Having worked with public schools for the last several years, I noticed several shocking trends that severely inhibit kids and leave them unprepared for life beyond school. 9. A study by the National Education Commissiion on Time and Learning found that middle-school and high-school children spent on average only about 50 percent of their school day on core “academic” subjects. Allsobrook, D. I. “The reform of the endowed schools: the work of the Northamptonshire Educational Society, 1854-1874”, History of Education (1973) 2#1 pp 35-55.
Now, I may not know any of those teachers personally, but I have taught in a variety of public school settings, inner-urban, suburban, and rural, and know two very important general characteristics about most principals and assistant principals. In addition, some elementary schools are splitting into two levels, sometimes in separate buildings: elementary school (usually K-2) and intermediate (3-5).
School taxes force parents to pay for these schools. There are some families that would love to home school their children or even send them to the best private school – but cannot afford it. They require thousands of dollars that many of us don’t have. In states like North Carolina, high poverty area schools at the bottom of the public school rankings ladder had such a difficult time retaining skilled teachers they were forced to hire new ones every term.
By the 1840’s a few Public Schools had popped up around the country financially supported by communities that could afford them. It is important to point out that programs wax or wane within public schools, depending on personnel and the quality of student involvement.
Sometimes, a district may be happy to honor this type of request, if it helps to relieve crowding in one school. He then won a scholarship to a local public school. Again, if a private school can successfully tap into this market, it will have a huge advantage over public schools in the fundraising arena.