 HOME | BLOG | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | PAST ISSUES | ADVERTISING RATES | RACK LOCATIONS Public Schools or Private Schools, How Does One Choose? By Donna Bianco Small private schools are not held hostage by this mindset. They are more flexible in what they teach and how they teach. There isn’t a race to finish a curriculum. The most important part of learning is immersing the students into the curriculum so they own it, love it, become a part of it, whether it is The Iliad or the life of Helen Keller or Ameila Earhart. Public schools are like an assembly line but the final product isn’t a beautiful car because every part fits perfectly. They are turning out poor students with limited knowledge, less confidence and very little social skills because each part does not fit perfectly the same way as every other child. Granted if your child has a good home life, supportive parents, an average or above average IQ, no disabilities or handicaps to speak of, that child will probably come out smelling like a rose because they will learn HOW to do this thing called school. On the other hand, a slight reading, math or writing disability, a touch of autism, parents/families who are in turmoil, an average or slightly below average IQ and you have a kid who doesn’t fit so nicely into that assembly line. Private schools can mean the difference between low self-esteem and high self-esteem. The difference between learning a subject and touching on a subject., the difference between a productive adult and one who may have to live on the government paycheck. Many parents spend a lot of money for childcare between the ages of 0-5. Our Neighborhood School and many other private schools in this area charge much less than what many parents were paying for preschool childcare, once it is broken down into monthly payments. All I’m asking is that parents take a real hard look at their finances and check out some of the local private schools. You may be pleasantly surprised at just how affordable they can be, especially compared to the money spent on afterschool programs. After all, our children are only young once and giving them the best that can be afforded to them is all of our responsibility. Donna Bianco is the founder of Our Neighborhood School and Pizzeria, located at 87 Thompson Street in Pittsboro. She can be reached at 919.545.0900 or donna@ourneighborhoodschool.com. Their website can be found at www.ourneighborhoodschool.com. |