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:

Teaching Girls

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Teaching Girls
Aren't girls more likely to succeed in a coeducational setting? Are there advantages to educating girls in a single sex setting? We look at some answers.

Why would anybody want to teach girls in a single sex setting? Aren't girls' schools quaint and out of touch? Aren't girls more likely to succeed in a coeducational setting? Are there advantages to educating girls in a single sex setting?

The answers to these and similar questions are varied, contradictory and subjective. Furthermore, the amount of research into girls' education is fairly limited. With those caveats in place let's explore some sources and resources for those special corners of the education world which are girls' schools.

Organizations which promote girls' schools

A good starting point for our exploration of girls' schools is the National coalition of Girls' Schools. Just like the International Boys' Schools Coalition is one of the major umbrella organizations for boys' schools, so the National Coalition of Girls' Schools is one of the major umbrella organizations for girls' schools around the globe.

The NCGS champions girls' schools. And it champions them better and more vigorously than any other organization I know. The NCGS encourages research on the education of girls. It offers an Advanced Professional Certificate in Girls’ Education. "This unique blended learning program, which includes a separate track for STEM and for humanities faculty, helps teachers gain the expertise needed to forge a contemporary approach to teaching girls. It is intended for girls’ school educators who have distinguished themselves in classroom teaching and learning and wish to both learn from experts in the girls’ school community and connect

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The Private School Advantage: The Top Reasons To Send a Child To Private School

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The Private School Advantage: The Top Reasons To Send a Child To Private School
Thinking about sending your child to private school? Here are my four top reasons for doing that.

Thinking about sending your child to private school? There are many reasons why you should consider sending your child to private school. What is important as you begin this process is not to reinvent the wheel. Most of us parents have had the same concerns as you are having about your child's education. We all want our children to receive the very best education possible so that they are positioned for success in later life.

Start by writing down all the reasons which you can think of for wanting to give your child a private school education. Then compare them with my four top reasons for doing that.

1. You want your child to receive specialized instruction from well-qualified instructors.

For example, perhaps she has special needs. You can certainly arrange for your local public school to develop an IEP or Individualized Education Program for your child. This is mandated by a federal law known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. While your child's needs will certainly be identified and a program of instruction devised for her, you would be wise to explore the options a specialized private school offers. Why? Depending on your area's public school district, resources are often spread very thin. When you send your child to a private school for special needs, she will be taught by credentialled, highly skilled teachers and paraprofessionals throughout the school day. The small class in this photo says it all.

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The Private School Advantage: Benefits Specific to the Student

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The Private School Advantage: Benefits Specific to the Student
What are the benefits specific to students in attending private school?

This is the first of three articles addressing the advantages of sending your child to private school. Private schools offer several advantages specific to students, of which you, as a parent, need to be aware. Here are three of them.

1. Your child will build a network of friends that she will have for life.

Some may wonder why I would put this benefit for students at the top of my list. That's because I sincerely believe networking is the key to success in almost everything. Because most private schools are relatively small communities - the typical private high school is about 350 students - your child will have a perfect chance of getting to know almost everybody in the school community, especially her classmates. While your child may come from an entirely different background, perhaps even country, from her classmates, she will get to know everybody in the classroom, on the playing field, and on the stage. With social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, and LinkedIn providing instantaneous communications, it is relatively easy to keep that high school network of friends going after she graduates.

This close-knit network of friends from school will help open doors for years after she graduates. The bonds of friendship developed in private school are an essential advantage for a private school student as she begins her career.

Private schools can build team spirit and school pride because everybody is on the same page. Remember: you chose the school, and

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The Private School Advantage: Benefits Specific to Parents

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The Private School Advantage: Benefits Specific to Parents
What are the benefits specific to parents of sending your child to private school?

I am often asked what benefits there are for parents when they send their children to private school. The quintessential "What's in it for me?" is a legitimate question. After all you are thinking about sending your baby off to a school where you are being told she will work hard, learn how to get along with others and be involved in all kinds of activities. And it is going to cost you a small fortune to boot.

Your concerns are well-founded. So against that backdrop let's examine what I personally consider to be the three main benefits for us parents of sending our children to private school. Lest you think that I am speculating or theorizing, all four of our children went to private school. All grades too. Nursery school. Elementary school. Middle School and high school. So I speak from my own experience as a private school parent.

1. Knowing that your child will receive a comprehensive education: academics, sports and extracurricular activities.

Private schools educate the whole child. Educating the whole child requires an integrated program of academic studies, athletics and extracurricular activities. Essentially a private school is going to pick up where you left off when you sent her to school.

You have invested some serious time raising your child. Remember how you did it? Always a variety of activities. Always encouraging your child to do things she didn't

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Teaching Boys

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Teaching Boys
Why teach boys in a single sex setting? The answer to this question and several others here.

Why teach boys in a single-sex setting? Aren't boys' schools archaic and out of touch? Aren't boys more likely to succeed in a coeducational setting? What are the advantages of educating boys in a single-sex setting? The answers to these questions and many more are contradictory and subjective. Furthermore, the amount of research into boys' education is fairly limited. With those caveats in place, let's explore some sources and resources for the special corners of the education world: boys' schools.

The research

A good starting point for exploring boys' schools is the IBSC. Just like the National Coalition of Girls' Schools is one of the major umbrella organizations for girls' schools. Hence, the International Boys' Schools Coalition is one of the major umbrella organizations for boys' schools around the globe. It champions boys' schools. It encourages research on the education of boys. The IBSC terms its research papers Action Research Projects. Papers such as Teaching Boys at the Coal Face: Mining Key Pedagogical Approaches, Ready, Willing, and Able: Boys and Writing, Volumes I & II, Journeys into Masculinity, Positive Relationships, Positive Learning, Boys and Digital Literacy and Boys and Reading give you and me valuable insights into teaching boys. As you read these papers, you begin to realize that the secret to boys' schools is that they are appropriate for many young men. Not all young men. But many. Boys' schools offer an approach to learning and character building without most of the distractions inherent

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Recent Articles

Filling Your Seats
Filling Your Seats
This article provides valuable insights for marketing staff at small private schools, focusing on strategies to boost enrollment and retention. It addresses common challenges such as budget constraints, resistance to change, and the need for both short-term and long-term planning. With expert advice and real-world examples, this guide is essential for any school looking to thrive in a competitive educational landscape.
Early Childhood Education: Which Approach to Choose?
July 31, 2024
Early Childhood Education: Which Approach to Choose?
Explore the world of early childhood education with our comprehensive guide to Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia approaches. Learn the key principles, benefits, and practical considerations of each method to make an informed decision for your 2-3 year old's educational journey.
Your 10-Step Guide to Choosing a Private School
July 29, 2024
Your 10-Step Guide to Choosing a Private School
Selecting the best private school for your child is a significant decision that requires careful consideration and research. Our "10 Step Guide for Choosing a Private School" provides a detailed roadmap to help parents navigate this complex process. This guide covers everything from assessing your child's unique needs and researching potential schools to evaluating academic programs and exploring financial aid options. Whether you're looking for a school that offers PK-12 or just high school grades, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make the best choice for your child's education.

Why Private School

ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOLS
An in depth look at private schools, including history, a comparison to public education, and a glimpse of what's being taught. Learn about the benefits of attending private school, to both students and parents. Explore private schools options when living abroad, and debunk many of the myths regarding private school education.
KINDS OF SCHOOLS
Private schools are just as varied as public schools. From Catholic to progressive, military to special needs, private schools offer a lot of options. Take a comprehensive look into the many types of private schools, weigh the pros and cons of each, and get helpful tips on choosing one that works best for your child.
SCHOOL LIFE
Get a glimpse of private school life. Here you'll find a survival guide for parents, brush up on terms and jargon, and learn why extracurricular activities are so important.
DIRECTORIES
We offer several directories to aid in your choice of a private school. Included are quick links to national, regional and state associations, a list of offline resources to aid in our decision, and local school directories for several metropolitan areas.