Switching from public to private high school?

My son will most likely be attending a private high school (although we are looking at two charter high schools as well) next school year. He currently goes to a middle school in Berkeley and is zoned in for Berkeley High. However, we have decided not to send him -- he is not used to such a huge school (has always been in small schools) and thrives when he is in smaller class sizes. We are also concerned about the safety of students in Berkeley High, class sizes, academics, etc.

- Is there a way on making the public to private school transition easier for him? He knows he won't be attending BHS next year, and is not very happy with the idea, as he thinks he won't be able to talk or hang out with his friends anymore. Is there someway we can assure him that he'll still be able to spend time with them?

Thank you! -family switching from public to private

How hard to move a 3rd grader to private school?

We have two boys, one of whom is in second grade at Thousand Oaks and one who will start kindergarten next year. Our sons kindergarten year was great at Thousand Oaks, but about 1/2 way through last year, we started feeling dissatisfied with our sons experience at Thousand Oaks (academically, socially, multiple reasons). We are considering sending our second son to a private school (Prospect Sierra, if possible)and also transfering our older son to this school as well at the start of next year (3rd grade). I am curious what other parent's experience has been in terms of how easy it is to transfer into private schools if you wait until the 3rd or 4th grade- both how your childs experience is and how easy it was to be accepted as a transfer into the private school of your choice? Thanks, -Anon

As for the adjustment issue, I transferred my son from Berkeley public to a private school when he was in 3rd grade. He wasn't very happy about moving schools at the time because he liked his school. But even though it was hard to do, I think it was the right decision because the private school was better able to serve him academically. He eventually adjusted, and I was also glad that since the school is K-8, he didn't have to make another switch at middle school. These are hard choices to make. Good luck. anon

Changing from public to private for 6th grade

I would like to have the opinion of parents who opted to transfer their child from public to private schools and vice versa. Any regret or, at the contrary, satisfaction ? I am considering to have my child start 6th grade in a private school next year after he was in a elementary public school in Berkeley, but I am still hesitating. Thanks for any relevant experience in this matter.

Making Transition from Public to Private School

My daughter is currently enrolled in a public school but will be switching to a private school next year. She's not making this change at a standard entry year, such as kindergarten or middle school. What kind of transitional issues should I be aware of, and what questions should I ask of her new school before she begins in September? I'd love to hear from other parents who have transitioned from public to private about their experiences and any suggestions they may have about making this a smooth change. What do you wish you had known, and how do you suggest I prepare? We're very excited to be joining this new school and want to do what we can to have a wonderful experience from the start. Thanks, parents! anon

Switching to private school after kindergarten

We are considering switching our daughter to a private school after this year (she is currently in Kindergarten). We did open enrollment and she is in a decent public school in North Oakland. While this school has good arts and music programs, we are concerned about the overall quality of the curriculum- a lot of open-court, inability to differentiate instruction based on different learning levels, homework at Kindergarten (lots of it), too many worksheets,a focus on teaching to the test, an emphasis on extrinsic rewards for learning and a shift in our daughter's attitude towards school and learning. Our child has always been a very intellectually curious person and loved going to pre-school. She is complaining of being bored at school and she is starting to view school and homework as a chore. I've also noticed a shift in her attitude toward trying things she doesn't know how to do (if she can't get it perfect, she doesn't want to do it). I've read the previous postings on the network. This is my challenge, I fundamentally disagree with the curriculum and instructional philosophy being implemented at my daughter's school. While socially she is very happy there, I am concerned about this shift in attitude. Am I over-reacting? Should I just suck it up and be happy that we have a somewhat decent, free public school. Or, is dissasisfaction with the educational philosophy (i.e. open court, worksheets, extrinsic rewards) enough reason to go private? I am particularly interested in hearing from parents who have done this shift from public to private. Thanks. Anon

Your post sounds like you think your daughter's school might not be the best for either of you. The things you mentioned as concerns are real and valid, and I don't think you'll feel settled until you look at and weigh the options.

In a private school, chances are your daughter will get an education that is not ''teaching to the test,'' and not workbook based (however, there are some elementary schools that use the Open Court workbooks). Teachers have different requirements at a private school, and often few kids per class, or more help in the classroom. That means that the kids tend to get more individual attention. Also, most private schools know a lot about learning differences, and even if schools don't have learning specialists on staff, teachers are often given the resources to work on more individual plans with kids.

However, all this comes at a cost. Tuition is a fact of private schools, and even with financial aid it's not easy. Be aware, also, that tuition is just the biggest part of the cost, there's also volunteer hours, annual giving, fundraising, field trips, t-shirts, gifts for teachers, etc.

Some people say that they can understand paying for part of their kids' education, but not all of it. Often people think middle school or high school is more important than grade school. I think that the first years of learning set up a pattern for later years. Disengagement in kindergarten is a big red flag for me. Yes, kindergarten is different and often harder than preschool. My son feels it too. But he has never said he felt bored. I believe that the good habits and attitudes and the love of learning he is developing now will last his whole life time. You are going to have to weigh your dissatisfaction with public school and the costs of private school. But before you even start looking at private schools, decide if you can afford it. If you have more than one child, decide if you can afford to send them all to private school. If you can't, try to somehow make your daughter's experience in her current school better. Because you might find it really hard to look private school and then turn away. berkeley parent

So don't be discouraged, there are places available in the private schools and it's not because there's something wrong with the school.

When to switch from public to private school

Hi - a general question, while considering switching from Berkeley Public schools to a private school setting. Are the possibilities for entering private school just K, and then 6 (middle school)? Or, have parents had success in applying in some intermediate grades: 3rd, 4th. If you were advising someone considering the public - private switch, would you suggest waiting until 6th grade so the ''break'' is clean? Or do you think kids can successfully transition at 3rd or 4th. Any thoughts, advice, experiences, opinions, etc. on switching from public to private are welcome! Thanks. Berkeley parent

Considering leaving public elementary school

I am seeking advice about switching my two children to a private school. They currently attend early grades in a local public school. I would like to hear from other parents who have tried to do this. Have you been successful? What did you do? Did you apply when families typically apply for kindergarten?

We have been very happy with the teaching in our local elementary school but have grown increasingly frustrated with the behaviors tolerated outside the class room (especially on the playground), as well as with the heartbreaking set of problems that interfere with learning on the part of many of our children's classmates.

While we know of a few cases where families have successfully made the switch to private schools, the general opinion "out there" seems to be that if parents don't opt for private schools at the kindergarten level, its impossible to get into private schools later. We hope that this isn't true but need to know if this has been the experience of other parents.

Thanks for any information and/or helpful advice.

One caveat, however, is that changing schools for any reason is difficult in fourth grade. Friends are left behind and although she still sees friends from the old school, this has been the most difficult area for her.