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.
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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.
Private schools have terms and a language all their own. Similar to most affinity groups, this jargon is second nature to the insiders. Some of the terms which you will encounter have been passed down through the centuries. They come to us from England and other European countries where private or public schools, as they call them, have been around for centuries. That's why you will see words on this list which you will recognize with meanings that you weren't expecting.
Here are some of the more common terms you are likely to encounter as you explore private schools.
ADD/ADHD
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is what ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) used to be called.
Here's what WebMed has to say: "ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition with symptoms such as inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The symptoms differ from person to person. ADHD was formerly called ADD, or attention deficit disorder. Both children and adults can have ADHD, but the symptoms always begin in childhood. Adults with ADHD may have trouble managing time, being organized, setting goals, and holding down a job."
If your child exhibits any signs of ADHD, you should have him evaluated thoroughly and professionally. The syndrome is generally treatable. Several private schools specialize in teaching boys and girls with ADHD.
Crew
Crew is the ancient sport of rowing. Rowing in shells is very popular in many private schools. Crew is offered in the fall and spring. Schools participate in regional and international competitions called regattas. Events like
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Athletic programs are an integral part of private school life. They are not optional as they often are in public schools.
Athletic programs in private schools are an integral part of school life. They are not 'optional'. All students participate in some kind of athletic activity every week while school is in session. Most private schools set aside a weekday afternoon - generally Wednesday - for athletics. There are no classes. Everybody is involved in some athletic activity somewhere on campus. In boarding schools part of each Saturday is given over to sports as well. Throughout this article I have quoted from private school web sites so that you can get an idea of how private schools view competitive and recreatioal sports.
"Competitive or recreational sports at Putney are valued for fostering individual skills and strengths. Sports do not conflict with art activities, so there is no need to choose between one or the other."...The Putney School, Vermont
This is also a fundamental difference between private and public schools. I am not saying that sports in public schools are not important. It's simply that when money has to be trimmed from a public school budget it is often trimmed from the athletics budget. Why? Because the board would rather trim that expense than to lay off more teachers. It is a tough choice which most private schools don't have to make and will not make in most cases.
"The Gunnery's sports program cultivates competition and cooperation in the context of organized athletics. This is a tradition that stretches back, unbroken, to Mr. Gunn's era. A staunch advocate of physical fitness, he
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Private schools don't have to teach to the test because they do not accept public funds.
One of the most compelling arguments for private education has to do with curriculum. Because very few private schools accept public funds, they are not required to comply with federal and state rules and reguations regading what is taught. In other words, they do not have to teach to the test. George Bush's No Child Left Behind does not apply to private schools.
Private schools use a variety of curricula according to their mission and needs. For example, a Jewish day school will blend Judaic studies in with a core curriculum designed to accomplish two things: to raise observant Jews who are well-schooled in their religion as well as producing well-prepared matriculants ready for the rigors of a college education.
A Classical Christian education will emphasize traditional subjects such as rhetoric.It will also infuse every aspect of its teaching with evangelistic fire and purpose. Religion in a Classical Christian school is not an option any more than it is in a Muslim or Jewish or Roman Catholic school. All these schools can take valuable teaching time to accomplish their missionary objectives because they take no state funds. They basically can march to their own pedagalogical tune as long as their clientele is satisfied that the school is doing a good job.
What about prep schools? Religion for most prep schools is merely one more subject offering on the curriculum menu. That does not mean that religion and spiritual values are not taught.
A Classical Christian education will emphasize traditional subjects such as rhetoric.It will also infuse every aspect of its teaching with evangelistic fire and purpose. Religion in a Classical Christian school is not an option any more than it is in a Muslim or Jewish or Roman Catholic school. All these schools can take valuable teaching time to accomplish their missionary objectives because they take no state funds. They basically can march to their own pedagalogical tune as long as their clientele is satisfied that the school is doing a good job.
What about prep schools? Religion for most prep schools is merely one more subject offering on the curriculum menu. That does not mean that religion and spiritual values are not taught.
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Some schools require you to purchase a laptop as part of their book fee. Others let you bring your own computer.
Remember computer labs? Remember those couple of Apple IIe's sitting on the side of the classroom? Remember dial-up modems? Those days seem like a hundred years ago, don't they? Handheld devices have totally transformed education at every level, not just in K-12 schools. However, while handheld devices offer immediate access to information students need for their schoolwork, they also create all sorts of issues for schools. Different platforms and operating systems need to be able to communicate with each other. In other words teachers and students need to be on the same page. Add to that major challenge is the even bigger challenge of providing seamless wireless access to the internet from anywhere on campus safely and securely. Yes, hackers are everywhere, within and without the firewalls the IT staff have so carefully erected to keep data and students safe. With these points in mind you and I are going to see what's going on with technology in private K-12 schools in 2015.
I just had to include this Apple IIe commercial from the 80s. It shows how far we have come.
The many flavors of technology
Schools handle student computing in a variety of ways. Some schools require you to purchase a laptop or tablet as part of their supplies or book fees. Others supply computers for their students. Still others have computers in classrooms and libraries for their students to use. What's going on here? Can't I just go online and buy the laptop I
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What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of a for profit versus a not for profit school? Is one kind of school better than the other?
Private schools are generally set up in one of two ways: as for profit entities or not for profit (nonprofit) entities. The for profit version is typically used by either a corporation or a private individual in order to make a profit but not be eligible for contributions which are tax-deductible to the extent provided for by law. Not for profit status is what most private schools chose to organize under so that they may make money but also receive contributions which are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.
What then are the advantages and/or disadvantages of a for profit versus a not for profit school? Is one kind of school better than the other?
For Profit Schools
The way in which a for profit school is set up is to allow it to be controlled by an owner. That owner could be an individual or group of individuals as is often the case with many pre-schools and some elementary schools. Another form of ownership is a corporation. This often is a corporation owned an operated by a group of local individuals. More typically, for profit private schools are owned by a corporation which has schools in several locations. For profit schools are usually in business to make money or turn a profit. They pay taxes on those profits. Parents pay for the school's services just as though they were customers. Examples of this sort of school include Le Rosey in Switzerland, Sylvan Learning Centers, the
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What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of a for profit versus a not for profit school? Is one kind of school better than the other?
