I see a sign in a front yard in Farmers Branch advertising Greenhill School. The school is very close to where I live; I have driven past it many times. In fact, the Town of Addison held its 60th anniversary celebration sock hop in the Greenhill gym. I have also been told that peacocks roam the campus and know exactly what time to be outside a particular school employee’s office to be fed.
I used to work with a Hispanic woman whose daughter was interviewed for a possible scholarship to the school because she played the cello. The daughter was very excited about her visit to the school. She was amazed to see the cooks in the cafeteria line wearing tall chef hats.
According to Greenhill School’s website, it was founded in 1950 and is an independent, coeducational day school in the greater Dallas area serving 1,318 students in grades prekindergarten through 12. It provides a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum that involves the integration of academic, artistic, athletic and social service. Located on 75 acres in Addison, Texas, Greenhill School consists of 15 buildings, including a full athletic complex, library and state-of-the-art Marshall Family Performing Arts Center that totals over 303,000 square feet under roof. Tuition ranges from $27,110 to $33,580 per year.
According to Wikipedia, an independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, nongovernmental, privately funded or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British English private school may also refer to a school in private ownership, rather than one which is endowed i.e., held by a trust, charity or foundation. They are usually not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowment. They typically have a board of governors who are elected independently of government and have a system of governance that ensures their independent operation.
Children who attend private schools may be there because they (or their parents) are dissatisfied with government-funded schools — in the UK they are called state schools — in their area. They may be selected for their academic prowess, or prowess in other fields or sometimes their religious background. Private schools retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students for tuition, rather than relying on taxation through public or government funding; at some private schools, students may be able to get a scholarship — lowering this tuition fee — dependent on a student's talents or abilities( e.g., sport scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship), need for financial aid or tax credit that might be available. Some private schools are associated with a particular religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism or Lutheranism. For the past century, roughly one in 10 U.S. families has chosen to enroll their children in private school.
Independent schools in the United States educate a tiny fraction of the school-age population — slightly over 1% of the entire school-age population, around 10% of students who go to private schools. The essential distinction between independent schools and other private schools is self-governance and financial independence i.e., independent schools own, govern and finance themselves. In contrast, public schools are funded and governed by local and state governments, and most parochial schools are owned, governed and financed by religious institutions such as a diocese or parish. Independent schools may be affiliated with a particular religion or denomination; however, unlike parochial schools, independent schools are self-owned and governed by independent boards of trustees. While independent schools are not subject to significant government oversight or regulation, they are accredited by the same six regional accreditation agencies that accredit public schools. The National Association of Independent Schools or NAIS is a membership organization of American pre-college independent schools.
The NAIS provides this definition of an Independent School:
Independent schools are 501(c)3 nonprofit corporate entities, independent in governance and finance, meaning:
1. Independent schools "own themselves" — as opposed to public schools owned by the government or parochial schools owned by the church — and govern themselves, typically with a self-perpetuating board of trustrees that performs fiduciary duties of oversight and strategic duties of funding and setting the direction and vision of the enterprise, and by delegating day to day operations entirely to the head of school.
2. Independent schools finance themselves — as opposed to public schools funded through the government and parochial schools subsidized by the church — largely through charging tuition, fundraising and income from endowment.
Independence is the unique characteristic of this segment of the education industry, offering schools four freedoms that contribute to their success:
- Freedom to define their own unique missions.
- Freedom to admit and keep only those students well-matched to the mission.
- Freedom to define the qualifications for high quality teachers.
- Freedom to determine on their own what to teach and how to assess student achievement and progress.
In the United States, there are more independent colleges and universities than public universities, although public universities enroll more total students. The membership organization for independent tertiary education institutions is the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Private schools are generally exempt from most educational regulations at the federal level but are highly regulated at the state level. These typically require them to follow the spirit of regulations concerning the content of courses in an attempt to provide a level of education equal to or better than that available in public schools.
In the 19th century, as a response to the perceived domination of the public school systems by Protestant political and religious ideas, many Roman Catholic parish churches, dioceses and religious orders established schools, which operate entirely without government funding. For many years, the vast majority of private schools in the United States were Catholic schools.
A similar perception — possibly relating to the evolution vs. creationism debates — emerged in the late twentieth century among Protestants, which has resulted in the widespread establishment of new, private schools.
In many parts of the United States, after the 1954 decision in the landmark court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that demanded United States schools desegregate "with all deliberate speed," local families organized a wave of private "Christian academies." In much of the U.S. South, many white students migrated to the academies, while public schools became, in turn, more heavily concentrated with African American students. The academic content of the academies was usually college preparatory. Since the 1970s, many of these "segregation academies" have shut down, although some continue to operate.
As of 2012, quality private schools in the United States charged substantial tuition, close to $40,000 annually for day schools in New York City, and nearly $50,000 for boarding schools. However, tuition did not cover operating expenses, particularly at boarding schools. The leading schools such as the Groton School had substantial endowments running to hundreds of millions of dollars supplemented by fundraising drives. Boarding schools with a reputation for quality in the United States have a student body drawn from throughout the country — indeed the globe — and a list of applicants which far exceeds their capacity.
According to thebestschools.org in its March 23, 2020 article “The 50 Best Private Day Schools in the United States,” below is a list of some of the best private day schools in the country.
1. Trinity School – New York, New York
Trinity School, founded in 1709, is an independent, co-ed school located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Over 80% of its faculty holds an advanced degree and the chool funnels out students to the best colleges in the nation. In addition to housing a full classics department, it also offers a huge array of special programs to ensure that students develop their interests outside the classroom. It consistently ranks in the top ten of the Wall Street Journal’s Best High Schools Awards.
Alumni include tennis star John McEnroe, fashion consultant Stacy London,actors Humphrey Bogart and Larry Hagman, singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, novelists Truman Capote and Colson Whitehead and filmmaker Oliver Stone. Tuition is $39,625 per year.
2. Roxbury Latin School – Boston, Massachusetts
Located in southwest Boston, the all-male Roxbury Latin School is known for turning out National Merit Scholars, as well as Ivy-bound students. Founded in 1645, Roxbury Latin is on of the oldest, operating private schools in the country. For a small school, the musical groups on campus are impressive: a glee club, an a capella group, a junior chorus, a jazz band and various chamber ensembles are available for student participation.
It is ranked No. 5 prep school by Forbes magazine. It has the top SAT average of any school in the country, according to Peterson’s Private Secondary Schools. It has the highest matriculation rate to all eight Ivy League schools plus Stanford and MIT, according to a study by PrepReview.com.
Alumni include landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, experimental psychologist E.L. Thorndike, educator James B. Conant and anthropologist Jared Diamond. Tuition is $24,300 per year.
3. Brearly School – New York, New York
The Brearley School, an all-women’s, nondenominational school located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is a champion of diversity. Forty-four percent of the student body is comprised of students of color. Its emphasis on academics is witnessed by its high Ivy League/MIT/Stanford placement rate of 37%.
The school encourages its students to take advantage of its many study abroad and exchange programs, which include countries like India, China and Vietnam, as well as the more traditional European study abroad destinations. It also has a thriving arts program.
Brearly is ranked the No. 1 all-women’s school by Forbes magazine. Alumni include anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson, novelists Anne and Katie Roiphe, actresses Jill Clayburgh, Sigourney Weaver and Kyra Sedgwick and philanthropist Caroline Kennedy. Tuition is $36,800 annually.
4. Horace Mann School – New York, New York
In the Riverdale section of the Bronx, Horace Mann School has an 18-acre campus and is recognized as one of the top feeder schools to the Ivy League. It seeks to educate the whole person inside and outside of the classroom: In addition to offering an assortment of co-curricular activities, students are required to pass a swim test, learn CPR and complete community service hours as part of their graduation requirements.
It is ranked the No. 4 by the Wall Street Journal. Most of its 21 student publications have earned recognition from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.
Alumni include composer Elliott Carter, poet William Carlos Williams, novelist James Salter, philosopher John Searle, economist Robert Heibroner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and jazz pianist Peter Cincotti. Tuition is $39,100 per year.
5. Winsor School – Boston, Massachusetts
The Winsor School, founded in 1886, is one of the top all-women’s prep schools in the country. Its academic excellence is evidenced by its high average combined SAT score of 2100 and its Ivy League/MIT/Stanford matriculation rate of 35%.
It enrolls approximately 430 students from diverse cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. For further enrichment, the school offers off-campus programs, exchanges to China and France and semesters at the Mountain School in Vermont.
Winsor is ranked No. 10 on Forbes magazine best prep list. Alumnae include figure skater Tenley Albright and Harvard Law School professor Martha Field. Tuition is $37,100 annually.
6. College Preparatory School – Oakland, California
College Prep of Oakland, a co-educational, private school, is one of the most selective private day schools in the country, with a population of only 320 students. The highly selective admissions process guarantees a high-caliber student upon entrance, which typically results in these students’ becoming freshmen at the nation’s top colleges; 22 students from College Prep have become Stanford students upon graduation during the last five years alone. Students participate in Intraterm each year, a specialized program for enrichment the week before spring break.
Fifty-nine percent of the class of 2013 were recognized as either National Merit Semi-Finalists or Commended. Alumni include filmmaker Miranda July, Deputy U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Marchick and Cher Wang, co-founder of smartphone manufacturer HTC. Tuition is $35,410 annually.
7. Collegiate School – New York, New York
Collegiate School, an all-male private school located in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, traces back its history to 1628, making it one of the oldest schools in the U.S. In addition to boasting a stellar average combined SAT score (2195) and Ivy League/MIT/Stanford acceptance rate (41%), the school is distinguished by having the best soccer team in the state among private schools. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the school’s prime New York City location by enrolling in CITYterm, which uses the Manhattan cityscape as its classroom.
The school was named the No. 1 school in the world for getting into the Ivy League by the Wall Street Journal. It is ranked as the No. 7 prep school in the country by Forbes magazine. Alumni include film directors Peter Bogdanovich and Whit Stillman, Actor David Duchovny and John F. Kennedy Jr., son of the former president. Tuition is $39,400 per year.
8. Spence School – New York, New York
An all-women’s school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Spence School offers a global learning community within its campus. Over 33% of the student body consists of students of color, and the curriculum at Spence is designed so that a student can identify herself and sees her culture and heritage reflected in her studies. The English Department hosts an array of classes focusing on literature from specific regions around the world. Upper School students can choose from among 40 clubs and activities.
Spence is ranked No. 9 by Forbes magazine in the best prep schools list. Alumnae include philanthropist Helen Cray Frick, author Francine du Plessix Gray and actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Tuition is $39,200 annually.
9. Harvard-Westlake School – Los Angeles, California
Harvard-Westlake is a private, co-ed school that spans two campuses on the west side of Los Angeles, between Bel Air and Beverly Hills. A distinguishing feature of the school is its focus on character education and ethical leadership, which is built into the curriculum. H-W allows for directed study and independent study. Travel is encouraged, both abroad or domestically at the Mountain School or the High Mountain Institute.
In 2008, H-W was ranked as one of America’s best prep schools from prepreview.com. In 2010, the school was ranked as No. 12 on Forbes Best Schools list. Over 1/3 of students in the class of 2011 received National Merit Recognition.
Alumni include actor Myrna Loy, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Shirley Temple, Candice Bergen, Elizabeth Montgomery, Jamie Lee Curtis and Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as film director Jason Reitman and astronaut Sally Ride. Tuition is $31,350 per year.
10. Dalton School – New York, New York
The Dalton School, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is the home of the Dalton Plan, an educational model adopted by schools globally. The plan comprises three parts — home, assignment and lab — as well as programs designed to meet a student’s individual needs. Seniors stay busy at Dalton. On top of the senior initiative and project, the school mandates an internship program in the senior year to give students hands-on experience for post-grade life.
Ranked No. 13 on the Forbes Best Prep Schools list. Alumni include actors Chevy Chase and Claire Danes, author Frances Fitzgerald, science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany, journalists Eric Schlosser and Matt Yglesias and TV personalities Anderson Cooper and Andrew Zimmern. Tuition is $40,220 annually.
コメント