I used to be a high school teacher many years ago. I worked in the Public School system. My personal opinion is it’s the individual school and it’s teachers and their pedagogy, whether public or private, Montessori or Waldorf, that matters.
Also, from experiences, every parent has certain things they value. Some value, as an example, Spanish Emerson, some value Christianity or another religion. So, personally, I would not get hung up on the teaching style. I would get hung up on a certain school’s mission, vision and values that are closely aligned to the values you think best suit your child’s needs.
I know many a teacher who works in the public system who challenges their students to think because that’s the schools focus. Many excellent public teachers use the exploratory model to help students develop critical thinking skills.
Maybe interview different schools and ask the hard questions on what you want as outcomes. That will help you decide which school is best regardless of teaching philosophy.
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