Section 3
Educational Pluralism and Diversity Among America’s first schools, private schools helped
disability. Minority students accounted for 27 percent of private
established our country’s foundation for education. Today, private
school students in 2010. In 2008, 19 percent of all private
schools help fulfill the American ideal of educational pluralism.
schools had students who received services under Title I of the
Our nation is blessed by a rich diversity of schools. Whether
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). (Such services
public or private, these diverse schools
are focused on providing high-need
constitute the American educational
students with extra support in math and
experience and share a worthy goal: the
reading.) In the same year, 59 percent of
education of our country’s children.
all private schools had one or more
Together, public and private schools work
students with an Individualized Education
to ensure an educated citizenry; together
Program (IEP) (source for 2008 data:
they strive to help students reach their
NCES, Schools and Staffing Survey).
potential and contribute to the common good. Even within the private school
How are private schools good for America? They help educate the public— including students from a wide diversity
community, there is great diversity: Jewish schools, Lutheran
of backgrounds, income levels, and ability levels—at
schools, Episcopal schools, Montessori schools, Evangelical
considerable savings to taxpayers. They offer parents choice in
Christian schools, Independent schools, Seventh-day Adventist
education. They produce high-achieving students who make
schools, Catholic schools, Waldorf schools, Pentecostal schools,
significant contributions to the country. And they strengthen their
Friends schools, and this list goes on. Diversity is also found
communities economically, socially, and educationally.
within the schools themselves by race, ethnicity, income, and
35