The school year is beginning in Hawaii!
As of now, I'm not working at a school!
But I was working as a substitute teacher for 13 years in both public & private schools.
As for the question: "which is better for my kid: private or public school?" ............. I'm going to need more information before I even dare attempt to answer that question.
There is NO SUCH THING AS "a school that's a perfect fit for everyone"
Sure, some school administrators try their best to make their school a good fit for everyone that's enrolled.
But it's nearly impossible to be all things to all people.
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Earlier today, I saw this advice column by Carolyn Hax from a mother who wants to send her child to a private school, but the father is adamant about sending him to public school.
Here is a part of Hax's response
https://www.washingtonpost.com/advice/2022/08/01/carolyn-hax-private-public-school-dad/
Which fit is best for your kid? The “better” private school would be heaven for some, and a torture chamber to others. Is it sports mad and you have a theater kid? Is it four AP classes a semester or else and your kid wants to be a firefighter?
Yes to this!
Some students would thrive at a preppy private school like Punahou or ʻIolani! But others would burn out there
Some would benefit from smaller class sizes provided by smaller private schools like ASSETS.
Whereas for others, they need access to more school activities that are available at larger public schools. For someone like me, being at a large public school was exciting, others felt overwhelmed & lost there!
Some who had trouble in a mainstream public school have benefitted from transferring to a more culturally relevant charter school (for example, Halau Ku Mana or Ka Waihona)
And if your son is the hyper-masculine type, being at Saint Louis School would be a perfect fit. And you can drop off your daughter at nearby Sacred Hearts Academy!
But you can't just rely on stereotypes.
If you think a private school will be a bully-free environment for your kids, IT IS NOT! Some of the private school students I've dealt with are rude & sassy as hell!
And there are some very wonderful students & teachers in public schools located near public housing complexes. That was definitely the case when I was working as a Library Assistant at Kalākaua Middle School! (I'm just glad the head librarian I was working with is now gone)
Also, your child could benefit from being at the same schools as the friends they already have. They need a layer of protection, and good friends are that layer.
It was why I insisted on attending the high school my friends were attending even though my parents moved out of the district right before high school. Though using my grandma's address was a pain in the rear! Which was why I turned against my parents for moving out!
This is why you need your child's input!
After all, it's your child who has to deal with the teachers, peers, and the whole school environment all day, NOT YOU!
They know the conditions on the ground, you most likely don't (unless you work at the same school your child is attending)!
You can encourage your kids to consider a private school, even take a tour. But if they're adamant about attending the same public school as their peers, let 'em! Unless it's the same group that gets your kid in trouble, then pull 'em out!
Sometimes, you may have to try different schools if the first one doesn't work out!
Again, there's no easy answers!
