Why Small Class Sizes Work

In this article, we examine five more remarkable private schools established with a vision supported by munificence. The Phillips Family, which established the Phillips Academies at Exeter and Andover in the 18th century, had the purest motives in mind. They understood that a well-educated citizenry would ensure the future of the very young United States of America.

"Above all, it is expected that the attention of instructors to the disposition of the minds and morals of the youth under their charge will exceed every other care, well considering that though goodness without knowledge is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous, and that both united form the noblest character, and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind." Echols, Edward (1970). The Phillips Exeter Academy, A Pictorial History" Exeter Press

What was taught in these early schools? Remember that there were no schools in America when the colonists arrived. As a result, the early settlers did not have to follow traditions or laws governing their children's education. Since freedom from religious oppression was why so many colonists had left England, they ensured their religious teachings were the core of their academic curricula. Also on the list of subjects were useful skills such as simple arithmetic and spelling. Schools ran year-round.

Milton Hershey and Stephen Girard founded their schools at a different time in our nation's maturation. The industrial revolution had worked its wonders in the 19th century. But it has also created some social issues

I just read another one of those discouraging articles in the New York Times about the low esteem in which America holds its teachers in the 21st century. Author Sam Dillon was referring to public school teachers. While the circumstances have changed since that article was published, educators continue to face significant challenges. Teacher shortages, recruitment difficulties, increasing administrative responsibilities, and evolving educational expectations remain pressing concerns across the United States.

According to reporting from Education Week and research published by UNESCO, schools worldwide continue to grapple with teacher recruitment and retention challenges. At the same time, boarding schools continue to attract talented educators who are looking for opportunities to teach in environments that value academic excellence, meaningful student relationships, and professional growth.

Besides being able to have a job in their chosen profession, why else would professional teachers want to teach in a boarding school? They would want to do so for many of the same reasons why you and I want our children to attend such residential schools. Let's look at some of the factors which might make an experienced public school teacher consider teaching in the private K-12 sector.

Academic Standards

Teachers want to teach. They love their subject. They know it inside and out at the level at which they have been teaching. They know all the tricks and ways to light our children's academic fires.

Children are born curious. As they mature, we can nurture that curiosity,

One of our parental prerogatives is to worry about our children. That's probably because your child never came with an instruction manual and, as a result, you have had to learn so many things about parenting simply by being a parent. No matter, worry is part of the parental landscape. Now, if you are thinking about sending your child off to boarding school, your worries will be quite specific. Probably along the lines of the following questions.

Many parents find the concept of sending a child to boarding school upsetting; a child's adolescence is such a distinctively affective period that entrusting it to others seems wrong. Yet boarding schools prosper, successors to institutions dating to medieval times.

In 2026, those worries are still understandable. Families are asking not only about academics and college placement, but also about safety, mental health, residential supervision, social adjustment, and cost. The good news is that today’s boarding schools are built around structure, accountability, and close adult guidance.

Will My Child Be Safe?

Boarding schools take your child's safety very seriously. Contractually, a boarding school functions in loco parentis, which is a legal way of stating that the school acts in the place of the parent when it comes to supervision of its students, your child included.

In many respects, your child is a whole lot safer at school, where she cannot drive or go to somebody's house and get into who-knows-what. Drugs, drinking, and smoking are not permitted in a boarding school. Zero tolerance is the rule. Does

Recruitment fairs are events held in locations all over the world that are meant to help boarding schools with their Recruitment of International Students. For example, Linden Educational Services holds Recruitment Fairs in both the Fall and Spring from locations such as East Asia, Latin America, Central Asia, Africa, and Europe. It's been doing this for 9 years. Aimed at parents and students who live in locations all around the world, these recruitment fairs put admissions staff from dozens of boarding schools on location in various International cities. You can meet school representatives and ask all the questions you have about American, Canadian, UK, and Swiss boarding schools.

Why would students from overseas consider attending boarding school in the States?

There are many reasons. As a rule, the main one is that parents want their children to have a world-class education. An International boarding school education will strengthen your child's language skills. Not just English, though it is pretty much the lingua franca in the business and professional world today, your child will also be able to learn a host of other languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese, to name a few. International boarding schools generally offer a rich array of courses in many subjects. As you meet with school representatives, have a list of questions handy so that you will remember to ask about matters pertaining to curriculum.

Boarding schools also offer superb preparation for tertiary or college-level studies. While most boarding schools will follow the American