Private Schools & Wealthy African-Americans (Atlanta, Duluth: incomes, education, rated)

[CityFan]

Originally Posted by DPAT

I know this may sound bad (and I'm prepared to get flamed). But honestly, private school is just SO expensive. I'm young (25) with no children; but it would be hard for me to agree with sending my (future) children to private school. With the average tuition at these "elite" institutions running around $20k/year. Compound interest tells me that if I redirected my $20k into a savings vehicle at 6% per year for the 13 years (k-12) I would end up with apx. 400k - and thats per child . So my rationale is to send them to a good (and free!) public school and have an extra 400k per child at graduation time. This can be used towards college, their first home, etc. I know this may sound selfish. I know education is important. and I know I'm young... so maybe I just don't understand. But unless you are very very financially well off, I just don't see the point. But who knows, maybe my opinion will change by the time my wife and I have school aged children.

I agree with your analysis, but your number is off. $20,000 principal will result in $42658.5652 after having compounded for 13 years @6%. Yes, it's costly to send kids to a private school, but if you send them to a good school like Montessori for head start and they learn the right way to learn. It's a life time experience and they benefit from these in their life time. Again it all depends. Some rich people do, and some don't while some middle class families spend big portion of it to send kids to a private school.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by DPAT

I know this may sound bad (and I'm prepared to get flamed). But honestly, private school is just SO expensive. I'm young (25) with no children; but it would be hard for me to agree with sending my (future) children to private school. With the average tuition at these "elite" institutions running around $20k/year. Compound interest tells me that if I redirected my $20k into a savings vehicle at 6% per year for the 13 years (k-12) I would end up with apx. 400k - and thats per child . So my rationale is to send them to a good (and free!) public school and have an extra 400k per child at graduation time. This can be used towards college, their first home, etc. I know this may sound selfish. I know education is important. and I know I'm young... so maybe I just don't understand. But unless you are very very financially well off, I just don't see the point. But who knows, maybe my opinion will change by the time my wife and I have school aged children.

What you are seeing is very fair...and wise.

[RainyRainyDay]

CityFan, I believe DPAT was assuming 20K per year for each of the 13 years....

[DPAT]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

CityFan, I believe DPAT was assuming 20K per year for each of the 13 years....

Indeed I was, thank you.

[DPAT]

Originally Posted by aries4118

What you are seeing is very fair...and wise.

Thank you.

[CityFan]

^Sorry. My badd.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by Windu

No reasonable person would claim that one must go to private school in order to ace the SAT and go to Harvard. ...

Here are my two tests:

Given this smart kid, and this public school, is there a significant probability that he will achieve less than he should? If not, go public. If yes, go private (or go better public!).

Given this average kid, and this private school, is there a significant probability that he will achieve more than he would at this public school? If yes, go private. If not, go public.

Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb

I am the product of an appalling school system in a north Alabama rustbelt town. ...

As valedictorian of that school I did get a scholarship to a very good university. It was there that I discovered just how inadequate my "education" had been. ...

Originally Posted by CMMom

I know that this is not supposed to be a debate about private vs. public schools. I just wanted to make a point that I have seen lastminutemom make in previous threads. I think that there is a big difference in the experience a child receives at (take for example) Chamblee High School depending upon whether they are enrolled in the Gifted/Magnet program or are in the "general population." There are plenty of really bright kids in public schools who are shut out of the Gifted program for various arbitrary reasons. Maybe their cognitive and academic scores qualify, but they didn't meet criteria for the "creativity" component (I still don't get how they measure that, but whatever).

If I was a parent of a kid in that situation, I would probably also consider private school as opposed to the non-gifted curriculum at the public school.

I just want to say that despite my vigorous defense of public education, I think all of the above posters make very good points.

I am in the fortunate position of having a child who has been readily recognized as "gifted" by the public system, and who has accordingly been well served by some of the metro area's better public schools. Therefore, I do spring to the defense of public education when I perceive posts stating or implying that a public school education is inevitably second-rate, and a parent who truly values education would always seek a private school for their child, even at the cost of much financial sacrifice. It seems to me that some people do hold such views, and I just don't agree.

However, on the other hand, as Roslyn so painfully experienced, certainly some public schools are abysmal. And while my kid is being well treated by the system, as CMMom points out, other kids get overlooked and underserved, and that situation may demand parental action. As Windu says, the rational thing to do is to evaluate the prospects for each individual child.

However, Windu, judging from some posts, I actually think it may come as a surprise to some that there real instances of metro Atlanta public school graduates acing the SAT and going on to Harvard.

[DPAT]

Originally Posted by CityFan

^Sorry. My badd.

No problem.

[Tdiddy0027]

does Henry have any wealthy african americans? what are its demographics these days?

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Tdiddy0027

does Henry have any wealthy african americans? what are its demographics these days?

North Henry County, also known as Fairview is an emerging/popular area for middle-class/affluent African-Americans.


There was even small talk a little while back of incorporating Fairview...a movement initiated by the emerging affluent black population there.