If you’ve made the decision that you want a private education for your child, you’ll quickly see that you have a lot of options to choose from. While this can be overwhelming, one of the most effective ways to choose the right school for your child is to understand which characteristics make for a good private school.
Here are some important qualities that you would want to see in any private school that you would send your child to:
Smaller Classroom Size
Due to the overcrowding issues that Volusia County schools have experienced in recent years, many parents are choosing the private education route so their children can learn in a smaller classroom size. A reduced class size is especially important during the early years of your child’s education because it allows for more opportunity for personal attention and additional help from teachers if necessary.
There is so much valuable learning that happens outside of the classroom, so you’ll want to make sure that the private school of your choice has a wide offering of extracurricular activities for your child. Examples of such extracurricular activities could include athletics, student government, and interest clubs. A school that encourages involvement in such activities will help to give your child a well-rounded education and the confidence and sense of self-worth that he or she needs to be successful.
Parental Involvement
There is a direct correlation between parental involvement and academic success. When parents are involved in their children’s education, there are often less behavioral issues at school as well. Look for a school that offers an active Parent Advisory Council to learn more about the level of parental involvement.
Highly Qualified Teachers
In addition to having a bachelors or masters degree in the subject being taught, you will want your child’s teachers to be passionate about what they teach and have the ability to pass along this enthusiasm to your child. While public school teachers are unionized (making it difficult to terminate an ineffective teacher), private schools have the ability to do so.
A Sense of Community
A sense of community is something that you should feel and experience in the school that you send your child to. For your child, a community-minded school will encourage individuality and uniqueness as well as teach your child to respect the rights and opinions of others. Learning in a community environment can help your child to feel secure and that he or she belongs in that setting.
These are just a few of the characteristics that make for a good private school. As you review your options for private schools in Central Florida, we hope you will consider St. Barnabas Episcopal School. Please contact us to learn more about our preschool, elementary school, or middle school programs.
