Private Schools Perspectives

But first some facts:

To help understand the difference between public and private schools here are some statistics.

In 2015 the average private school had 166 students and the average public school had 526 students (Institute of Education Sciences, 2019).

Also the percentage of poor students attending chosen public schools was 19%, the percentage attending assigned public schools was 18%, and the percentage attending private schools was 8% (Institute of Education Sciences, 2019).

A study was performed at a private school in Brooklyn in New York City. All students and staff were tested. The school had an infection rate of 0.13% compared to NYC public school's infection rate of 0.28-0.3% (Smith-Norowitz, 2021).

As you can see private schools are smaller and that can make a difference. Now let's take a look at how those differences affect the private school experience during the pandemic.

Some of the problems private schools face are internet problems and unfamiliarity with all the programs being used (Stephan, 2017). They also do not have access to steady taxpayer money, meaning their financial status could fluctuate too much to stay afloat during the pandemic. Each class may only be the size of 12 or 14 students which allows for easier social distancing but also means few sources of income (Albizu, 2020). Also, the families attending private schools may find it difficult to pay the tuition. There is limited government aid and accepting those funds would subject private schools to many regulations that may impede their goal (Squire, 2020). They also face just as much risk of being shut down if there is a positive case (Albizu, 2020). Overall private schools have more freedom but less guidance. They are able to follow protocols easier but may not have a steady financial status.

Conclusion

Overall, private schools have much more flexibility in how they can respond to the pandemic. They have much smaller class sizes and have much more room to implement safety procedures. They can go back to in person learning and be prepared for whatever may happen. Though, I feel that the community of private schools have been permanently changed. Some have due to the economic crisis but others have grown. There are private schools that service lower income families and those are hit the hardest. If the private school serving them closes many will flood back into the public schools and cost the state more money (Squire, 2020). By keeping these schools open more families can get that leg up, do better in life and have more say in their child’s schooling. Mr. B said it best “I do not think that we can live in fear, but I do believe we need to be wise when it comes to healthy personal hygiene.” We need to be mindful of ourselves but not be fearful. Our schools should not be ruled by fear, they need to be cautious about the health of their students. Fear creates too much panic and when people panic they make hasty decisions. Private schools should not take the fall for these decisions. They service many families locally and across the world.

References

Albizu, B. (2020, October 19). A look inside local private schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. WFXR. https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/back-to-school/a-look-inside-local-private-schools-during-covid-19/

Institute of Education Sciences. (2019). Public and private school comparison. National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=55

Smith-Norowitz, T. A. Hammerschlag, M. R. & Kohlhoff, S. (2021, February 1). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection rates in a private school in Brooklyn, New York. Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1111/apa.15786

Stephan, K. P. (2017). Does mathletics, a supplementary digital math tool, improve student learning and teaching methods at three private catholic schools in Florida? - A mixed methods study. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1964958951). http://proxy.lib.odu.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/dissertations-theses/does-mathletics-supplementary-digital-math-tool/docview/1964958951/se-2?accountid=12967

Squire, J. (2020, August 12). In pandemic, private schools face peril. Education Next, 20(4). https://www.educationnext.org/pandemic-private-schools-face-peril-policy-choices-may-help-preserve-options/