Public or Private School: Which Is Better?

I heard about the for the Beverly Hills Unified School District and its goal to raise $1 million. I breathed a sigh of relief. My kids are in private school so I don't have to worry about all that.

But then it struck me. Are my kids better off at a school costing tens of thousands of dollars per pupil? I wanted to see why parents, administrators and students alike are so passionate about Beverly Hills public schools. I decided to sign up for each school's tour. I wanted to compare private versus public with, hopefully, an unbiased journalist's eye. And furthermore, when most of the matriculating students all end up at the same high school, why is there such fierce brand loyalty to each K-8 campus? Are parents just plain insane these days? Don’t answer that one. 

Here's my report on two schools I've visited thus far:

When David Hoffman, El Rodeo's new principal, laid out the school's enrollment guidelines, I quipped, "We're going to stalk you all summer until we get in." Without missing a beat, he replied (something along the lines of) "And, yeah, I'll be waiting by the phone." Ouch. Right over the net! I like this guy. 

Then, through the tour, he seemed to already know the names of the kids. Since my gray matter has deteriorated in the name-recall department, I stood in awe. As principal, Hoffman had already transformed a public school in Redondo Beach, getting it “Distinguished School” status, and before that, he was a teacher and administrator at Beverly Hills High School.

El Rodeo has a unique geographical footprint and is in a vintage, but upgraded, building. You feel like you're in an old world government edifice the way visiting the White House feels. You can imagine some of the famous alumni traipsing through the halls. It has an urban feel, an urban setting—abutting Wilshire Boulevard—but maintains a tinge of "Old California" history.

Much of Beverly Vista was rebuilt after it was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It sits on a rectangular pad on South Elm Drive amid houses and apartment buildings. It's the only one of our four K-8 schools that's been nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School (this occurred in 2005).

Principal Irene Stern has experience and a heart of gold. She has a steel trap memory for names, facts and district anecdotes. She's like a bank statement remembering my deposits, but also, unfortunately, the withdrawals. They brought her out of retirement to come back for a few years until the BHUSD can find a replacement good enough for the school. From what I can tell, the bar is set high.

What are the differences between El Rodeo and Beverly Vista? From what I can see, it's a subjective feeling the parents get—and a loyalty to the people who make up each environment. They both have amazing art, science, music, computers, foreign languages and sports. Students get everything my kids get at private school, and in many cases more. Each school has its bragging rights, but overall, they are rated the same by parents and test scores.

What's the difference between private and public? The only difference I can see is that in private school, when you don’t like something, you complain. In public school, you do something about it, whether it be through the Parent-Teacher Association, by speaking out at board of education meetings or by joining together to raise money to improve the education of our youth—like district administrators, teachers and parents have done with the One Campaign.

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