Many parents contact Currey Ingram Academy with concerns that public school isn’t the best fit for their child. After talking with hundreds of parents, a few trends have emerged. While public school is hugely important to the overall population, it doesn’t work effectively for all learners, particularly students with learning differences.
The Pitfalls Public Schools
Unlike boarding schools in the South, public schools throughout the U.S. must live up to rigid standards that are graded on national standardized tests. Each district has very specific requirements, and there simply isn’t room for widespread flexibility. Although many public schools are equipped to handle students with an individualized education plan, teachers, assistants and administrators are spread thin due to overcrowding. Further, many districts continue to experience budget cuts, significantly reducing teacher resources.
Individual Issues
While crowding and standardized testing requirements are widespread problems, individual students can also experience difficulties within a traditional learning environment. Students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences may become bored and disinterested in schoolwork, or large class sizes and intense competition might mean that they are not able to participate in academics, sports, and other extracurriculars. They may find that being boxed into a classroom all day isn’t the best learning environment for them. As one of the most well-planned boarding schools in the South, Currey Ingram has many outdoor spaces, no-cut athletics programs, and student-centric classrooms to appeal to a diverse range of students.
Something else parents must be on the lookout for is lack of attention. Although teachers certainly try their best, it’s not unusual for students to get skipped over in a traditional classroom setting. While boarding schools in the South can provide tailored instruction, public schools can’t always do that, even for students with an IEP. Classrooms with 25+ students are exceedingly difficult to teach as each child learns differently than the next. Currey Ingram’s small class size (we have an average 4.5:1 student-teacher ratio school-wide) ensures that each child gets the individualized attention they need to thrive.
Many parents also choose to enroll in boarding schools in the South as a way to better prepare their young learners for life after they’ve turned their tassel. Just more than 40% of students pursuing a bachelor’s degree graduate within the suggested time frame of four years. This is often the result of ill academic preparation caused by weak coursework and unrealized challenges. A private program will help to steer students toward whatever version of success they seek for themselves.
A Different Approach
At Currey Ingram Academy, we understand that each student learns at a different pace. That’s why we offer individualized learning plans and regular parent-teacher conferences for all enrolled academic scholars. We believe in evidence-based practices, such as developing achievable yet challenging goals written for each student, repeated reading, and self-regulated strategy development. As one of the premier boarding schools in the South that specializes in students with dyslexia, we also utilize the Orton-Gillingham approach. We take pride in smaller class sizes and prioritize social-emotional learning.
To learn more about Currey Ingram Academy, visit any one of the tabs on our navigation bar.
