A Private Decision: My wife and I (and our 13-year-old son) recently had to grapple with one of the more difficult decisions in education: public vs. private high schools. Although ultimately we had an enviable choice, it was a very emotionally wrenching process. Let me explain.

Our son, Jonah, a lifelong (ok, just the last eight years) public school student recently applied to high school, and we took the "wide net" approach--applying to specialized public schools, selective public high schools, and private schools.

For weeks, my wife and I played the "what if he gets into Public School x and Private School y" game until mid-February, when the hypothetical turned into reality: Jonah was accepted at his top choice public and private school.

At first, we hoped the decision would be unanimous. But it became clear that we had a split decision--two parents in favor of the private school because of class size and proximity to home and the student in favor of the public school because many of his classmates were going there.

In the end, the decision became unanimous when Jonah decided that the private school was the right choice for him. In spite of all his parental input, one of his close friends who is going to another private school persuaded him to think it through, weighing the pros and cons. It was an eye-opening experience for all three of us, and only in time will we know if it was the right decision. But for now, it feels right.

---Tom Allon