Sometimes people seem to wonder: if Morgan’s business is going so well, why doesn’t she drive a fancy car or wear fancy clothes?
One big reason: 3 kids in private school
Next question: why private school?
While I’d love to believe in the idea of public education, it’s current incarnation is anti-creativity and anti-independent thinking.
By necessity – large class sizes and small budgets – teachers end up giving lots of rote, follow the formula types of work. This teaches kids how to be better calculators, but not how to be more engaged and creative human beings.
At the end of the day, you get what you pay for, and my kids’ education isn’t something I’m looking for the bargain basement deal on.
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5 replies to "Why Private School?"
Morgan, I enjoy most of your postings, and I believe also that fear is a huge drain on creativity.
But I disagree with your take on public schools, and find your position contrary to your post on ivory tower-trained scientists.
There is nothing magic about private schools for kids, just as there is nothing magic about ivory tower universities. You can work with the public schools to make the place more creative, if you see the need at your particular schools. There is not more creativity at private schools- just more money.
My perspective- public schools are the foundation of a democracy. They are what all of us who live here can share as a common culture. Having the children of the rich and educated helps all students, helps everyone. Protects everyone, as a vaccine does.
I don’t believe it is a choice, like choosing the color of curtains. It is a decision with huge effects on other students and on our own children and their future.
Hello Kathy,
While I appreciate your point of view, I cannot agree. While the theory of public schools sounds nice, I watched my own child become disengaged and disenchanted – much as I did – until I put her in a private school that re-engaged her desire to learn. She now loves going to school, whereas it was an enforced misery before.
I cannot condone education as a “forced misery” situation. The foundation of an educated population is a population that wants to be educated! And if school is misery, forced drudgery, and robotic, “me too” thinking – forcing kids into that is terrible.
Should we change public schools to address these things? Hell yes!!
Is that possible, given the current politics? Very unlikely.
And I’m not willing to stand by watching the young, creative minds in my family be permanently scarred by it while that gets sorted out.
Bottom line: I agree with the THEORY of public education, but the current implementation is far too flawed.
Morgan
BTW – “There is not more creativity at private schools- just more money” is totally false, because you are lumping all privates into one big category. (one could say I’m doing that with public schools, but because public schools all fall under the auspices of the same hierarchy, from states to the feds, such lumping is more apropos).
Private schools designed specifically to enhance creative independent thinking DO a better job than publics on that front. Period.
And, fortunately you don’t dictate policy, so that I do get to preserve my choice of schools, despite that you think it “is not a choice.” Wow.
“And, fortunately you don’t dictate policy, so that I do get to preserve my choice of schools, despite that you think it is not a choice. Wow. ”
That’s some pretty quick nastiness.
I guess I can say “wow!” as well! Sorry, but that old “I believe in public schools but not for my kid” is to me the individual side of American exceptionalism.
No where to go when we don’t live what we believe in. But you are right, we get to make all the decisions and choices we want.
“Some pretty quick nastiness.” No, nasty is if I were to attack you, personally, for some attribute unrelated to the discussion at hand.
My response was on topic. Don’t confuse being “nasty” with “having a strong opinion.” They are not the same.
Now, as to your assertion: “Sorry, but that old “I believe in public schools but not for my kid” is to me the individual side of American exceptionalism.”
This is a utopian-centered argument that you are making. My own side has nothing to do with exceptionalism – it is “practicalism.”
It is practical to look at the system and say: participating in it will be harmful to me or my kids.
Now, your exceptionalist argument might say: but WHO ARE YOU to think you should have the privelege for something better?
Aha. I spend my days and nights and often weekends working with clients to help them overcome this toxic belief embedded in your argument that says: “You are nothing special. You are nothing but evolved pond slime. You should therefore have no ambition. And if you do have ambition, you are obviously a greedy jerk who’s stealing from the less fortunate around you. Stop being such an exceptionalist and start being more like us.”
I will only briefly touch on the problems this results in:
I could write many, many more attributes of clients who come to me who are totally stuck in their lives, depressed, and miserable because they don’t feel “deserving” of success – they’ve been taught that that is greedy and exceptionalist.
A person can’t learn to love herself and treat her own ambitions and desires with respect is someone who – despite the exceptionalist rhetoric – is likely to be unhappy, and not much of a contributor to the advancement of the human species.