Leadership in Private Education

The Private School Survival Guide for Teachers

If you are a teacher considering or currently working in a private school, this guide is designed to help you navigate the unique landscape of independent or parochial schools in 2025. From salary realities and recruitment practices to culture norms, workload expectations and retention strategies, the survival-kit below offers a professional, clear and practical overview—targeting educators, administrators and even informed parents who partner with teachers.

1. Understanding the Private School Landscape

Working in a private school means operating in a different environment from public education. Schools may be day or boarding, secular or religious, large or boutique. Especially in 2025, several trends are shaping this sector:

• Teachers continue to face a national shortage: roughly 1 in 8 teaching positions remain unfilled or staffed by under-certified teachers.

• Private schools are under pressure from global issues such as enrollment shifts, rising operational costs and increasing demand for transparency from parents.

• Tuition and cost pressures continue: nationally, private school tuition averages about $14,000–$15,000 per year for K-12 in many schools in 2025.

For a teacher, this means you join a sector that expects high service, adaptability and engagement—often with fewer structural protections than public schools.

2. Salary, Benefits and Job Conditions

One of the key practical considerations for any teacher is compensation. In private schools:

Inside the Daily Life of a Private School Student

Private schools are often admired for their rigorous academics, strong community values, and well-rounded student experiences. Yet for parents and prospective students, understanding what daily life looks like inside a private school is just as important as reviewing tuition, rankings, or admissions.

What is a typical day like for a private school student in 2025? While routines vary by institution, most private schools share a carefully structured balance of academics, extracurriculars, community, and downtime. This balance not only prepares students for college but also fosters resilience, leadership, and independence.

Morning Routines: Structured and Purposeful

Private school students usually start their mornings earlier than their peers in public schools. Depending on whether a school is day-only or includes boarding students, the day begins with one of the following:

• Dorm wake-up and breakfast (boarding schools): Students rise around 6:30–7:00 a.m., head to the dining hall for breakfast, and prepare for classes.

• Morning commute (day schools): Students may carpool, take school-arranged buses, or drive themselves to campus.

Most schools begin classes around 8:00 a.m., often with advisory meetings, chapel, or homeroom check-ins that center students for the day. These structured starts reinforce a sense of community and accountability.

Academic Blocks: Rigor With Flexibility

Private schools are widely known for their small class sizes and strong academic expectations. A typical class

Starting a Private School: 2025 Guide

Introduction

Starting a private school has always been both ambitious and rewarding. In 2025, the path is clearer than ever—but it is also more complex, shaped by state regulations, rising tuition, community needs, and growing expectations for technology and inclusivity. For educators, entrepreneurs, or mission-driven leaders, starting a private school requires vision, meticulous planning, and a strong understanding of today’s educational landscape.

This guide offers a step-by-step look at how to start a private school in 2025, with insights into legal structures, accreditation, funding, tuition, staffing, and sustainability.

1. Clarify Your Mission and Model

The very first step in starting a private school is defining your mission. Are you launching a Montessori-inspired early childhood center, a college-preparatory high school, or a faith-based academy? A well-defined mission not only guides your curriculum and culture but also attracts families aligned with your vision.

Your educational model—whether traditional, project-based, or a micro-school approach—should be clear from the beginning. Schools that thrive are those that can articulate not just what they teach, but why they exist.

2. Legal Structure and Regulation

Starting a private school in the U.S. requires compliance with state—not federal—law. The U.S. Department of Education provides a useful overview of state regulations for private and home schools.

Key decisions include whether your school will operate as a nonprofit 501(c)(3), a for-profit corporation, or a limited liability company. Nonprofits benefit from tax-exempt

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney. I offer this information solely to give you an idea of the kind of questions and issues you need to be discussing with professionals such as your attorney and your accountant. Finally, there are about 11,000 private schools that are not members of any private school association. You won't have to reinvent the wheel when you belong to a private school association. Hopefully, my suggestions in this article will encourage you to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and experience in these associations. ~Rob Kennedy

Chapter 1: Choosing Your School's Legal Structure

Been there. Done that. Yes, I was actually involved in starting a private school. R-E-S-P-E-C-T Academy in Nassau, The Bahamas, was the brainchild of Senator Elliston Rahming. He hired me to be his assistant principal or deputy director as the position was styled. He charged me with organizing the admissions and academic side of the operation in four months so that we could open the school in the fall of 1994.

Starting a school requires one of your earliest decisions to be its legal structure. While you excel at education, this business decision needs professional legal guidance to protect your dream. Think of legal fees as an investment in your school's future. A qualified education law attorney will help you navigate complex regulations and prevent costly mistakes that could threaten your school's survival.

Now, let's look at the

I remember the anxiety about filling seats very well, as though it were yesterday. Back in the 90s, my head of school, Dr. Elliston Rahming, had hired me to be the Deputy Director of a new private school he was starting from scratch in The Bahamas. And I do mean from scratch! The budget for our first year had to come entirely from tuition income. Period. Moreover, I was charged with ensuring the seats were filled when we opened for business in September 1995. Now, remember that back in the 90s, the Internet was in its infancy. There was no social media to trumpet the opening of our new school. We only had the local press and word of mouth.

Against that backdrop, let me pose some scenarios to heads of boarding schools, owners of boarding schools, and anybody interested in filling seats at their school.

1. My school's enrollment is declining. I can't afford to hire a marketing professional. What should I do?

Saying that you can't afford a marketing professional is like saying you can't afford insurance. It's a must-have. I understand that you are thinking that marketing is a major expense. Don't think of it that way. Think of marketing as a profit center. When the marketing professional does her job, you will see results. If your budget is really tight, I suggest that you interview a recent college marketing graduate. Your giving her a job where she can prove how good