Are you considering switching your child from public to private school?
If you are, you undoubtedly have many legitimate questions. Changing schools is a significant life stressor for a child, and it is wise to consider the decision carefully. After choosing to impart the gospel of Jesus Christ to our children, education was our family's 2nd most crucial parenting decision. Twenty years ago, we chose private school education. We desired a school with excellent academics, where the truth and grace of the gospel were taught and lived out, and where our kids would learn to think, speak and live with a biblical worldview.
I recently surveyed parents who switched from public to private school to see what questions they had before transitioning to private school.
Here are the top questions they were asking.
Private schools typically have smaller class sizes than public schools, which allows for more individual attention and personalized instruction. CCA's small 14:1 average student-teacher ratio helps students thrive. Education, at the core, is about relationships. Strong relationships between students and teachers motivate a love of learning and boost a deeper level of understanding. CCA teachers desire to know each student on a personal level, and it makes a huge difference in the quality of education.
Private schools have distinct values and religious beliefs. Covenant Christian Academy is not only a Christian school in name but is a place where loving Jesus is normal. It is standard for teachers to regularly share the love of God and His truth in the classroom. CCA only hires teachers who model inspiring faith in a Christian community. At CCA, your family will be surrounded by a community of like-minded believers.
Private schools are not required to teach standardized testing as part of their curriculum. Since solid reading and math skills learned during elementary are foundational to children's future educational success, CCA can focus on developing strong reading and math skills during these formative years. CCA keeps building a robust academic foundation a priority in all the curriculum decisions during these foundational elementary years.
Because children spend at least 8 hours a day, five days a week for ten months out of the year, in school for most of their childhood, schools can be either a beautiful or terrible place for children to learn about friendships. Sometimes, children will not get along and may feel excluded. Friendships in childhood can be difficult whether your child is in public or private school. The difference is how a private school handles relationship difficulties in the classroom.
At CCA, teachers work hard to model the biblical way to manage relationships. Honorable Character is part of the classroom curriculum, which includes teaching character traits like kindness and forgiveness.
CCA is also very intentional about making new families feel welcome by praying for and reaching out to families starting from the moment the application process begins. After enrollment, every new family is matched with a current family to help answer questions and as an avenue for students to know a few friendly faces before the first day of school.
A significant difference between public and private schools is the cost. Every year, thousands of parents pay for private education for their children. They are not all millionaires. Many families paying for private school are middle-income families who can only spend $10,000-$20,000 per child with serious number crunching. If you have decided a private school education is the best option for your family, don't assume you can't afford it. Click here to read a few tips to consider when trying to afford private school on a budget.
To answer the "Is it worth it?" question, the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) commissioned a study by the University of Notre Dame's Sociology Department. Good Soil: A Comparative Study of ACCS Alumni Life Outcomes compares life outcomes for adults aged 24-42 educated in public, private, classical Christian, and homeschool settings. Here is a summary of some of the study results:
ACCS alumni, as adults, think and live in a markedly different way than their peers from other educational models. Nearly 90% of them attend church at least 3 times monthly. They are 2.6 times more likely to pray alone and 6.7 times more likely to be readers. They stand out as they seek jobs that fulfill their religious calling. They are much more likely to hold to traditional beliefs about marriage than their Christian school counterparts. And, this shows in their lives. They have much lower divorce and cohabitation rates compared to the other groups. They send their kids to Christian schools at a higher rate, and they volunteer more. ACCS alumni are more grateful, more hopeful, and more trusting than their peers from other types of schools. And they are willing to sacrificially serve wherever they are called.
The study's bottom line is the investment required for classical Christian schools is worth it, and it truly matters where you educate your children.
To read more about why school choice matters, I recommend reading Shaping Hearts and Minds: Why it Matters Where Your Child Goes To School by Dr. Shawn and Monica Whatley.
Deciding whether to switch to a private school or remain in a public school is a personal choice that depends on many factors. The decision should be based on a comprehensive evaluation of your needs and preferences. It can be helpful to visit prospective schools, speak with students and parents, and gather as much information as possible before deciding.