Many of my friends are parent's and a lot of their children are at that age in which a parent begins to think about school.

When a parent makes the decision of education for their kids. It is a tough decision, as there are so many different choices. Two main possibilities are public school, and home school. Which is better?

Homeschool
What is good and bad about home-school?

Homeschooling is good because the student will get more one on one attention with their parent/teacher. When asked about the opportunities a child gets from home-school Noel Sudano, counselor at Arvada High School responded, “The work can be fully individualized. In a classroom of 25-30 kids, it can be difficult to customize the work to each student's needs.” Another plus of homeschooling, is the pace can be set to the students need. Anastasia Abbot*, a student at Arvada High School who has also experienced an online sort of home school, said that a plus to homeschooling is, “You go at your own pace and don't have to wait for everyone else”

Homeschooling can be bad because it doesn’t prepare your kids for the social world. However when Nancy Amberlin* a student at Arvada High School who has always been public schooled was asked if he felt that he was socially prepared for life he replied, “Socially? I'm a social butterfly anyway. No matter how much school I attend, I will always be a social butterfly.” So that definitely shows that Nancy Amberlin* is well prepared for the social world. Another downside to homeschooling is the child is not always exposed to the realities of the world. Which can make it difficult for them when they are on there own. Counselor Noel Sudano, from Arvada High School said, “ Homeschool students tend to struggle with the realities of the world. I do think it is important for parents to help their kids understand things they might see or experience in a public school setting.”

Public School
What is good and bad about public school?

Public Schools provide a lot of different people to help the child succeed. “Public schools provide professionals in various roles (teachers, coaches, counselors, etc.) that can support kids in ways that a parent might not be educated about.” Said, counselor Noel Sudano. Public Schools also provide students with social interactions. Public School also helps to prepare kids for the social world. “I think public schooling has prepared me for life socially because I meet different people in school,” said Amber Watson*, a student at Arvada High School.
Public School however doesn’t always focus on a child's specific needs. When a child home schools they will get more one on one time with their teacher/ parent to target the specific needs of the student. The child can also work at a pace that works for them.

*Names have been changed for student privacy.