I wouldn't say that my move from a public educational institution into a private one was a shock - it was rather the opposite, a change that is easy to get used to. After around 8 years in a a public institution, I can see the difference and it is one I feel quite ambivalent about. In the end, students are students, some have good study habits, some not and there are no guarantees, even if their parents are paying an arm and a leg.
My ambivalence is due to the apparent ease with which the government(s) pass the buck on the poor resourcing and support offered to teachers in the tough schools, where there are none of the perks, or even just the support of the time needed to do a really good job. In the end, too, part of the reason I am really comfortable with the change is related to the fact that the new place, is just around the corner from me.
I guess I have to be careful in the place where I am that I too, am not throwing around the money, or even trashing it, but that I have a greater responsibility, where I have responsibility for more, to use it wisely and with compassion for the growth of others. What a challenge this is...
