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You've seen the articles in major publications such as and . "Top 10 Prep Schools" or "Best ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools in ____" These lists invariably contain the names of schools that are familiar. But are these schools the right ones for you? Let me explain why I believe that ranking private schools makes no sense for parents like us who are looking for the right school for our children.

A flawed premise

Ranking private schools is intrinsically flawed from the get-go. Why? Because each private school is a unique entity. The essence of being a private school is that it does its own thing. It accepts the students it wants to accept. It teaches the curriculum it wants to teach. It teaches that curriculum the way it wants to teach. Each private school has its own mission statement, philosophy, code of conduct, programs, and traditions. So how is it possible to compare apples to oranges? That is essentially what ranking private schools attempts to do.

For example, look at all the features of Shattuck-St. Mary's. Maybe another school has some of the same features. Maybe it doesn't. It is up to you to determine what you expect from a private school.

Yes, you can compare things like the number of AP courses, varsity sports, extracurricular activities, and so on. But you normally will make those comparisons when

10 Misconceptions About ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools

There are a lot of misconceptions about private schools.

This is probably because private schools are indeed private, and often reluctant to release information to the general public..

• Unfortunately, this has more to do with the reality that many journalists don't understand private schools.
• On a couple of occasions when I have been interviewed about private schools, the interviewers asked very pointed questions designed to support their preconceived notions that private schools were only for rich kids or kids with issues.
• They were always surprised when I refuted those kinds of leading questions with facts.

With that experience in mind, here are some common myths, together with the reasons why they are simply that: myths.

Myth #10: ²ÝÁñÉçÇø school teachers make less than public school teachers.

Not true. This might have been the case years ago.

• ²ÝÁñÉçÇø school teachers are not unionized.
• They do enjoy some perks that public school teachers do not have, such as housing, meals, and reduced or free tuition for their children.
• Compensation is about the same in both sectors.
• The real disparity seems to occur within private schools themselves.
• Most parochial or religious schools tend to offer compensation that is on the low end of the scale.
• Administrators are not unionized either.
• Deans, admissions directors, development directors, business officers, and heads of school are generally paid competitively.
• You can research the facts by examining not-for-profit schools' Form 990,

Many famous people have attended private schools. Here is a sampling of schools and the famous folk who graced their hallowed halls.

• Ashley Hall, Charleston, SC: Alexandra Ripley, Barbara Bush, Madeleine L'Engle
• Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN: Arthur Golden
• The Brooks School, North Andover, MA: Steve Forbes
• Canisius High School, Buffalo, NY: Tim Russert
• Cardinal Hayes High School, New York, NY: George Carlin
• Choate-Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT: Glenn Close, Ivanka Trump, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jodie Foster, John Dos Passos, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Michael Douglas
• Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA: Bette Davis
• The Dwight School, New York, NY: Paris Hilton
• Emma Willard School, Troy, NY: Jane Fonda
• Episcopal High School, Alexandria, VA: John McCain
• : Prince Harry, Prince William
• : Andrew Litton
• Harding Academy, Nashville, TN: Reese Witherspoon
• Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA: Tori Spelling
• The Hill School, Pottstown, PA: Oliver Stone
• The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT: Archibald MacLeish
• Horace Mann School, New York, NY: Eliot Spitzer
• Kent Denver School, Englewood, CO: Madeline Albright
• Kent School, Kent, CT: Ted Danson
• Lakeside School, Seattle, WA: Bill Gates
• The Madeira School, Mclean, VA: Stockard Channing
• McCallie School, Chatanooga, TN: Ted Turner
• Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA: James Stewart
• Milton Academy, Milton, MA: Edward Kennedy
• Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
• Northfield Mt. Hermon School, Northfield, MA: Natalie Cole, Uma Thurman
• Phillips Academy, Andover, MA: George Herbert Walker Bush, George Walker Bush, Humphrey Bogart
• Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH: Dan Brown,