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:
Sending your children to an international school might make sense if you plan on being in the U.S. only for a few years.
If you are an expatriate with school age children and are in the United States for a stint of a couple years and intend to return home, then an international school is a great option for you. No sense in sending your children to a regular American public school only to have them yanked from that culture a few years hence. Educate them according to the curricula and standards to which you are accustomed. They won't have to back track and fill in the material which they missed. International schools make a point of using curricula approved by the authorities in your home country. Obviously if your home country happens to be the United Kingdom, France or Germany, you are in luck.
International schools are concentrated in major urban areas as a rule. However, you will find schools in some rather unlikely places. It is always a good idea to ask your consulate or embassy for suggestions. Most are day schools. That works well for a young family.
International schools are concentrated in major urban areas as a rule. However, you will find schools in some rather unlikely places. It is always a good idea to ask your consulate or embassy for suggestions. Most are day schools. That works well for a young family.
- Atlanta International School
- Austin International School
- Awty International School
- British American School of Charlotte
- The British International School of New York
- British School of Boston
- British School of Chicago
- British School of Houston
- British School of Washington
- Chinese American International School
- Dallas International School
- French Immersion School of Washington
- French American School of Los Angeles
- French American School of New York
- German-American International School
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While it is not a long list, movies set in private schools include several classics such as the Harry Potter series and Dead Poets Society.
What do Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Alec Baldwin, Greer Garson, Rodney Dangerfield, Sean Connery, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton and George C. Scott all have in common? They have made movies set in private schools.
There are several classic movies which are set in private schools. Aside from lovely shots of manicured campuses and grand buildings, most of these films don't represent private schools accurately. But then, that was not their intent.
For example, the Harry Potter series gives a romanticized view of life in an English boarding school. The dining hall and faculty gowns still exist in many English schools. Everything else is delightful fantasy. Goodbye Mr. Chips! is a two tissue tear jerker. Dead Poets Society always leaves a lump in your throat. School Ties shows the kind of nasty prejudice which was the norm way back when.
For example, the Harry Potter series gives a romanticized view of life in an English boarding school. The dining hall and faculty gowns still exist in many English schools. Everything else is delightful fantasy. Goodbye Mr. Chips! is a two tissue tear jerker. Dead Poets Society always leaves a lump in your throat. School Ties shows the kind of nasty prejudice which was the norm way back when.
Hollywood tends to view private schools the way media does in general. It plays private schools as bastions of privilege and wealth. Military schools are an easy backdrop for shoot 'em ups. In any case there is much more to private schools than those themes. Here are a few titles to add to your collection.
The List
The List
- Angel (1984) with Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn
- Anne of Avonlea (1987) with Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Marilyn Lightstone
- Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) with Gaspard Manesse, Raphael Fejtö, Francine Racette
- Charlie Bartlett (2007) with Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis
- Chasing Holden (2003) with DJ Qualls, Rachel Blanchard, Colin
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Got an aspiring hockey player in your family? Be sure to check out private high schools. Your daughter or son will find some excellent hockey teams as well as superb sports facilities to match. And, yes, the academics are first-rate too.
Most Canadians are absolutely crazy about their national sport. They begin playing at a very young age. Hockey rinks can be found in just about every hamlet. The Canadian climate tends to foster the sport with long, rather cold winters. Most private schools in Canada offer hockey at the intramural and varsity level. The coaching tends to be of a pretty high standard.
But what about south of the border? The expansion of the National Hockey League into southern and western states has created a whole new following. Thousands of young people suddenly want to be professional hockey players. They love the fast pace and excitement of Canada's national sport. So, if your son or daughter (yes, many coed and girls schools mount girls' hockey teams) is clamoring to go to a 'hockey' school, then, you can't do much better than some of the schools on the list below. These fine American private schools enjoy a great reputation for excellent hockey teams as well as superb academics. Who knows! Maybe your kid will end up on an NHL team.
From Head Coach Brett Riley: "A sound attitude and advanced level of skill are pre requisites for a position on the varsity team, as is the realization that a varsity sport may require a six day a week commitment. This commitment may extend into vacation periods for sports seasons. The dedication and commitment needed to conduct a successful varsity program must
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Religion is important to you. You want your children to be educated in a school where your religion matters.
Religion is important to you. You want your children to be educated in a school where your religion matters. You want them to grow up practising their religion on a daily basis, not just once a week in a church or schule. Of course, exactly how intense that religious education is going to be is entirely up to you. That is the genius of America. Religious freedom is real and alive. As a result there are religious schools to suit just about every inclination.
The Various Denominations
The Roman Catholic Church has made religious education the centerpiece of its evangelistic efforts for centuries. As a result, you have over 7,500 schools to choose from in that church alone. There are just as many Jewish schools for you to choose from. Both religions have numerous varieties and subsets of schools available. Most schools in the Roman Catholic church are run by the local dioceses and parishes. But several religious orders such as the Jesuits and Franciscans operate networks of schools across the country. There are also schools run by several sects of the Orthodox Church. Most of the Roman Catholic and Jewish schools will demand observance of their religious customs and teachings. In other words, religion is not optional in these schools.
The Protestant schools include the Christian schools, the Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians and more. These branches of the church offer thousands of schools.
The
The Protestant schools include the Christian schools, the Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians and more. These branches of the church offer thousands of schools.
The
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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.
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. While most of the information contained in these guides can be found online, the truth is that most of us do not have the time nor the expertise to do all that research involved. If you are beginning a serious search for private schools for your children, then buy one of these guidebooks. Use it as a reference tool.
Besides the cost factor, the only real disadvantage to this method of researching schools is that the information is frequently out of date.
- Applying to Private Schools in NYC
- The Manhattan Directory of Private Nursery Schools, 6th Ed.
- The Manhattan Family Guide to Private Schools and Selective Public Schools, 5th Ed.
- Private Independent Schools 2007
- The Kindergarten Wars
- The Parent's Guide to Private Schools in Hawaii: Oahu
- The Whitney Guide To Los Angeles Private Schools
- Private K-8 Schools of San Francisco & Marin
- Private High Schools of the San Francisco Bay Area
- Georgia Irvin's Guide to Schools, 2nd Edition: Metropolitan Washington
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