Putting daughter in Public school b/c can't afford tuition

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling

1 2 3 4 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 11:06 am

My daughter will be going to Public school in September b/c we can't afford the yeshivah tuition. She is going into 2nd grade and I'm not sure how to tell her this. Any ideas?

I'm also looking for ways to supplement her limudei kodesh subjects. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them. I will probably hire one of the 2nd grade teachers to work with her a couple of times a week. If anyone is in this situation, I'd love to hear how you have navigated through this. Thanks so much!

marina

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 11:17 am

Did you tell the school you plan to do this because of tuition?

Happy18

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 11:21 am

marina wrote:

Did you tell the school you plan to do this because of tuition?

I'm wondering the same thing. I feel like most frum schools go out of their way to avoid this type of situation. If your school isn't being helpful is there another school in the area you could contact? Have you discussed this with your shul rabbi?

ROFL

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 11:25 am

Where are you located? Maybe someone knows an orginazation that will help keep kids out of public school. There used be one many years ago in ny don't remember the name of it now

kiryat sefer

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 11:27 am

Depends where u live. Like in great neck the whole public school is jewish tehrani community. But in like other areas u might eat your hat later on. What about shalsheles in brooklyn? They can work with u.

GetReal

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 1:07 pm

OP sorry you feel you have to do this Sad

Look into room613.net and jewishonlineschool.com

amother

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 1:51 pm

We live in nj. The school knows that we plan on doing this. With the tuition break, tuition for my children would be $42,000 a yea in total. That is with the break! She is the only 1 we'd put in public school. We've done all we can. Begged, pleaded and spoke to shul rabbi. There doesn't seem to be another option. I am still trying to come to terms with this. How can a school turn a child away from a Jewish education due to financial hardship? We owe money and can't get deeper in debt. Shalom bayis and our mental health counts too.we will still be just as frum as we always have been...we are in an excellent public school district. I just can't believe that it has come to this. Is there any organization that will step in? I just need toentally become OK with this BC really there doesn't seem to be another option here.

amother

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 3:24 pm

FWIW, my sin just graduated from an excellent PS near Lakewood
In tenth grade he was forced to go there
Now he is way more educated in English science and learning than most of his former classmates in Lakewood
Would you believe my husband learns without pay with my neighbors son on Shabbos
He is 11 and in the cheder
This boy doesn't know what priority or sieze or lien mean
He can't even read and translate a Rav on mishnayos

sequoia

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 3:27 pm

OP if you're in a good PS district, don't worry so much. See how it plays out.

amother

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 4:40 pm

there are many workbooks you can buy. chinuch.org has some great resources.

I do something similar since there is no frum school where I live. Its hard. Please try and put her back into yeshiva by 5th or 6th grade at least.

If you can get her class teacher to teach her privately and give you homework to do with her the other days that is an excellent way to keep her up to speed.

Also, really work at creating playdates with her yeshiva friends.

SRS

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 4:41 pm

amother wrote:

I am still trying to come to terms with this. How can a school turn a child away from a Jewish education due to financial hardship? We owe money and can't get deeper in debt. Shalom bayis and our mental health counts too.

Know that you are not alone in the inability to afford what your school is asking of you and understand from the end of Jewish schools that it is years and years of working themselves into a place where the asking price is enormously high that their only real option is squeezing harder. They are squeezing you because you are left to squeeze. They have no good options and neither do you. If they don't squeeze you, they squeeze someone else. And our schools as a whole went down the path of putting more and more of the bill on fewer and fewer people. Years ago day school was more affordable, albeit a sacrifice, and parents that were marginal in their commitment could send to school and add to the population and the financial base of the schools. Those parents are gone, and schools are working from a pool of parents that are highly committed to the ideal, but mostly lack the funds and the only ideas that are coming from the establishment are mostly about imaginary pie in the sky funding like vouchers, large donors, and Pesach vacationers footing the bill. So in the real world, they can talk the talk of not turning anyone away, but it is becoming harder and harder to walk the walk because ultimately, someone has to pay.

Sherri

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 5:02 pm

amother wrote:

(Does the average 11-year old kid know the definition to the word "lien"?)

amother

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 6:52 pm

My son also goes to PS because of financial difficulties. He was scared at first and so was I, because I didn't know what to expect. Turns out a third of his class are jewish kids, the education he is getting is great, the teacher is very understanding and sensitive to kashrut and chaguim, the other kids get along with him fine, it's been really great actually. Plus, we don't have to worry about tuition, we don't have to depend on anyone to help us with his education.
For kodesh and Hebrew we mostly make up our own activities, we get some ideas from chinuch.org, jewish homeschooling websites.

naturalmom5

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 6:58 pm

Sherri wrote:

(Does the average 11-year old kid know the definition to the word "lien"?)

Why not ?
It's used in the art scroll mishnayos Smile

MaBelleVie

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 7:24 pm

Are you sure there are no homeschooling groups you can join locally? The cost is generally vastly cheaper than yeshiva tuition. I'm sorry you're in this situation Sad

Ashrei

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 7:34 pm

SRS wrote:

SRS, your post was so confusing but interesting at the same time. You seem to know a lot about this and 1. I'm genuinely interested to learn how the Jewish schools have worked themselves into a place where the asking price is so high.
2. What is the path of putting more and moreof the bill on fewer and fewer people?
3. When you say "Those parents are gone," you mean most parents are paying nothing at all?

Maybe you can PM me or we can start another thread. As a family who often feels 'squeezed,' I'd like to learn more about this, and also how a school can avoid falling into this trap...

FranticFrummie

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 7:49 pm

I think a lot of this is because of the disappearing middle class. There are the few wealthy families that pay full tuition, and more and more families that can't make ends meet.

I know many people who made Aliyah simply because they couldn't afford tuition and health care for their kids. They fell between the gaps where they made too much money to qualify for Medicare and tuition assistance, but not enough to make sure the rent got paid. It's something to consider (that's what I'm doing.)

DD went to a public school from 2nd to 5th grade, and the vast majority of the school was Somalian Muslims. In a way it was a blessing, because she saw girls dressing modestly and being proud of their religion. It actually helped cement her own religious identity and made her stronger.

amother

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 8:27 pm

Doesn't Oorah help children who are in public schools go to yeshiva?

reportrmom

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 8:37 pm

amother wrote:

Doesn't Oorah help children who are in public schools go to yeshiva?

from my understanding they don't help kids from frum families who have already been in yeshiva because then the requests would have no end and there is no way for them to cover that.

Dalia

Sun, Jul 06 2014, 8:42 pm

how about Nechomas Yisroel? Do they only help in NY?

Page 1 of 4

1 2 3 4 Next