Rather than be overwhelmed by the range of private school options available in metro Richmond, parents should feel optimistic that they can find a good fit for their child and family.
“Pretend you’re being investigators,” says Rachel Gladstone, an educational consultant with Westhampton Family Psychologists in Tuckahoe. “Try to see all the choices and options, and remember nothing is written in stone.”
Gladstone says it’s common for parents who attended private schools themselves to seek a similar experience for their children. Other parents believe a private school would suit their child’s needs better than than their assigned public school. It’s also possible that as a child progresses through their education, a different school setting might be more appropriate. “There’s so much variability, with so many different people with different needs and circumstances,” Gladstone notes. “It truly is so individual, which is why careful consideration and attention need to go into school choice.”
An Early Start
Courtney Rosenthal began evaluating private schools for her first child in summer 2021, with an anticipated enrollment in kindergarten in the 2023-24 school year. Rosenthal attended private school for grades K-6 and then finished in public schools; her husband, Matt, attended public schools for his K-12 education. Their motivation to seek a private option for their daughter stemmed from a desire to find a place that would nurture her love of the arts. “Her life is a musical,” Rosenthal says. “She’s always singing.”
The Rosenthals set parameters on their search: K-12 programming and coed instruction with no religious affiliation.
“That really narrowed the scope,” Courtney Rosenthal says. She and her husband assembled a list of questions and sent it to admissions directors at their top two choices. “That set a framework for the discussions we had with admissions and leadership with both of the schools,” she says. “As my husband and I sat down and discussed where we wanted to apply, we had answers.”
The family secured a seat for their daughter in the school of their choice — but in a junior kindergarten, or JK, classroom last fall, a full year earlier than they planned. “I realized that for many independent schools in Richmond, the admissions process really is for the JK year,” Rosenthal says. “Then there are only a handful of slots for kindergarten. We realized the numbers weren’t good if we waited, because there wouldn’t be many slots available.”
Margaret and Adam Preston had two children enrolled in their neighborhood public school when the COVID-19 pandemic began in spring 2020 — a daughter in second grade and a son in kindergarten. They had been considering moving their daughter to a private school, so they were ready to make the leap to virtual learning offered by the school they preferred.
“That was the time to set a good foundation in terms of learning and excitement for learning,” Margaret Preston says. “We wanted more challenge and customized work, and we felt we had done the process as best we could in [our] public school. You can’t fault anyone there, but they have the square they have to teach to. The anomalies, at both ends, are harder to pay attention to.”
The couple’s process included gathering recommendations from friends and “being a little old school. Write it all down and see where you are: priorities, non-negotiables, what do they have [to offer],” she says. “A mom has an intuition as to what her kids need.”
Then they took general admissions tours. They paid attention to the academic “extras” not available at their public school and observed smaller class sizes. At the end of one tour, as Margaret Preston was asking questions, the admissions director suggested the couple meet with the head of school. “We felt like we were their priority, even with a slew of folks in the admissions process,” she says. “We asked specific questions to see if they could fill in the gaps we were experiencing.”
Initially, the Prestons planned to enroll only their oldest child, but all three of their children are now at the same school. “We loved [the school], loved the community,” she says. “Once we got over there and realized the breadth of ‘specials’ and extracurriculars, we thought, ‘Why wouldn’t we do this for the boys?’”
Making the Switch
Educational consultant Lindsey Melvin says the pandemic motivated some parents to move their children from public to private settings. “The demand [for private schools] was much greater than I’ve seen in a long time,” she says. “I’m curious to see [where we are now], but from 2020 into 2022, there was an absolute increase in interest in private schools.”
Melvin advises parents to research schools’ mission, size, costs and learning styles. She also encourages parents to go deeper. “I want them to do some soul-searching before they start looking,” she says. “They need to think about their own personal and educational values. Is it important for a school to incorporate the arts, time outdoors or religious faith or follow a certain educational approach, like [international baccalaureate] or classical? Sometimes, families don’t know.”
Most private schools require educational assessments, either administered by private psychologists or the schools themselves. A child may want an explanation about why that’s necessary. The child’s age also affects the role they will play.
“With every year, it becomes increasingly important to involve them in discussion and dialogue,” Melvin says. “How do you know it’s going to be the right community? Explore all the ways the school offers you to know that information: parent tours, shadow days, talking with parents of enrolled students. Is [the school] really what it sounds like?”
Even after a family finds a school that fits their child’s needs, Melvin notes parents need to pay attention, as circumstances can change. “[Parents] can feel guilty if they want to look around, but looking is not the same thing as choosing or doing,” she says. “Looking is being informed. You may decide to take action, or you might stay where you are.”
[Parents] need to think about their own personal and educational values. ... Sometimes, families don’t know.
—Lindsey Melvin, educational consultant
“It’s surprising how early the admissions process takes place,” she adds. “Some schools are zipped up and done by early March; others have rolling admissions into the summer. Some parents will want to wait to see how the school year finishes [to consider another placement] and then find that the door is closed, whether because of admissions numbers or financial aid has already been played out. If financial aid is something you think you need, the earlier [one starts the process], the better.”
Melvin also advises parents to remember that the tuition price isn’t just for one year; it’s for multiple. “Ask yourself, ‘Can I afford that next year? Is this something I can bite off for four years of high school, or 13 years?’” she says. “You also have to have conversations with the schools about the costs beyond tuition, like sports, uniforms, clubs and activities. You want to understand what the total cost is and have a conversation about what financial aid is available.”
Gladstone, the Westhampton Family Psychologist educational consultant, agrees that taking the time to make a full assessment of the school is essential. “Just like medical decisions, school-based decisions are decisions parents need to be involved in,” she says. “Parents need to drive the ship. This is a situation where if you have the resources to speak with [a professional], it will absolutely help you save time and frustration. You want to cast a wide net and start early. Visit a variety of schools. Attend events that are open to the community, like spring flings, theater productions, art shows. Call and say you want to come check out the culture. It’s a big commitment. You want to make that choice with as much information and as much data as possible.”
