Why I Sent My Children to Private School

When my children were toddlers I decided that I wanted to enroll them Montessori Preschool. At the time, I had stopped working unexpectedly to stay home with our three little ones, and my husband was just starting out in his career after having served for 10 years in the Marine Corps. In other words, we were counting every penny just to put food on the table.

Our four year old son was extremely bright and energetic, and I felt that I could not give him the attention that he needed and deserved, while also caring for a newborn and a one year old. My husband, meanwhile, was travelling a lot for his job, and I had no other family where we lived, which meant a lot of single parenting.

However, after finding out what Montessori Preschool was going to cost, my husband nearly had an apoplectic fit. "We could send our son to community college for that amount of tuition," he said to me, and flatly declared his preference to spend the money on a boat. "How can you compare the education and future of our children to the value of material possessions?" I replied, and enrolled our son.

When I relayed my husband's comments to the director of the school, he told me that he heard that sentiment a lot. His response was, "When do you want to make the investment in your child's education? During his formative years, when it will set the tone for the rest of his life? Or age 18 when his study habits are formed, and it may be too late to make any difference?'

I didn't know a lot about the Montessori Method before I enrolled my son. I had heard good things about it, knew that it was alternative educational system and that it had been invented by an Italian doctor named Maria Montessori, but that was about it.

The more I learned about Montessori Education, however, the more impressed I became. Instead of trying force children to fit into pre-established molds, the Montessori Method encourages children to express their creativity and to investigate things that interest them. It also gives children plenty of opportunity to move around, which is important at the preschool age, and encourages independence. At the same time, it provides a structured learning envioronment. More importantly, however, it teaches children that they are part of a larger community, and that respect for others and kindness and compassion are just as important as academic subjects. Learning comes naturally and is a joy.

In fact, I was so impressed with the way my son developed in the Montessori system, that I enrolled both daughters as soon as they were old enough to attend preschool. And instead of pulling our kids out after preschool to attend public school, we continued to pay private school tuition for all three children. The tuition put a strain on our family budget, but in the end I believe it was well worth it.

Some of my worst public school memories involved experiences in which I learned that "might makes right", and that the teacher/principal/authority figure holds all the power. I grew up docile and acquiescing, afraid to question bosses or authority figures, even when I disagreed with their orders. As an adult, I look back and realize that I didn't get as much out of my education as I could have, had I not been so intimidated.

My children see the world differently. They have more spunk than I ever did, and are not afraid to express their opinion, yet they are all successful students. They might have done just as well academically at public schools, but I doubt that they would have developed as well socially. They learned early on "to live in peace, learn without boundaries throughout their lifetimes, find meaningful work, and discover the joy of friendships and community", and I give the Montessori Method credit for that, even my husband still doesn't have his boat.