NonPublic Schools: Part III--Faculty and Staff Qualifications

• NonPublic Schools: Part I--Overview
• NonPublic Schools--Part II Evaluating Mission, Values, & Goodness of Fit for Your Child
• NonPublic Schools--Part III Faculty and Staff Qualifications
• NonPublic Schools--Part IV: Evaluating Academic Program
• NonPublic Schools:Part V--On Accreditation
• NonPublic Schools:Part VI--More Detail on Financial Issues: IRS Status

Questions About the Administration's And Faculty's Qualifications

Administration
In most states, private school administrators are not required to be certified teachers or administrators. This is neither a good thing or a bad thing -- it depends upon the school and its mission. For example, the types of skills needed to lead a small early-childhood program are much different from leading a large, 9-12 grade college-preparatory school. Assuming that you are looking for a school for your child who is at least in kindergarten, you may wish to ask the following questions:

• How long has the school head (principal, Head of School) been at the school?
 
• What are his/her administrative qualifications and background?
 
• How is his/her annual performance evaluated? (In not-for-profit schools, this is generally the responsibility of the Board of Trustees.  The Board should evaluate the Head annually. For-profit schools may or may not evaluate the Head).
 
• What measures are taken to ensure that the administration and the teachers have the moral and ethical suitability to engage children in the educational process?
 
• Is there evidence of strong leadership in the school as reflected in: a continuous plan for school improvement, the appearance and attitudes of the students,  the general appearance of the school grounds, and the ready availability of answers to your questions?
 

 

Faculty
Assuming that the educational level of the school you are interested in serves grades k-5:

• Do all of the teachers hold four-year college or university degrees?

   

Assuming that the educational level of the school you are interested in serves up through grade 12, and assuming that it is a college preparatory school:

• Do all of the teachers hold four-year college or university degrees?
 
• What percentage of the faculty hold advanced degrees (Master's or PhD, not counting degrees from schools of education)?
 
• In science and math classes, do the teachers have advanced degrees/course work beyond a BA/BS in the field they are teaching?
 
• What is the average number of years of teaching experience?
 
• What is the school's professional development plan for its teachers?
 
• What is the faculty turnover like in recent years? (There does not seem to be any good rule of thumb, other than being a bit cautious about the extremes. If the faculty have all been there for years, perhaps there's not enough new blood/new ideas coming in; if the faculty turnover rate is greater than 40%, is there enough organizational continuity? Is a high turnover rate indicative of other organizational problems?
 
• What percentage of the faculty hold state teaching credentials? (Note: there are many fine private schools where none of the teachers are credentialed, especially at the high-school level.  The teachers' qualifications are advanced degrees in the subjects they teach.)
 
• Are the teachers known in the community as a faculty that is dedicated to children and their needs? Well-run schools have good working relationships between teachers and administrators; well-run schools have good communications between the school and parents. (Caveat: take current parents' opinions with a grain of salt--one dissatisfied parent can unfairly affect a school's reputation)
 

• NonPublic Schools: Part I--Overview
• NonPublic Schools--Part II Evaluating Mission, Values, & Goodness of Fit for Your Child
• NonPublic Schools--Part III Faculty and Staff Qualifications
• NonPublic Schools--Part IV: Evaluating Academic Program
• NonPublic Schools:Part V--On Accreditation
• NonPublic Schools:Part VI--More Detail on Financial Issues: IRS Status