Alternative Education: A Look at Independent Schools

Initially I was unsure as to what was included under the category of independent schools. I assumed that these schools included a format that was specific to a certain philosphy such as Montessori Schools.

Independent Schools
According to Wikipedia.org, independent schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government for financing the operation and are instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the investments by trustees or alumnae.

Independent Schools is a generalized term that includes private schools and religiously affiliated schools. However, it excludes all institutions that has financial dependence on outside organizations, including parochial (Catholic) schools.

Independent schools own, govern, and finance themselves, as opposed to government (public) and other private schools (parochial/diocesan) where the state or the church owns, governs, and finances the school.

Which Schools are Considered Independent?
I was partially right in my assumption that Montesssori schools were included under the title of Independent, however, this is not the only type of school that falls under the heading. Other schools include Waldorf Schools, friends schools (run by the Quakers), democratic, and free schools such as Sands School just to include a few.

In my research on Wikipedia.org I found that an increasing number of traditionally independent school forms now exist within a state-run, public education. These include some of the Waldorf and Montessori schools. Most of the schools offer some form of scholarship to better accomodate the financial needs of the families.

How many students attend Independent Schools?
Independent schools in the United States educate only a tiny fraction of the school-age population (slightly over 1% of the entire school-age population, 10% of the 10% of kids who go to private schools).

How much does it cost to attend Independent Schools?
According to the April 3, 2006 issue of the Washington Post, private school tuitions have been steadily increasing. A few years ago, school officials were concerned about breaking the $20,000 barrier. Now they say they don't know when -- or if -- the financial burden will ease, given the rising costs of teacher salaries, new construction, learning specialists, financial aid programs, technology improvements and other initiatives that have combined to push tuitions to heights unimagined.



Information taken from The Washington Post and Wikipedia.org