Small class size is something I know works from a teaching point of view. And the difference between a class of 15 and 25 students is like night and day. I pretty much knew where everybody was when I had a class of 15. I could see all the eyes. I could assess what each child was learning and doing. That's one of the reasons I have been such a strong advocate of private education. The small class size.

David Leonhardt's article in the New York Times, The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers, reports on a recently released study which seems to prove the importance of early education. That's interesting. But it was this paragraph which caught my eye:

"Class size -- which was the impetus of Project Star -- evidently played some role. Classes with 13 to 17 students did better than classes with 22 to 25. Peers also seem to matter. In classes with a somewhat higher average socioeconomic status, all the students tended to do a little better."

Small classes allow more individual attention and more interaction with teachers and students. Discipline issues tend to disappear. Children don't slip through the cracks the way they do in the larger class settings.

What do you think? Is kindergarten more important than high school? Do class sizes matter? Leave a comment here or post in the Private Schools Forum.

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What are Cristo Rey Schools? Cristo Rey schools are an alliance of generous benefactors with an organization which is a force for good and change. Cristo Rey schools take urban kids who are at risk and plant their feet on solid ground both academically and emotionally. It's a young organization too. Founded in 2001.

The Cristo Rey story will inspire you and restore your belief in the intrinsic generosity and compassion of the American people.

Private schools offer something for everybody. Whatever your requirements are, you can almost always find a school to meet your needs.

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The Emperor's Club told the story of a private school teacher's life back in the 1960s.  Mr. Hundert has waited patiently his whole career waiting to be appointed head of school. Unfortunately he doesn't get the job. Frankly in my opinion Mr. Hundert was probably lucky.

Read the story reported by Jenny Anderson in the New York Times to understand why I say that the 21st century headmaster has to be equal parts CEO, scholar, fundraiser extraordinaire and leader of his or her school community. The New Career Path for Headmasters lists several attributes which I feel the 21st century headmaster must have in order to be successful.

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New York Military Academy was due to close it doors in June 2010 as we reported a few months ago. Apparently the trustees were able to secure the necessary funding to keep the school open for another year, according to a story in the Cornwall On Hudson blog.

Now the question will be surely asked by many parents: "Should I send my son to a school which almost closed?" If New York Military Academy offers what your child needs and you like the school and staff, then why not? What matters most is to get the fit right. Do that and you will have a happy child.

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