by Stephanie Chandler

Created on: April 17, 2009   Last Updated: April 21, 2009

Private school or public school, this is a choice that plagues many parents. The most important thing to remember is that it is a choice and one to not take lightly. Too many parents today are so busy with their lives and trying to get ahead, that they take the education of their children for granted. They just send them to the closest neighborhood school irregardless of whether that is really the best setting for that child. Children are the future, and their education is one of the most important assets a parent can provide them with, so this choice is one that warrants research, deep thought, and even prayer (if you partake in that).

So what are the points to consider when deciding on a school for your child? The following are some criteria to consider and the pros and cons of each type of education.

Quality of Curriculum: One of the most important aspects to consider is the quality of the curriculum that will be taught. For public schools the curriculum is determined by the state. Each state has its own set of guidelines that they then pass down to the individual school districts. Unfortunately, due to the No Child Left Behind Act passed by the Bush administration in 2002, much of today's curriculum is determined by a set of standardized tests. This piece of legislation had a noble goal, however, the execution of it has fallen short. Because federal funding for each public school is now tied to how they perform on these tests, the schools are focused on one thing getting the children to pass the test. This is a definite con because it takes away the teachers' ability to provide varied curriculum with varied instruction techniques. Not only does this force children of different levels and learning techniques to all learn the same way, but it also causes the children to have less confidence in their abilities. Why you ask? Because with the curriculum focused only on the test, the schools are sending a message of we need you to know this for a test, and we know you are not capable of learning this with all the other things you could and should be learning so we will just concentrate on this.' So instead of increasing the learning expectations for the children, they have actually limited them. A private school does not have to adhere to these state mandated tests. The advantage of this is that they are free to teach a wide variety of curriculum. Teachers can actually do what they love teach.

Morals and Values: Growing up can be very difficult, especially in today's

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