Private School Review Blog

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

Students sitting in rows of desks listening to a teacher lecture? You will not likely find this scenario in a school that uses Harkness Tables. The brainchild of wealthy industrialist Edward Harkness, an Exeter alumnus, Harkness Tables are oval tables that seat 12-18 students together with their teacher. You cannot hide in the back of a classroom that uses Harkness Tables. That's the point. Engaged students learn. Today, Phillips Exeter Academy continues to use the Harkness approach throughout its classrooms, typically seating 12 students and one teacher around the table.

In ancient times, teaching was collaborative; think Socrates and Quintilian, but somewhere in our Victorian-Edwardian past, we got off the rails and lined children up in regimented rows of chairs and desks. Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner rebelled against this sort of regimentation. Their classrooms became what we would now call activity centers. Private School Review's Montessori and Waldorf resources continue to document these alternative educational approaches.

High school lab courses such as chemistry and physics have always been interactive and hands-on. Discussion of findings and research is encouraged in that collaborative environment. Every member of the class has an opinion and a finding. That is the idea behind the Harkness Table. Every member of the class is encouraged to be an active participant. Because eye

One of the components of a quality private school education is sports. A great many private schools offer athletic programs which rival many colleges and universities. Lest you get the wrong idea, academics are paramount in a private school experience. But private schools truly do adhere to the ancient motto mens sana in corpore sano - a healthy mind in a healthy body. Consequently even the most unathletic students in any private school community are required to do some kind of sports on a regular basis. Many boarding schools have a half day on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The afternoons are given over to athletics.

Athletics are one part of a comprehensive program most schools adopt to educate the whole child in mind, body and spirit. What do you do if your child is not athletically inclined? Don't worry. Schools are accustomed to students with just about every background you can think of. Your child will surprise you after a few weeks at school by exclaiming "Mommy! I love sprinting!" If you live within driving distance of her school, even better. You can attend games. We used to enjoy driving up to the old girls' campus of Kent School on Skiff Mountain to watch our daughter play field hockey. The toughest issue with boarding school athletics which she will encounter is which ones to select.

The intramural and varsity sports attract enthusiastic squads and are very competitive. They practice and compete in fine facilities. Check out the athletic programs

Great Organizations have Great Plans

In simplest terms, an organization undertakes strategic planning to reaffirm or modify its mission – why it exists, what its purpose is, what it now does – and to agree on its vision – what it wants to be and do in the coming years. The purpose is not to decide what should be done in the future but to decide what should be done now to make desired things happen in an uncertain future.

In short, strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future.

The real value of strategic planning in a school is more than simply the outcome of having a blueprint that guides future leadership decisions. It is a powerful and effective way to build consensus and motivate resource support and is particularly useful in defining priorities for the Board, the Head of School, and the administrative team who are charged with the implementation of the plan.

Pitfalls of Strategic Planning

How many times has your organization embarked on a strategic planning process, only to build a plan that ends up on the shelf? If your organization is like many others, it's because they have failed to avoid the major pitfalls of strategic planning. The main pitfall of planning is falling into the delusion that

This article is for the hundreds of foreign nationals who seek employment in American private schools each year. Be aware that most American private schools will hire a foreign national only if he or she has an H-1B Visa, a J-1 Visa, or a Green Card (officially known as the Permanent Resident Card).

Types of Visas Available

Let's review the types of visas available to a foreign national seeking to teach in the U.S.A.

H-1B Visas

The H-1B visa class is a viable option for primary, secondary or college teachers with the required knowledge and training, especially during times of national teacher shortages. H-1B visa offers foreign professionals the ability to work temporarily in the United States as long as they hold specialty occupations. For an H-1B visa for teachers, the exact requirements and eligibility conditions are noted below. Source: USCIS

H-1B visas are used for specialty employment situations, such as teaching and other skilled professionals. There are several ways you can navigate the labyrinth of requirements, forms, and fees required to submit your application. One way to do it is to apply yourself. This works only if you are an immigration lawyer because the rules, regulations, and application forms can be confusing for a foreign national.

H-1B visas are capped at 65,000 each fiscal year beginning on October 1. This class of visa is very competitive and uncertain. It also takes six to eight months for the entire process to play out. Only

Christian schools as a genre have been around since the 1950s. Recently, a subset of Christian schools known as classical Christian schools has become popular. This seems to have come about because standards in public education have steadily fallen. Many parents will not tolerate shoddy disciplinary standards, sloppy dress codes, violence in our schools, underachievement, and low expectations. As a result, they start their own schools.

Background

Classical Christian Schools trace their origins back to the revival of classical education in the late 20th century, particularly influenced by the works of scholars like Dorothy Sayers and Douglas Wilson. These schools seek to combine the rich heritage of classical education with a distinctly Christian worldview. The approach used in Classical Christian Schools is centered around the trivium, a three-part division of learning that includes the grammar stage, the logic stage, and the rhetoric stage. In the grammar stage, students focus on the foundational knowledge and facts of various subjects. The logic stage emphasizes critical thinking skills and logical reasoning, while the rhetoric stage focuses on effective communication and persuasive expression. Throughout all stages, the integration of Christian faith and principles is a guiding principle, with biblical teachings woven into the curriculum and classroom discussions. The goal is to cultivate students who are not only well-educated but also deeply grounded in their faith, equipped to engage with the world thoughtfully and confidently.

A classical Christian school proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It also adheres to the principles of