I will comment on Skeptic1's statements:
This debate is not about the lack of God's presence in the public school system.
Perhaps it is. Not offering an alternative view is not only wrong, but leads the children to closed mindness. Schools are supposed to open the mind of
the children. Private schools offer two views: "science" and "religion" which allows the child to be open minded.
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So, what exactly are the pros of private schools vs public schools??
Costs: Private schools not only offer financial aid, grants and scholorships. But often work with individual parents to help them and meet the costs.
As they say you pay for what you get and the same applies to education. If it free chances are its not as good.
The School is over seen by the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese work along side with what the state would like to see the children learn. The Private
schools adhere to this and follow the same educational path, but they often have better systems for children to learn.
Skeptic1 states that:
Public school teachers are state certified
Now state certified means haveing: An education degree. Not a certified subject matter degree. For instance if you have a teaching degree you can get
state certified to teach whatever you want. But to be a certified Biology teacher you need to have a Biology degree. Public schools hire many
Educational Degree teachers, whereas Private schools hire subject matter degree teachers, who know their subject quite well.
Are their really no entrance exams for Public Schools? Down here in New Orleans a LEAP test must be taken if you are going to a Public High School and
a PLAN test must be taken for elementary school students to see if they are "gifted" or not. Public schools are not free of exams.
Diversity: Private schools are diversed as well. Sometimes they will only allow a certain gender to come in, but they must have an opposite gender
school in the district to make up for that. Private schools are like that to keep boys and girls minds from haveing to be focused on eachother. If you
want an education get your school work done before messin around with a guy or a lady.
More choice in curriculum, builds community relationships for both parent and student, access to sports programs, and access to arts and music
programs. Same things goes with Private Schools. I believe Private schools promote Service Community Hours, that is true volunteer work and true
community builders.
Bad Public Schools.. Bad Bad Bad:
* Cost- you pay for what you get! And they are free, so I will let you figure that one out.
* Teachers are not required to have a subject matter degree, just knowledge of the subject they will be teaching. Knowledge and actually knowing are
two different things. The Public Schools lack this quality.
* Less diverse choices in subjects an dboy is that true.
* No special education classes available, Private schools allow for Dyslexia classes, tutoring and other neccessites for students.
* Students must pass an entrance exam to be admitted (well for Louisiana kids at least).
* Public schools do not allow for a global view. Only 1 View.
Parents are becoming more and more concerned when it comes to the decision of where to send their children to school. This is good, because it means
that parents are paying more attention to their kids and what they are learning. The needs of the child must always come first, but in this day and
age, unless the private school is the closest school and public school is too far away, public schools have much more going for them all around.
Really. Lets go back and view what you stated earlier Skeptic1:
Protecting me shouldn't have been their priority.
Hmmm. So Protection is not important? Public schools have much more going for them... No No No.
Its a question of Safety
Here are examples of what they were protecting you from:
1) Columbine High School
2) Olean High School
3) Parkway South Junior High School
4) Lindhurst High School
5) Pearl High
And Many Many Other Public High Schooland Elementary School Shootings and Killing. This is not including stabbings or bombs. This is what they were
protecting you from. Lets take the Columbine Incident for example:
Dylan Harris and Eric Klebold, both attended Columbine (Public) High School. And this is what they did in there anger and rage toward the school:
1. Rachel Scott, age 17, killed by shots to the head, torso, and leg on a grassy area next to the West Entrance of the school.
2. Richard Castaldo, age 17, shot in the arm, chest, back and abdomen on the same grassy area.
3. Daniel Rohrbough, age 15, killed by a shot to the chest on the West Staircase.
4. Sean Graves, age 15, shot in the back, foot and abdomen on the West Staircase.
5. Lance Kirklin, age 16, shot with wounds to the leg, neck and jaw on the West Staircase.
6. Michael Johnson, age 15, escaped from the grassy knoll with wounds to his face, arm and leg.
7. Mark Taylor, age 16, shot in the chest, arms and leg on the grassy knoll.
8. Anne-Marie Hochhalter, age 17, shot in the chest, arm, abdomen, back, and left leg near the cafeteria's entrance.
9. Brian Anderson, age 16, injured near the West Entrance by flying glass.
10. Patti Nielson, age 35, hit in the shoulder by shrapnel near the West Entrance.
11. Stephanie Munson, age 16, shot in the ankle inside the North Hallway.
12. Dave Sanders, age 47, died of blood loss after being shot in the neck and back inside the South Hallway.
13. Evan Todd, age 15, sustained minor injuries from the splintering of a desk he was hiding under.
14. Kyle Velasquez, age 16, killed by gunshot wounds to the head and back.
15. Patrick Ireland, age 17, shot in the arm, leg, head, and foot.
16. Daniel Steepleton, age, 17, shot in the thigh.
17. Makai Hall, 18, shot in the knee.
18. Steven Curnow, age 14, killed by a shot to the neck.
19. Kacey Ruegsegger, age 17, shot in the hand, arm and shoulder.
20. Cassie Bernall, age 17, killed by a shot to the head.
21. Isaiah Shoels, age 18, killed by a shot to the chest.
22. Matthew Kechter, age 16, killed by a shot to the chest.
23. Lisa Kreutz, age 18, shot in the shoulder, hand and arms and thigh.
24. Valeen Schnurr, age 18, injured with wounds to the chest, arms and abdomen.
25. Mark Kintgen, age 17, shot in the head and shoulder.
26. Lauren Townsend, age 18, killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the head, chest and lower body.
27. Nicole Nowlen, age 16, shot in the abdomen.
28. John Tomlin, age 16, killed by multiple shots to the head and neck.
29. Kelly Fleming, age 16, killed by a shot to the back.
30. Jeanna Park, age 18, shot in the knee, shoulder and foot.
31. Daniel Mauser, age 15, killed by a shot to the face.
32. Jennifer Doyle, age 17, shot in the hand, leg and shoulder.
33. Austin Eubanks, age 17, shot in the head and knee.
34. Corey DePooter, age 17, killed by shots to the chest and neck.
Not to mention the two killers (students) themselves:
35. Eric Harris, age 18, committed suicide by a single shot in the mouth.
36. Dylan Klebold, age 17, committed suicide by a single shot to the head.
In their anger and rage, they killed and injuried. They did not care. This was planned out and executed. This is not safe.
Is this is the diversity and the real world prepardness they you were talking about? A diverse group of kids? Keep them diverse! If this happens and
you do not go to school with the kids that you knew or know then it opens the door to all sorts of characters. Kids do not see it coming because they
do not know them or do not know them. Many people are ticking time bombs, keep them diverse and NO ONE will see what terror is coming.
Not to mention this:
as 558 Midwestern middle school children revealed that 80% of young teen behavior included “physical aggression, social ridicule, teasing,
name-calling and issuing threats within the previous 30 days.”
LINK
80% that number is startling! 80%, one can logically conduct that the other 20% are the bullies. Now that is serious. No discipline in Public Schools.
Private Schools have strong disciplinary actions and are not afraid to DISMISS students on their beavior.
Go to a Public school the first thing you will see is a big yellow and red sign that says a NO gun zone and no Druge zone. Once you enter the school,
armed guards- 1 sitting in the front and one behind a desk. Go a little further and you have Metal detectors. A little further and you have bag
checks and even body searches. A little after that Camera's line the hallways and are in some classrooms. Panic buttons next to each door of the
exits and 2 in the middle of the hallway. This is not the Public Schools that are SAFE these schools are DANGEROUS and are a harbor for kids who have
unresolved issues and unstable parents.Unstable minds and that is in no way SAFE or a GOOD quality. I am quite comfortable saying. I am glad I went to
Private Schools, because these Public schools are not safe in anyway shape or form. Sure they have Big Brother watching, but that is not going to
doany good, if a group or a student wants to kill somebody or just go on a rampage, they will find a way. No matter what, if someone wants to kill
they will KILL.
Public Schools are a Massacre Haven.
Who has the highest suicide school rate? Public Schools. Why? No Discipline, no steady hand no guideness. Its a death waiting to happen.
Private Schools offer counsiling and not only that but they handle Bullies. They are not afraid tohandle them in anyway and will dismiss a bully
without question.
Depresion rates? Public Schools.
Massacres? Public Schools.
.
Its not good and Not safe...