Public schools are full of amazing, dedicated teachers and administrators who work hard every day to do the best they can for students. They make personal sacrifices for the good of the children in their communities and are passionate about education. Unfortunately, being part of a government organization often means red tape and bureaucracy on national, state, and district levels. All of which can tie the hands of the people on the local level who fight for students each day. This negatively impacts the ability of teachers to teach and students to learn and can leave parents feeling utterly helpless.
While national directives from the Department of Education affect every schooling environment in this country, private independent schools have the ability to choose how and when to implement those policies based on what is best for their students. Public schools just don’t have that freedom. They have to do whatever the state and school board decide, regardless of whether or not it’s right for students.
Private independent schools are governed by a Board of Trustees that work on a volunteer basis. They and the Head of School have no agenda beyond the effective education of students within that school. Parents and teachers have a much stronger voice in these smaller environments, and have a better chance of being heard and affecting change when they have concerns. Our teachers at St. Barnabas are just as passionate and dedicated as those found in public schools, but with the freedom to completely focus on students without the weight of contradictory directives or the immense pressure that comes from high-stakes testing.
Balancing the Budget
Despite what would appear to be adequate funding, public schools seem to face constant budgetary constraints which make it difficult to stay up to date with curriculum, technology, extracurriculars, teacher compensation, or even simple things like new desks and tables. Teachers and media specialists are left to do the best they can with what they have.
At St. Barnabas, we aren’t bound by the same budgetary pressures as public schools due to our efforts to remain as fiscally responsible as possible. Every year our Development Staff and Committee work hard to ensure that our Annual Fund and Endowments reach their full potential so that our students can reach theirs. Through generous donations from the school community and community at-large that are dedicated to education, we are able to provide an environment that public school students just don’t have access to. We can keep current with technology and curriculum, provide teachers with adequate resources, and grant scholarships for deserving students in the community.
Simply put, as a private independent school St. Barnabas excels by focusing on each individual student: their education, personal development, and overall wellbeing. Our teachers are free to focus on teaching, and your student can focus on learning.
Our mission is to challenge each student in a supportive environment that promotes academic excellence and sound moral values within a framework of God’s love.
