Quite often, I receive communications from the Independent Schools of the Central States (ISACS), which serves more than 240 member schools, offering accreditation services, professional development, and opportunities for networking across thirteen states.
In a communique for Heads of School, Mary Menacho, President of ISACS, recently shared, “For as long as there have been public schools in the United States, independent schools have represented an alternative educational path for some families. Independent schools are free to establish and provide the pedagogy and curricula they desire.”
President Menacho went on to delineate the offerings of independent schools.
–High academic standards
–Intellectual curiosity
–Lifelong love of learning
–Personal growth
–Critical thinking skills
–Development of relationships in a safe environment
–Experience with the value of a community
–Smaller class sizes
–Opportunities to learn beyond the classroom
As I read through the value added of an independent school education, I was struck how Rohan Woods aligns with every indicator mentioned above. But we have additional worth that benefits our students and is sought after by many educators, as we have much more flexibility in our curriculum design and teaching methods. As we found during the pandemic, we are nimble due to our school size, enabling us to make immediate decisions that benefit our students and school community without navigating through bureaucracy.
The three tenets by which we live at Rohan Woods is respect, responsibility, and leadership. Our independent school is dedicated to educating and nurturing our students to become productive, engaged citizens. Teaching these values isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s an investment in creating
individuals who can navigate life with grace and contribute positively to the world around them.
Sam
Sam Page
Head of School
Rohan Woods School