"As an Elementary Education major currently doing my student teaching and an alumnus of both private and public schools, I can say that I have seen many, many more dedicated and talented teacher at public schools than I have in my six years of private schools. I have seen teachers work long hours and even give portions of thier paychecks towards helping thier students learn. Because public schools do not have to accept every student who applies, teachers have a less diverse population of students to teach. Often, these students come from homes where education is valued and parents can assist students with thier schoolwork. In public schools, teachers often have to help students succeed who may not even be being provided thier basic needs such as food and sleep. Since private school teachers do not need to have any background in appropriate pedagogy, they often have trouble presenting material to students in a comprehensible way."

"I've been to every type of school out there.....and the best school (in my opinion) is the Montessori School. It's not a Catholic school or a Public school, and I actually learned something. When I was in Catholic school I was scared of the teachers and i didn't fit in. In public school (which i am attending now), the work is too easy and i'm bored in class. plus the never-ending drama with the other students which is getting to be ridiculous. If i had my choice I would still be in a Montessori School with my own learning environment. but then again...everyone is entitled to their own opinion ^^"

"To whomever made this lovely comment, 'Plus private schools don't have as much social experience, and the sports are probably not as good,' you are completely wrong. I am a Junior attending a Catholic, College Preparatory High School, where our athletic program is the best in our area. We play in an athletic conference known all over the east coast for our excellence in all sports, and this includes the other private high schools in the conference. And as for the stereotypical comments, 'private school kids are snobs and are a bunch of spoiled brats,' that is again, wrong. I live on a farm (doesn't sound too rich and fancy to me), and every day my parents go to work, and every day they struggle to be sure that tuition is paid for in order for my sister and I to attend private school. And as far as education goes, I am in honors and college prep classes, and I can guarantee that the college prep classes surpass the standards of the honors courses at all three of the public sc! hools in my area. If it wasn't worth it, my parents would not be paying $14,000 a year for schooling."

"I have gone to a private school all of my life and I am sick of it. All of my friends go to public and I want to be with them! Most of the girls in my class are complete snobs who are completely self absorbed. They do not consider anybody besides them to be a worthwhile human being, and are very gossipy and rude. I am also sick of being portrayed as a snooty private school girl-because I am not snooty and my parents are digging very deep in their pockets to get me a good education. Even though I am middle class, it's still a struggle and then some. I want people to know that I am not the stereotypical private school girl (unlike my peers)- I have grown up in a city my entire life and am not suburban whatsoever. So I am definitely going to a public High school- just two more years to wait. Which sounds like a sickeningly long time for me!"

"i'm currently a junior in high in NYC and although we do not hold the best reputation i am proud to say that i attend a public school. Sure i kno what going to private school is like since i attentended a few and i have to say that it all depends on the type of child you have. whether they are very much into their education like myself of ir they're more of a slacker like many people i know. it doesn't matter what kind of child you have is he or she is a good student they will be good no matter where they are and if they're not vice versa. it all really depends on how much you really know your child and how much discipline you raised them with. private schools are very good and they look pretty good on a college application but they don't have that environment to challenge how much they really care and the diversity of thought, ideas and cultures really is a learning experience. i must say, i wanted to go back to private schools but what can i say parents, it really isn't al! l that different except in price of course. PS the money will be more useful for college... every dollar counts when you're paying 37 grands per semester lol"

"My mom attended private schools all her life, where she succeeded, but with little difficulty. I viewed her having a sheltered schooling. She only went up to Algebra as far as math credits go, and Biology as her only science. Although my mom enjoyed her time at school, she knew she would never send her children to private schools. I know for a fact that public schools can provide much more diversity, in terms of both classes and students. One major determining factor in selecting schools is the number of AP classes. The thing with AP, or advance placement, is that no matter if you go to public or private school, all the students enrolled in that class take the same exam issued by the College Board. Test results on AP exams distinguish the work ethic and teaching skills of both the teachers and students. In my school district, most public schools offer 22-24 AP Classes. However, the private schools offer 7-12. I believe that in public schools, you are encourged by your teache! rs to do well and take the advanced challange. I know people that both were eduated privately all their life, and educated public and then private, and none of them are taking any AP Classes. Why aren't the private schools enforcing these classes? The college board has just issued some statements claiming that many schools are dropped SAT requirements and instead turning to the student's strength of schedule. Good news for me- my 4 AP classes I have taken/are taking look pretty good next to a private schooler who has not taken any. Plus, do the admissions office take notice of every since school name when flipping through thousands of applicants? Plus, most students in the higher level of classes at my public school are taking 2-4 AP's, on top of honors classes, sports, and about the 30+ clubs and after school activities offered. I believe that private schools keep you in a sheltered world. They are shielding true-life events that occur in high school, making something as a! same-sex couple a shocking even that is unheard of. Newsflash! : in the real world, you are faced with different situations every day, working with people from all different educational values. I would think twice before sending your child to public or private. Perhaps ask for cirriculums and textbooks to peruse through to observe the rate different grade levels focus on. I know that even in elementary school, I was way ahead of private school peers. People are taking AP Calc 1 and 2 in 11th and 12th grade, while 11th graders at private schools are still in Algebra II and Trig."

"i think that no matter is the school is private or if it is public it does no matter what matter is if your child want's to learn. im in high school in a public one i think i does not matter if is private or not what matters is the opportunity you have to learn some thing new and to become some one in life. Public or private is the same you are learning some thing new every day."

"To the person who wrote in against private schooling on 10/31 - are you sure you know how to spell and write? Do you mean 'write' and 'sentence'? Perhaps you were just trying to be cute. Either way I think I'll stick with private schooling for my boys. Thanks for confirming it through your interesting, and quite error ridden email. Just food for thought."

"I moved to the states, 4 month ago, my kids go to a public school, and the level is very bad! my dother is in 5th grade and she is seeing things of 2 grade in my country, i come from the 3 world, brazil and i want to know is this the first world education? "

"This is throwing your money down a toilet. this is just depleting your financial resources, in a time of iminate reseson none the less. I would rather go to a public school, and have enough money for college. Then if you get a scholorship your parents can keep the extra money, and maybe give the student financial support later in life. "

"i like this site so far. just add information about how much uniforms help schools!? =]"

"Okay, I'm sorry to all parents who want to think their child's public school is adequate to a private school, but here's a thought: if public school were truly as good as private school, why would parents pay thousands of dollars each year to send their children to private schools, on top of paying taxes for the public schools their children don't go to? I pay over $10,000 a year for my child's education, excluding taxes. Like most parents, I looked thoroughly into my decision to enroll my child in private school before investing so much in her education. So to all parents on this forum who imply that paying for private school is like throwing money down the toilet, think twice. We pay for a reason."

"some of the comments ive read on here are just disgusting when they talk about public schools. public schools are no were near as bad as some of these rich'myschools better then yours'people say. i go to a public school and i can read, wirte, and do everything children at private school do just as well. look i can even put together a sentance. so personaly dont judge what you dont know!!"

"i really like the way you posed this debate. i go to private school, and i always have, so i have no knowlegde about public schools, but i got a feel apbut them by the way the author composed this essay."

"I'm a student at a public school and have been going to public school my entire life and i love it. My mom wanted me to go to another school when i started kindergarden but i ended up going to this school and i loved it. This school mind you have a terrible rep for violence and drugs but i did fine here in my 13 years of education. I think its how your parent raises you and what teachers you have, and also how you learn. I'v had some great teachers and some bad ones but overall it was great. I guess what im trying to say is it doesnt depend on what school or what kind of school it depends on your child and the parenting."

"Private schools are here for better education and if you want your child to have that type of education then it will cost you money. You get what you pay for with most public schools. I am a single mom, who is barely middle class, that sends my son to private school. Private schools are by far better then the public school system with regards to education, teach to student ratio, and discipline. "

"It sounds as if you favor private schools, some people are turned off by that bias opinion."

"This really gives good ideas. keep up the good work!"

"I have a son in college. When he was in grade school I sent him to a Catholic school not only because we were catholic but because I lived in Philadelphia & the public schools there do not have a good reputation & I was unhappy there when I attended them. When we moved out of the city to a better area with great public schools my son then went to a public high school which I found to be wonderful. When we moved 2,000 miles away to Arizona my husband & I had more children & they are in 1st & 3rd grade. I am very pleased with the public school they attend. I am very involved in the school & often volunteer as many other parents there do as well. I see first hand how the school is run. I think that parents have to be involved in their children's education. We have to provide direction & bounderies for them. We have to keep them busy with sports & extra activities so they can find their weaknesses & strengths, ways to keep them active and build their self esteem. It's! not up to the schools to raise our children, it has to start at home and continue. We have to teach our children not to be bullies, rude or disrepectful. Public schools can be great if you research it & feel comfortable with the one you choose & get involved."

"The only reason some public schools don't perform well is because they are forced to accept all students. To the commenter who stated that there is 'no accountability' for the tax dollars spent on the public school system, high cost vs. low productivity, etc. -- let's see how well a private school would fare in terms of overall test scores and graduation rates if they were forced to accept ALL students -- including special needs children, students from different backgrounds, students from low-income areas, etc. I guarantee you that the only reason private schools appear to perform better is because many of them only accept 'gifted' students, and virtually none of them accept poor or learning disabled students. So by arguing that the public school system should be abolished, you are basically arguing that only those parents who can afford the high cost of private schooling (and whose children qualify for admission) should have the right to an education for their children. ! This is not only elitist and xenophobic, but also dangerous for society as a whole. It does not benefit anyone to deny ANY child the right to an education. In the end, it all comes down to the parents. If parents took a more active role in their childrens' educations, public schools would perform MUCH better. If poor, inner city schools were left out of the equation, the average public school would appear MUCH better on paper in terms of test scores, etc. It is not the state or federal government's fault that underprivelaged children do not perform well in school, so quit blaming government for what you see as 'flaws' in public education. Just because you might be fortunate enough to be able to provide your children with an 'ivy-league' private boarding school education, does not mean that you or your children are any 'better' than the less fortunate ones who have no choice but to attend public schools in bad neighborhoods. Don't even attempt to use the argument for! school vouchers as a case for privatizing education, because ! even with these vouchers, many lower-income parents would still be unable to afford a private education. That, and I don't see how it's fair that wealthier parents are able to get a tax refund (taken away from public education funding) in order to send their kids to some snobby upper-crust religious institution, while middle-class homeowners like myself who do not have any children are forced to carry the burden of paying for the public school system. So while I happily pay my taxes and ask for nothing in return, the overprivelaged are writing off everything from their vacation homes and business ventures, to their childrens' educations... all while enjoying a stress-free, lavish lifestyle. You have the nerve to suggest that wealthy people who CHOOSE to send their kids to these fancy WASP-dominated, holier-than-thou institutions (with NO accountability regarding curriculum or teachers' qualifications) should for whatever reason be EXEMPT from having to pay the taxes that! EVERYONE ELSE PAYS? I am so sick and tired of hearing the rich complain about taxes and falsely claim that they're paying more than their fair share! In many cases, they are paying LESS than the average person in terms of taxes paid compared to income earned. I'm sorry, but if you EARN more money, you have to PAY more money... that's it, that's just the way it is. Quit accusing the government of wasting money... when it is CLEAR that PRIVATE institutions and RICH people are the most wasteful and financially irresponsible people on earth! THAT is why the economy is in the shape that it's in today... because of GREED in the PRIVATE sector. So sorry that public schools do not operate 'for profit'. Perhaps you think that EVERYTHING should operate for profit. Well, guess what? I happen to disagree. Education is a fundamental RIGHT, not a PRIVILAGE... and certainly not to be turned into a lucrative BUSINESS ENTERPRISE dominated by wealthy investors, private owners, and! executives, and forcing teachers into low-paying jobs teaching unprove! n propaganda and undermining globally-accepted, scientifically proven FACTS. If you CHOOSE to send your children to a private school using your OWN money, that is your right as an American citizen, and you should count your blessings and be thankful that you are financially successful enough to do so. But taking money away from public schools is not the answer. The 'No Child Left Behind' act serves only to make bad schools even worse. Does anyone actually believe that the TEACHERS are to blame when a graffiti-infested school in the projects does not perform well on standardized tests? Do they actually think that the solution to this problem is to take money AWAY from a school that is already deteriorating? The only rational solution, in my opinion, is to change the way we approach education in underperforming regions -- not by punishing them or closing them down, but by introducing new school programs and community outreach programs to help encourage learning. First,! students who show great promise and potential should be integrated into the public charter school system and special programs for 'gifted' kids to help them excel in an environment that might otherwise prohibit their progress. Second, 'at-risk' students and students with negative home lives should be put into special after-school programs to discourage them from turning to gangs or drugs, or dropping out. Finally, there need to be more programs to show these students real-life benefits they can obtain from having a proper education. There ought to be more classes focused on real-world education, teaching everything from resume-building and interviewing skills, to managing finances, the importance of credit, balancing checkbooks, and applying for home loans. Teach these kids the skills they need to succeed in life, so that even if they do not fare well in reading, math, or science, they still have the opportunity to do something with their lives. Offer occupational and! vocational training to students who are interested. Put greater empha! sis on extracurricular activities. Help poor students who are trying to attend college by giving them access to student loan information and various scholarships that they may qualify for. There are multiple solutions to the problems that plague the public school system, and the answer is not 'less money' or privatization. Of course, you are always going to have 'bad seeds' that will underperform or drop out, regardless of any steps you might take to try to prevent it. This is just a fact of life, and we have to accept it. Not every student is going to succeed, no matter how hard we try to encourage them. But it is still vitally important that every student at least has the CHANCE to succeed in both school and in life -- and that starts in the home, with the parents, and with their education. There will always be a place for private schools in our society, as the upper crust elites and devoutly religious parents will never approve of exposing their children to the pu! blic school system -- nor do I think anyone should force them to. Just as they do not want their children going to school with the 'thugs,' 'secularists,' and 'paupers,' the feeling is pretty much mutual. But they have to accept that we live in a society in which all people are guaranteed equal rights, and that means that everybody pays their share of the burden to educate every child. Believe me, our society would be much worse off WITHOUT the public school system. Now, before I step down from my podium, I would like to take the time to thank my teachers and express my gratitude for the excellent PUBLIC EDUCATION that my nation was able to provide for me. I am more than happy to continue to pay my share of the tax dollars to fund this great institution, even if I never have any children who may benefit from it. Because in the end, ALL children are our nation's future... and they all deserve the same opportunities that I had. I hope that we can continue to improve th! e public education system for the betterment of ALL society."

"Parents seem to have more rights in private schools concerning sex education, same sex marriage and political agenda. That does not seem to be the case in public schools. I pulled my son from a public school in Riverside because they forced all the students to study Islam, read the kuran, and listen to Islamic clerics. We are baptists and that was very offensive to us but the public school did not care if we pulled our son from that portion of the class - he would receive an F. He is a straight A student. The only thing thing mentioned about Christians were how religous wars killed Muslims. Very slanted viewpoint from a public school. No tolerance for any other religion - NO THANKS - moved to private schooling. "

"Friend of mine had her kid in the Public School, for a year, her kid change so much in the bad way, he starts argue all the time, don’t listening parents most of the time, screaming she didn’t know what to do with her kid. His teacher keeps calling them about his bed attitude, and so on. Then later on, somebody told her about Private School, she was afraid a little, plus it also cost a lot of money, and then she though, well if this school will change my kid in the better way, then I will pay as much money, as it need. Then next year, she put her kid in the Private School, believe it or not, she noticed that her kid start to change, and I mean big time, in everyway. Now she is so excided and so happy for him, plus he is doing so much better in school, and he love it so much. So she is saying: It’s worth it. So I think it’s not fear that we all have to pay for Public School and Private School. I think that this will be nice if in the near future we all have a c! hoice which school should our kids attend, because all of us I believe want the best for their kids."

"I was interested in this read, and struck, at the end of the article , by your recommendation to 'visit in person'. As my family considers a move to a new area, what are we to make of a public school that does not allow prospective parents to 'visit'? would love to hear your perspective on that"

"As valedictorian of my public high school 14 years ago, I can say that the public school system is superior to private schools. Obviously this is a biased assessment since I never attended a private school until I was in dental school. Now to be fair, in my school district growing up, I was able to go to a different high school than the one to which I was geographically assigned. But I think that a key component of my public school experience was tracking. In elementary school, I was put into the “Gifted and Talented� (GT) class in the sixth grade, the year the school started it. There were also after school programs in writing I participated in from the second grade, and extra math programs after school to compete in state-wide competitions. In Junior High (7-9 grades in this case), I was again in the GT track. This program had 30 students each grade year chosen from a population of ~300 per year. We all took the same advanced science, social studies, and English classes and participated in “Enrichment� projects other students did not. The 3 classes were blocked together at the end of the day, so that on Friday afternoons, we would have a combined GT class, all 3 grade years, all 3 class periods, called “Enrichment�. Sometimes this meant we went on field trips to museums, churches, government buildings, etc. Other days it meant we were involved in group projects, or had outside lectures coming in. Always, “Enrichment� day was exciting, and different, and a chance to bring the core subjects together. Math was not included in the GT program, but that enabled some of us skip ahead years in the traditional math layout. I also placed repeatedly in statewide math contests – contests in which bot! h public and private schools competed. By having the option to go to a different high school than the one I was “supposed to� due to overcrowding issues, I was able to go to a public high school with better academics and extracurricular programs. I took 8 AP classes in high school, which gave me enough college credits that I started college as a junior and it only took me 2 years to complete my undergraduate degree. After all of my years of education, I can say that the best teachers I had, the most caring teachers I had, were all from the public school system. I had teachers that came to my wedding that taught me in the fifth grade. I have teachers from school that when I am in the area I still go in to see because of the special relationship we had and the love I have for them because of their impact on my life. Now, if you are still reading this what may seem conceited appraisal of the public school system and smugly thinking that I am not talking about the average public school experience, but one which more closely aligns itself to a private school experience, I would have to say that I agree. I think that you could say that I went to a “private school within a public school�. I also claim this is the ideal model for a public school system that all should be compared against. What I have yet to discuss though, is why my experience is specifically better than private school. My parents looked at enrolling me in a private school. My father was particularly impressed when attending state award ceremonies in math contests in which I placed, that private schools seemed to be taking away more awards than the public schools, with one private school dominating. They wanted to enroll me at that school for high school, but I successfully fought them on this issue. While placing high in a state math contest is lovely, attending private school to make it more likely comes at the compromise to development of being a well rounded individual with the necessary life skills to live, cope, interact in, and truly succeed in a public world. Private school could not offer the extracurricular experience I had in public school. I was able to be in advanced band classes from the fifth grade, participating in district wide honors band programs in elementary, junior high, and high school. These were always after school programs or summer programs requiring audition. In younger years, we would travel around the state even during school hours to perform at assemblies for other schools. In high school, we toured the nation, every summer on a 2 week tour on yellow school buses, going as far from Utah as British Columbia one year, Ohio another, and (this time including a plane flight first) to Florida another. This experience is one which I treasure and no private school could ever offer. Starting in high school and through college, I started teaching private lessons to as many as 30 students at one point. This was my first self-employed business, and a huge help to me as a now self-employed dentist. It was only b! ecause of public school that I was able to develop the music skills to have this experience; the private school my parents wished to have me attend would have never given me these opportunities. It could have allowed me to become a skilled soloist, but never a true musician that appreciates the entire ensemble of a symphony orchestra and the intricacy of each part as it intertwines synergistically into something more beautiful than any of the individual parts; never could it have taught me how to musically interact with others to synchronize our wills to a greater cause than ours alone; never could it have taught me jazz improvisation, being able to create something new within a central theme or setting the stage for someone else to shine, while learning to play off each other, and making a final product more beautiful than a soloist could ever hope for. And herein lies a profound difference between the public and private student: a private student is as a soloist, which ! may excel at playing an instrument, while the public student i! s as a m ember of an ensemble that can excel in creating music. I also was the captain of my high school swim team my senior year. Private school would have afforded no chance of participating in any sport. Being able to participate in a public school sports team and compete in state competitions helped me develop in ways physically and therefore by connection mentally and spiritually, a private school could have never offered. And despite swimming being more an individual sport than a team sport, I would argue the team spirit was still there. A private school can’t offer this teaching in team mentality – the importance of the group over the individual; the desire to push harder not for your solo victory, but to win the relay, and win the swimming meet for your team. Sure I still could have become an excellent swimmer in a private setting, but never a teammate in the public. Some would argue that on these extracurricular fronts, a private school can still compete with offerings for participation in private programs that may or may not be connected with the private school. And there is a point here that I would like to counter that with, and also bring this all together as to why this public school experience, including the academics, is superior to any possible private school experience. A private school can never compete with a public one because it can only select its best from amongst those willing to or capable of paying for the high cost – financially and socially. Since public schools are free, a system set up for tracking within it, will have a much larger pool from which to find the most gifted students. By having to compete with everyone, this is also a more real world experience since in the real world you will have to compete with everyone, not just those that can afford it. To suppose that only the rich will produce intelligent minds is ridiculous. Thus private schools are limited in their ability to excel by the fact they are burdened with only the rich (and therefore sadly often, the snobbish and spoiled) being able to attend. While my parents could have afforded to send me to private school, albeit with a severe hit to their pockets, there is a greater reason why private school is inferior to public - the social cost. By alienating themselves from the rest of the public, private school students never develop the true social skills they need to be effectual members of society. Note my choice of words here – effectual and not successful. You could argue that a private school produces many successful individuals, if money is the only gauge, and money the most often definition of success in this country. But to be an effectual member of society you have to actually have interacted with society instead of being insulated from it. That means having learned to deal with the bullies in school that called you a nerd instead of being isolated from them. That means learning that there are people with amazing skill sets in music, sports, or drama that don’t necessarily have money or academic excell! ence, but are important and amazing people none the less and can prove to be amazing friends that teach you the life lessons a teacher or parent can’t. That means seeing those that choose popularity over excellence, and the compromise it makes in their achievement. It means learning to able to interrelate with people, understand their life, empathize with them, and develop a desire for charity for them (charity not as welfare, but charity as true love). I would argue that my public school experience has made me an effectual dentist in a way a private school would have only enabled me to be successful monetarily. I can actually relate to my patients and empathize with their troubles; understand their wants and needs better; be a better communicator and friend to them; and by all this be a better dentist, a more effectual member of society, and in general a better person. My patients are never seen through glasses painted with dollar signs – they are seen as people w! ith needs that I am able to hopefully help. And that I would ! argue is a mind only my public school upbringing could have given me. Maybe I would be richer, and therefore more “successful� if I had attended private school, but I would trade that all day for the endless gratitude and hugs and praise from my patients that know I am truly concerned about them and not what they pay me. Having learned in public school the importance of society as a whole and my place as a single musician within it, I understand by playing my part well within society we can create beauty and enrich the lives of each other. Private school would have taught me to be naught but a soloist stubbornly playing away, conceitedly thinking I am the only one playing, and certainly the best at it, or even putting in earphones to ignore the music others are trying to contribute on the stage of life. In short, private school can never teach you want public school can: that you are a member of the human race and live in a world that not only needs you to be the best that you can be for the betterment of all, but by which you can become a more capable person as you benefit from your interaction with others efforts to better the world you live in as well. Go to private school if you believe that you are all that is important and you don’t need the rest of the world to become “successful� because they probably come from a different socio-economic background, or a different race, or aren’t as academically intelligent, or believe in religious ideas you do not. Go to public school if you realize your ability to be an effectual member of society is dependent on your seeing yourself as a member of it. If money and power, and social networking with those that prioritize money and power define your goals, than private school may be for you. If becoming a truly successf! ul person – one that is caring, empathetic, charitable, humble, and altruistic – and one that recognizes the character you develop in this life is all you will ever truly be and all that anyone will ever define you by, and you recognize how you conduct your interrelations with others is the ultimate measure of success, then please consider public school as the best route for you. And if you happen to be somewhere the public school system does not allow the personal growth I have proposed is possible there, please work within it to strengthen it and don’t abandon it for private school at the cost of society as a whole which needs a strong education system to become a strong society. I realize there are bad schools out there, but only together can we make them better and build the next generation that will have a world better than what those before us have given us. Giving into the private school temptation will allow society to disintegrate around you, and leave you! a lone success in the midst of chaos. Make yourself and the ! world yo u live in a better place – support public school! "

"I'm in sixth grade and I've been going to a private Christian school since kindergarden. I think that some private schools are better than public because some teach students about the Lord. Don't you think that learning about God is important to kids? You also are in small classes so you get one on one attention with the teacher. In my school almost all of the subjects include God. Religion is important which is why im at a Christian school. I LOVE IT~ The teachers teach us hoping that we go to colleges. They actually care for us and pray for us. Private school rules!"

"Good, Smart, Focused, Well Rounded students will excel in any environment. It's not the schools that make the student, it's the students that make the school. Start early, be involved, recognize strengths and weaknesses and make adjustments, emphasize the value of education and your child will be a successfull student no matter what label is put on the school you choose."

"its just a great idea!"

"Your explanation of the difference between public and private schools is clearly slanted in favor of the public schools. The fact of the matter is, many of us who send our children to private school do so because we don't want our child's education damaged by either the right or the left. Just as No Child Left Behind is a disaster, so is forced 'celebration of diversity.' Most people are bullied by political correctness into keeping quiet, but I'm not: If my child is going to be in a bilingual environment, it will be one that encompasses English AND Hebrew."

"i thought that the information that u have given is very educational and it has made me see the difference in going to a private school than a public one... "

"Judging from the grammar of the last two comments, private schools need some work."