Search Northwestern Search Help Center for Talent Development Resources ... CTD Home Considering Independent Boarding Schools as an Educational Alternative by Patsy Kumekwa, Scholar Search Associates, Clinton, Connecticut Independent residential secondary schools can be viable educational options, but they are by no means equal, especially with respect to genuinely gifted students. This point was brought home to me during a recent conversation I had with an acquaintance. As parents of children (mine a second grader, hers in college) identified as gifted, we were sharing ideas about educational approaches which both recognize and support those with notable intellectual potential. We began to discuss the relative merits of some well-known boarding schools in New England.
Some years ago, my acquaintance had explored independent schools for her son who was on his way to exhausting the math and science courses in the local high school. Under consideration at the time was a highly respected and nationally known boarding school. But when asked about her impressions of this school, the parent said, "They just didn't have the right answers."
"They just didn't have the right answers" captured for me the distinction between independent schools that compel closer examination and those that probably would fall short in meeting the needs of gifted students. What are these "right answers"? There are a lot of independent schools that possess impressive educational attributes (accelerated/AP courses, small classes, comprehensive art, athletic, and computer facilities, multicultural diverse student population, and so on). Indeed, many schools have the look and feel of small liberal arts colleges. But beyond academic rigor and extensive and well-maintained buildings and grounds, can or do these institutions truly serve those with academic and creative talent? | |
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