Private Schools
Is a private school right for your child?
Private schools are educational institutions which do not receive federal, state or municipal funding and are therefore exempt from the statutes and directives that govern public education. This allows them to design their own curricula, allowing them to provide educational alternatives that are, in many cases, superior to what's available to public school students.
Private Versus Public Schools
Both private elementary schools and private high schools generate the lion's share of their revenue from student tuition fees. Free private schools (or private schools with low tuition costs) are exceptionally rare.
It is common knowledge that private school tuition can be quite expensive. Though private schools usually operate on a for-profit basis, their revenues are significantly higher than the budgets allotted to public schools by local, state and federal governments and private school salaries tend to be very competitive, to say the least. Thus, they are usually able to attract better faculty and provide students with better resources and equipment than public schools.
Also, because private schools are free of government-dictated curricula constraints, they have the ability to expose their students to a wider and more complete range of works, subjects and ideas. Often, private school students emerge better-prepared to face the challenges of their educational futures.
Choosing a Private School
As you research the top private schools and pour through lists of private school ratings, you'll find ones whose educational philosophies and resources line up with the opportunities you want to give your children. Make note of these schools.
If you want your children's education to align with your religious beliefs, private Christian schools balance education with dogma. If religion is not a priority for you, focus your research on non religious private schools. Also, keep in mind that private boarding schools help children foster an increased sense of independence by immersing them with their peers on a live-in basis.
Choosing a private school is never an easy task, but you can make it easier by following these five simple steps:
- Make a list of your requirements. If there are specific resources that you want a school to provide, or specific educational philosophies you want your children exposed to, this will guide your search. Compile a list of private schools that meet your requirements.
- Compare tuition costs, school resources and class sizes to whittle down your list. To keep some perspective, don't just look at private school A vs. private school B, but also public vs. private school.
- Visit each school on your final list. Talk to the school's director and the instructors who will be working with your children. Make sure you feel comfortable with them and that the school provides everything it claims to.
- Involve your children in the decision. Bring them with you on the visit, and ask them which school they liked best and would feel most comfortable attending.
- Enroll your child in the school that you mutually agree is the best fit.
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