For many years, public schools have often been looked down upon when compared to private schools, even though public schools are granted the same opportunities as private schools. There has been a perception for so long that public schools are “bad” schools and if  a parent has the opportunity and means to afford private school tuition, they should send them. Public and private schools differ because they receive funding from different places. Public schools are schools supported by public funds given by the government. Private schools are usually schools supported by a private organization or private individuals rather than by the government. In today’s society, there is a stigma that if you send your child to a public school, they are more likely to get in trouble, they won’t be as prepared for college, and they won’t get as good of an education as they would at a private school. Some people even say that they don’t feel safe sending their child to a public school. This topic has become a very hot topic and the argument involves a lot of controversy. What many people fail to understand is that public schools are not bad places at all. Public schools offer just as much, if not more, than private schools. Despite the popular opinion that private schools are better, public schools are the better option because they have so much more to offer.

Many people believe that public schools don’t measure up to private schools. The Public School Advantage, a book written by Christopher and Sarah Lubienski, explains that private schools are not superior to public schools. Christopher and Sarah, both professors in the Education Department at the University of Illinois, compared two major datasets of mathematic performance between public, charter, and private schools. Much to their surprise, the students that attended public schools outperformed those in private schools. Why is that? Is it because both schools offer the same material? Or is it because students at public schools actually do pay attention in class? It is said in the article that public schools have moved beyond traditional methods of teaching, unlike private schools. Most private schools are very habitual. They keep everything the same, from the curriculum to the policies. Meanwhile, public schools are starting to transform. Students are now often asked to solve complex, real-world problems, rather than standard math.

Michael Godesy is a teacher from California who authored an article entitled, “Why I’m a Public-School Teacher but a Private-School Parent”. Godsey has been teaching at a public school for years, but he still opted to send his daughter to a private school. In his article he talks about the students at his daughter’s school and how they take pride in their personal character and admit that they love learning, compared to the public school he teaches where all of the students make jokes during lecture and are not worried about learning. When Godesy states that students who attend public school “don’t care about learning” and all they want to do is joke around in class, it is not exactly a fair statement. In all reality, kids will be kids. What I mean by that is, all kids play around, make jokes and tease each other. It doesn’t matter if they go to a private school, if they attend a public school. When young children find something funny, they’re going to laugh. Also, I personally love to learn new material, and I went to a public school. I didn’t mind going to school because I know that I would learn something new there, and I can say most of my peers felt the same. I came from a county where the poverty level is extremely high, so a lot of my peer’s parents didn’t receive a full education. A lot of students came to school to learn and enjoyed it, because they know they were given an opportunity that could change their lives as well as their parents’ lives.

How can public schools really keep their students from getting in trouble? How are private schools so sure that that their children are behaving? There are no cameras in the bathroom, children aren’t watched like hawks during lunch, and what about free time like study hall. Do they keep a watch out for every student? There’s no possible way that you can keep a tab on every last one of your students. It is always said that children who attend public schools are more prone to getting in trouble and dropping out of school. Why? What makes the children so much different?  It is so hard to say why, without offending anyone. It’s probably because a lot of public schools are in communities that are high in poverty are considered “ghetto”, right? I don’t believe that the school you go to should determine your disciplinary actions. These things could happen anywhere, to any child. Public schools produce great people, I mean hey… look at me. Grace Chen also wrote a blog entitled “15 Fortune 500 CEO’s that Attended Public School”. For example, the CEOs from Walmart, Exxon Mobil, Kroger, Apple, Dell and etc. I really love this article because it highlights important people that have done great with themselves. Chen said, “If there was ever a doubt about how public school can launch students on the road to prosperity, these 15 individuals are living examples to dispel those doubts.”

It is said that bigger classrooms are distracting and smaller classrooms help children focus. Is it really a good thing to have a small number of students in a classroom? Most private schools advocate their small class sizes as a positive thing. Grace Chen, an educator and an avid researcher and writer, compares the schools class sizes by saying on average there are around 15-20 students in private school classes and 20-23 students in public school classes. Chen believes that when a school gets too big, it can become a burden on teachers and administers. Some students learn better from other students. There may be times when the teacher is teaching but the student just does not seem to get it. In some cases, students would rather learn from someone their age because they feel more comfortable.  Some students are too embarrassed to ask a question about a lesson, and in a larger class setting someone is more likely to ask the question you were thinking of. Larger class rooms also save money. An article written by Sharon Cromwell explained the effects of cutting the size of classrooms. When schools minimize the size of classes, you have to find more teachers to accommodate all of the students. All of the funding you get, will not go towards improving the school and making it better, but it will go towards paying for extra teachers and administrators. With a larger classroom, there will be more a bigger chance of another student understanding and they can help the ones that are having trouble out. While reading an article by Jacqui Murray, I remember him listing a few reasons why bigger classes are better. Number one, “larger class size means students learn problem-solving skills.” “They can't rely on the teacher to ride in on a white horse and save them”. Number two, larger class size means students must work together and rely on each other as resources in learning. Number three, larger class size encourages critical thinking. If you cut the sizes of public school classrooms, will it really benefit the students?

Government funded schools provide transportation to students who live far away, while most tuition based schools don't. Transportation can be very helpful to parents, especially when you have parents who have full time jobs. You may also have some parents who don’t have their own transportation to get their child to school There are strict regulations that private schools go by when they offer transportation. For example, according to Wisconsin law a student has to reside 2 miles from the school, they have to be approved in the attendance area, and they have to be located within boundaries of the student’s resident school district. Meanwhile public schools provide transportation to all students as long as they are in the boundaries of the school district. Transportation to and from schools take away the burden.

Public education is free, which may take a lot of financial burden off of parents. Public schools are funding through the government which means you do not have to pay any money out of your pocket for your child to receive an education. All education should be free in my opinion, but it’s not. If you’re given the opportunity to send you child for free, why wouldn’t you? Private school are supported by a private organization or private individuals rather than by the government, which means you have to basically give them money to go to school. Private schools are trying to make profit. Sandra Martin, a write for Money Wise, breaks down all the things private schools charge for. For example, you start off by paying $100 just to fill out an application fee, even though its not guaranteed that your child will be accepted. The you have to pay the hefty tuition price per year averaging between $7,000-$15,000 a year. Some schools have a $5,000 registration fee or “new student fee.” Don’t forget about food, uniforms and books. Grant Matthews, a six-figure lawyer and father, not to send their children to private school. Him and his wife are both products of public schools, and are well off. He believes that instead of spending $20,000 a year on tuition for a private school, why not use that money to help support private schools. “After all, our society is only as good as its education system.” 

Public education not only prepares you for college, but for real life as well. A lot of times parents send their children to public schools, because they can afford it and since they have money it may also come with nice car, fancy cloths, and the hottest new technology. Parents who send their children to private school often try to keep their children around the same crowd, especially when the schools are so small. Public schools give you more variety, a bigger crowd of people. I believe that socializing at an early age with people from all walks of life better prepares you to thrive in a diversified work setting as an adult. In a private school, kids are exposed to other kids just like themselves. Public schools give you a culturally enriching experience. Matthews stated how he took all of the money that could’ve went towards private school tuition and used it towards trips to Europe for his daughter and reflective activities with his son.  He wanted his children to be exposed to different cultures, tradition and languages so they can become well-rounded individuals. Grant Matthews decided to spend his money on that instead of private school tuition, where he feels like they can receive the same quality education.

A great many American children move on from state funded schools the nation over, having finished the hardest educational module in our country's history, outperforming standards that get harder by the year. In our state funded schools, students can learn analytics and dissect complex subjects. Nowadays public schools offer that teaches students how to program PCs, and have students perform arts all over the country and even the world. Public school students learn, graduate from high school and attend some of the world's most prestigious universities and get some of the best jobs. Students confronting enormous home difficulties like being raised by single parent, being a foster child, parents who are never home because of so many jobs, guardians who can't communicate in English or who didn't finish school themselves. Yet these children are still progressing in public schools. Test scores in in government funding schools are on the rise which means the teachers are doing their jobs, and they will always be accredited. Public schools are proven to be just as good as public schools, if not better.
