Private versus public! Its a debate that rages across the playgrounds and living rooms of America.

In fact, according to a 2009

GreatSchools and Harris Interactive poll, nearly one in four parents are currently considering switching their childs school either
from private to public or public to private as a result of the economy.
Whats better for your youngster? How can you compare private and public schools when they seem so disparate? Is it like
comparing apples and oranges two different things that cant be fairly held to the same standards?
As any parent who has toured both kinds of school knows, its not always easy to answer these questions. Many people have a bias
one way or another. Some assume that private schools offer superior everything, justifying their tuition costs. Others contend that
public schools provide more real-life experiences or, in some cases, more-developed specialty programs in athletics or science.
While this primer wont dare takes sides, it will touch on the most fundamental differences between public and private schools as
well as a few subtle distinctions that might make all the difference for your child.
The bottom line
The most obvious discrepancy between public and private schools comes down to cold, hard cash. The good news for parents is that
public schools cannot charge tuition. The bad news is that public schools are complicated, often underfunded operations influenced
by political winds and shortfalls. Financed through federal, state, and local taxes, public schools are part of a larger school system,
which functions as a part of the government and must follow the rules and regulations set by politicians.
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In contrast, private schools must generate their own funding, which typically comes from a variety of sources: tuition; private
grants; and fundraising from parents, alumni, and other community members. (Ever wonder why private schools celebrate
Grandparents Day and public schools dont?) If the school is associated with a religious group, the local branch may provide an
important source of funding as well.
For parents this quickly translates into the bad news: high tuition costs and sometimes an exhausting work calendar of parentsponsored fundraisers. According to the National Association of Independent Schools, the median tuition for their member private
day schools in 2008-2009 in the United States was $17,441. Tuition for boarding schools was close to $37,017. (Of the 28,384
private schools in the United States, about 1,050 are affiliated with the NAIS. Average tuition for nonmember schools is
substantially less: Day schools charge $10,841 and boarding schools $23,448.)
Parochial schools are even more affordable. The National Catholic Educational Association reports that the mean tuition for parish
elementary schools is $2,607 and $6,906 for the freshman year of secondary school. (Thank you, Pope Benedict XVI!)
The potential benefits of private schools accrue from their independence. Private schools do not receive tax revenues, so they do not
have to follow the same sorts of regulations and bureaucratic processes that govern (and sometimes hinder) public schools. This
allows many private schools to be highly specialized, offering differentiated learning, advanced curriculum, or programs geared
toward specific religious beliefs. There are exceptions to such generalizations charter and magnet schools are increasingly
common public schools that often have a special educational focus or theme.
The admissions game
Another obvious distinction between public and private schools results from their respective admissions procedures. By law, public
schools must accept all children. In many cases, enrolling your child involves little more than filling out a few forms and providing
proof of your address to the local school district office. In practice, however, getting your child into the public school of his or her
choice can be much more complicated.
Because not all public schools have resources for helping students with special needs, enrolling a child with a learning disability or
other disorder may entail a more complex process. Similarly, in school districts with school choice policies, the procedure for
finding a public school may require that parents enter a lottery to gain admission for their child into their top pick. Finally, at the
high school level, many districts in larger metropolitan areas offer special schools with competitive enrollment based on students
GPAs or artistic portfolios.
Private schools, by their very definition, are selective. They are not obligated to accept every child, so getting admitted may involve
in-depth applications with multiple interviews, essays, and testing. Because private schools define the identity of their communities,
they often pick and choose between candidates based not only on their scholastic achievement but also their ethnicity and religious
background as well as the special attributes (or assets) of their parents.
Teachers, curriculum, and class size
While most people assume that teachers at private schools are as qualified as those at public ones, its important to note that all
teachers in a public school are usually state certified or, at a minimum, working toward certification. Certification ensures that a
teacher has gone through the training required by the state, which includes student teaching and course work. Teachers in private
schools may not be required to have certification. Instead, they often have subject-area expertise and an undergraduate or graduate
degree in the subject they teach.
Theres a similar discrepancy between curriculum development in private and public schools. Public schools must follow state
guidelines that set out specific standards and assessment procedures. In theory, this creates a certain amount of quality control.
Private schools, on the other hand, can choose whatever curriculum and assessment model they wish. This freedom to design their
own curriculum or avoid standardized tests can result in higher standards for students or lower.
Many states recognize the value of small classes and have provided funding to keep class sizes small in grades K-3. As students
advance to higher grades, class size tends to get bigger in public schools, especially in large school districts and urban schools.

While many private schools provide small classes with low student-to-teacher ratios, there is no guarantee that such schools will
keep their class size below a certain level. Some private schools Catholic ones, in particular traditionally have larger classes
than public schools.
Special needs
Due to special education laws, public schools must educate all children and provide the necessary programs to meet their special
needs. This means that all school districts have special education programs and teachers who are trained to work with special-needs
students.
Private schools do not have to accept children with special needs, and many choose not to (although there are a small number of
private schools designed for special-needs children). As a result, most private schools do not have special education programs or
teachers trained to work with that student population. Some private schools will try to help all the students they admit, but extra
resources may come at an additional cost. Other private schools practice something called counseling out recommending that
children with learning disabilities look elsewhere for a school.
How do you know whats right for your child?
Dont rely on hearsay and rumor when it comes to deciding between private and public. Visit the schools and ask the teachers lots of
questions. Read school profiles on GreatSchools. At the end of the day, the best school for your child is a highly personal decision
based on your family; your values; and, most important, the special needs, idiosyncrasies, and interests of your kid. Let the debate
rage on, but dont forget about the one person for whom this decision is far more than sandbox banter.
Testing, testing!
Private school students typically score higher than public school students on standardized tests, but a 2006 study (pdf) by the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which took into account students backgrounds, told a different story.
Public school students in fourth and eighth grade scored almost as well or better than their private school peers in reading and math,
except that private school students excelled in eighth-grade reading.
A Harvard University study (pdf) challenged the results, using the same data but different methods. Researchers found that private
schools came out ahead in 11 of 12 comparisons of students.
Earlier in 2006, an analysis of math scores by two University of Illinois researchers found similar results to the NCES study.
Charter, Private, Public Schools and Academic Achievement states that after accounting for the fact that private schools serve
more advantaged populations, public schools perform remarkably well, often outscoring private and charter schools.
But as a dissenting view from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundations Education Gadfly newsletter showed, the debate over which
kind of school does a better job is far from settled.
When you were old enough to begin kindergarten, chances are you went to the public school around the corner, or perhaps to the
religious school a short bus ride away. For your parents, the choice of schools was probably pretty simple.
Not any more. Today education is a complex and compelling topic in our national dialogue. Questions about school quality,
accountability, curriculum, and teacher training arise each day, and we explore them in the newspapers, during political debates, and
over
kitchen
tables
all
across
the
country.
What this means for you, as you try to decide on the best school for your child, is that you have to do your homework. Choosing a
school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make. To do a good job, you have to educate yourself so you
can be a savvy consumer. That means researching, networking, and making sure that you understand all the choices available to you
and
your
child.
Even the distinction between public and private schools is no longer as straightforward as it once was. It may well be that your local
public school is a better educational match for your child than an exclusive private school with a national reputation and a price tag
to match. And although some research shows that private schools tend to have superior academic programs, this isn't always the case
and the gap may be narrowing. Despite their sometimes negative press, public schools are actually getting better. "If you want a
good, general, all-around education, a really strong public school might be your best bet," says Ellen Booth Church, a New Yorkbased
consultant
in
early
childhood
education.
At the same time, however, private school may be more affordable than you ever realized, and shouldn't be ruled out on financial
grounds
alone.
To help you make your decision, here are some of the advantages of public and private schools.
The benefits of public schools
Teachers have more qualifications. According to a major study from the National Center for Education Statistics, public school
teachers tend to be more qualified than their independent school counterparts in terms of education and experience. For example,
they're more likely to have a master's degree, and to have logged more hours pursuing in-service study learning, for example,
how to use computers in the classroom. The report also indicates that on average, public school teachers earn higher salaries than
those
in
private
schools
do.
Students spend more time studying core subjects. The same study reports that public school students study core subjects
including English, math, social studies, and science three more hours per week than private school students.
Public schools can sponsor more activities. When it comes to offering extra-curricular sports and clubs, academic support, and better
supplies and learning tools, public schools have the edge. Why? Most public schools are simply bigger than private schools, and
have enough students to pull off a science fair or power a chorus or computer club. What's more, federal and state laws require
public schools to provide diagnostic and disability services. Public schools are more likely to offer gifted and talented and remedial
programs,
too.

The student population tends to be more diverse. A private education is usually out of reach for poorer students, which means that
it's less likely to introduce your child to children of various races and socioeconomic backgrounds. If you want your child to know
children from all walks of life, then a public school is for you.
The advantages of private schools
Schools and classes tend to be much smaller. According to the National Center for Education Statistics study, private schools tend to
be half as large as public schools. Many experts feel that children are less likely to get lost in the shuffle if they attend a smaller
school, which naturally nurtures a sense of community and belonging. In addition, the teacher-student ratios in private schools tend
to be more favorable, says the National Association for Independent Schools. On average, private schools have a student-teacher
ratio
of
9:1
as
opposed
to
about
17:1
in
public
schools.
There's often less bureaucracy. Because private schools don't have to abide by certain state regulations, they spend less time on
mandated paperwork and more on instruction. They also are not compelled to focus on test scores. As a result, teachers tend to enjoy
more autonomy in the classroom and have more creative control over their teaching methods.
Parent involvement is strong. Not only do private schools encourage parents' participation, but it's also true that the parents of
private school students tend to be extremely committed to having a say in their child's education.
Note: Private schools are not required to comply with state laws concerning special needs students. Many private schools do
accommodate students with special needs, but they aren't required to by law as public schools are. If you have a special needs child,
make sure that your child's physical and behavioral needs will be met.
Disadvantages of Public Schools
Frequent Testing to Meet Requirements
The No Child Left Behind Act and other similar state and federal legislation require schools to prove they are accountable to the
taxpayers who fund them. Theoretically, this makes sense, but test results are the only way the government measures accountability.
Regardless of the state, students in public schools take lengthy accountability tests, and high school students must take cumulative,
high-stakes tests such as the California High School Exit Exam in order to receive a diploma. While testing isn't inherently bad,
these standardized tests take up a lot of valuable instructional time -- the CAHSEE takes over eight hours to complete -- and they are
not always accurate measurements of teacher accountability or student achievement since they do not measure a student's academic
growth.
Larger Class Sizes
The average class size in a California elementary school is 29.7 students, and the number is higher for secondary schools. If an
average elementary school's day runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and an hour is spent for recess and lunch, then the teacher splits six
hours of instructional time between 30 students. That works out to just 12 minutes for each student. This may be a simplistic way of
calculating the math, but it does illuminate just how little opportunity is available for individualized instruction within public
schools.
Disproportionate Resources
Although some school funding comes from the federal government, much of it also comes from local taxes, giving students in
affluent areas a distinct advantage over their low-income peers. Some affluent school districts, like the Seattle Public School
District, are able to fund music teachers and other supplemental programs by soliciting parent donations. This is not an option for
lower-income districts, where many schools cut supplemental services like transportation and class trips due to budget constraints.
Additionally, a Department of Education study shows that districts spend less money on teacher salaries at schools that serve lowincome communities than they do on salaries for teachers at schools in affluent areas because schools in affluent communities
recruit teachers with more experience.
Bullying And Violence
Approximately 28 percent of students ages eight to twelve reported being bullied, according to data compiled in 2009 by the
National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, a higher percentage of public school than private school students reported being
bullied on school grounds. Another study by the NCES during the 2009-10 school year revealed that 46 percent of public schools
reported at least one threat of physical attack against a student without a weapon, and eight percent reported incidents of physical
threats with weapons.