Private school vs public school?

How does the PSSA effect the education a student receives in a public school vs a private school where the PSSA test is not required? I am in the unique position to have one child in public school and another in private school. I can say absolutely, in the case of my family, my child who attends private school receives a better education. Not only does the private school have an excellent curriculum that revolves around the basic subjects, but they still manage to fit in real life experiences. I just came back from chaperoning my daughter's class trip to the local soup kitchen where students handed out care packages to the soup kitchen "clients". The class had done a fundraiser, bought the personal care items at a local store, bagged them, and then distributed the items at the soup kitchen. During the visit, they were required to pose questions to the director of the establishment about poverty, it's causes, and possible solutions. They were encouraged to make eye contact with the needy people and to speak with them. The children were moved by this amazing experience which could not have been duplicated in the classroom! (and certainly not tested on the PSSA test) My son, in contrast, has participated in money collection and drives for charity, but has never followed through with the delivery of the items. Standardized tests, such as the PSSA, do not allow the time for these "extra" activities. I recently heard a public school teacher say that she was thinking of sending her children to private school because many public school teachers have cut back on "hands on learning" simply because they are "too busy" with the PSSA test preparation. How sad that our children will be schooled in neither the social problems of society nor the application of concepts simply because of tests like the PSSA. Real life applications and experiences mold all of us in different ways. Our understanding of Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies improves exponentially with every true to life experience. In these matters, public schools and government should follow the private school lead. Let us liberate our public schools from the PSSA test in order to help our children to be better thinkers and allow them the chance to have "life moments" that will shape not only their future, but the future of our world.