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AriMama
LIF Infant
Member since 5/13 50 total posts
Name:
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Disagreement about catholic school
Hi All,
We have a 5 month old baby, and yes its kind of early to start arguing about this already, but here we are!
Anyway, here is my problem. I want our daughter to go to Catholic school. I did from Pre-K and all through high school. I just dont trust public schools, but this might be just because I never went to one! My husband says that its because I went to school in Queens a thousand years ago, and LI public schools are great and taxes are so high bc they are so great and he wants our daughter to take advantage of that.
We are starting to look at homes come December. IF I decide to let my daughter attend public school, I want to make SURE its the best possible school. What public schools do you guys recommend? What Catholic schools? Im so confuseddddd!!! Help!!
Side Note: we will probably end up buying a house based on her school as this is most important to me.
Message edited 5/22/2013 4:58:19 PM.
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Posted 5/22/13 4:49 PM  |
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ny55angel
car seat tech & geek :-)
Member since 2/06 4346 total posts
Name:
P
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Disagreement about catholic school
There's so many variables when it comes to "best"...
Best for sports
Best for special ed
Best for other extra curricular activities
Best for AP classes
Best for a diverse environment
Best for class/school size
Best for music
Best for art
Honestly, besides the religious education (which I did separately anyway) and possible small class size, i personally don't see the benefits of Catholic school if you live in a decent area (which again is subject to personal preference anyway)
Your baby is 5 years away from starting kindergarten. You could buy in the most expensive, highest rated school district on Long island and in 5 years it could be different. ... and in 17/18 years when they would be graduating it could be VERY different.
Some Nassau districts that i know of as having good reputation are massapequa, seaford, merrick, bellmore, manhasset, herricks, carle place, plainedge.
It all comes down to your budget and what you consider "Best"
Message edited 5/22/2013 7:22:28 PM.
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| Posted 5/22/13 7:20 PM |
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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by ny55angel
Your baby is 5 years away from starting kindergarten. You could buy in the most expensive, highest rated school district on Long island and in 5 years it could be different. ... and in 17/18 years when they would be graduating it could be VERY different.
I agree with everything else mentioned (I've brought up the exact same items numerous times on LIF), but I just wanted to mention a real-life scenario. I went to Riverhead SD when the Shoreham power plant was still being built. Shoreham Wading River school district had so much money from LILCO that they couldn't spend it fast enough. The best of everything imaginable. Then, the power plant was shut down, the money stopped rolling in, and it was a much different district after that. It didn't take long, either.
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| Posted 5/22/13 9:31 PM |
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AriMama
LIF Infant
Member since 5/13 50 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Thanks Ny55angel. I guess I just mean "best" as in a good reputation, good teachers, class size, etc. I know that no school is perfect but I was just wondering if anyone is absolutely happy with a particular school that their kids go to.
And I completely understand about things changing in 5 years. I just loved my elementary school so so much that I would love my daughter to have the same experience. I'm not familiar with schools on LI as this is my first kid, so I feel lost :(
Thanks for the list of districts to look at!!! :)
Posted by ny55angel
There's so many variables when it comes to "best"...
Best for sports
Best for special ed
Best for other extra curricular activities
Best for AP classes
Best for a diverse environment
Best for class/school size
Best for music
Best for art
Honestly, besides the religious education (which I did separately anyway) and possible small class size, i personally don't see the benefits of Catholic school if you live in a decent area (which again is subject to personal preference anyway)
Your baby is 5 years away from starting kindergarten. You could buy in the most expensive, highest rated school district on Long island and in 5 years it could be different. ... and in 17/18 years when they would be graduating it could be VERY different.
Some Nassau districts that i know of as having good reputation are massapequa, seaford, merrick, bellmore, manhasset, herricks, carle place, plainedge.
It all comes down to your budget and what you consider "Best"
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| Posted 5/22/13 11:28 PM |
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AriMama
LIF Infant
Member since 5/13 50 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Thanks for the response GoldenRod. That's sad. Schools closing down is always a sad thing to me. My elementary school also closed down and it was really upsetting to many people bc it was a very tight-knit school. .
Posted by GoldenRod
Posted by ny55angel
Your baby is 5 years away from starting kindergarten. You could buy in the most expensive, highest rated school district on Long island and in 5 years it could be different. ... and in 17/18 years when they would be graduating it could be VERY different.
I agree with everything else mentioned (I've brought up the exact same items numerous times on LIF), but I just wanted to mention a real-life scenario. I went to Riverhead SD when the Shoreham power plant was still being built. Shoreham Wading River school district had so much money from LILCO that they couldn't spend it fast enough. The best of everything imaginable. Then, the power plant was shut down, the money stopped rolling in, and it was a much different district after that. It didn't take long, either.
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| Posted 5/22/13 11:35 PM |
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Kathy042806
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 1416 total posts
Name:
Kathy
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
I went to Catholic school my whole life too--kindergarden thru high school. In fact, both elementary and high school were the same as Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor (had to represent  ). Anyway, we moved from the Bronx to North Bellmore to give ds a better life which also included schools. DH never went to public school, though in Bayside, he had great schools. I based our buying a house on schools. Taxes are high enough in Long Island, and depending what you're looking for, public schools are great. We are very happy with our decision.
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| Posted 5/24/13 7:34 PM |
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peanutbutter2
Carpe diem!
Member since 11/10 5287 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Message edited 5/30/2014 3:51:41 PM.
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| Posted 5/24/13 7:42 PM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
I went to Catholic school my whole school career minus 3 years. In Junior year of high school I went to public and realized how poor my education had been. It was very upsetting to be behind in just about everything.
Catholic schools have changed, but I am now a teacher. I worked in a couple of catholic schools as an independent contractor. I will be honest, the only reason I could see to send my child there is for more discipline because I found their education to be below what is offered at public school.
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| Posted 5/24/13 11:17 PM |
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CunningOne
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Member since 5/05 26975 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by twicethefun
Catholic schools have changed, but I am now a teacher. I worked in a couple of catholic schools as an independent contractor. I will be honest, the only reason I could see to send my child there is for more discipline because I found their education to be below what is offered at public school.
Such a blanket statement and I will disagree! I absolutely love my kids catholic school. They have many more opportunities available to them then our public schools ( and we live in a good district). Not every school is the same. Our school has been following Common Core and has an incredible honors program. You really must visit the schools and see for yourself. We did before choosing and their was a lot of differences.
To the original poster, I was a product of Catholic schools, my husband public. He of course was hesitant at Catholic school and agreed to let my oldest do a trial run in kindergarten. He was absolutely floored at the things they did and learned - things his nieces were doing in 3rd and 4th grades at their public school. My son is in 3rd grade now and doing wonderfully. We couldn't be happier.
Good Luck in your decision. It's not an easy one. Feel free to FM if you have any questions.
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| Posted 5/24/13 11:40 PM |
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pharmcat2000
Mom of 2 + 1
Member since 10/05 7395 total posts
Name:
Catherine
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
In your search for a "good" district, I recommend looking at the size of the graduating class. I am in what is considered a very good district (3 Village) but am not happy about how big the district is. I graduated from a school with only about 350 kids, and I knew a large number of them. I'm really not happy about the idea of DD being lost in the sea of kids at her high school. Class size is low right now in elementary so I'm ok with it for right now, but am still considering Catholic school for later on down the road.
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| Posted 5/25/13 9:18 AM |
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peanutbutter2
Carpe diem!
Member since 11/10 5287 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by twicethefun
I went to Catholic school my whole school career minus 3 years. In Junior year of high school I went to public and realized how poor my education had been. It was very upsetting to be behind in just about everything.
Catholic schools have changed, but I am now a teacher. I worked in a couple of catholic schools as an independent contractor. I will be honest, the only reason I could see to send my child there is for more discipline because I found their education to be below what is offered at public school.
This is definitely a blanket statement as another poster said. I didn't necessarily want to start listing all of the benefits of either type of school, but I feel like I absolutely have to respond to this statement. I teach college, and Catholic school students, in general, come in with much stronger writing skills than public school students.
As far as my own personal experience, I breezed through college. College was pretty much a review for me. I had learned almost everything-or at least the necessary skills to tackle everything-in my Catholic high school.
I think that public schools tend to have a bit of an edge with science and technology; however, Catholic schools tend to have an edge when it comes to-what I consider to be-fundamentals: writing, literature, and mathematics. Obviously, both have positives, but neither is sub par to the other. The latter three are more important to me, but that's different for everyone.
Of course, these are all blanket statements in their own way. You really need to look at the public school in the district as opposed to the Catholic schools you are considering to properly compare. We can't say, "All Catholic schools are better than all public schools" or vice versa.
Message edited 5/25/2013 9:32:39 AM.
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| Posted 5/25/13 9:31 AM |
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CunningOne
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Member since 5/05 26975 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by peanutbutter2
I think that public schools tend to have a bit of an edge with science and technology; however, Catholic schools tend to have an edge when it comes to-what I consider to be-fundamentals: writing, literature, and mathematics.
That's exactly what my husband said!! But he takes it back now, especially with the school my kids attend. They just opened a brand new, 10 million dollar science and technology center for the elementary and HS students to use, starting in K! They have the local Waterfront Center teaching courses at the school and the middle school kids take honors classes as the HS, taught by HS teachers.
I agree that you can  with this topic, and I don't often get involved because everyone has their right to an opinion and choosing what is best for THEIR child. What I do for my child may never be what's good for another. We believe in our public schools too and wouldn't hesitate to use them if we had to - that's why we bought where we did! But I value their Catholic education and will most certainly send them to a Catholic HS as well... My son already knows he has to work hard to get into "XX" 
Message edited 5/25/2013 10:43:03 AM.
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| Posted 5/25/13 10:40 AM |
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peanutbutter2
Carpe diem!
Member since 11/10 5287 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by CunningOne
Posted by peanutbutter2
I think that public schools tend to have a bit of an edge with science and technology; however, Catholic schools tend to have an edge when it comes to-what I consider to be-fundamentals: writing, literature, and mathematics.
That's exactly what my husband said!! But he takes it back now, especially with the school my kids attend. They just opened a brand new, 10 million dollar science and technology center for the elementary and HS students to use, starting in K! They have the local Waterfront Center teaching courses at the school and the middle school kids take honors classes as the HS, taught by HS teachers.
I agree that you can with this topic, and I don't often get involved because everyone has their right to an opinion and choosing what is best for THEIR child. What I do for my child may never be what's good for another. We believe in our public schools too and wouldn't hesitate to use them if we had to - that's why we bought where we did! But I value their Catholic education and will most certainly send them to a Catholic HS as well... My son already knows he has to work hard to get into "XX"
That's awesome to hear about your DCs' schools! I love hearing good and positive information about Catholic schools, especially because so many elementary schools were shut down in the past few years.
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| Posted 5/25/13 10:58 AM |
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itsbabytime
LIF Adult
Member since 11/05 9644 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
It's hard to recc a school district when you don't say your price range for a house.
I do agree with what an above poster stated - in many school districts the public school is academically stronger than the catholic schools. That said, it depends on the public school and the catholic school we are talking about...
Message edited 5/25/2013 11:14:15 AM.
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| Posted 5/25/13 11:13 AM |
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InShock
life is good
Member since 10/06 9258 total posts
Name:
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Disagreement about catholic school
What is it about public schools you don't "trust"?
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| Posted 5/25/13 3:51 PM |
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
I think it's definitely a personal decision and there are pros and cons to each. And I also agree that the "best" choice will vary based on the schools that you are comparing, as well as the parents' priorties.
I went to Catholic school (St. William's in Seaford) for grades pre-K through 8, and then public school (Seaford High) for 9-12. I now live in N. Bellmore and will send my DS (who is only 4 right now) to public school. I like the fact that he will go to school with kids from the neighborhood, and I really believe the public schools where we live offer a lot. And I do think the public schools pay better and are therefore considered more desirable for top quality teachers.
But I also believe that in terms of a child's school experience and success, a lot depends on the individual child and their needs. This is just my opinion, but I've always felt that a child with special needs or a very academically gifted child might do better in a public school than a parochial one. But if religious education and Catholic values are a big priority, then a Catholic school would of course be preferable!
As for my experience - I was an honors student, and I did find that public school offered a lot more in terms of science (I was always with the grade behind for honors science b/c I didn't take earth science in 8th grade), I had to take math 3 and pre-calc the same year in order to be able to do AP calculus as a senior, and foreign language programs, as well as arts, music programs, phys ed and extra-curriculars. However, I did learn excellent cursive writing and the rules of grammar (they've served me well over the years!) -- things like memorizing the prepositional phrases and diagramming sentences -- in my Catholic school years. But I am 37 and went to school in the 1980s and early 1990s, so I have no idea if that's true anymore! LOL.
Someone mentioned possible smaller class sizes in a catholic school, but many Catholic grammar schools on Long Island have closed, and there are now "regional" Catholic schools. When I went to St. William's, most kids were from Seaford, some from Massapequa or Wantagh. Now they pull in from a much wider area. In my area now, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pulls in from other local parishes that no longer have schools (St. Francis, Cure of Ars, St. Raphael's, Sacred Heart). So I think class sizes have grown to be quite large in Catholic schools, whereas in my public school district, the kindergarten classes have 17 or 18 kids each.
Bottom line - I would research the areas that you would consider living, and then look into all of the school in the area (maybe even arrange to go see them/take a tour), so you make sure your decision is based on facts, not assumptions or other people's opinions!
Message edited 5/25/2013 6:46:15 PM.
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| Posted 5/25/13 6:44 PM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by CunningOne
Posted by twicethefun
Catholic schools have changed, but I am now a teacher. I worked in a couple of catholic schools as an independent contractor. I will be honest, the only reason I could see to send my child there is for more discipline because I found their education to be below what is offered at public school.
Such a blanket statement and I will disagree! I absolutely love my kids catholic school. They have many more opportunities available to them then our public schools ( and we live in a good district). Not every school is the same. Our school has been following Common Core and has an incredible honors program. You really must visit the schools and see for yourself. We did before choosing and their was a lot of differences.
To the original poster, I was a product of Catholic schools, my husband public. He of course was hesitant at Catholic school and agreed to let my oldest do a trial run in kindergarten. He was absolutely floored at the things they did and learned - things his nieces were doing in 3rd and 4th grades at their public school. My son is in 3rd grade now and doing wonderfully. We couldn't be happier.
Good Luck in your decision. It's not an easy one. Feel free to FM if you have any questions.
I don't see anything in my statement that could be considered a "blanket statement." I specifically stated my own experiences and and stated that the only reason I see..... I never said they were all horrible. I spoke of the schools I have contracted in and the school I went to. I try very hard to be fair and don't appreciate that.
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| Posted 5/25/13 10:59 PM |
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CunningOne
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Member since 5/05 26975 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by twicethefun
I don't see anything in my statement that could be considered a "blanket statement." I specifically stated my own experiences and and stated that the only reason I see..... I never said they were all horrible. I spoke of the schools I have contracted in and the school I went to. I try very hard to be fair and don't appreciate that.
You see, I did read it as such, and if I interpreted it in the wrong way, I apologize. But you stated "because I found their education to be below what is offered at public school" I didn't necessarily read it and correspond it back to the schools you taught at. To me, that statement meant "all". It's just how I read it/interpreted it.
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| Posted 5/26/13 2:28 PM |
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twicethefun
Loving life
Member since 7/06 4088 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by CunningOne
Posted by twicethefun
I don't see anything in my statement that could be considered a "blanket statement." I specifically stated my own experiences and and stated that the only reason I see..... I never said they were all horrible. I spoke of the schools I have contracted in and the school I went to. I try very hard to be fair and don't appreciate that.
You see, I did read it as such, and if I interpreted it in the wrong way, I apologize. But you stated "because I found their education to be below what is offered at public school" I didn't necessarily read it and correspond it back to the schools you taught at. To me, that statement meant "all". It's just how I read it/interpreted it.
Oh well thanks for clarifying. I really did not mean it as a blanket statement just my experiences which lead me to my decision for my kids. If I lived in another area I might feel differently.
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| Posted 5/26/13 10:13 PM |
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CrankyPants
I'm cranky
Member since 7/06 18178 total posts
Name:
Mama Cranky
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
I've always thought that if you live in a "bad" school district than private school (Catholica or otherwise) makes sense. But if you live in a good school district it doesn't make sense unless the private school offers something specific that your public school id missing (i.e. religious education).
The exception might be for the really comptitive private high schoold like Chaminade, etc.
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| Posted 5/27/13 3:12 PM |
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lucky1007
My Princess is Here!
Member since 11/11 1131 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
I also went to Catholic school my whole life growing up in Queens. I think it comes down to which public schools and which catholic schools you are comparing.
I went to an amazing Catholic high school that offered so much and had some of the best teachers.
The one thing I always thought was good was the uniform. I always hated it growing up, but you don't have to worry about what to wear, or if your clothes are as trendy as the next. Let kids focus on what's important, not what brand sneakers their parents can afford.
It puts everyone on an even playing field IMO.
Regarding buying for a certain school district, we bought in an area we liked knowing that it has a good school district. I wouldn't buy in an area SOLELY for school district, but I would NOT buy in an area i loved if the school district was terrible. Things can definitely change, but I still think it's good to keep in mind now in the event things don't change.
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| Posted 5/31/13 5:12 PM |
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CunningOne
***
Member since 5/05 26975 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
Posted by CrankyPants
I've always thought that if you live in a "bad" school district than private school (Catholica or otherwise) makes sense. But if you live in a good school district it doesn't make sense unless the private school offers something specific that your public school id missing (i.e. religious education).
The exception might be for the really comptitive private high schoold like Chaminade, etc.
We live in a decent school district. I would definitely send my kids to public school if we had to. But I chose a private (Catholic) school for my kids for a number of reasons, and while religion was part of it, it wasn't the whole picture. Neither DH or I are overly religious, but we loved the sense of family, respect, etc.
I went to the "sister" school of Chaminade I am hoping to send my son to Chaminade or Regis HS (in the city).
Message edited 5/31/2013 9:04:53 PM.
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| Posted 5/31/13 9:04 PM |
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kerrycec03
Mom of 2 beautiful boys!!
Member since 6/06 13519 total posts
Name:
Kerry
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Re: Disagreement about catholic school
I went to Catholic school till 3rd Grade. My husband went all his life.
From my experiences (which were horrible) at Catholic school I will NEVER EVER send my children there UNLESS I'm in an extremely sub-par disctrict.
I personally (JMO) find public school creates a more well-rounded education.
While some might call Catholic schools families, I see them at extremely catty and if you don't fit their mold, they may single you out. I personally fell in this situation as a young child and will never forget this.
Once I went to public school my life changed for the better.
Message edited 6/5/2013 3:15:50 PM.
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| Posted 6/5/13 3:14 PM |
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