Private education is a broad term encompassing schools not managed by the state. Because they are not publicly funded, private schools have more autonomy—setting their own curriculum, discipline, and culture—than public schools.
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Around 75% of those students attend religiously affiliated institutions. In Hawaii and Washington, DC, 19% of students attend private schools, the highest enrollment percentages in the country.
As of 2021, 44% of private schools enrolled fewer than 300 students. By comparison, over 60% of public schools enroll more than 500 students.
Tuition, endowments, donors, and grants often fund private schools, allowing them to eschew national curriculum standards. Private colleges and universities also charge tuition, but often rely on federal funding for research.
Private schools can offer students specialized education and one-of-a-kind opportunities, but those often come with a price, with some schools charging close to six figures. Check out this list of the four most expensive American private schools, which charge more than most four-year colleges.
Because they’re not beholden to national curricula, private school teachers can use different pedagogical approaches, like Harkness, which was developed at New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy. The method brings students to a large round oval table and encourages them to lead the lesson through inquiry.
John Dewey is perhaps the biggest figure in American education. He is known for emphasizing active, experiential learning and founding one of the country’s most renowned private schools: the Experimental School, which would later become the Laboratory Schools in Chicago.
Montessori, which was developed in Italy and became popular in the US in the 1950s, emphasizes child-centered learning. Though it’s often associated with younger students, the Montessori philosophy can also be found in middle schools and high schools.
Alpha School, a private school network that uses AI tutors and human “guides” rather than teachers, is expanding across the US. Its founder says that two hours a day with AI-powered software frees students to pursue their passions. Critics, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, say the methods are untested.
The earliest American schools were far from our notions of “public” or “private”—they were neighborhood institutions, often founded by religious groups, that sought to educate children academically and spiritually.
The legislation required families to instruct children in religious and colonial law. By 1852, Massachusetts mandated that all children ages 8 to 14 attend school. By 1918, every state had a similar law.
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