News
Summer 2024: Find Extraordinary Camps
Plan your child's summer! Our curated list of 2024 camps is an unparalleled opportunity for you to find extraordinary experiences for your children.
Summer Opportunities Fair Goes Digital
We are delighted to share news about the evolution of the Summer Opportunities Fair. Transitioning from its in-person format, it has become an illustrious online directory of local, national, and international camps for 2024. Plan an extraordinary summer experience for your child today!
ISSL Blog: The Benefits of Reading Aloud
By Jay Rainey | Head of School, MICDS
“Read aloud to them and don’t stop.” This is the simple and sound advice offered to parents of younger children by Robin Campbell, Lower School Literacy Coordinator at MICDS. “Often what happens is that parents are so excited once their kids can read independently that they step back. Children need to hear different voices.”
The notion that being read to is “kid stuff”—a temporary accommodation to be outgrown—is deeply embedded in our culture. We tend to regard “real” reading as a quiet, even private endeavor, self-sufficiently undertaken. Socrates would not be pleased. He mistrusted the gradual rise of static written information in his lifetime, and its supplanting of dynamic oral communication. “Written words,” he said nearly two and a half millennia ago, “stand there as if they are alive, but if anyone asks them anything, they remain most solemnly silent.”
I wonder what Socrates would think of Audible? The remarkable and ever-expanding popularity of recorded books is forcing a reconsideration of our definition of reading. Solemn silence and solitude no longer exercise a monopoly on the enjoyment of a memoir, a novel, a history, or a mystery. Over the period from 2007 to 2021, the number of new audiobooks published each year increased from approximately 3,000 to 74,000, marking an average annualized growth rate of over 25%. Audiobooks now account for about 9% of total book sales, up from less than 2% in 2010, and technologies like Amazon’s Whispersync facilitate the coordination of a person’s reading progress across media. Now we can “read” chapter one of an audiobook in our car, inviting the company of the narrator to our experience, knowing that chapter two will automatically be waiting on our ebook reader back home. Literacy is no longer such a lonely or isolated undertaking.
My own capacity to read in an otherwise typically over-extended twenty-first century life has been significantly expanded by these developments. Over just the last several months, I have enjoyed an abundance of books—Ron Chernow’s Grant, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Jonathan Franzen’s Crossroads, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, Jill Lepore’s These Truths, Saul Bellow’s Herzog, Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West, and George Eliot’s Felix Holt, the Radicalamong them—that, absent their audio and ebook formats, I simply would not have had time for. “Literacy is all-encompassing,” observes one of our MICDS fourth-grade teachers, Donna Waters. Yes, I am now letting myself be read to, but I am at peace with it. Recalling Robin Campbell’s insights above, I should note that my parents are still very excited that I can read independently, but children and adults alike need to hear different voices.
ISSL Blog: ChatGPT in Schools
By Chris Cunningham, Ph.D. | Head of School, Whitfield School
Some of you have perhaps been following the news of an extraordinary new piece of technology: a so-called “generative artificial intelligence” or generative AI named ChatGPT. For many years, we’ve had software that was increasingly good at more and more complex tasks, like playing Chess or Go—or winning Jeopardy. But developers have struggled to create AIs that could generate language in ways that seemed creative and original, that didn’t simply copy or recombine pieces of text written by human beings. ChatGPT does just that—and more.
I had been reading about ChatGPT since the late fall, but I hadn’t really had time to try it out and play with it until our recent winter break. Here's a selected collection of my experiments, including work for English, History, French, Science, and Math. As you can see, ChatGPT can create email communication, arguments about literary texts and historical events, original poetry and fiction, fluent French (among other languages), cogent explanations of scientific concepts, and solutions for common problems in Mathematics, from Algebra to Calculus (it even shows its work!). In short, it is extraordinarily good at many of the things that we ask our students to do each day. [It does make mistakes, even, surprisingly, in Mathematics, and it can struggle to do tasks that require an understanding of the physical world.]
As you can imagine, a number of academic departments at our school have already been talking about both the challenges and the opportunities that AIs like ChatGPT present to teachers and to school as we know it. ChatGPT and the even smarter and more sophisticated iterations of AI that will follow in the months and years ahead challenge our work in both practical and profound ways, forcing us to confront questions both small and large:
How do I know if the work I'm grading—writing in any language and in any subject, math problems, written code, etc.—was done by my students?
How do I grade work that was entirely or partially written by an AI?
If using a spellchecker and grammar checker isn't cheating, is it cheating for a student to submit writing that an AI has edited?
When I was in high school, I was taught how to calculate the value of logarithms by hand, using tables in the back of my textbook. No one teaches that anymore because a calculator can do it more quickly and more accurately (same for square roots, trig values, etc.), and Math teachers decided long ago that it was more important for students to spend their time understanding how to use logarithms. Our current students do all kinds of things on their graphing calendars that I was tested on when I was in high school and college. If an AI can do basic (or even not basic) Algebra for us, how is that different? Do we stop teaching Algebra and focus on how to use Algebra—and what does that even mean? And so on…
As you can see, it doesn't take very long before we start getting to some fundamental questions about schools themselves, forcing us to think not only about How we teach (and assess) but also What we teach and Why.
For example, in my discipline, we've always argued that students need to learn how to write, at the very least, for the purposes of communication. In the professional world, they'll need to write reports, send emails, etc., even if they never write another essay about Hamlet in their lives. But an AI does basic communication pretty well (here is the welcome-back-to-school note that ChatGPT composed for me to send to faculty and staff). How much regular professional communication will be done by AIs in five years? Does that mean that we should stop teaching writing? If not, if we believe that writing is worth teaching—and, to be clear, I think it is—then how does ChatGPT and its successors change how we think about the teaching of this basic skill?
In his dialog Phaedrus, Plato laments the invention of written language, arguing—correctly—that people will no longer be as good at remembering things: “It will implant forgetfulness in their souls. They will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.” Our memories—our memory skills—are paltry compared to those of people who live or lived in cultures without the written word. Similarly, Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries were equally concerned—and for good reason!—about the socially, religiously, and politically disruptive effects of movable type and the democratization of the printed word.
We are living through a similar moment in history. In the past 50 years, robotics has profoundly disrupted industrial labor, rendering repetitive, non-creative, physical work all but obsolete. We have to assume that ChatGPT and other AIs will be similarly disruptive to many types of repetitive, non-creative intellectual labor.
To be clear, I still think that there will be things for people to do in the future. In the same way that our culture has come to re-value individually crafted objects and artisanal work—witness the emergence of makerspaces, Etsy, etc.—I suspect that we will find new and special value in intellectual handiwork as well. In the end, generative AIs will be just one more tool that we will teach our students how to use, no different than a hammer or a spellchecker.
Creativity, critical and analytical thinking, ethical judgment, teamwork and collaboration, leadership: More than ever, these will be the skills our children will need to thrive academically and professionally in the century ahead.
Parents, I encourage you to try ChatGPT for yourself and then talk to your children about it. To be sure, it will tempt some students at some schools to take shortcuts, to let someone else—in this case, something else—do their work for them. So it’s important that we have conversations with our students about the goal of their education—that is, to develop the skills and deep understandings they will need for a productive and meaningful life well-lived.
P.S. Full disclosure: I knew that Plato had argued against writing but used Google to confirm the name of the dialog and the quotation. As you can see, this example not only validates Plato's argument but also supports those who argue that the technology of the internet has made certain kinds of memory less necessary. On the other hand, it also reinforces the need for education. I needed to have enough education to have been exposed to the idea that Plato made this argument (and to know who Plato was), but didn't necessarily need to know which dialog—or to have read that dialog!—much less memorized it.
Is Private School Right for Your Child?
The question of how to educate a child is one of the most important a parent can ask. A basic choice that many parents struggle with is that of public vs. private school. Parents do not want to take on unnecessary expenses if they will not ultimately benefit their child. After all, many public schools do an excellent job of educating students. But while it is true that public schools do not have tuition costs (and a private school can run, on average from 12,000 to 30,000 dollars a year), the benefits of a private education can still far outweigh the costs depending on the local options parents may face. Students who attend private schools can be more academically challenged, exposed to clearer value systems, given greater access to teachers, and may simply feel safer than local public school options. If you do decide to pursue private schooling for your child, start the research process early. Admission to private schools can be competitive, and finding a school that is a perfect fit for your child where he or she will be also be accepted, may take some time.
A Higher Bar
A major advantage to private education is that your child will likely be challenged to a higher academic standard. Private schools can be more academically rigorous than public schools, and private school students may have to meet more criteria to keep up their grade point averages. According to The Condition of Education 2001, from the National Center for Education Statistics, "Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools. Compared with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year high school programs)."
More can be expected of private school students in terms of quality of work, course workload, and special requirements such as community service or Arts participation. In some schools, what would normally be considered extracurricular activities, are prerequisites for graduation, which ultimately round out students' high school experience. The push to meet this higher standard often results in a greater level of student performance. In a recent NAEP report it was found that, "Students in private schools scored significantly above the national average in grades four, eight, and twelve. As the report put it, 'Performance results in 2002 show that, at all three grades, students who attended nonpublic schools had higher average writing scores than students who attended public schools.'" In general, a student given the opportunity to attend a private school will most likely reach a higher level of academic achievement.
Student Teacher Ratio
Private schools also tend to focus on controlling their class sizes. The NCES Schools and Staffing Survey found that, "Private high schools on average are less than half the size of public schools. In central cities, for example, the average size of a private high school is 398, compared to 1,083 for a public school." Students of private schools may have more opportunities to form relationships with their teachers, which can lead them to greater academic success. In such cases, a student is given help for his or her specific academic problems, which can allow the issue to be resolved quickly and correctly. Once any issues inhibiting a student's progress have been addressed, the child can go on to achieve at his or her highest level.
In The Condition of Education 2002, it was found that, "Placing students in small groups tends to foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning, particularly among at-risk students and those in the early grades." Also, small classes allow the teachers to have a better sense of who your child is, and what his or her specific strengths and weaknesses are. Your child will also have more opportunities to speak up and participate in class discussions. In addition, students may be offered office hours during which the teacher will be available. Students who have worked closely with their teachers are less likely to feel intimidated about using such time to actively seek help from their teachers directly.
Exposure to the Arts
Private schools have the ability to create their own curriculum. Although, they must ultimately prepare students with the same basic course as any other school, private schools also have the option to add various elements to their programs. Private school administrators often develop programs that emphasize the Arts, perhaps more so than local public schooling options. Schools may choose to produce elaborate plays and musicals, giving students unique opportunities to explore their talents and express themselves.
Government regulations on public schools prevent them from spending more than a certain percentage of school funds on the Arts. Private schools, however, are not subject to the same regulations, and they have more freedom to develop and expand these programs as they wish. Some private schools may even offer filmmaking or video production courses which are opportunities normally reserved for college students.
Potentially More Funds
The tuition that you and the other parents of a private school contribute often will go toward developing and funding special programs that would be restricted in public schools. The school may be able to offer other activities such as special field trips that reinforce the school's curriculum. Such trips can give your child opportunities to form close friendships and build independence. The school may have more funds available to provide supplies to student-run clubs. The school also may create programs that better tie the arts or sciences into the overall general curriculum.
A Push Towards College
Private high schools can instill their students with the expectation of attending college. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, "Fourth Follow-up" (NELS: 1988/2000) show that, "Students who had attended private school in 8th grade were twice as likely as those who had attended public school to have completed a bachelor's or higher degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent) and far less likely to have had no postsecondary education." With college as a focus, students can be more goal oriented, and often elements of the schools curriculum will be specifically aimed at preparing your child for college. Many private schools are even referred to as "college preparatory". Private schools often encourage their students to take an active role in their own college admission process. Students may be given more access to information about college options, and they may be made more aware of the requirements they must fulfill to qualify for a specific school.
Community Service and a Sense of Values
Private schools often put a major emphasis on personal values. When choosing a private school for your child, it is possible to find a school that incorporates a great deal of your own values into its everyday curriculum. Private schools often have honor codes and stricter behavioral standards that help students develop into mature adults. According to The Condition of Education 2001 from the National Center for Education Statistics, "At private schools, a greater percentage of children had parents who were very satisfied with order and discipline than with the school or teachers in 1999." Parents are often given greater say in school policies at private schools.
Many private schools require that their students complete a mandatory number of community service hours. This not only provides the obvious benefit of instilling a sense of respect for the community and the importance of making a contribution to society, but it also happens to be something colleges especially favor. Students may also find possible career options while fulfilling this service requirement such as political involvement to aid the community or counseling for endangered teens. Community service experiences teach students that education goes beyond the walls of the school, and that it sometimes requires action and initiative.
Discipline and Safety
Beyond the fact that smaller classrooms are by their very nature easier to control, most private schools put special emphasis on discipline. Even if your child does not have discipline problems, disruptive peers could take away from your child's valuable learning time. The Condition of Education 2002 states that, "Private school teachers were more likely than public school teachers to say that they had a lot of influence on setting student performance standards (63 versus 38 percent) and on student discipline policy (48 versus 30 percent)." The push for discipline in private schools teaches children self control, which will ultimately be a requirement in college where the student will be far more responsible for his or her own attendance, and achievement. Also, stricter disciplinary policies mean that any major problems will be handled and eradicated quickly. Typical crimes that plague public schools are less common at private schools. The School Crime and Safety Report found that, "Students in public schools (37.3 percent) were more apt to see hate-related graffiti at school than their counterparts in private schools (16.8 percent)."
A Word About Teachers
Because teachers at private schools are not required to earn the same certifications as public school teachers, some parents worry that the teachers are not as qualified. This is not necessarily true. Private schools must maintain their reputations and create positive word of mouth to survive. Toward this end, private schools are generally very selective about who they place in front of their students, and they choose educators with training specific to the subject they will be teaching.
A Community in Itself
When you decide to enroll your child in a private school, your family becomes part of a network of families with the same goals. Parents at private schools are more involved in the lives of the students and various school events. As a parent, you may have the opportunity to connect with other parents to discuss the lives of your children. Such relationships allow parents to learn from each other and support each other. The students also benefit from the community atmosphere of private schools. The very specific personalities of private schools often lead the students to have a strong sense of pride and loyalty to the school and its community. The student may also benefit from affiliation to the school far beyond graduation day. Many private schools have alumni mentoring programs that connect older alumni with newer ones. Recent graduates may find internship opportunities with alumni who have been working in their field of interest.
Every Family is Different
Despite the numerous benefits of private schooling, it must be said that private school is not for every child. Some children would benefit from the diversity a public school can offer. Some parents would prefer their children to be more focused on the core subjects rather than the arts and extracurricular interests. And, of course, the financial burden that a private school brings is considerable. No student is exactly the same as another, and only a parent can know what the best option is for his or her child. Any child, whether in private or public school, will need the active participation of his or her parents in order to achieve true success.
School Choice
The major advantage of private schooling is choice. Rather than sending your child to a public school that is required based on geography, now you have opened up a selection of several schools that may have very different educational styles and emphases, simply because you are deciding on private education. Every private school has a unique personality, and with a little research, certain schools will emerge from the pool as having more features than that will benefit your child.
Perhaps the school is affiliated with your family's religious faith, and your child can be given a religious education along with his or her core studies. Perhaps the school emphasizes writing, or it pushes self-expression. With the vast variety of private schools available, it is easy to select a school that will help your child to shine and develop the values you find most important.
Conclusion
No choice can guarantee that your child's formative years will go smoothly. Parents should always remain highly active participants in the education of their children. Still, in the interest of giving a student the most advantages and opportunities, possibly private school can be an attractive option. Private schools can reduce worries about safety, increase a child's exposure to discipline, offer reduced class sizes, and offer a good environment for high academic achievement. In many cases, a private school can prove to be much more than that, providing a community environment for your family and special opportunities that your child would not have otherwise.
Source: Kennedy, Robert: "Why Private School?" Blog post. PrivateSchoolReview.com. N.p., 25 May 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Help Wanted: Substitute Teachers
Our member schools are looking for kind and caring substitute teachers to ensure our students continue to thrive when teachers need to be out of the classroom.
Open Houses: Join Us!
Our schools are planning a variety of in-person and virtual open house events. We look forward to meeting you!
What Are Independent Schools?
Independent Schools are close-knit communities that provide students with individualized attention and challenge students to go beyond academics to develop into responsible, independent, and community-oriented citizens. Independent schools come in all shapes and sizes, including elementary and secondary schools; day and boarding schools; single-sex and coeducational schools; schools that are religiously affiliated and not. This diverse array of types of schools and differing missions and educational philosophies allows families to find a school that is the best match for their student.
High Academic Standards
Independent schools nurture intellectual curiosity, stimulate personal growth, encourage critical thinking, and promote a lifelong love of learning.
Mission Driven
Whether co-ed, single sex, day school or boarding school, religiously affiliated or not, each independent school is driven by its own unique philosophy, values and approach to learning. This mission permeates every aspect of the school
Safety
Independent schools focus on providing safe and secure settings that also offer a wealth of valuable resources and facilities. Students often have access to tools ranging from computers and technology to library resources and lab equipment that supplement their learning in important ways. Our schools also work hard on maintaining and improving their facilities to provide the best possible environment for learning, both inside the classroom and out.
Inclusiveness
Independent schools foster diverse and vibrant student communities that welcome and respect every family.
Governance
Independent schools are governed by an independent board of trustees, and each is primarily supported through tuition and charitable contributions. They are accountable to their community and are accredited by state-approved accrediting bodies.
Outstanding Teachers
Independent schools attract and recruit top teachers. They are granted a high degree of autonomy that allows them to shape their own programs to fit their personal teaching styles as well as their students’ needs and to assess student achievement through their preferred methods. Faculty members are provided professional development opportunities to further hone their teaching proficiency and abilities.
Small Class Sizes
Low student-teacher ratios encourage close connections between instructors and students. Small classes encourage students’ active participation and allow teachers a unique opportunity to monitor individual progress. Students can grow and flourish according to their interests and abilities.
Emphasis on the Whole Child
In addition to academics, independent schools also nurture students’ personal and social growth and civic conscience. Beyond the classroom, students participate in school-sponsored athletic competitions, artistic pursuits, leadership experiences, domestic and international travel opportunities, and community service.
Community
Independent schools are committed to creating a community of parents who actively participate in their children’s education. Independent schools promote regular communication among students, parents, and teachers to ensure everyone is working toward the same goals. Staff and teachers want and value parent participation. Parents are encouraged to actively engage in their child’s school experience, and a wide range of events and volunteer opportunities promote parental involvement, camaraderie and fellowship. The school community is strengthened by a shared belief in and commitment to the school’s mission and core values.
Parent Satisfaction Highest in Private Schools
Parents of private school students are the most satisfied with their school choice, compared to parents with children in charter and traditional district schools, according to two new studies from Education Next, a journal from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Read the Report
- Parent Satisfaction, CAPE Outlook, January 2017 (124 KB pdf)
Principles of Good Practice: Parents Working with Schools/Schools Working with Parents
Parents and independent schools work together to create and sustain effective partnerships. The following principles describe the respective roles and responsibilities of both partners.
- Download the PDF from National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).