What you would like to have in a private shool?

[Anonymous]

I have read many a thread about how parents are not satisfied with private schools for various reasons, and I am curious about what qualities parents would like to see in a private school. That is, what matters most.

My wish list is small class size (<15). NOT to be confused with low student teacher ratio.
Also, a school that follows best practices that are based on current up to date research.

Facilities run low on my list, however, I like to see natural light in classrooms, and safe playgrounds.

[Anonymous]

Fair admissions policy.
They are not wealth blind. Some get in by connections and with money. Very rarely will they risk getting rid of a problem 'power' kid.

[Anonymous]

I'd like to see more schools like Thomas Jefferson High School where it doesn't matter how much money the parent is willing to pay, it would just be about talent. I wouldn't mind paying for a school where the admissions depended on talent and potential instead of money and references.

[Anonymous]

I would like a mix of kids in terms of academic ability. They should have a cut off after testing (say 80% WPPSI), then a lottery, that is held with witnesses. Also, if one child is in, then sibs automatically get in to force even more academic diversity.

[Anonymous]

The issue would be, how should a private school differentiate itself from public. After the tuition is spent, what would we like to say we are getting that can't be had elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Tuition that begins at and never goes over $15K.

[Anonymous]

This is my idea of a private school. small classes, pk-3-12, non-religious, diverse, different foreign language options, under $10k, with successful test scores.

Check it out for yourself! And, no I don't work there....Just a parent of a soon-to-be 3 yr old who wants what every caring parent whats. Read for yourself........

http://www.newhopeacademy.org/index.html

[Anonymous]

I want a private school to post its standardized test scores, so that the prospective parents can make more informed decisions. Even if the school only goes through 8th grade, they should still post average SATs of grads.

[Anonymous]

Small, small class size, in the lowest grades especially. No homework in the very lowest grades.

Frequent field trips to nature preserves and related locations.

[jhuber]

This is a wonderful post topic, many thanks to the original poster.

During our faculty in-service this past week, we had discussion of educational quality. It strikes at the heart of the issue of school culture and comparison - how can a prospective parent differentiate between independent schools and public schools? Is it about test scores, or how well one "ranks"? (something which NAIS and AISGW have publicly spoken against). How do we (administration, faculty) communicate our quality, our differences? Ultimately, it must be about how well the school achieves its mission - and sometimes, this does not equate to easily quantifiable numbers or scores.

Some ways that prospective parents look at comparing schools:
What are the programmatic specialties - different foreign languages? enriched science & nature program?
What are the composition differences - small class size? EC-8?
What are the cultural differences - socioeconomic diversity? "family" feeling?
And, of course, cost.

Personally, I want my child to have great teachers. This transcends all. As a head of school, I know it's what the majority of the budget goes toward, and it's the reason for tuition increases - to attract and retain superior faculty. And the key difference I see between independent and public is the authority that independent school teachers have to develop and expand curriculum to best suit the school's mission and the students' needs.

Again, a great post topic. I wish everyone a wonderful start to their school year!

[Anonymous]

I would like to see real certified teachers. I have noticed that many private schools fill their staff with parents that hang around and have an interest in teaching with no real training. They start as aids, then the next thing you know, they have a whole kindergarten class!

Mr. Huber, the scrutiny of private schools is only going to ramp up as the economy worsens and bad press about private schools continue. Therefore, you all will have to differentiate yourselves. We are reading a lot, so the run of the mill "low student teacher ratio" won't cut it, we want to know about class size, and so on.
Good luck this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to see real certified teachers. I have noticed that many private schools fill their staff with parents that hang around and have an interest in teaching with no real training. They start as aids, then the next thing you know, they have a whole kindergarten class!

Mr. Huber, the scrutiny of private schools is only going to ramp up as the economy worsens and bad press about private schools continue. Therefore, you all will have to differentiate yourselves. We are reading a lot, so the run of the mill "low student teacher ratio" won't cut it, we want to know about class size, and so on.
Good luck this year.

I completely agree! One would assume that all (at least pre-school and elementary) classroom teachers have degrees in education. Not true. A few years ago my DS was scheduled to have "Mrs. Smith" for kindergarten. Her husband got a new job and they ended up moving. My DS ran into "Mrs. Smith" and assumed she was still in the teaching profession. She shared that since she didn't have a teaching degree she wasn't able to work for the public school system and was "looking for a position in a private school." Hmmm...

[Anonymous]

Lots of colleges and universities don't seem to offer degrees in education. Princeton, where I went, certainly didn't. Despite my degree in English and a law degree, I found that I had to get a master's degree in education to teach elementary school. I have benefited from some of my education classes, but probably would have benefited more from "hands-on" training as an assistant teacher for several years. Paying for another degree (and spending two-plus years doing it) is certainly a barrier to some of us who would like to enter education.

[jhuber]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to see real certified teachers. I have noticed that many private schools fill their staff with parents that hang around and have an interest in teaching with no real training. They start as aids, then the next thing you know, they have a whole kindergarten class!

Mr. Huber, the scrutiny of private schools is only going to ramp up as the economy worsens and bad press about private schools continue. Therefore, you all will have to differentiate yourselves. We are reading a lot, so the run of the mill "low student teacher ratio" won't cut it, we want to know about class size, and so on.
Good luck this year.

After graduating with a specialized degree from an Ivy league institution, I began my teaching career in an independent school without having state certification or an education degree. Later I gained state certification, thinking I would move to public schools. While some of my education courses were helpful and thought-provoking, the majority were not - lessons on test-making, bulletin-board presentation, etc.

As with the 17:32 poster, there are outstanding educators I have seen who have come to teaching in non-traditional routes, and great independent schools can take advantage of the opportunities these educators offer. Teacher certification can represent achievement and attention to the craft of teaching - but it should not be confused as a guarantee of a quality teacher. My own experience in seeking state certification is that it was a low bar to clear at best.

[Anonymous]

if it's a low bar, why don't private schools require it of their teachers?