Any good stories out there about your public schools vs. private ones?
After months of talking, my dh and I decided to move closer to his work so he could cut his commute down. Our kids have been in a private, granola, environmentally focused private school now for 2 years (pre K and all day K). It is really a nice place, teaches character ed, has tons of outdoor activites, etc. Really enriching. We were in a terrible school district and that is why we were sending them there. If we stayed next year, it would be 26K because they would both be full time (yikes) for both kids, cuzz it is secular and not funded by a church or parish. My main gripe with the school is that the class sizes are, for me, too small. There are only 10 kids in the whole 2nd grade, and they come from all over--meaning school life and home life are really disjointed. Our kids had no kids in our neighboorhood, and then it was hard to see school kids. Alot of kids were already paired up together and there is not alot of room to manuever (your best buddy decides to make new alliance though there are only 7 girls total in class so you are out). No bus service, sports program stinks, etc. There are definately issues with the kids there--some kids do naughty things, girl drama, etc, so it is not like there are saints there. It is just that the school will do something about it. Parents have leverage.
So, we decided to move to an area with supposedly excellent schools. We had to pay double the price in a house that is modest (we are in a large metro area suburb) so there is no extra money for school now. I am so scared about the public schools. This school we are signed up for has 20 kids to a class and 4 classes total, and claims they do character ed and have a kind culture, etc. though I am still worried.
Any stories that people are happier with the way their kids were treated by others in public school than private? My dd is senstive in many good ways, but it is a curse with the relationship stuff.....I worry so much about her.