Why I’m a Public-School Teacher but a Private-School Parent
Last week, I observed a high-school English class on a campus without bells. The school didn’t need them: Every student showed up for class promptly, and they remained attentive until the last minute—without packing their books early or lining up at the door. San Luis Obispo Classical Academy (SLOCA) is a private school in Central California that promotes “personal character” and “love of learning,” and the tangible difference between this environment and that at the public high school in the area was stunning to me—even though I’m a veteran public-school teacher.
.. The biggest visible difference is that, at SLOCA, personal engagement is “cool.” And any interruption is going to annoy everybody—not just the teacher.
.. I am, however, concerned about the general culture at public schools—at least at the ones I’ve seen—of disengagement and compulsory learning. So when it comes to my daughter, I opt to invest a little more—to ensure she’s immersed in a community where it’s acceptable, and even admirable, to show natural enthusiasm for knowledge. I trust this particular private school, one that was created by like-minded parents, will best set her up for success.
.. “At SLOCA, the kids really want to learn, and they want to be focused,” he told me. “At [the public school], some kids don’t, and that puts a damper on things. And then the teachers unfortunately focus on [those kids].” He used the word “damper” again when I asked, hypothetically, what would happen if a SLOCA class were infused with 10 additional disengaged students. And that same word came up yet again when I asked him about ways in which public schools should handle the distracting “cool” kids who pollute classroom environments: “There’s no way to change that. You’d have to take them out of the class, but you don’t have the right to segregate them. Who gets to decide who’s putting the damper on [whom]?”