My son currently attends a DHS licensed daycare and she teaches certified preschool there. He just turned four so is eligible to go to preschool this coming fall. I am happy with his current provider, he is with 6 other kids and mostly all 3 & 4 year olds. He learns so much there, has really advanced in independence and has made some best friends. He already sits in on her preschool program and seems to enjoy it. They don't go places but she has a huge covered outdoor play area, they have insect farms, he brings home crafts and reading papers etc every day.
BUT... if we can save $480 / month by sending him to public preschool, we may consider. We are in Liberty district but I'd really like to send him to Park Lane. I guess we'd still have to pay some $ for after school care til we get done with work but still a lot less than his current place. I have also heard BA schools are pretty good. I am going to try enrolling him just to see if he can even get in as we missed early enrollment. I want to see if we can visit the school, meet any teachers, find out credentials and stats... what is their subject focus (language? math/numbers?), balance of structured learning with playtime, teacher's credentials... class size & teacher/student ratio...
Even so it will be hard to decide. Any other advice on how to decide or what your experience has been with either private or public PRESCHOOL / PRE-K? How to find out more info about each school beyond the limited info online? Anyone out there who can vouch for credibility of Park Lane or Liberty teachers? (I mean beyond credentials... are they good.) Thanks
I did go ahead and enroll him in the local, new public pre-K (Park Lane) just to see if he would even get in. It took 3 months to get the acceptance letter, finally just got it and he got in. But meanwhile I decided I will keep him at the in-home licenesed preschool/daycare. Might as well for now, while I have a good paying job and we can afford it. As for next year / kindergarten, we'll have to make a choice. Do we try to get him into Highland Elementary (public) or do we go with private? I figure we'll make sure we go tour the schools in 2014 & meet teachers if we can (somehow missed those dates this year), then make a decision based on what we find out. Thanks all for your advice.
BTW I am not so much interested in getting him into private schooling because of the faith factor, since we do not belong to a church. But I AM wanting him to be able to achieve the most potential while learning good values. We have discussed that if he goes to public, maybe we invest in educational summer programs and if he excels in school we make sure he gets into advanced programs.
If he is happy, I would not switch. $480 for full time day care, preschool. That is a bargain. I am of the opinion, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I don't believe anyone should pay for preschool if you can get it free and if you are not so rich money doesn't matter. Save that money for college where it matters where you go!
I've not seen any child from private school do better than public school unless they are super rich and they only do better because they always paid for the top schools and top university (obviously). Or the area is so absolutely poor that the school is atrocious. Everyone else, I've seen my friends go to Harvard, MIT, UCLA, Oxford and all the other great universities and they all went to public school.
You're child's early learning is dependent mostly on the parents, not the teachers. But a horrible teacher is not good either. Transfer to a decent public school and your child will do fine.
Check the price of before/after care it could cost you the same if you work full time.
Always experienced the public as need based, but they've been amazing if you can get in. Beyond good, with professional well-paid staff.
Private tend to have lots of turnover and poorly paid staff, so do some research first. I'm sure you'll find what you need!
If you have the money, I'd leave him for now. He's happy. We had a similar choice about a year ago and left our son. Although it was more money and logistically challenging, it was best for HIM, and we are happy with our decision. I would not move him if you'll have to move him again for kindergarten. Having said all of that, kids are really resiliant and he will likely be fine either place. Good luck - I know these decisions are hard.
You really have to go with your gut on this after touring the public preschool. If it gives you that, "I'd want to go here if I was still a child" feeling, then you're good.
Our kids went to private preschool, but only because the public one was so short (just a couple hours a day, a few days a week) and I work part-time. The huge downside to private school is that they're far less tolerant of special needs kids. Our son was kicked out of his first preschool due to his ADHD symptoms. Public schools tend to be better equipped to understand and work with kids with disabilities. It doesn't sound like this is a factor for you, so private is still a good option.
If you can save some money (and you're talking a significant savings) and that's important to your family right now, I'd do it if the public school is a good match.
Our kids attend a private preschool (Catholic). It is phenomenal--all teachers have a Master's degree in Early Childhood. Our preschool is part of a K-8 school and follows strict guidelines on age cut-off, curriculum, etc. I prefer this to free standing preschools (not associated with a larger school). Many public preschools require children to have a 'need' (low income, disabilities, etc). You may not qualify.
Check out the public school. It does make a difference what school you choose and how that school matches your childs needs. I used to think like the poster that thinks you should always go the public school route, but then I had a child that did not fit in well and was doing poorly in public school. Private school offered him individualized attention that he needed and he was able to do well. You can always pull your child out of public if your are unhappy. Go with your gut. After visiting schools and asking questions your gut will tell you what to do.
I have done it both ways. But not private pre-school. We had the opportunity to do the 4 year old program at the local head start or send the kids to the real 4 year old pre-school at the local public school.
With our granddaughter we chose to leave her at head start and it was not a good choice. She didn't learn near as much as she should have. When she started school she was behind the other kids that had gone to the public school pre-K.
When our grandson was in the same position I talked to a couple of ladies that are teachers in the public school program and one said it was almost always obvious who didn't use the school pre-K program because they had to go through all the transition stuff. They didn't know a lot of the required things their pre-K classes were required to teach.
I think that I was so much happier with the whole experience with my grandson. He learned so much more than she did in head start. Even though head start was supposed to teach the required curriculum they just didn't. I don't know if makes any difference or not but I would say put them in the school program for the curriculum. Plus they are in a school room setting. They learn to sit down and do the work, they learn to listen to the authority figure and to start the whole process of becoming an elementary school student.
Plus they'll make the friends they'll be with their whole school career. I have no problem saying that with the fullness of my heart. I truly believe that if you have the opportunity to put him in a regular school pre-K program you should go for that as your first choice.
Our public preschool options were need based. I didn't even look. I put my DD in a small, private preschool and she's done very well. I wouldn't change schools unless I've crunched the numbers, checked out both options and really seen what the bottom line would be, both financially and my child's well-being. IMO, academic-based preschool isn't necessary for a kid who isn't behind. My DD attends play based preschool and learns a TON. She's doing simple math and spelling. I'm more worried about her liking school at this point than whether or not she can read.
