If you live in an area where there are options and you have the resources, then you need to ask yourself, “what kind of learner is your son?” I think if you are going to consider sending him to the public school that you should talk to teachers at the school. Talk to them about your concerns. Every public school is going to be different. Teachers and their teaching styles will vary. Find out what their typical class size is.

Private schools aren’t necessarily better then public schools but sometimes they have smaller sized classrooms. Sometimes private schools will help you find help to pay for tuition. Visit them and ask lots of questions.

Have you considered homeschooling? Many area’s have homeschool coops or groups that get together for support or share certain classes. If this is an option then interview some home-school families.

The bottom line is that there is no perfect school. We are our childrens greatest teachers. Even if we send them to school, when they are home with us, we have so many opportunities to teach them…not just educational things but moral, character building, and value’s…things that will help them thrive in a learning environment…things that will affect all of their life.

For an example, When a child is disciplined and taught to listen and respect, this lays the foundation for the child to sit at a desk and listen to the teacher so that he/she can learn. When a child is taught values at home, he/she will function much better in a learning environment because they feel good about themselves.

Also when a love for learning is sparked by parents,before they ever enter a classroom and continues through out their years at home…whether it’s talking about sharks, the moom or another topic of interest, we teach our children that learning is fun and leads to enpowerment.

Just remember that what ever you decide for one year can be changed the next!

You sure have sparked quite the conversation of comments here…I LOVE it!

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For the most part, I think K to grade 4 is an easy time to go to public school. Most of the teachers are great and the kids are still sweet, for the most part.

However, we sent our son to a wonderful preschool. It is where the University sends their students for observation/participation. My son so wanted to stay there for kndergarten like his sister did. The kindergarten teacher was amazing. But that was teh year I went back to school to get my teaching degree and we could not afford my tuition plus his. So we put him in public school. He got a first year teacher and she struggled the whole year. The class was out of control and my son hated it. He’s 16 now and still remembers wising he could have stayed one more year at his preschool.

Sorry if that stor makes it worse for you…

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Like your description of CA schools, here in GA we have some pockets of really good schools and although our standardized test scores averaged across the state rank us at 49th in the country, scores can’t give an accurate picture of what’s going on in different areas as a whole. What a great response from your principal and kudos to you for taking the ball and running with it. That kind of initiative is applaudable and needed. The idea of diversity is also very important to us as a family, diversity as it relates to different people, cultures, experiences, how to manage in unfamiliar situations with people who have different experiences, etc., and you’re right…it’s not something you typically find in private, more homogeneous private school environment. It’s also one of the reasons we’re not pursuing homeschooling. My hang up hasn’t been public VS private for the typical reasons I hear parents discuss, it’s actually related to the “how” we teach, and not the “what” if that makes sense without a ton of background to bore you to tears. I think I’ve become so immersed in Montessori and my belief (and study results)that it’s a better teaching methodology, it’s become THE hang up for me.

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I need to chill, I know.

Smalltown Mom: Thanks for hugging the kids. I don’t know why that comforts me, but it does.

I wonder if the decrease in parent involvement has something to do with the economy right now. Our local elementary principal told me she’s seen a real reduction in PTA involvement this year.

The lack of parental involvement this year has appalled me…and it affects the kids. The ones who are not doing well…seem to have the parents that just don’t care.

You care! Your son will do well wherever he goes.

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You will be fine – and so will Aaron, no matter what school you decide to send him to.

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Gary: I lived next to kids like you describe when I was growing up. The boy child used to shoot at our turkeys with a B.B. gun. One time he painted our front door green because he was mad at me, and on and on. His parents didn’t seem all that interested in supervising him either, but my dad on the other hand doled out consequences for the neighbor. Like you, I’m often AMAZED at how little supervision some people provide for their children, but even more, I’m amazed at how little our society talks about values with children…like valuing the safety and property of a neighbor so they’re not shooting arrows toward your house. It’s absurd!