Public or Private school?

Private school.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

I'm a homeschooling mom here! So I vote...whatever works best for your family. Weigh all the options and see which one will work best for your family and child!

Good luck! It's a tough choice/decision to make.

No idea about in America, but in Australia generally you'll get a MUCH better education in the public system. This is based on the average rate of drop outs and scores in the HSC (Higher School Certificate).

Not to mention most private schools here are religious so a lot of class time is used for bible studies instead.

I attended public school. If a student takes advantage of the AP and Honors classes at the school, the class sizes are smaller and the courses more rigorous and challenging. Also, it is easier to graduate at the top of the class in public school, giving ambitious students better chances at top-ranking universities, because there is less competition.

We put both of our children in private school because of the smaller class size and more individualized attention. I think the expectations are a little higher because the teachers are not dealing with all the issues that public school teachers deal with. My son has ADHD and Aspergers and we feel private school is the best place for him. My daughter would probably do fine in either, but we will keep her in private as long as we can afford it. I am a teacher in the public schools.

Private. I went to private school for high school and what I gained from that was priceless.

Yeah, if money wasn't an issue private, but we live in a pretty good district (the same I went through) so we aren't too concerned about the public schools here. There's also a charter school system here, and a charter junior high / high school near by that is really good. Admission is based on a lottery but yeah we're going to try to get our kids in there if we can.

Public, the schools are held to extremely high standards, the teachers are amazing and there for the kids.
I don't want to send my child to a place that is just there to make a profit. Who would want that?
Kids first, profits second.

What state? maybe your states just suck. NY system is amazing.

I've gone to both, I agree that the private school I went to had much higher academic standards. Those kids all came from families with wealth, education or both and their kids all expected the same for themselves. It was highly competitive in that regard. It was not a religious private school, just prep school but I noticed the difference in acceptable behavior there- little drinking or drug use or promiscuity and zero gang/ petty criminal activity. If you have a child who is academically oriented or knows the career direction they want to go, they should do well.

I left private middle school and skipped a grade to enter public high school, I was already ahead of the advanced eighth grade classes. Once in high school, I found I was best suited to the honors/ gates classes. It wasn't exactly the same as the private school, but there was a more similar environment- better academic focus and behavior- than the gen pop. So, even if your child says at the public school, the gates program may offer a good environment that is challenging but slightly more relaxed and easier on your wallet so you can save that money for college.

EDIT: I should add that I live in an area with excellent school districts so my experience of public school may be skewed.

Public schools are pretty messed up, but you have to learn how to fight somewhere. I wouldn't know have of the stuff I know about violence, substance abuse, prostitution, and survival if I hadn't gone to public schools! In all seriousness, If I could afford it, I might go private.....then again I have no problem with the way I was brought up. I didn't make the best grades, but that was my fault not my teachers. I turned out ok in the end.