Exploring the independent school option.

With all of the educational options being pitched to high school students today, it is not surprising that parents experience so much confusion regarding school choice. Public schools are an obvious option, charter schools are multiplying, many parochial schools are excelling, and home schooling is on the rise. Further, an increasingly viable option for students in the San Fernando Valley is independent schooling, an approach to education steeped in 200 years of East Coast tradition that's carving greater inroads in California communities. While schools such as Harvard-Westlake, Viewpoint, and Marlborough have been around for decades, new independent schools such as Sage Hill School (Newport Beach), Vista Mar (South Bay) and Sierra Canyon 9-12 (Chatsworth) are educating high school students in areas historically underserved by independent schools. This evidence speaks to the fact that some of our strongest educational leaders are committed to furthering the independent school tradition.

By defining the "independent school tradition", one simultaneously identifies the standard American independent school. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) describes independent schools by stating: "Independent schools are distinct from other private schools in that they are independently governed by a board of trustees and they do not depend on church funds as parochial schools do or on tax dollars as public schools do." By employing a board model such as this, the direction and mission of a school is both pragmatically and systematically achieved. Besides benefiting from strong governing boards and budgets based entirely on private funding, independent schools are defined by the following criteria: small class sizes, teachers who are experts in their academic fields, and a strong alumni network.

Studies (and common sense) prove that small class sizes benefit both students and teachers in several ways. Students benefit by being known as individuals not numbers. They are challenged daily to voice their thoughts because there are fewer students to hide behind. By learning in an intimate environment, students build confidence by testing their opinions while knowing that their responses will be thoughtfully considered by a focused group of peers and expert educators instead of an impersonal audience. Lastly, perhaps most importantly, students learn how to listen to each other because there are fewer distractions and the teacher is able to maintain a complete presence over the classroom dynamics. Teachers benefit from small class size because the exchange of ideas can carry forth at a faster rate; greater depth of thought is achieved in less time. Therefore, the teacher has more opportunities to learn from the student. Because of small class sizes, the teacher is less concerned with discipline and more focused on what he or she is hired to do--teach-and all excellent educators understand that teaching is a two-way exchange of ideas.

According to the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, "larger percentages of students in independent schools are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses than those in public, parochial, and other private schools, and that independent private school students do twice as much homework, watch one-third less television, and are significantly more likely to participate in varsity or intramural sports." Independent school students greatly benefit by being taught by teachers who are experts in their fields. One finds advanced degrees among most faculty members in every American independent high school. This translates into teachers who are both enthusiastic and scholarly in the fields to which they've dedicated their studies. Their passion for their subject matter is oftentimes infectious because they are teaching what they love. There is no greater guarantee for successful learning than being taught by challenging, fair, and passionate teachers.

Because the independent school experience is all-encompassing and devoted to the whole student (academic, physical and moral), graduates often look back on their high school years with a fondness that parallels or even supersedes that of college and university alumni.

Contrary to the popular assumption that independent schools remain bastions of elitism and wealth, the composition of today's private schools reflect an entirely different student and faculty body. The Boston Globe reports that "today's prep schools are more diverse, meritocratic, and money-savvy than the St. Grottlesexes of yore. So why hasn't our image of them caught up?" Indeed, the past decade or more has heralded a new age for independent schools, an age that transformed many into diverse communities that celebrate the individual's contributions to the school. The trend among some of the larger boarding schools, in fact, has moved to 'globalism', which defines a focus on attracting a globally diverse student body. Clearly, this movement is predicated on the tightly-connected global society brought about through new communication channels, shared economies, and continued immigration.

Independent schools provide four years of education and growth in a microcosm of today's world. They are a viable option for families seeking close student-teacher relationships, a wide array of extra-curricular options, professional college placement, strong athletic programs and enriching arts programs. Take notice of these schools; they are permanent fixtures in an ever-shifting educational landscape, and they could be the right option for your child.

Jim Skrumbis is the Head of School at Sierra Canyon 9-12, a new independent school in Chatsworth opening to freshmen in the Fall of 2005. Nat Damon is the Academic Dean at Sierra Canyon 9-12. For more information about Sierra Canyon 9-12, please contact either Jim ([e-mail]) or Nat ([e-mail]) at 818-709-01 34.