Five Major Differences Between Public and Private Schools

What are the major differences between public and private schools?
By Blythe Grossberg
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There is no doubt that the recession makes public schools seem attractive. Parents are tightening their belts, and, given the astronomical and ever-
climbing cost of college, its very tempting to choose a public school over a private school. Fortunate people live in areas with well-resourced public
schools that can do a good job of educating their children. However, most states are facing budget cuts that mean public school funding is getting
slashed, leading to larger class sizes and fewer resources. Many parents wonder if they should choose a private school over a public school, if they
can afford it or can find ways to secure financial aid.
Here are some major differences you want to keep in mind as you choose whether to send your child to private or public school:
How large are the class sizes?
Class size is one of the major differences between public and private schools. The class size in urban public schools can be as large as 25-30 students
(or more), while most private schools keep their class sizes at 15-20 students. There are even electives at some private schools with fewer students,
meaning that your child has a lot of personal attention and the ability to contribute to classroom discussions that foster learning. Some schools have
a Harkness Table, an oval-shaped table that began at Philips Exeter Academy to allow all the people at the table to look at each other during
discussions. Smaller class sizes also mean that teachers can give students longer and more complicated assignments, as the teachers dont have as
many papers to grade. For example, students at many academically challenging college-preparatory private schools write 10-15 page papers as
juniors and seniors.
How are the teachers prepared?
While public school teachers need to be certified, private school teachers dont necessarily need to be certified but are often experts in their fields,
and many have masters or even doctoral degrees. While it is very difficult to remove public school teachers, private school teachers generally have
contracts that are renewable each year.
How well does the school prepare students for college or post-high school life?
While many public schools do a good job of preparing students for college, many do not. For example, a recent study found that even A-rated public
schools in New York City have remediation rates of over 50% for their graduates who attend the City University of New York. In contrast, most
college-preparatory private schools do a thorough job of preparing their graduates to succeed in college.
What attitude do the students take to their work?
In part because private schools often have selective admissions processes, they are able to choose students who are highly motivated. Many private
school students want to learn, and your child will be surrounded by students who regard academic achievement as desirable.
Will the school offer other services and activities that are meaningful for my child?
Because private schools dont have to follow state laws about what to teach, they can offer specific programs. For example, parochial schools can
offer religion classes, while special-education schools can offer remedial and counseling programs to help their students. Many private school
students simply attend school for more hours in the day than do public school students because private schools offer after-school programs and a
longer schedule. Many private schools also specialized programs in areas of interest to the student, such as arts, music, or sports.





As a teacher, you have a big decision to make: whether to teach in a public or a private school. This article will take a
look at the differences between the two in an effort to help you decide which would be best for you and your situation.
Student Base
Public schools are required by law to admit any student. They are free to all students since they are paid for by our
taxes. However, just because funding comes from taxes, this does not mean that every public school is funded at the
same level. On the other hand, private schools can be and are in most cases selective on who they admit to their
schools. Students have to pay for their schooling although many private schools allow full or partial scholarships to
admitted students who show financial need. Because the admission process is selective, the students that attend a
private school are more likely to be homogenous than those at a public school. Because of limited funds and very few
mandates, you will be much less likely to encounter a special needs student in a private school than in a public school.
Government Oversight and Curriculum
The government has less power over the day-to-day administration of private schools as compared to public schools.
This is because private schools do not use tax dollars thereby removing many state requirements that public schools
have to meet. Whereas in public schools most of the subjects offered and much of what students learn is mandated by
the state, private schools have much greater leeway in the courses they offer and the curriculum standards they use.
Further, public schools must use state mandated standardized tests to measure learning while public schools can
choose to use these or their own tests.
It is also important to note that while it is against the law for public schools to espouse and provide specific religious
instruction, many private schools are built on the belief that religion should be a part of each childs education.
Therefore, the religious orientation, if any, of a private school is an important consideration before you take a job
there.
Teacher Education
While public schools have certain minimum requirements for teachers including certification and specific degrees, private
schools have much greater leeway. Therefore, teachers in private schools may not be required to have certifications
or specific degrees to teach in their subject areas.
Class Size and Student Discipline
While many states are trying to keep class size down, it is a difficult proposition due to lack of schools, teachers, and
funding. On the other hand, most private schools have class size as one of their selling points. Because they can limit
the number of students attending their schools they can obviously keep class size down.
Further, because of a greater amount of parental involvement and more leeway when dealing withclassroom
discipline issues, it is often easier for private schools to remove disruptive students from classes and in the end the
school itself. It takes a pretty serious offense to get a student permanently removed from the public school setting.
On the other hand, because private schools are voluntary they have much greater control over the discipline of their
students and whether a student has done enough to warrant being kicked out of their school.
Pay
While there are many pros and cons to teaching in a private school, probably the biggest negative is the pay. Private
school teachers make in most cases much less than their public school counterparts. Teacher pay at these schools is
based on the tuition brought in by students. Therefore, expect to earn at least $10 15,000 less at a minimum if you
choose to teach at a private school.
Summary
Teaching in a private school affords many teachers great benefits. You will typically have more control over the
curriculum although the private school where you teach might have their own mandates that you have to follow. You
will probably have smaller class sizes and greater control over classroom discipline.
On the other hand, private schools are inclusive and this leads to its own problems and prejudices. There might not be
enough funds to help out students with special needs that encounter. Further, you could be required to include
religious instruction in your materials so this should be taken into account. Finally, the pay will in most cases be
considerably lower than that of area public schools. It is your decision of whether these negatives outweigh the
positives of teaching in a private school.



There is no doubt that private school teachers are worth their weight in gold. Nonetheless, generally, private school
teachers earn less than public school teachers. Recent data from PayScale show that teachers at private high schools
earn about $40,000 on average, while their counterparts at public schools earn an average of $43,000. Public school
teachers in large urban districts such as Chicago and New York City can earn close to or well or $100,000.The Bureau of
Labor Statistics also keeps data about salaries in private and public K-12 education.
Why Private School Teachers Earn Less
Teachers at both public and private schools would likely argue that they should earn more. After all, they are critical in
creating tomorrows leaders, and it has been shown that teachers can have a life-long effect on their students. Public
school teachers are often members of unions that advocate for them, while private school faculty are not usually part
of unions.
While teachers are valuable and should, in an ideal world, be paid well, teachers often accept lower pay at private
schools because the work environment can be more supportive than that at some public schools. In general, private
school teachers have more resources than public school teachers do, and they also enjoy smaller class sizes and other
benefits. In general, classes at private schools are about 10-15 students (though they may be larger and generally
have two teachers in lower schools), and this size allows teachers to understand their students more completely and
how to reach them. It is beneficial and rewarding for a teacher to be able to reach a student in a small class and to
foster discussion and participation that encourages learning. In addition, private school teachers may be able to teach
a specific elective or coach a team, adding to their enjoyment and sometimes to their salary, as private school
teachers can often earn a stipend for additional duties at their schools.
Who Earns More Among Private School Teachers
For the most part, teachers at parochial schools earn less, as it has generally been accepted that they teach at these
schools for spiritual rewards, in addition to earning a living. Teachers at boarding schools generally earn less than those
at private day schools because part of their salary is in the form of room and board, which accounts for about 25% of
their income. Teachers at schools with large endowments, which are usually older schools with a sizeable alumni and
alumnae body and a good development program, generally earn more. In addition, teachers at private schools
sometimes are able to apply for grants or other types of gifts to allow them to travel, earn advanced education, or
carry out other types of activities that improve their teaching.
Headmasters pay, unlike that of the average private school teacher, can be quite high. The average pay of a private
school headmaster is about $200,000, and many of the headmasters at competitive boarding and day schools earn
close to $500,000 a year, in part because they have extensive responsibilities, including fundraising and the financial
stewardship of the school. In addition, headmasters often receive free housing and sometimes other forms of
compensation such as retirement plans. Their salaries have climbed in recent years, as the top schools vie for the
leadership of the top administrators in the field.
While teaching in a private school can be rewarding,it does pay, quite literally, for parents and students to remember that their
teachers are not always well compensated. While gifts are not necessary (though a few teachers might disagree with
me on this point) and may in fact even be discouraged by the school, it is worthwhile to reward your hard-working
teachers with a handwritten note at the end of the year. Most will treasure such forms of compensation.