Are Private Schools Right For Your Kids?
By Ray La Foy
No one can tell you whats right for your children and whats not. You know them better than anyone else possibly can. With that said, however, when it comes to knowing if a private school is the right environment for your child, the task is anything but easy. This will, or at least should, involve very careful consideration as both and public ones can offer big benefits and some downfalls, too.
Making the choice between and public ones is a personal choice, but its also one that can be quite costly. Even if money isnt an issue, its a good idea to look at some of the pros and cons of both private and public schools before proceeding.
Private schools offer a number of benefits that public schools simply cannot, but they do come with a price that extends beyond the finances.
Lets take a look at the pros and cons:
Pros: * The student to teacher ratio at tends to be much lower. This is great for youngsters who need more one-on-one time.
* Private schools tend to do very well in the areas they specialize in. Since consumers are the driving force behind these schools, the courses are sometimes well beyond what can be offered in a public arena. They tend to also offer specialized learning, such as religion, music or so on, too.
* More specialized programs for fast learners and even those who need extra help. Here and again, these schools can be better equipped to deal with all sorts of educational issues that might crop up.
* Can assist with college entry. Depending on the schools involved, good grades and other factors, college entry can be a breeze.
* Wonderful for learners who specialize in a certain area of learning. There are to cater to just about everything. If a youngster is particularly gifted in music, there are schools that can help foster this passion. Public schools offer music, but they cant generally boast tailored instruction.
Cons: * Skewed perspective. Since dont always offer a cross section of society, youngsters might be ill equipped to deal with the 'real world' when they get out. This side effect of private schooling can be offset by parents and programs that expose youngsters to people from all walks of life.
* Cost. This is perhaps the biggest prohibitive factor that makes people think twice. The better ones cost - a lot.
* Environment. Sometimes the more rigid environment in some schools make them uncomfortable for certain youngsters to learn in.
Public schools offer their own set of pros and cons. Keep in mind when deciding whats right and whats wrong for your child and your situation that both types of schools can graduate highly educated pupils. Very often, its what a child and his or her family puts into the education that counts. Dont let peer pressure make your decision for you. Take cues from your own judgment and how your child reacts to the different environments to guide you in your decision to go for a private school versus a public school or vice versa.
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Looking for a Private School Teaching Job?
<p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/privateschool/1/9/c/6/dv1940077.jpg" alt="Teacher Standing by a Map of the USA in a Classroom" /></p>
<p>Looking to teach in an independent school? Cornelia Iredell, who runs Independent School Placement with her husband Jim, offers <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu= http://privateschool.about.com/od/employment/a/Advice-About-Finding-A-Private-School-Teaching-Job.htm"> advice about how new teachers can get their foot in the door </a> and explains what independent schools are looking for in their new hires. Even in this difficult economy, it's possible for recent graduates to get teaching experience and for mid-career professionals to transition into working in independent schools.</p>
<p><em>Photo: Digital Vision/Getty Images </em></p><p style="background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;"><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/02/looking-for-a-private-school-teaching-job.htm">Looking for a Private School Teaching Job?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/">About.com Private Schools</a> on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 08:11:06.</p><p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/02/looking-for-a-private-school-teaching-job.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/02/looking-for-a-private-school-teaching-job.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://privateschool.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/02/looking-for-a-private-school-teaching-job.htm&zItl=Looking for a Private School Teaching Job?">Email this</a></p>
The History of African-Americans at Early Independent Schools
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<p>February is African-American History Month, and, in addition to reflecting on the subject during the rest of the year, it's the time to think about the valiant struggle of African-American students to gain access to high-quality education. Long before the 1954 landmark <em>Brown v. Board of Education </em> case in which the Supreme Court declared that "separate but equal" education was inherently unequal, African-American students were trying to access college-preparatory education and there were schools that dared to have integrated student bodies. Though some these schools have now largely been forgotten, they were critical in educating African-American leaders. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/od/issues/a/The-History-Of-African-American-Students-At-Private-Schools.htm">Read more about the history of African-American students at early independent schools.</a></p>
<p><em>Photo: Civil Rights march, c. 1963/Buyenlarge, Getty Images </em></p>
<p><a href="http://privateschool.about.com/od/issues/a/The-History-Of-African-American-Students-At-Private-Schools.htm"></a></p><p style="background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;"><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/01/the-history-of-african-americans-at-early-independent-schools.htm">The History of African-Americans at Early Independent Schools</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/">About.com Private Schools</a> on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 08:30:17.</p><p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/01/the-history-of-african-americans-at-early-independent-schools.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/01/the-history-of-african-americans-at-early-independent-schools.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://privateschool.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/02/01/the-history-of-african-americans-at-early-independent-schools.htm&zItl=The History of African-Americans at Early Independent Schools">Email this</a></p>
How to Change from One Private School to Another
<p>Sometimes, the school you chose for your child when she was younger simply isn't working for her anymore. She may find herself falling behind academically or socially, or she may want to cultivate a new interest. Don't be afraid to look for a new school that's a better fit for the young adult she is becoming. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/od/secondaryschools/a/Changing-From-One-Private-School-To-Another.htm">Here are some strategies to ease your child and your family into the process of finding a new school.</a></p>
<p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/privateschool/1/9/h/9/student-holding-papers-.jpg" alt="admittted" /><em>Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images</em></p><p style="background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;"><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/23/how-to-change-private-schools.htm">How to Change from One Private School to Another</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/">About.com Private Schools</a> on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 19:57:49.</p><p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/23/how-to-change-private-schools.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/23/how-to-change-private-schools.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://privateschool.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/23/how-to-change-private-schools.htm&zItl=How to Change from One Private School to Another">Email this</a></p>
The Best Schools for Children with Asperger's Syndrome
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<p>Finding the right school for a child with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism can be difficult. Students with Asperger's often have an area of strength, such as math or history, while they struggle with social and communication skills. The right school has to offer the child accommodations and help working with his or her areas of weakness while still fostering the child's areas of strength. Fortunately, more and more special education and mainstream schools are able to understand and nurture this type of complicated student, as the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's grows in the United States each year. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/od/schoolsneeds1/a/The-Best-Kinds-Of-Schools-For-Child-With-Aspergers-Syndrome.htm">Here are some strategies to place a child with Asperger's Syndrome or with high-functioning autism.</a></p>
<p><em>Photo: Carlos Davila/Getty Images</em></p><p style="background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;"><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/18/the-best-schools-for-children-with-aspergers-syndrome.htm">The Best Schools for Children with Asperger's Syndrome</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/">About.com Private Schools</a> on Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 at 09:25:08.</p><p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/18/the-best-schools-for-children-with-aspergers-syndrome.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/18/the-best-schools-for-children-with-aspergers-syndrome.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://privateschool.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/18/the-best-schools-for-children-with-aspergers-syndrome.htm&zItl=The Best Schools for Children with Asperger's Syndrome">Email this</a></p>
The New Teachers' Pets
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<p>The new teachers' pets may just be actual animals. Research shows that children who have pets in the classroom learn better. They are more relaxed, and their rates of attendance and good behavior skyrocket. While public schools are allowed only to have small animals such as hamsters in the classroom, private schools often have the luxury to have large animals such as dogs gracing their campus. In fact, some private schools have such popular pooches that the animals have become mascots, and the privilege of their presence in the classroom has inspired hefty bids at school fundraising auctions. Pets promise particular benefits for children in special education classes and those with behavior issues. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/od/schoollife/a/The-New-Teachers-Pets.htm">Learn more about how pets help children learn.</a></p>
<p><em>Photo: Lambert/Getty Images</em></p><p style="background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;"><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/17/the-new-teachers-pets.htm">The New Teachers' Pets</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/">About.com Private Schools</a> on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 08:37:14.</p><p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/17/the-new-teachers-pets.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/17/the-new-teachers-pets.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://privateschool.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/17/the-new-teachers-pets.htm&zItl=The New Teachers' Pets">Email this</a></p>
Play Helps Pre-Schoolers Learn
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<p>Schools across the country, private and public, are sacrificing pre-schoolers' time on the playground in favor of direct instruction in the belief that this type of formal lesson will create serious students down the road. Now, experts have proven this type of thinking wrong. They've shown instead that pre-schoolers learn a great deal from "just playing" and that children who aren't allowed to play run the risk of being worse students and thinkers in later years. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/od/primarygrades/a/The-Importance-Of-Play-In-Pre-School.htm ">Learn more about the importance of play in pre-school.</a></p>
<p><em>Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images</em></p><p style="background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;"><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/11/play-helps-pre-schoolers-learn.htm">Play Helps Pre-Schoolers Learn</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/">About.com Private Schools</a> on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 08:15:52.</p><p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/11/play-helps-pre-schoolers-learn.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/11/play-helps-pre-schoolers-learn.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://privateschool.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://privateschool.about.com/b/2012/01/11/play-helps-pre-schoolers-learn.htm&zItl=Play Helps Pre-Schoolers Learn">Email this</a></p>
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