Why Private School
A comprehensive look at private schools and why they might be right for your child. Explore the history of private school education, weigh the pros and cons of public vs. private school, and get valuable advice on making the best choice for your child. Learn more about the various types of private schools from military to progressive and review directories from a variety of resources including private school associations and offline publications.
View the most popular articles in Why Private School:
Many famous children have attended private schools. Here is a sampling of schools and the famous folk who graced their hallowed halls.
Many famous people have attended private schools. Here is a sampling of schools and the famous folk who graced their hallowed halls.
- Ashley Hall, Charleston, SC: Alexandra Ripley, Barbara Bush, Madeleine L'Engle
- Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN: Arthur Golden
- The Brooks School, North Andover, MA: Steve Forbes
- Canisius High School, Buffalo, NY: Tim Russert
- Cardinal Hayes High School, New York, NY: George Carlin
- Choate-Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT: Glenn Close, Ivanka Trump, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jodie Foster, John Dos Passos, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Michael Douglas
- Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA: Bette Davis
- The Dwight School, New York, NY: Paris Hilton
- Emma Willard School, Troy, NY: Jane Fonda
- Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA: John McCain
- Eton College, Berkshire, England: Prince Harry, Prince William
- The Fieldston School, New York, NY: Andrew Litton
- Gulliver Preparatory, Miami, FL: Enrique Iglesias, George Prescott Bush
- Harding Academy, Nashville, TN: Reese Witherspoon
- Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA: Tori Spelling
- The Hill School, Pottstown, PA: Oliver Stone
- The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT: Archibald MacLeish
- Horace Mann School, New York, NY: Eliot Spitzer
- Kent Denver School, Englewood, CO: Madeline Albright
- Kent School, Kent, CT: Ted Danson
- Lakeside School, Seattle, WA: Bill Gates
- The Madeira School, Mclean, VA: Stockard Channing
- McCallie School, Chatanooga, TN: Ted Turner
- Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA: James Stewart
- Milton Academy, Milton, MA: Edward Kennedy
- Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
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Decades ago private schools could have been accused of being elitist. You had to have money to attend. The student populations were fairly homogeneous. Fortunately that has changed.
The answer to that questions hangs on whether you look at statistics or community. Having 10% of your student population from a certain ethnic group does not necessarily mean a diverse school community. Diversity is more than numbers and statistics. Diversity is an attitude.
Teaching children to be tolerant and accepting of people and views which are different from their own is a huge task. It requires teamwork. Parents, administration and teachers set the tone. Nothing will be accomplished without the cooperation of these three groups.
Teaching children to be tolerant means getting involved and setting the right kind of example. Getting involved is not the same as sitting on the sidelines and observing what children are saying and doing. Getting involved means addressing issues of tolerance and diversity in the home and in the classroom.
The Past
Decades ago private schools were infamous for being elitist and exclusive. If you were Jewish or if your skin color was something other than white, you probably were not going to be admitted to a private school if you even dared to apply. Fortunately that has changed. Private schools have come to understand their leadership role in creating an inclusive, accepting community of students, teachers, staff and parents. Now the push is on to heighten that understanding of others and how they live with many fine initiatives such as The Institute for Student Leaders sponsored by NAIS. Private schools are proud of their diversity which truly is fact and not just talk.
The Present
As Frank Ligtvoet wrote
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Do you think your son has a learning disability? Not sure what to do? A special needs school might be the way to go.
Perhaps you have come to this site because you have just found out that your son has dyslexia. It is a scary feeling on many levels when you find out something like that. I know. When we were living in Nassau, Bahamas, we discovered that our eldest son read on a second grade level even though he was in 7th grade. The lad had been socially promoted with one of his previous teachers ever flagging his learning disability. (Our adopted son had only come to live with us at age 12, so we had no idea that he even had a learning disability.) Our first reaction was to get him into one of the private day schools. However, since he could not read, we were referred to a special needs school run by a caring, brilliant, patient person by the name of Gail Wisdom. She spent a lot of 1 on 1 time with her handful of students. In a matter of months and with much encouragement at home, our son was reading at his grade level.
We had very few options in the Bahamas back then. But you will discover that you have plenty of education options. Perhaps you are reading this article because you have decided that your child needs the best teachers available to help her with her learning differences. She is very bright and highly motivated. That's not the issue. She just learns differently. Or maybe your child has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and is
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Sometimes a regular school is not the right fit for a child. Perhaps she needs an alternative school.
What is an alternative school? For most of us the term alternative school means a school with a non-traditional program. Its students could be 'gifted' or 'troubled' or have special learning needs.
Schools For The Gifted
Many schools for the gifted offer enrichment in academic subjects. Others specialize in the arts. Most of the students in these schools excel at their school work and in their artistic endeavors. They thrive in a school setting where they don't have to waste time on non-essential courses. The extra time gained is spent on music lessons, rehearsals and studio time.
Many schools for the gifted offer enrichment in academic subjects. Others specialize in the arts. Most of the students in these schools excel at their school work and in their artistic endeavors. They thrive in a school setting where they don't have to waste time on non-essential courses. The extra time gained is spent on music lessons, rehearsals and studio time.
Schools for Troubled Teens
Schools for troubled teens are often styled 'therapeutic' schools. Their students have been unable to succeed academically in regular schools. Perhaps discipline is a problem. Or the child has an eating disorder or is suicidal. The program at a therapeutic school tends to be highly structured so that a child learns how to cope. Some therapeutic schools deal with substance abuse issues. Children who are addicted to drugs and alcohol can find the professional help and counseling they need to change their lives. Other schools specialize in emotional growth issues.
Admission to these schools is on an 'as needed' basis. You won't have to wait until a certain date to admit your child. Some schools have minimum stays in order to ensure the effectiveness of their programs.
Schools for At Risk Teens
Several cities offer 'street schools' modeled after the highly successful Denver Street School. The Cristo del
Several cities offer 'street schools' modeled after the highly successful Denver Street School. The Cristo del
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Military schools offer structure and discipline as well as a top-notch education.
Does the term 'military school' conjure up images of a place where you send troubled young men or boys who can't keep their hands off a gun? Well, if it does, you are wrong. America's military prep schools carry on a proud tradition of academic and personal excellence which has withstood the assaults of negative media attention and changing fashions in education. Furthermore, many military schools are now co-ed reflecting the changes in the role of women in our armed forces at the national level.
A military school education embraces stucture, team work, and a solid focus on self-discipline. And they are not just for men either. Several schools are co-educational. Technology plays a major role in military schools these days, reflecting the enormous changes technology has wrought across the entire defense spectrum in America today.
A military school education embraces stucture, team work, and a solid focus on self-discipline. And they are not just for men either. Several schools are co-educational. Technology plays a major role in military schools these days, reflecting the enormous changes technology has wrought across the entire defense spectrum in America today.
Military school graduates have gone on to be our nation's leaders. They have paid the price for defending our freedom.
Proudly you gathered, rank on rank, to war
As who had heard God’s message from afar;
All you had hoped for, all you had, you gave,
To save mankind—yourselves you scorned to save.
Stanza II from O Valiant Hearts by John S. Ark-wright
- Admiral Farragut Academy
- American Military Academy
- Army and Navy Academy
- Benedictine High School
- Benedictine Military School
- Camden Military Academy
- Carson Long Military Institute
- Chamberlain-Hunt Military Academy
- Culver Military Academy
- Fishburne Military School
- Florida Air Academy
- Fork Union
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