s education and costs of public schools in their community. Leaving the only sensible option, to take advantage of the money already invested into the school system through taxes and make use of it towards your child’s education. Though this is not the case with private schools, parents are responsible for public school tax, along with additional tuition fees charged for enrollment by their independent school of choice. Private schools do not receive tax revenues, but instead are funded through tuition, fundraising, donations and private grants. According to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the median tuition for their member private day schools in 2005-2006 in the United States was close to $14,000 for grades one through three, $15,000 for grades six through eight and $16,600 for grades nine through twelve. Although, parochial schools generally charge less and are usually more common in Kentucky. According to the National Catholic Educational Association, in their annual

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Enrolment Decisions: Factors Influencing Students in Selecting Higher Educational Institution

...Influencing College Choice An analysis of traditional-aged students What matters to students when deciding where to enroll? There are a variety of factors that influence a student’s decision to enroll. Factors such as cost and the availability of financial aid are universally important at all types of institutions. However, other factors can vary widely by institution type, demographics, class level, and whether the student enrolled at his or her top choice. Every year, hundreds of campuses administer the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory™ (SSI) to their students. In addition to more than 70 items rated for importance and satisfaction on the general student experience, the SSI includes nine items that address factors in a student’s decision to enroll. During the fall of 2011, more than 55,000 students from more than 100 public and private fouryear and two-year institutions completed the SSI. These students rated the factors to enroll items on a scale of one (meaning not important at all) to seven (very important). This report details the responses from the nationwide pool of data. In particular, this report has a special emphasis on the nearly 22,000 first-year students who responded in order to see which items scored higher with ratings of important or very important (a ranking of six or seven on the answer scale). Comparisons with upperclass students and between students at their first-choice institution versus those attending their second- or third-choice institution are...

Words: 5326 - Pages: 22

Free Essay

Public vs Private Universities

...November 18 2013 Public vs. Private All high school seniors nationwide and even some juniors have heightened responsibility and many more difficult decisions to make. One of the main decisions is deciding on a plan for schooling after finally throwing their caps in the blue sky on graduation night. When considering and picking the most comfortable university for the student, there are many different factors to think long and hard about: seeing if the school offers the major of their choice or something that is of interest to them, deciding on a comfortably located university that fits each student's living situation perfectly, signing up and acquiring financial aid, and deciding on a public or private university. One of the factors mentioned should not be a factor at all. Students should not have to worry about struggling to afford a supposedly better education at a private instution versus a public institution. The major difference between private and public institutions is how they are funded and how they use their funds. (Public University vs. Private College) Public insitutions were mostly founded by state governments as early as the 1800s. (Public University vs. Private College) Because most public universities are founded by public funds, the tuition is significantly lower. This is where public and private institutions differentiate. Private universities rely mostly on tuition and private contributions for funding. (Public University vs. Private College) This fact...

Words: 514 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

American Educational Choice

...American Educational Choice American Educational Choice Although the student population tends to be more diverse than private schools, public education is by far the best; no child left behind or denied an education regardless of standards. There are many pros and cons in both public and private school that needed to be weighed. Student diversity, cost, class size, federal, state and local laws, different types of schools, transportation, and the teachers are all factors that can help aid in your decision. First we have the cost of attendance. Private schools the doubt or question you can ask yourself, “Are you getting what you paid for?” Private school is very expensive; they manage on a balanced budget. They do not take no funding from the government, they will accept nonpublic sources of support from religious organizations, endowments, grants and charitable donations, therefore they charge for every aspect of their school. The average cost for tuition is between $1,600 up to 8,000 a year, it all depends, what grade level and if school has religious affiliation. On the other hand, Public schools are not allowed to charge tuition, the cost to attend public school is free, when you get in high school you may get charged the price of your books. All public schools are funded by local, state and government taxes. On the other hand class size is a major difference. Private schools control their enrollment, and their class is much smaller which makes the student...

Words: 1204 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

English Paper

...| The differences between schools. | Public school, private school and home school. | | Bonnie Beavers | 3/15/2012 | | Parents have many types of schools to choose from; but what effect does their choice have on their children? Parents have many types of schools to choose from; but what effect does their choice have on their children? What are the different types of schools that a parent can choose from? There are many different types of schools available and parents have to choose which is best for their children. Three specific schools available are public school, private school, and home school. Why do they choose a specific type of school and what effect does it have on the children? The first type of school that parents can choose from is public school. This type of school is funded by the local, state and federal government. This type of school follows a certain curriculum that is given by the local government, as well as the state government. (Vercillo, 2012) These schools are open to any student that lives within the school district for that city. Parents choose this type of school for a lot of reasons. One reason is the convenience factor. It is close to the family’s home and transportation can be provided to and from school or they can walk. The second reason is there is no cost to attend public school. Another reason is it has a lot of diversity. Most people consider public school as the “norm.” “Children will basically fit in with society...

Words: 1739 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Public School over Others

...Public School vs. School Choice The education system is a very complex one. A common controversial topic is whether public school or school choice is a better option for a student. In my opinion, I would go with the public school system. There are many factors as to why I believe public is better than school choice, including reasons like location, religion, selectivity, and education itself. Unlike private schools, public schools are neighborhood schools, so there isn’t much issue for students with travel. Many private schools are far and must require a child to travel further from home. With distance between a student’s home and private school possibly greater than that of a public school, the amount of gas usage is greater. Parents must also remember financial considerations. The cost of private schools may be unreasonable to some families, even though financial aid is available to those who cannot afford the tuition. I know that my parents wanted to send me to a private school, but we could not afford it even with financial aid, and there are numerous families currently in the same situation I was in. By paying for private school, parents would think they are paying for the best education, but in actuality the top schools in America are really public schools. The top high school in American for the year 2011 is the School for the Talented and Gifted, with Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology ranking second, according to US News...

Words: 569 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Private vs Public Education

...PRIVATE EDUCATION VS PUBLIC EDUCATION Who is to say which is better when it comes to the most effective and safest education for a child, private or public school system? Many parents find themselves caught in a dilemma when trying to decide on which choice of education for their children. They ask themselves whether to take their children to private schools or public schools. For a parent to choose the ideal school for their children they always have to take into consideration all the available options. They consider things like the cost of the school, how much time they will invest as a parent, the social impact that the school have on their children based on the specific need of their children as well as the family. Private schools offer the best option for the parent who is in need of better and quality education for their children. Private schools have a nearly perfect graduation rates which market them a great deal. Their performance is better as compared to the public schools. This is evident in SAT scores used by CAPE in 2003 in demonstrating the positive impact that the private schools have. The average for private schools SAT verbal nationally was 507, and math was 519, while for public schools the average verbal was 504 and math 516. When it was broken down further, private schools which are religious affiliated have average SAT verbal of 535 and math 530. Among these, independent private schools were the ones who boasted the highest averages with...

Words: 1444 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Public Vs Private Colleges

...Public vs Private college One of the biggest choices students make is choosing where to attend college. Students need to consider each individual college's unique characteristics and offerings, as well as the type of college before making a choice. While there are many types of schools most are either public or private. Choosing between the two can directly affect a student's learning environment. Public and private colleges have some similarities as well as differences. Public colleges are cheaper and provide more options. First, these colleges get more funding from the government and do not rely as much on tuition. This helps lower the cost for students. Second, these schools normally have large populations and more degree options....

Words: 309 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Management Planning and Ethics

...deciding on whether to send their child to a public and private school. Both public and private schools provide education and opportunities for students, but it sometimes can be a difficult for parents to make a choice. This paper will compare and contrast five areas that should be considered will make a choice should as cost, curriculum, class size, teachers and transportation that relate to public and private schools. One of the differences between private and public schools is cost. Public schools are free to the parent. Public schools are funded by the state through tax money. (Great Schools Staff, n.d.). Private schools will charge tuition. Private schools do not receive tax money and are funded through the tuition money along with donations from alumni (Great Schools Staff, n.d.). Many families will choose public school because it does not cost, and another family will choose private school no matter how much the cost. Another difference between public and private schools is the curriculum. Public schools must follow the curriculum that is mandated by the state. The state has set outlines for each grade level. (Great Schools Staff, n.d.). Private schools can set their own curriculum. Furthermore, public schools have to take standardized testing and private schools determine their own testing. Some public schools are crowded with students. The mean class size for students is around 25-40 students. Private schools are normally much smaller, in which the average...

Words: 488 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Private Schools Chapter Summary

... Ravitch begins the chapter by discussing the role of private schools when she was a child. She points out that private schools were very rare and very selective in her hometown of Houston, Texas, and she even claims that she was rejected by one of the schools because the founder “didn’t like Jews.” She said the Houston public schools remained segregated even after the Brown vs. Board decision, and anyone who spoke up and tried to implement the new integration laws was “called a communist and a pinko.” Southern schools responded to intense pressure from the Supreme Court to integrate with “freedom of choice,” which allowed students to enroll in any public school that they wanted to. Thus, white students remained in all-white schools and black...

Words: 533 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Public vs Private Schools

...Private vs. Public There are many reasons private schools are academically superior to public schools. In today’s society there are different types of education that a student may receive. The choices are narrowed down into two main categories, private and public school. Many people in today’s society believe it is better to send their children to private schools rather than public schools. It is not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many parents feel their child is worth receiving the best education offered. The quality of teaching and the expectations of the students differ from the two schools. Studies have been made and prove that private schools have a higher graduation rate, student self-determination, and higher college admissions rate. In a private school a student’s self-discipline and willingness aids them in the future success of their lives. Advocates of private school argue that the education received in one of these facilities is more valuable and rewarding than any other academic opportunity. Private schools often have better grades and test scores with an above standard curriculum, but supporters of public schools feel that the students are better-rounded, both educationally and worldly, when in public schools. Generally public schools have a superior variety of classes to choose from due to the larger more diverse student population, however, private schools tend to offer more honors and advanced classes then public schools. The amount of students...

Words: 799 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Comparison Between..

...Benefits and disadvantages of home schooling vs public schools Chancia Tokyo international University Academic composition I Those past years we have a lot of children or teenager who can decide where they want to study. They can study in a class surrounded by other students or at home, alone. Public school presents a lot of opportunity for teenagers to be social with other students, do some extracurricular activities and go outside to hang out with their friends. Also, as I mentioned before it is not the only one, there is homeschooling. By being homeschooled, students gain the same education as what the public schools students study. Thus, they can study whatever they want. It only depends on the environment and the academic contents that the parents or teenagers are using, to teach them or themselves. So what is best for the education of our children? Both of them are mainly good, the only thing that we need to do is it to give, children’s, the best education. To begin with, we all know that parents want the best for their children’s, which is not bad and apparently from an article written by Shaw I., homeschooling are getting more famous each year. The growth rate is of 15 percent. So those who are considering letting their children study at home you should be aware of those benefits. From an article written by Richardson H. in “Children should be allowed to get bored, expert says”, said that by letting our children get bored will lead them to developing a good...

Words: 990 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Schools and There Rules

...Schools and their rules Kids are meant to enjoy their childhood and play around and have fun. Parents only want the best for their children, but it’s their children’s education that always come first. There are always controversies and arguments about which schooling benefits the student’s learning the most. Most kids are put into public schools because it doesn’t require much money unlike homeschooling or private school. Many families struggle with poverty so public schools are the only options left for them. Money isn’t the only problem that people are facing, but whether or not the students are learning going to school. Does the different type of schools really determine how much the students learn? What are the pros and cons of public schools, private schools and homeschooling? What type of school is the ‘right’ school? According to the Institute of Education Sciences, folks reported having state funded school decision, more or less 25 percent went to a picked government funded school, while 67 percent went to their allocated school while the other 9 percent went to a non-public school. When it comes to how much the students are learning, is the school really the most important factor? Parents are the ones who mainly makes the decision in what schools are better for their child. Usually, private schools are mainly for religious purpose. They are quite strict, but I have Ngo 2 read articles in the newspaper that they have a better teaching system compared...

Words: 2002 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Obama

...Americans. Nevertheless, both candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, plan to keep the act intact but with their own revisions, and both parties stress the importance of every child receiving what they call a “world-class education. (Internation Reading Association: Reading Today: McCain vs. Obama)McCain’s key concept in changing the No Child Left Behind Act, is giving parents and their children the choice of any school through charter schools, vouchers, or tax credits for private schools, while Obama’s main focus is recruiting new teachers and paying them higher salaries; I believe Obama’s plan to reform the No Child Left Behind Act is a more productive plan, and that he has a better approach to reforming the No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB, was introduced on January 23, 2001, immediately after George Bush stepped into office. This act requires all public schools to provide a state-wide standardized test yearly to every student. Schools receiving funding must make a progress in tests scores every year. If schools fail to do so, they are published in their town’s local news paper as “failing schools,” and parents have the option to transfer their children to another school. According to the National Assessment of Educational...

Words: 1617 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Argumentative Essay: Desegregation In Schools

...Oliver Brown won the right for his daughter to attend school with her friends. Not only her, but African American children across the United States now had the right to attend any school of their choosing. Segregation in schools had finally been declared illegal. The obvious next step was a plan for desegregation. The Supreme Court announced a year later that desegregation in schools should be put into action ‘with all deliberate speed.’ Because of the particular wording used, schools which were unsupportive of integration had no specific timezone by which they needed to be integrated, and so they put no effort into making it happen anytime soon. Many went against...

Words: 714 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Home Schooling vs Public Schooling

...Home Schooling vs. Public Schools: Which One is Better? Thesis Statement: Many parents question what is best for their child’s education, home schooling or public school. Home schooling can sometimes provide a more direct and focused education than public schools, Public School is better in many ways including the child’s social development. I. Home Schooling vs. Public Schooling II. The Pros and Cons of Home Schooling A. Home schooling can benefit both students and parents by providing individual attention. B. Home schooling gives parents a sense of security. C. Home schooling puts financial strain on parents. D. Home schooling can cause slower social development. III. The Pros and Cons of Public Schooling A. Public schooling provides many free services. B. Public schooling allows both parents time to have a full time job. C. Public schooling allows students to participate in many activities, sports, and organizations. D. Public schooling makes students more likely to deal with bullying and peer pressure . D. Home Schooling vs Public Schooling: Which is Better? A. The pros of public schooling outweigh the cons, thus making public schooling the better choice. When children become of age, and it is time for them to start school, many parents question what is best for their child’s education, home schooling or public school. Both home schooling and public schooling has their pros and cons, but many parents often question...

Words: 1089 - Pages: 5