I recently picked up a copy of Princeton Magazine. Within the covers I counted at least10 advertisements
for private schools in the area. It’s not that the local public schools are
poorly rated- quite the contrary. Students in the Princeton and adjacent area
West Windsor Public schools continually perform well on Advanced Placement test
and get admitted the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities. The
schools’ athletic programs are also highly regarded. So why are parents willing
to spend the equivalent of undergraduate tuition at a private university to
send their children to a private day or live away school? One of the ads had a
clue. The copy read, “ …offers an exceptional educational opportunity, free
from the Common Core standardized testing.” Private schools do not have to
adhere to the 180 days of school requirements, nor are they subject to state or
national testing programs. So parents are opting out of having their children “over-tested.”
Another ad read ‘Experience a dynamic community where learning is a passion and
each day is infused with a spirit of joy.” Parents are looking for small
classes, more personal attention and wish to be selective with their children’s
peers. A third ad proclaimed, “ Our challenging college-preparatory curriculum
gives every student the opportunity to achieve success in college and in life.”
Many children who attend public schools do so because they
HAVE to. Their parents cannot afford to send them to the elite private
academies. They have to deal with overcrowded classes, textbook shortages and
violence in the hallways. They have to deal with the issues of Race to the Top and
Common Core. For those of us who work in the public sector have a mission. We
must make public schools attractive and competitive. We need to have to the
best teachers and to make public education a non-political entity. Keep this in
mind as you approach the new school year.
c.2014 J. Margolis
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