To understand if private schools are ahead of public schools, we’d first need to understand the differences between the two.
What Are Public Schools?
Public schools are institutions that offer free or subsidized education via taxation (I.e., local, state, and/or federal) for students. The curriculum is designed based on a set of courses a school or governing body puts in place. It is also a branch off of a state curriculum that encompasses subjects such as English, Math, Science, History, Geography, and Language Arts.
What Are Private Schools?
Private schools, also known as independent schools, are learning institutions that are privately owned and funded. That means they do not receive financial aid or governance from local, state, or federal governments. The curriculum for private schools is set by the school itself.
So, Are Private Schools Ahead of Public Schools?
The answer to that question is based on what a parent wants for their child/children. As a parent, do you want a standard and universal educational plan? Or do you want an educational plan designed specifically for your child? If you’d prefer the latter, then you would place private institutions over public schools.
Private schools like The Tenney School are increasing in popularity amongst parents because of their unique educational plans and curriculum.
What Is The Tenney School?
The Tenney School is a Houston-based private institution for students grades 5th-12th. We provide tailored one-to-one educational plans to meet the diverse academic, emotional, and social needs of each student. Further, we believe that in order to ensure academic success, teachers must know their students’ weaknesses and strengths. Once who your child is becomes established, we can design a plan intended to straighten said weaknesses and hone their strengths.
After a strategy is created, we focus on empowering students to take control of their academic life. That means instilling accountability for their successes and lessons. Lessons in the sense that if a student isn’t living up to their potential, we help them understand why they earned the result they did, and help them figure out solutions.
Common reasons for academic shortcomings (outside of learning disabilities) are pretty simple fixes. Most of the time, students:
- Are not spending enough time studying or are not studying at all
- Lack of motivation or procrastination
- Do not ask for help when they need it
Once we understand the root cause of their lack of academic success, we can work with them to overcome the issue and thrive from there on out.
Expectations for Current Students at The Tenney School
- Supply List – Generally, school supplies vary from classroom to classroom. At the start of each semester, teachers provide a list of supplies needed for students to handle all assignments for a given class.
- Dress Code – The dress code is in place for a reason. It works to instill discipline, mitigate safety hazards, teach students how to present themselves in a professional setting, and, most importantly, prevent disruptions. While our dress code is not too stringent, we expect our students to dress in a manner that is appropriate and won’t distract from school operations.
- Summer Reading List – Summer reading is required for all students, and the types of books are determined by the grade level said student is entering in the fall.
- Summer School – Students can sign up for a maximum of two courses during the summer. Each session can either be for remediation, credit, and/or enrichment.
Founded in 1973 by George and Judy Tenney, The Tenney School is unwavering in our pursuit of helping students develop the skills needed to succeed in not only school but life. For parents interested in learning more about The Tenney School’s educational plans, curriculum, scholarship opportunities, and more, visit us at tenneyschool.com/contact/ or contact us at 713-597-8329 today.