Why Choose an Independent School?

Focusing on the needs of students---not on responding to test requirements or on making a profit---allows independent schools to address students’ intellectual, social, and emotional needs. That freedom translates into a wide array of benefits and approaches for families to explore so they can find the best environment for their educational goals.

Small class sizes allow teachers to really get to know their students and their unique strengths and individual needs. Smaller learning environments encourage students’ active participation and allow teachers to monitor every student’s progress. Teachers have more flexibility to develop curricula and materials and to use special projects that will engage students in learning in more creative and meaningful ways. The result? Students grow and flourish according to their interests and abilities, and no one falls through the cracks.

Teachers

Our schools not only attract and recruit top teachers, but also offer environments in which teachers are free to develop their skills and become even better educators. Teachers enjoy a high degree of autonomy that allows them to shape their own programs to fit their personal teaching styles as well as their students’ needs and to assess student achievement through their preferred methods. Faculty members are provided valuable professional development opportunities to further hone their teaching proficiency and abilities.  

Environment

School campuses combine safe and secure settings with enriched resources and facilities. STEM and science labs, technology offerings, multimedia resources and high-tech equipment often supplement learning in important ways. Independent schools also invest in maintaining and improving facilities to provide the best possible environment for learning, communicating, and support, both inside the classroom and out.

Community

The sense of community in our schools is pervasive, and cultivated to include everyone: students, their families, alumni, faculty/staff, grandparents, and others that together are all committed to the well-being and education of the students. Parents are encouraged to actively engage in their child’s school experience, and a range of events and volunteer opportunities promote involvement, camaraderie, and fellowship. The community is further strengthened by a shared belief in and commitment to the school’s mission and core values.

Extracurricular Activities

Our schools recognize the value of providing their students with a multifaceted educational experience that contributes to their personal development as well as their intellectual growth. For this reason, opportunities for participation in activities outside of the classroom abound, ranging from athletics and the arts to community service and world-study programs. These activities are an integral part of the independent school experience and culture, and provide students avenues for developing and exploring talents and passions, applying lessons they have learned in the classroom, and interacting in diverse settings with peers, teachers, and the greater community.