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When critics inveigh against private schools, they tend to pick on issues such as the following.

Everybody's Rich

Looking at most private schools' beginnings, you will discover that their original clientele was not children from wealthy families. Many of the founders of schools back in colonial times - the Phillips family, for example - saw education as the way forward for the infant democracy in the United States. For the nation to survive, it needed a literate, educated, proficient population. European crusaders like Dr. Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner - the founder of the Waldorf Schools movement - began their work among the poor and working classes. Their teachings captured the imagination of the American middle and upper classes when their movements spread to the United States.

Over time, as the schools expanded, they became highly prized for what they accomplished, namely providing an excellent academic education combined with sports and solid core values. Market forces conspired to drive the cost of education up. Social forces conspired to make private schools the place where the elite sent their children. In the 21st century, egalitarian ideas once more have the upper hand. Private schools seek out and encourage applicants from every social and economic strata. Diversity rules. Not everybody who attends private school is rich.

This video offers an overview of Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida.

Compulsory Sports

What's not to like about sports?

One of the most compelling arguments for private education has to do with the curriculum. Because very few private schools accept public funds, they are not required to comply with federal and state rules and regulations regarding what is taught. In other words, they do not have to teach to the test. George Bush's No Child Left Behind does not apply to private schools.

Private schools use a variety of curricula according to their mission and needs. For example, a will blend Judaic studies with a core curriculum designed to accomplish two things: to raise observant Jews who are well-schooled in their religion as well as producing well-prepared matriculants ready for the rigors of a college education.

A Classical Christian education will emphasize traditional subjects such as rhetoric. It will also infuse every aspect of its teaching with evangelistic fire and purpose. Religion in a Classical Christian school is not an option any more than it is in a Muslim or Jewish or Roman Catholic school. All these schools can take valuable teaching time to accomplish their missionary objectives because they take no state funds. They basically can march to their own pedagogical tune as long as their clientele is satisfied that the school is doing a good job.

This video offers an overview of Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.

What about prep schools? Religion for most prep schools

Students sitting in rows of desks listening to a teacher lecture? You will not likely find this scenario in a school that uses Harkness Tables. The brainchild of wealthy industrialist Edward Harkness, an Exeter alumnus, Harkness Tables are oval tables that seat 12-18 students together with their teacher. You cannot hide in the back of a classroom that uses Harkness Tables. That's the point. Engaged students learn.

In ancient times, teaching was collaborative - think and - but somewhere in our Victorian-Edwardian past, we got off the rails and lined children up in regimented rows of chairs and desks. Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner rebelled against this sort of regimentation. Their classrooms became what we would now call activity centers.

High school lab courses such as chemistry and physics have always been interactive and hands-on. Discussion of findings and research are encouraged in that collaborative environment. Every member of the class has an opinion and a finding. That is the idea behind the Harkness Table. Every member of the class is encouraged to be an active participant. Because eye contact is a critical element of this learning style, the Harkness Table's oval shape is ideal. It allows everybody around the table to see and be seen. Students and teachers interact. The teacher facilitates without dominating the lesson. He guides and steers the learning process. Maria Montessori

Christian schools as a genre have been around since the 1950s. Recently, a subset of Christian schools known as classical Christian schools has become popular. This seems to have come about because standards in public education have steadily fallen. Many parents will not tolerate shoddy disciplinary standards, sloppy dress codes, violence in our schools, underachievement, and low expectations. As a result, they start their own schools.

Background

Classical Christian Schools trace their origins back to the revival of classical education in the late 20th century, particularly influenced by the works of scholars like Dorothy Sayers and Douglas Wilson. These schools seek to combine the rich heritage of classical education with a distinctly Christian worldview. The approach used in Classical Christian Schools is centered around the trivium, a three-part division of learning that includes the grammar stage, the logic stage, and the rhetoric stage. In the grammar stage, students focus on the foundational knowledge and facts of various subjects. The logic stage emphasizes critical thinking skills and logical reasoning, while the rhetoric stage focuses on effective communication and persuasive expression. Throughout all stages, the integration of Christian faith and principles is a guiding principle, with biblical teachings woven into the curriculum and classroom discussions. The goal is to cultivate students who are not only well-educated but also deeply grounded in their faith, equipped to engage with the world thoughtfully and confidently.

A classical Christian school proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It also adheres to the principles of

In What is AP?, we looked at the organization that has created one of the world's most popular college prep programs. This companion article will look at the other college preparatory program known as IB. The organization behind the IB program, the , was founded in 1968. With its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IB Organization serves over 1.3 million students in 147 countries.

What is the IB?

Most people think of the IB or International Baccalaureate as the organization which sponsors the highly-regarded college preparatory IB Diploma Programme. Indeed the IB Diploma is where it all started. The IB Diploma is the college preparatory component of a curriculum that begins early childhood and ends with pre-college and pre-career programs.

The International Baccalaureate Organization has grown into four programs: Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma, and IB Career-related Programmes. This, then, is one of the major differences with Advanced Placement. Practically speaking, Advanced Placement encompasses only the college preparatory years in the academic continuum, although it now offers a Pre-AP designed to encourage students. The IB Organization offers programs that begin with 3-year-olds and end with college preparatory and career-related diplomas.

The IB Diploma Programme

Since you are interested in finding out the similarities and differences between the two top college prep academic programs, let's look under the hood of the IB Diploma Programme and find out what's involved. Essentially the