Private School Review Blog

A couple of years ago when tenure for professors began to look like a thing of the past, I remember thinking that tenure for K-12 teachers would probably be next on the chopping block. And so the rumblings which I thought I heard off in the distance were indeed the precursor of a serious storm. With that in mind let's explore the issue and try to understand what is happening with the concept of teacher tenure in the United States.

The California decision

The judge in the case certainly came down hard against teacher tenure. I am not a lawyer but it seemed to me that the root of his judicial displeasure was the way the California statutes had been written. To understand where those laws originated, you have to go back in time to the early part of the twentieth century and indeed even earlier. Back then teachers could be fired whenever a school board or administrator decided. Essentially teachers had no due process. Teacher protection in the form of tenure was a German idea which began to take hold across the United States back in the 1920s and 1930s. Tenure also curbed another abuse of the teaching profession which was interference from politicians. Teaching positions were considered patronage plums that politicians handed out.

In my opinion tenure for public K-12 teachers was a necessary protection a hundred years ago. But as with all things

1. How many private schools are there in the U.S.A.?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys private schools through its Private School Universe Survey. According to the latest data published by the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 4.7 million students attend private schools nationwide, representing about 9% of all K-12 students in the United States.

Families interested in enrollment trends and school selection may also enjoy reading Choosing the Right Private School Path: Cost, Readiness, and Fit.

2. How many boarding schools are there?

The Association of Boarding Schools reports nearly 300 member schools in the United States, Canada, and abroad. While membership numbers change slightly from year to year, the total remains just under 300 schools.

3. Which private school offers the most Advanced Placement courses?

Quite a few private schools offer more than 25 Advanced Placement courses, which is impressive considering that the College Board now offers more than 40 AP subjects.

Rather than identifying a single school as the leader, it is more accurate to say that many large college-preparatory schools offer extensive AP programs, while others have shifted toward International Baccalaureate programs, dual enrollment, capstone research, or advanced school-designed courses.

As advanced academics continue to evolve, many schools are expanding beyond AP coursework. For additional insight, see How Private Schools Teach Tech & AI Skills, Not Just Tools.

In this video, an expert answers questions about the optimal number of AP courses a student

We busy parents use to-do lists to keep ourselves organized. Honestly, I sometimes wonder how we could keep going without to-do lists. If you are thinking about private school for your child, some of these items might just be on your to-do list too.

Identify 8-10 schools we like.

This is one of the fun parts of choosing a private school. Why? Because most private schools offer video tours both on their websites and on their YouTube channels. While both websites and videos are obviously edited carefully to make the best possible impression on you, they are terrific for giving you an overview of programs and the school community.

Watch as many videos as you can. Review the academic and sports programs in detail.

By casting the net widely in the early stages of choosing a school, you can easily eliminate schools from consideration because they lack something you feel is essential for your child's education.

This video offers a look at the Forsyth School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Visit 3-5 schools this summer and early fall.

Summer and early fall are really the best times to visit schools. Summer has its advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage is that school is not in session. That means you can expect to spend some time with the admissions staff who will have more time to allocate to you than, say, in November or December. Application deadlines occur

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

The game has changed - studying is no longer relegated to just pen and paper but also to technology like mobile and online apps. Today, students can learn both in and out of the classroom better than ever before. Ubiquitous platforms for messaging, video conferencing, cloud-based collaboration, and learning management have crossed the boundary from personal tools to media that provide practical means to complete academic work. In 2026, AI-assisted learning, adaptive platforms, and digital collaboration tools have become increasingly common parts of the educational technology landscape. Private School Review's Technology in Private School Classrooms in 2026 explores these developments in more detail.

Brad Zomick, Content Manager at SkilledUp, said these changes had already become ingrained in education. Now, technology and apps are simply a way of life for matriculating students. "A virtual whiteboard is something that's becoming increasingly popular for teachers and students. You're able to access whiteboard notes from wherever you are. Textbooks, once a hallmark of high school and college students alike, are disappearing. Buying electronic textbooks is huge for students. Not only does it cut down on costs, but it saves you from carrying around a heavy backpack all day."

The tools have changed considerably since that observation was made, but the underlying shift toward digital learning has continued. In 2026, students routinely encounter learning management systems, cloud-based portfolios, interactive displays, one-to-one devices, and AI-powered educational tools. Private School Review's

I can remember those nagging thoughts we had as our children reached the toddler stage. What about pre-school? Where should we send her for kindergarten? What then? We were pretty ordinary middle-class parents. We had good jobs. We would have to sacrifice to send our daughters to private school but we felt that the sacrifices would be worth it.

Fast forward from then to now or a span of approximately forty years. One daughter is an attorney with her own practice. The other is an academic head-hunter. Both did their undergraduate work in English language and literature. Both earned graduate degrees. I remain convinced that their private school educations gave both children the solid foundation which they needed to tackle progressively more difficult academic work.

The journey started with those nagging thoughts that our children deserved the very best possible educations we could give them. Both of us had superb educations at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Our children deserved nothing less. That was our thinking. That thinking drove our decisions about private school over the next fifteen years.

This video offers an overview of Christchurch School, Christchurch, Virginia.

Here then are the ten things which mattered most to us as we made our decisions about private schools. Everything below the first item seemed to move up or down depending on the needs and requirements we had. That first item stayed fixed in the