public school alternatives

 

Editor’s note: The opinion reflected in this blog post is held specifically by the contributing author. This blog post is intended simply to express one author’s personal perspective. Austin Moms Blog highly respects all of the varying opinions of our contributors and readers and we kindly ask that all comments are respectful of the contributing author.

“Mommy, I don’t want to be a big girl,” my oldest says to me as I am tucking her into bed. We say our nightly prayers and I cuddle her. My brain starts to wander about my daughters’ futures. My oldest is almost 3 ½ and enrolled in a church pre-school. But with all the back-to-school photos dancing around Facebook it is hard for me to avoid thinking about the looming kindergarten.

To preface this, I am a former public school English teacher… I taught 9-12th grades for five years. I had incredibly challenging years and I had incredibly wonderful years. But when I brought my first daughter home, I was determined to find a way to stay home.

Now that I am on the other side, as a mom deciding the best fit for my children for their education, I think about my career as a public-school teacher and all that I learned. Here are a few of my reflections of why I don’t want my kids going to public school:

  • The rigor and overall education is going down the tubes fast in public schools
  • The respect is baffling…most kids do not respect their teacher as they age and teacher’s lose their authority in the classroom quickly. (Admin support is often unavailable.)
  • Social media and smart phones have drastically hurt the focus and learning in the classroom.
  • The social aspect is scary… I am genuinely scared to put my daughters into public schools for that reason the most.
  • They are not safe, doors were propped open every single day, someone could walk in at any point and harm students.
  • Character building is not a priority.
  • Many kids fall in the cracks and admin beg teachers to pass most students along, even when it is a disservice to the kids.
  • Having an IEP or any kind of learning disability is often a giant joke and not taken seriously.
  • Teaching basic life skills is not a priority. Teaching students to be ready for the real world is just not important…but standardized testing sure is.

I know this may be a hot topic, but after my experience, even with the wonderful years and the impact I made on students and the imprint they left on me, all in all I don’t want my kids going to public school. I don’t think the American public school social aspect is necessary. I am terrified of the language and phrases my kids could learn. I don’t think that the drama is necessary or something they have to endure.

With myself and my husband both having our background in education, I think either a private school or homeschool would be better served for our children. I think a life on the road (until high school) where we can teach them about the world, different climates, different ecosystems, visit true landmarks, discuss true history would be more beneficial. To go on mission trips to truly understand poverty, different cultures, the essence of hard work, basic life skills and the importance of serving others. All of the above would hardly be discussed in a public-school class room. I know there are AMAZING teachers and administration out there, but sadly most is out of their hands.

We would teach our daughters about true economics and how to balance their finances so they don’t fall into the credit card/debt trap that is so common in our country. We would make sure to set them up for true success. 

By high school we are pretty certain we’ve found the best (in our eyes so far) school to attend. It is out of state, it is private, it is rigorous, it has an outstanding athletic program, unprecedented academics, truly phenomenal fine arts programs…it is too bad that some of our public schools can’t be this way. And I think it is also important to note that my husband and I have worked in 11 public schools (in two different states) so, we have a pretty good idea of the public-school system.

If you do have your children enrolled in public schools, I urge you to not only be involved in your child’s life, but their teachers, the school, be on the PTA, know what is going on. Write to the superintendent when something doesn’t seem right. That is the only way public schools will start to get better — if the parents demand it.

But for now, for this former school teacher, I don’t want my kids going to public school. I know my children will receive the best education possible in all aspects and having me close by to keep them safe, makes my mama heart happy.

 

We love and respect all viewpoints at Austin Moms Blog. While this contributor feels that public education is not right for them, it is right for a lot of the other contributors at Austin Moms Blog.  Here is another viewpoint on public schools.

29 COMMENTS

  1. I can not take this author seriously when she claims she taught high school English and yet this piece is riddled with grammatical errors.

    • The grammar in this “article” is atrocious. Aside from that, this privileged, ignorant thinking is something we do not need in public schools. So I thank you for no longer teaching, as you would be doing many children a disservice by filling their heads with this ignorant garbage. Congrats on being rich and sheltering your children!

      • Karen, I’m not saying you are right or wrong in your opinion; however, how can you even remotely assume that someone is rich based on this content? I genuinely don’t get it. I understand that private schooling CAN be expensive, but that doesn’t mean that all private options are and it also doesn’t mean that schooling isn’t such an important decision for their family that they literally spend every available dollar for school. I just don’t think it’s fair to assume someone is rich based solely on the fact that they choose private schooling. It just makes your argument feel like you have a bone to pick because of finances.

  2. As a public educator, I find this both insulting and frustrating. Instead of standing up and being the change you want to see, you choose to blame and throw stones. Good for you that you can afford to send your child to an out of state private school, but please know that most can’t. Also please know that your experience can in no way represent EVERY public school. America’s public schools despite the bad press are doing some amazing things every day. We take everyone and I mean everyone. Sure our scores are declining, but more students (those of ALL demographics) are taking the tests, which of course is going to have an impact on the overall results. Do what you need to do for your family, but don’t throw all public schools in your bad category and don’t make parents feel like they are not doing right by their children by sending their kids to public school.

  3. As I read this article, I smiled a little, because Ms. Wiatrek’s experience resembles my own. I taught in the classroom (though it was a private Lutheran School) for 5 years before our family made a decision to home school. All parents make the decision on the type of education and educational experiences that they want for their children, and base their decisions on personal values, and dreams. Fear, as well as a desire for something better, are part of the idealism we all have as we send our children off to a traditional school setting, or set out on a less traditional path. Our experiences with schools, both positive and negative, weigh into our decisions.

    I’ve been at this 16 years, and during that time have had the opportunity to meet with moms who may have begun teaching at home because of negative experiences or fear, but keep going because they start to love homeschooling itself. Others decide to head back to the classroom because they are frustrated with home schooling, or they may have accomplished their goals and find they are ready to send their children to traditional schools. There are no wrong choices in this. We all want is best for our children. Parents are best equipped to make these decisions because we know the interests of our child and love them.

    Even though I don’t choose to send my children to public schools, I still appreciate the hearts of those who have invested so greatly in this system and see amazing opportunities for students, in the hands of teachers and parents, but I also respect where Ms.Wiatrek is in her decision making, and wish her family well as they begin to map out how they want to raise their children.

  4. i think its only because you are in a very unsafe place. it doesnt happen in the country i live in. I actually never found a single native of your country possessing ANY of the qualities you mention that are important to be taught. If you and your people arent such persona’s yourselves then you definitely can not expect your kids to learn better and become better people.

    you need to mention your country’s name in BOLD. to tell people that its the Public school of YOUR country thats so backward.

  5. Karen, you are out of line. It’s wrong to make these assumptions based on the content of this article. This author is sharing an opinion and if that offends you enough to bash her behind your keyboard, then please leave this blog.
    “Ignorant thinking”, “rich and privledged”, accusations of “filling children’s heads with garbage”. Come on now. Try to find love, compassion and tolerance regardless of what you chose to support. Your children will learn more from you setting this example than they can in ANY school. I hope this isn’t your reaction every time someone shares an opinion you don’t agree with.

  6. This is another article trying to knock down the American Public School system. Of course this article only contains her own personal experiences, how she lived her life as a public school teacher, and what things she learned. I have my daughter in a public school and it is absolutely wonderful. The administration is far and beyond what it is expected. I would suggest, since everyone is giving their opinion, for the teacher/writer to put her experience to use. Go back to that school you lived your bad experiences. Change it! Make it better! Try to make a difference for the children that will be attending that particular school. Support the American public school system and raise the bar! It’s easy to just write negative comments/articles and very difficult to actually make a difference.

  7. I want my child in public school. It is important that they learn what the real world is like while they are living in the safety of our home where we can talk about and learn from their experiences. Mean bosses, co-worker and unproductive environments exist when we reach adulthood too. How we teach and model positive ways to handle such situations will help them to cope. That being said my only child will have a private tutor, take yearly family trips and volunteer weekly at the women and children’s shelter which all help us to make sure he is well rounded and ready to leave home when that time comes.

  8. I think it’s great that you’ve started a wonderful journey of homeschooling, but it’s very interesting how different people have different reasons for taking their kids out of school. Many homeschooling families (including my own) chose to homeschool because:

    – The rigor and overall education is hyped as something universally valuable, when they often make kids hate school and learning.

    – School is an authoritarian environment where teachers expect respect for no reason other than their occupation in authority figure roles.

    – The fear of social media and the obsession with focus in the classroom are not supported by evidence, and serve to act as simply more ways to control the lives of children.

    – Schools are much more concerned with safety than the evidence would suggest is prudent. Schools are, objectively, one of the safest places kids can be, but still people want the doors to be locked.

    – Character building is too often a priority on the part of people who believe that a proper character is simply following directions and doing the work assigned.

    – Many “learning disabilities” are simply reflections of the complexity of human development and learning. “Learning disabilities” always mean, “the students aren’t performing in a way that makes things convenient for adults.” The adults have made a 12-year schedule for the kids, so any kids who can’t or won’t stick to that schedule become problems for the adults, and for which medication is the most popular solution.

    Many homeschooling families strive to have less control over their children so that they can grow, with guidance (not coercion) and support (not demands), into the people they choose to be, on a path they make themselves towards independence and happiness.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here