CHOOSING
A PRIVATE
SCHOOL FOR
YOUR CHILD?
Here’s what to consider
in your search
BY MEGAN CONWAY
Initial Research – Ask Around
& Utilize Online Resources
“Usually, I would say the biggest driving force behind
where to look is word of mouth – 80% of admissions
is word of mouth, so it’s usually a family member or a
friend or someone in the community [who recommends
schools],” explains McGrisken. We’re a social species,
after all, and having a personal connection to someone
12 Washington FAMILY OCTOBER 2022
with a school recommendation is an easy place to begin. If
this doesn’t necessarily work for your family, or you’d like
to dig deeper, McGrisken recommends niche.com, where
curious families can search schools by zip code and dis-
tance from their home. “A lot of these families, especially
[within] the generation they are, are absorbing most of
the schools through an online platform,” McGrisken adds.

It’s All About Your Values
Much of the decision-making process should be based
on a matching of core values, explains McGrisken, “to
make sure that what we’re about is what the family is also
about.” This helps eliminate future friction.

Although all private schools aim to educate their child,
methodology and core focuses can differ, creating oppor-
tunities for families to find their perfect, unique match.

Embedded in the Tatnall School mission, for example,
is “a caring faculty [that] creates an environment which
nurtures curiosity and encourages students to grow in
maturity and self-esteem,” and the school’s “outdoor
classroom” allows access to a 110-acre campus (with addi-
tional acres of natural habitats).

Elsewhere, The Park School in Baltimore allows chil-
dren agency over their education, with faculty that
nurture students by providing physical materials and
resources to support their interests and open them
up to diverse worldviews. Oneness-Family Montessori
School, in Chevy Chase, focuses on family and communi-
ty-building, “offering celebration in triumph, compassion
in sadness [and] guidance and wisdom for every semes-
ter.” Students are guided to develop emotionally and
inwardly alongside their academic pursuits. And, Lucy
School, in Middletown, approaches education through a
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h ildren spend a significant portion of their
lives in some form of schooling. It’s often
where humans make many important social
connections, build emotional intelligence,
learn about themselves and explore possibil-
ities for the future – making the hours spent
within school walls an important slice of who we ulti-
mately end up becoming. Decisions surrounding a child’s
schooling are deeply personal to individual families, and
can cause stress for those mulling over several options
– public or private? Religious or secular? Where will my
child thrive?
For those who have chosen the private school route, the
considerations run as wide as one can imagine. With the
help of Alissa J. McGrisken, associate director of enroll-
ment & financial aid and director of family engagement at
The Tatnall School in Wilmington, Delaware, we’ve out-
lined some key decision steps and considerations that
caregivers should be aware of when determining what pri-
vate school may be best for their child.

McGrisken helps break down the decision-making pro-
cess for exploring private school options, with examples
of options from schools in the Delaware Valley, DMV,
Frederick County and Baltimore County.




“student-centered, arts enriched program” that focuses
on community and environmental care on a 17-acre
farm setting.

Some families might consider religious schools as a
good fit, while others might be drawn to independent or
secular settings.

“It is a big investment,” notes McGrisken. “Find where
your family fits. It’s not only about the child, it’s also
about the family – this will become their community too.”
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PLANTS: -VICTOR- / DIGITALVISION VECTORS
Other Important Considerations
Value-matching is essential, but so is meeting individ-
ual family needs. “So, for instance…[if] a student has a
learning difference, making sure that [schools] have the
resources to support that” is important, notes McGrisken.

Other key factors for caregivers to explore as they com-
pare schools include “experience of faculty, diversity,
equity and community…are we doing the work? What are
our efforts? Are we honest about where we can go?” she
says. Honesty is essential to fostering a successful school
match. “And, at the end of the day, it’s a feel. If all those
things are in place, would my kid be comfortable here?
Seeing the kids in the hallway – do they look happy? Are
they engaged?” asks McGrisken.

Sports and extracurricular offerings could impact deci-
sions as well, whether athletic enthusiasts are drawn to
Tatnall School’s 37 interscholastic sports teams or cre-
atives can see themselves in Park School’s 44,000 square
foot Wyman Arts Center (both schools, of course, offer
options for students of various interests).

Your Child’s Opinion Matters
“It is a very interesting time,” observes McGrisken. “I
would say more and more, the student is actually picking
the school – particularly at the upper school level.”
It may go without saying that your child is, after all,
the one who will be spending crucial developmental
hours at their school. Taking your child’s opinion into
consideration is, however, an important part of the deci-
sion-making process. McGrisken recalls an instance in
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN
CHOOSING A
PRIVATE SCHOOL
Positive recommendations
Ask Around & Utilize
Online Resources
Do their methodology and
core focuses match yours?
Does the school meet your
individual family needs?
Resources to support your
child’s learning differences.

What sports and
extracurricular offerings
do they have?
Have you taken your child’s
opinion into consideration?
Is financial aid in the form
of scholarship opportunities
and financial assistance
available? WashingtonFAMILY.com 13