Private School Articles

• Alternative Schools
  Categorizing schools is not a neat process. But there are several educational approaches and philosophies offer some alternatives to traditional schools. Here are some pros and cons about alternative schools.
• Extracurricular Activities and Why They Are so Important
  Extracurricular activities are not an extra in a private school. They are an integral part of the program each school offers.
• 5 Factors for a Successful Private School Experience
  As you consider sending your child to private school, think about these five factors which make for a successful private school experience.
• Choosing Schools: The Safe School
  The idea behind a safe school is that you know your child will get into at least one of the schools on your short list. Let's start by reviewing the steps in the process.
• 5 Features Every Private High School Should Have
  These features are the main reason why you are considering sending your child to private high school.

Step by step guides and tips on finding the right school.

• Considering a Jewish Education
  Should you send your child to a Jewish school? We explore the issue and suggest some talking points.
• Choosing an Elementary School
  You would think it would be easier to get your child into an elementary or primary school than into a prep school. But in fact it is almost as complicated.
• Changing Schools and Moving to New Area
  Find out tips and services for changing schools and moving to new area.
• Should You Send Your Child to Private Primary or High School?
  If you had to choose when to send your child to private school, would you send her to private school for the primary grades or high school?
• Open Houses
  You must visit schools on your short list. Open houses are an efficient way to do this. More on organizing this task here.
• Small Is Good
  Private schools offer individualized attention to their students because their class sizes are generally small.
• The Value of a Private School Education
  Why pay $30,000, $40,000 or more for something which public education gives you for free? Here are five reasons why you would do so.
• Why Private School?
  Is private school right for your child? Learn about the things you should consider and the unique benefits of a private school education.

Identifying Schools

Make lists of schools which seem to fit your requirements.

• Choosing Schools: The Safe School
  The idea behind a safe school is that you know your child will get into at least one of the schools on your short list. Let's start by reviewing the steps in the process.
• Choosing A Prep School
  Here's a recap of the steps you need to follow to find the right school for your child. Work through the process in sequence from beginning to end.
• Boarding or Day School?
  Many parents agonize over sending their child to boarding school or keeping them at home and sending them to day school. A look at the pros and cons here.
• If We Did Rank Schools...
  Ranking private schools is almost impossible because it is so difficult to gather the data needed to compare statistics. If we did rank schools, this is how to do it.
• Do Ranks Matter?
  How do I know how this school compares with the others I am considering? Has anybody ranked private schools?
• When Should You Consider a Therapeutic School?
  It is a heart-stopping moment for any parent when you realize that your child needs much more help than you can give him at home and at his current school. Perhaps a therapeutic school is the answer.
• Single Sex or Coeducation?
  Sooner or later you ought to consider a single sex school as opposed to a traditional coeducational school. Why? For several reasons.
• When Should You Consider A Special Needs School?
  Dealing with the reality that your child has a learning difference can be a defining moment for many parents. So much is at stake. Special needs schools offer programs and highly trained faculty.
• Which School Is The Best For Your Child?
  It depends on your requirements. But in the end only one thing matters most anyway.

Evaluating Schools

Doing your due diligence.

• 5 Factors for a Successful Private School Experience
  As you consider sending your child to private school, think about these five factors which make for a successful private school experience.
• 5 Questions Your Consultant Can Ask and You Can't
  Use an educational consultant to ask those tough questions you are not comfortable asking.
• Checklist For Comparing Schools
  Use this checklist to help you compare schools on your short list.
• Checklist for Comparing Schools: Administration and Faculty
  Here are some of the questions to ask and things to look for when comparing schools' administration and faculty.
• Checklist for Comparing Schools - Curriculum and Instruction
  What's being taught and how it is being taught are important parts of your checklist for comparing schools on your short list.
• Evaluating and Choosing a Private School
  How should parents evaluate and choose a private school? Read about some helpful tips regarding this important decision.
• Sports Programs
  Sports are important in private schools. But they are also balanced properly by the emphasis on solid academics.
• Technology in Private Schools
  Private schools use technology to support and enhance their academic programs. Most of them have been doing this since the early 1990's.

Commonly asked questions about schools.

• What is AP?
  AP is short for the Advanced Placement Program offered by the College Board. More here.
• What Is IB?
  What is IB? IB or International Baccalaureate is a curriculum offered by the International Baccalaureate organization based in Switzerland.
• Do You Know....?
  If you know the answers to all these questions, you probably teach or work in a private school. Be that as it may, these questions contain links with the answers.

Different kinds of schools, schools in various locations, associations and directories.

• 5 Facts About Reggio Emilia
  Reggio Emilia is an approach to early childhood education which has gained popularity throughout the western world.
• Reviews: Gossip Girl and NYC Prep
  Two television series about private schools have received a certain amount of buzz recently. Gossip Girl airs on CW. NYC Prep is on Bravo.

About Schools

• 5 Features Every Private High School Should Have
  These features are the main reason why you are considering sending your child to private high school.
• 5 Things Not To Like About Private School
  What are the five things critics like the least about private schools? Start with the fact that everybody who goes to private school is rich. Or are they?
• Charter Schools and Vouchers
  Are charter schools private schools? What do vouchers have to do with private schools? Some answers here.
• Comparison of Montessori, Waldorf & Reggio Emilia
  A table comparison of the three popular early childhood education approaches.
• Private Schools Glossary
  Private schools have their own jargon just like any activity or affinity group has. Here are some of the more common terms you are likely to encounter as you explore private schools.
• What's an Independent School?
  A look at the different names and types of private schools.
• Top Roman Catholic Boarding Schools
  These Roman Catholic boarding schools offer good value, great educations and a faith-based community experience.
• What's Being Taught?
  What curricula do private schools follow? Who accredits private schools? What kind of standards prevail? More here.
• What's a private school?
  Is a private school the same as an independent school?
• Which School Do Malia and Sasha Obama Attend?
  Many famous children have attended private schools. Here is a sampling of schools and the famous folk who graced their hallowed halls.
• Why Do Private Schools Not Have To Teach To The Test?
  Private schools don't have to teach to the test because they do not accept public funds.

Associations

National, state and regional association of private schools

• National Associations
  As you research schools, check the national and state associations. Is the school you are considering a member? If not, why not?
• Regional Associations
  Some states do not have their own private school associations. Schools band together across state lines forming regional associations. These associations have the same purpose as state associations. More here.
• State Associations
  Do the schools you are researching belong to state independent school associations? If not, find out why not!

Directories

Guides and web sites with lists of schools

• Directories
  A list of directories of private and independent schools.
• Guides To Private Schools
  Do you prefer to peruse a book rather than going online to find private schools? If so, there are some excellent guides to private schools available.

Kinds of Schools

Various kinds of schools

• Schools for Gifted Children
  Teaching gifted children requires deft handling. These children need intellectual and sensory stimulation. But they also need guidance and careful nurturing so that they grow up handling their special gifts and themselves appropriately.
• Resources for Parents of Gifted Children
  As one writer puts it, "Parenting a gifted child is like living in a theme park full of thrill rides..." Fasten your seat belt and let's go for a ride.
• Alternative Schools
  Categorizing schools is not a neat process. But there are several educational approaches and philosophies offer some alternatives to traditional schools. Here are some pros and cons about alternative schools.
• 5 Facts About Montessori Schools
  Here are five facts about Montessori schools to bear in mind when exploring preschools and primary schools for your child.
• 5 Facts About Waldorf Schools
  Here are five facts about Waldorf schools to consider when choosing a private K-12 school for your child.
• Alternative Schools
  Sometimes a regular school is not the right fit for a child. Perhaps she needs an alternative school.
• Classical Christian Schools
  Classical Christian schools combine strict adherence to Christian beliefs with classical principles of education.
• Semester Schools
  A semester school allows you to experience new surroundings, new environments, different ways of life and much more.
• Hockey Schools
  Got an aspiring hockey player in your family? Many American private schools enjoy a great reputation for excellent hockey teams as well as superb academics.
• Free Schools
  There are but a few free private schools in the United States. Most of them were founded by visionary businessmen who believed that children from working class and poor families should have the same educational advantages as children from families with money.
• Progressive Schools
  Progressive schools have been around since the early 1900's. Some educators think that progressives are rebels against traditional rote learning. The progressive educators like to think of themselves as reformers. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
• 5 Clues That It Might Not Really Be Montessori School
  Of the approximately 8,000 Montessori schools in the U.S. only 1,100 schools are members of the American Montessori Society. Does this matter? What else should you look for to determine if a Montessori school is the real thing?
• International Schools
  Sending your children to an international school might make sense if you plan on being in the U.S. only for a few years.
• Lab Schools
  What is a lab school? It's a K-12 school or school with some variation of those grades which is operated by a university or college.
• Military Schools
  Military schools offer structure and discipline as well as a top-notch education.
• Montessori Schools
  Montessori schools are popular world-wide with parents of children in the primary grades.
• The Oldest Schools
  The oldest American private school is Collegiate School in Manhattan founded in 1628.
• Religious Schools
  Religion is important to you. You want your children to be educated in a school where your religion matters.
• Schools For The Arts
  Schools for the artistically gifted child are in short supply.
• The PG Year
  A PG or Post Graduate year offers time to mature and time to perfect a sport or other interests.
• Special Needs Schools
  Do you think your son has a learning disability? Not sure what to do? A special needs school might be the way to go.
• Waldorf Schools
  Waldorf schools offer a well thought out approach to K-12 education.

Locations

Schools in major cities

• Boston Area Schools
  The metropolitan Boston area offers a wide range of academic and cultural activities. Just as impressive is the area's selection of private schools.
• Litchfield County Schools
  Litchfield County, Connecticut, is home to a couple of dozen excellent schools catering to just about every need. The setting about 90 miles north of New York City is convenient to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.
• Seattle Area Schools
  The Seattle area is home to many fine private schools as well as to Microsoft and Boeing.

• Cellphones In School
  Cellphones are leading the wave of the future. Convergence is here. It is changing the way students learn and how teachers teach.
• Are You a 21st Century Teacher?
  21st century schools need 21st century teachers. Are you a 21st century teacher?
• Froebel, Montessori and Steiner: Champions of Children
  Friedrich Froebel, Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner were trail blazers in early education.
• Don't Leave Any Evidence!
  Future and current employers can find out all sorts of things about you these days. Make sure that you don't leave behind any damning electronic evidence.
• Gay Teachers
  Several prep schools have pushed the envelope of diversity by allowing committed same sex couples to live on campus in school housing.
• Interactive Learning the Harkness Way
  Students sitting in rows of desks listening to a teacher lecture? You are not likely to find this scenario in a school which uses Harkness Tables.
• What's In A Grade?
  The letter grade at one school may or may not be the same as the letter grade scheme at another school. Some answers to the inconsistencies here.
• A Teacher's Influence
  Never underestimate the influence you have on your students. You may not think that you are getting through, but you are! This little bit of fiction shows the influence teachers had on some famous people.

Humor

• How Do You Get Two Piccolos To Play In Tune?
  Musicians are passionate about their instruments. They also are sometimes not as tolerant as they should be towards other instruments and instrumentalists.
• A Candidate Should Always Renounce His Words Carefully
  Politics and civics are hard to understand. Students often confuse their facts. Malapropisms and misunderstandings abound, to the amusement and frustration of every teacher.

Teacher Training

• Becoming A Teacher Later
  Many people have successful careers only to realize that something is missing. Teaching can satisfy that missing 'something'. Explore the possibilities of becoming a teacher in your 30's, 40's and even your 50's.
• How Do You Become a Private School Teacher?
  How do you become a private school teacher? We look at internships, licensing and more.
• The Pros and Cons of Teaching Overseas
  Hundreds of private schools (and for that matter, public schools) outside the United States will be happy to have you as a teacher for a few years.
• What Is Praxis?
  Praxis is part of the teacher licensing process many states require.