Dwight Cass
05/03/2004
Private education is now indelibly linked in the popular imagination with the gross caricature of desperate parents frantically attempting to secure a seat for their child in one of the nation’s prestigious independent schools. Angst-inducing anecdotes about private school admissions are legion, and are repeated so often they verge on apocryphal.
How many times have we heard the
sad saga of Jack Grubman, the disgraced former telecom equity analyst for
Citigroup, who allegedly upgraded one of the firm’s investment banking clients
in exchange for Sandy Weill’s help getting his child into an elite Manhattan
private school? (Indeed, in metropolitan areas like Washington D.C. or New York
City, the number of applicants for the best schools far surpasses the desks
available, making the process especially nerve-racking.) Add to this the widely
held fallacy that the right kindergarten is the crucial first step in a series
of successes that will inevitably culminate in a degree from Harvard, and we
have a potent formula for widespread parental anxiety.This is unfortunate; it obscures the true challenge we confront when deciding the path our children’s education will take. Gaining entrance to our preferred school may, in fact, be an ordeal, but most of us have overcome far greater tests. The real issue is, of course, deciding what combination of skills, experience and values will best enhance our children’s human and intellectual capital, so they may fulfill their roles within our families and pursue happy and rewarding lives.
Here again,
we may find ourselves returning to the concept of the family mission for
guidance, plotting the course of our child’s academic destiny. When we ask:
‘What sort of person do we want our child to be?’ it is our family mission that
provides the answer.
Each family has its own unique mix of interests and
goals, and for those who choose a private education, the nation’s 27,000
independent schools provide a variety of options. In many cases, these tailored
programs may be more closely aligned with our goals and values than the
prêt-à-porter education offered by public schools.
For example, those of us
who see philanthropy as a core part of our family mission may choose a private
school that has a community service requirement. Some have formal philanthropy
programs, in which students work to support a specific charitable organization.
Those who cherish conservancy, and who wish to pass on their love of the land to
their children, will find schools that emphasize this value both in the
curriculum and the extra-curricular programs. Of course, for those who believe
their children will be best served by a traditional mix of academics and
athletics, no shortage of options exists.
Our children will eventually have
to make their ways in the real world, and will not be best prepared to do so if
they are schooled in homogeneous and exclusive communities. Many good private
schools recognize this, and have worked to create student bodies that are
economically, geographically and racially diverse. This healthy, eclectic mix
serves to broadens our children’s perspective on the world, and forging
successful relationships with people from different backgrounds will give them
the insights needed to succeed beyond the school environment. Perhaps as
important, they will become part of a larger community, and will be less
threatened by the motivation-robbing elitism that threatens the self-esteem and
work ethic of many children of affluence.
Dwight Cass
Editor-in-Chief