[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I will warn you about private schools. Be careful. The older established private schools are usually excellent, but some of the newer schools are no better than many public schools. Also, not all public schools are bad. For example if you live in the Washington, DC area, the schools in Northern Virginia (Fairfax County) are excellent. Of course the DC schools are a disaster.
Another factor, sometimes the snooty private schools seem to perpetuate the "country club" frat boy/sorority girl snob superiority environment. In other words, people send their children there just because it is the school equivalent of the country club.

[summer]

not all public schools are bad.

That's true, too. And, BTW, don't think those public schools are hiring loads of new teachers. They're not.

[SoftballMominVA]

I'm in the NoVa area--in one of the outer burbs--and you are right about the schools here. We are fortunate to live in a part of the country where the madness that has gripped some schools has thankfully not landed. I think it helps that VA is a right-to-work state and the unions here are weak. In fact, there are more teachers in my school in an association that is conservative in nature than the NEA.