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Public school or private school
What's best for your child KidsBoston magazine, February, 2004 |
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Public Schools
By Peter Haley At the start of the 20th century, the great universities of America were filled in large part by children of privilege who attended elite private boarding schools. Entering freshman could expect to be surrounded by classmates from Andover, Exeter, St. Paul's, Deerfield, Hotchkiss or Choate.
During that century, however, the great colleges and universities made substantial efforts to transform themselves from institutions of social hegemony to meritocracies. They used the scholastic achievement test, the SAT. These efforts were initiated in large part by Harvard President James Conant and aided by the explosion of public education and the liberal use of financial aid. Custodians of the most exclusive educational institutions developed a tool to promote admission of students from less-privileged backgrounds. By definition, this excluded a larger percentage of private-school students whose ancestors built and supported these schools. The effort was an extraordinary success and did much to transform the U.S. from a closed society of class and privilege to a more-open society of merit and achievement. But at the start of the 21st century we are in many ways headed backward. Crisis The country's public-education system is in crisis. Cleveland, a major American city, graduates only 28% of its students. Nationwide, the graduation rate for African American students is only 56%. The graduation rate for all public school students is 72% and by one measure only 32% of them are qualified for four-year colleges. In our neighborhoods close to Boston, some communities with long traditions of excellence in public education are inhabited with parents whose greatest goal for their children is to avoid the local public school. Ushered They usher children from school interview to school interview. At each stop they are offered brochures with pictures of gleaming facilities, small classes and invariably a list of attributes under the heading, Why Suburban Country Day? For many parents, the choice is financial. The money necessary to send children to private school is prohibitive and they leave their children in public school. For some, though, cost is not a prohibitive factor. Yet they still make use of public education. Why? Why public education? As noted above, there should be no doubt that any student who excels in a public high school and in standardized testing will have access to the same post-secondary choices as any private school student. Will the classes be larger? In general, yes. Will students have a very wide range of abilities? Almost certainly. Will academic excellence require greater effort from the student? Probably. Co-conspirators The diversity of the student body and the greater effort necessary for academic achievement, should not be viewed solely in the negative. We are all co-conspirators in raising the self-esteem generation. We avoid scores in games, praise the slightest effort and continually voice support and encouragement, no matter the level of achievement.Variety One must learn to deal with a variety of people. Succeeding requires personal resolve and self motivation. Frequently, failure to develop these qualities early becomes a life-long handicap. No one gets "lost" in a private school, everyone knows your name. In a public school you are responsible for not getting "lost"; it is a good and necessary lesson. There is a wonderful and no doubt apocryphal story of Joseph Kennedy explaining the brief exposure of his children to public education. It was, he said, important for every affluent child to get knocked on his can once or twice by the plumber's son. It is the central message of the public school; we take you as you are and we don't care who you are. In the public-school classroom or on the field, the only thing that counts is how you do. It is a wonderful lesson and the heart of our country. Public school is the last public institution. With the advent of the volunteer army, public high school is the last common, communal experience. When your child is asked where he or she grew up, what will they say? The pool club, Suburban Country Day? What is the lesson we impart to our children when we abandon our public schools? That you are better, different, more important? I don't trust you to succeed in a larger group, because it's not as easy? Poor lessons all. Why public education? Why not. © 2004, Peter Haley. The author is an attorney in Boston and former head of the Winchester School Committee. |
Private
schools
By William D. Wharton A visit to a half-dozen independent schools
would reveal Hollywood's standard portrayal of private schools
— ivy-clad places where snotty rich kids in blazers torment good-hearted
scholarship students — to be as dated and unrepresentative as
the parochial-school stereotype of ruler-wielding nuns terrifying
students with promises of hellfire.
Full spectrum Independent schools, in part because they are self-governing, reflect the full spectrum of current approaches to education, from traditional to alternative, and offer families a rich variety of personalities and programs. Many independent schools tout their high-powered academic programs. Others shine in the visual or performing arts, and some offer programs for students seeking a religiously based education, instruction in a foreign language, or specialized approaches because of learning differences. Single-sex or co-ed, boarding or day, they come in all sizes and are found in cities, suburbs, and rural settings. Commonwealth School in Boston is a small (145 boys and girls) day school. It attracts students who seek exciting college-level studies in a close academic community, outstanding programs in the arts, and the opportunity to pursue community service and internships in the city. Diverse Besides reflecting considerable diversity as institutions, independent schools work to attract diverse student bodies. Independent schools reach out to all communities, using financial aid programs to increase accessibility to families who cannot afford their tuitions - nearly one-third of the students at Commonwealth receive financial aid. Financial help Contrary to what many think, schools use financial aid not only to attract poor students in need of full scholarships, but also to draw students whose families could afford some portion of tuition and fees. Admission At the same time, admission is selective. Each school has an application process that aims to ensure that the students it admits are well matched to the programs and mission of the school. The results are interesting and motivated groups of students who together create communities where learning is valued. Small classes Most independent schools can boast of small class sizes (Commonwealth's average is 11) and talented, devoted teachers attracted by the opportunity to work closely with students in an environment that values learning, free from concerns about discipline. Teachers also enjoy working in independent schools because, on the whole, they enjoy greater freedom to shape their courses - not constrained by district-wide curriculum decisions. Character matters While some schools may feel more formal, and some relaxed and unstructured, independent schools are communities where character and ethics matter. For some, these values are rooted in religion. For others, in traditions that emphasize honesty, civility, and self-discipline. Learning responsibility Most students are encouraged or required to participate in sports, extracurricular activities, and community service, and so must learn responsibility to meet the demands of coursework and other commitments. The greater Boston area is home to more than fifty independent schools. Parents here have a unique opportunity to find a school that matches their children's interests and needs. Information is available Parents can find information about independent schools and links to schools' web sites from the Association of Independent Schools of New England, at www.aisne.org, or the National Association of Independent Schools, at www.nais.org. William Wharton is headmaster of the Commonwealth School in Boston's Back Bay. The school's web site is www.commschool.org. |
