For those
of you who know me in the real world or who’ve been following this blog for
awhile, you know that I am a public school educator. I have been working in the school system-
specifically in low-income schools- for the past thirteen years. I am a big believer in public schools and
have a deep sense of pride in the work that we do.
But my
husband and I have decided that public school is no longer the right choice for our
son, who will be starting first grade this year. We didn’t come to this decision lightly nor
by ourselves. We consulted with his team
of teachers and support personnel, researched many different options, visited
different sites, talked to family, prayed about it, and finally reached our decision. Suffice it to say that it was not an easy
choice to make. However, in the end,
everyone in Ben’s life agreed that the school we chose looks to be the best
possible match for him.
I’m writing
to you about this decision not to encourage everyone to leave public schools
and pursue private. I’m writing to say
that this decision is as individual as each precious child. This decision makes sense for our family for
these reasons…and many more…
1)
The
pace is slower
Public school teachers are bound to standards
and pacing guides that clearly lay out the information that needs to be taught
in a specific amount of time. Teachers
often feel a push to get it all in. I
see it every day. Private schools have the flexibility to design their own
curriculum. Ben’s school has chosen a
curriculum that focuses on teaching through hands-on, multi-sensory learning,
and the majority of learning happens in small groups. Ben is a smart, capable boy, but he had a
hard time keeping up with the pace of the curriculum in kindergarten, which led
to higher anxiety for him. His teacher
and I both agreed that this would only get harder as he progressed through the
grade levels. We made the decision to
make the move now before the struggles became too much.
2)
Less
emphasis on testing
Let me say that I am all for assessments
and accountability. I believe that we
need to assess children to know their strengths and weaknesses, and to use that
information to guide instruction.
However, it had become clear from both Ben’s PreK and Kindergarten year
that Ben does not perform well on tests.
He has difficulty focusing, even when he takes the test in a very small
group. Therefore, the results of the
test are usually not an accurate picture of his abilities. Public school uses testing as a measure of so
many things and spends so much time in preparation of testing. His new school will
3)
Little
to no homework
Again- I am not against homework on
principle, but I believe that homework should be a way for the child to
practice skills that are taught in class.
I don’t believe it should consume all of the evening hours. Ben will read with me every night and do a
reading log, along with some math games to reinforce what he is learning in
math. That will be it.
4)
Smaller
class size
Ben is a child who requires extra
assistance, and this is very hard for public school teacher to give (though
they certainly do their best!). Had he
remained in public schools, in order to receive a smaller class size with more
assistance, he would have had to go to a self-contained classroom that had all
students with disabilities. Ben’s new
school has a class of sixteen with one teacher and one full-time teacher
assistant who is always in the room.
This will provide him with more adult support while still staying in a
class with a mix of children with IEPs and “regular” peer models for him, which
he needs. In addition, it is a multi-age
class with both kindergarten and first graders in the room. I am thrilled about this because it will
allow him to revisit some of the foundational pieces of kindergarten that he
still needs without him having to repeat kindergarten. He’ll also have the opportunity to visit
other teachers in the school for science, writing, social studies, and
Christian virtues in the afternoon as each teacher has one subject in which she
is the content area expert. They also have a social skills curriculum called Super Flex to teach flexible thinking using superheroes. Such a smart
plan!
5)
Time
for the “extras”
Sadly, because of the curriculum demands,
there is little time for the “extras” in public schools. Also, because it is a public school, there
are certain things, such as religion, that cannot be taught. Ben’s school is actually one section of a
large church (which is one of his favorite parts about it). It has a huge gymnasium (rare in Florida, by
the way) where they often blow up bounce houses and has a rock climbing
wall. Ben will have two recesses, one indoor and one outdoor. Lunch is thirty minutes and the kids eat with
their teachers in the classroom (there’s no cafeteria). In addition, they have PE twice a week, two
days of drama, and one day of Spanish.
All children receive support from the speech and OT teachers who come to
the class twice a week. Friday is more
relaxed with learning games in the morning to reinforce concepts learned in the
week (remember “Fun Friday?”). In
addition, the class is equipped for children with sensory needs. It has a trampoline, a chill-out tent for
when things get to be too much. They do
brain gym every day to help the body and brain connect. The kids can sit on wiggle cushions or T
stools (a special chair with one leg for kids who need to move while
sitting). Oh, and they take a field trip
about once each month. I could go on and
on about all the “extras” that are really what will make the difference in
Ben’s learning this year.
And so as Ben gets ready to enter his new
school, he is sad to be leaving his old friends and teachers behind but excited for his new
adventure. After Open House, he told me
that I had found the perfect school for him.
That he matches his school like puzzle pieces fit together. I hope he is right. We did our best. I told him that there will always be
challenges that come up. “But now I’ll
know what to do when I am frustrated. I
have a tent,” he told me. And so, I am
cautiously optimistic at the start of this new school year. We’ll miss his friends and teachers at his
old school and we are grateful for all they have given him. They set him on the right path and we
appreciate everyone’s support as we begin this journey into the private school
world. I’ll keep you posted as we
continue on this journey.
