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How do public and private schools compare in Staten Island?
matthewangela May 27, 2009
My kids went to St. John's Lutheran since pre-school until they reached the 3 and 4 grades then I had no choice but to put them in PS 6. St. John's has one grade per class and small and my children learned more. In public school they were a bit lost, class size was huge, the learning was much faster as well and it's ahead also from private school. I cannot offer which one is good, both were good. I will say though they offer (free) programs in public school and not at all in private.14732
aidansmom September 6, 2008
Hi. I have done a ton of research. My son was very happy in a public Grammar school (PS 45) since the NYC mandate is no more than 18 children for Kindergarten and 1st. Once we switched to the local Middle school (that coincidentally I attended IS 61) my son became very unhappy. I am currently commuting him to Brooklyn Friends where he is extremely happy. My second choice was Staten Island Academy which I was very impressed with. I think if your child is a straight arrow, middle of line kind of kid, then public school is a great choice. If your child has any special needs (my son has ADHD) or is super bright, they are not going to be happy in Public School. Classes have become unmanageably large and teachers are overwhelmed not just with class size, but with mandated National tests. It is such a shame, as I am a graduate of NYC public schools (PS 45, IS61, Performing Arts) and had an absolutely wonderful experience. I never thought I would be taking my child out of the Public Schools, but it is a different time and if you have the money, I would recommend going private.14734
