BACK To SCHOOL

Pick A School...
Any School

Weighing the pros and cons

of public and private schools.

LISA BRODY

THE DE TR OI T J EWI SH NEW S

PHOTOS BY DANIEL LIPPITT

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

94

s many a child approaches school
age, many a parent stumbles
onto a hot debate over whether
to send his or her child to pri-
vate or public school.
For some, it is an issue of
religious education, some-
thing not addressed in
public school; for others
it is a perceived quality promised
by the price tag of private
schools, as it has to be better if
you fork over the cash for it. But
it is the price tag itself that can
drive others away.
Lori and Larry Garon of
Franklin faced this dilemma for
their sons, Andrew, 9, and
Bradley, 7, a few years ago.
At the time, they were weigh-
ing the merits of public school
versus the offerings of Hillel Day
School, the only Jewish Conser-
vative day school in the metro
area.
Although neither Larry nor

Lori had attended Hillel, they
felt it would be better for their
sons than their own religious
school experience.
Both parents worried about
the double curriculum of Hebrew
and secular studies, but decided
to go the religious school route.
"We had both grown up going
to afternoon Hebrew schools and
we wanted more than that for
the boys," Mrs. Garon said. "We
really did Hillel because of the
Jewish education. It is more sol-
id than you get from the after-
'noon schools."
But not everyone chooses to
go to a day or private school. Sey-
mour Gretchko, superintendent
of West Bloomfield Schools, em-
phasizes, "Public schools are one
of the foundations of American
democracy. Historically, they
serve an educational purpose as
well as a social purpose. When
there are problems, society turns

Erica and Jason Dovitz (above left):
Products of public school.

Andrew Garon (above right):
His parents chose Hillel.

to public schools to fix societal
problems. For example, when
drivers have more fatalities, we
increase drivers' education;
when health concerns such as
AIDS and alcoholism arise, we
teach AIDS and alcohol aware-
ness."
"We never even thought about
private schools initially," says
Sheryl Dovitz of West Bloom-
field, whose children, Erica, 8,
and Jason, almost 5, attend
Walled Lake's Pleasant Lake El-
ementary. Although concerned
about Walled Lake's inability to
pass a bond issue, Ms. Dovitz
and her husband Cliff are hap-
py with Pleasant Lake.
"I think Erica has gotten

everything she should have, that
any other school has to offer,"
says Ms. Dovitz. "I think the
teachers are very motivated and
up on the latest teaching trends.
They like to make things fun
while the children are still learn-
ing."
Adrienne and Ed Ruby of
West Bloomfield initially chose
Roeper School for Eric, 13, and
enjoyed the education during the
early elementary years. They
chose to switch to Bloomfield
Hills' West Hills Middle School
in sixth grade.
"We switched to public schools
for the socialization," Ms. Ruby
explains. "Eric always wanted
to try it, because he felt he was
missing something. He's much
happier and social."
Dale Truding, principal of
Birmingham Covington School,
a 3rd-8th-grade magnet school of
choice for students in the Birm-

