Being K–12
Why would a school choose to teach students from grades kindergarten through 12th grade?
Why would a school take on the challenge of providing strong programs for students in Lower, Middle and Upper School, when it could specialize in teaching a narrower span of ages and grades?
The most significant advantage of being a K-12 school is that we can apply a consistent educational philosophy to the program of the school.
Frank E. Magusin, Head of School
The Bush School is proud of its K-12 structure, yet we spend little time articulating why we are proud and why we represent a unique and powerful educational alternative for our families. I thought I would take the opportunity of this month's Bulletin to share some of my thoughts about the advantages and opportunities K-12 schools enjoy.
The most significant advantage of being a K-12 school is that we can apply a consistent educational philosophy to the program of the school. Students therefore experience consistency in what and how they are asked to do school work, in the culture of the school across the divisions, and in the expectations the school holds out for them. Students can count on a foundation of educational and behavioral expectations and don't need to adjust their way of being in school to account for the different cultural and educational standards of several different schools.
We can develop from our philosophy a curriculum that is coherent and intentional in its scope and sequence over the entire range of pre-collegiate education. The curriculum mapping process in which we are currently engaged will lead us to an even more closely articulated and deliberate set of educational experiences for our students. We should find that while there will continue to be emotional and psychological adjustments for students as they move from one division to another, the educational program will become as seamless between divisions as it is between grades within a division.
Being K-12, we can develop administrative policies and procedures that are consonant with the school's underlying educational philosophy and consistent across all divisions of the school. This means it is easier for parents, and students, to navigate their relationship with the school. For example, protocols for communications can be similar between divisions and expectations for parents regarding their involvement with their child's education can also be similar through the divisions, except as they are affected by the changing developmental needs of and expectations for students.
A considerable advantage for families in a K-12 school can be that a family only once need go through the demands of a school admissions process. While there is no guarantee that any school can successfully serve a given student over a thirteen-year period, every year we graduate "lifers," who have spent their entire school career at Bush.
When a family spends a long period of time in a single school, the sense of community and of connectedness to the faculty and staff of the school, to other families, and to the institution itself is enriched and enriching. For many Bush families, their relationships with other members of the school community are some of the closest and most meaningful in their lives. For students, lifelong friendships are often the result of this longevity. Another manifestation of long-standing relationships is that students and their families feel deeply known by the school. This creates a sense of trust and comfort that can be difficult to develop in a shorter period of time.
Another advantage of a K-12 school is that students of all ages can interact in formal and informal ways. In a school like Bush in which kindness is such a fundamental value, the opportunity for older and younger students to be together safely creates a wonderful environment for younger students to be mentored and for older students to learn the benefits of being responsible for the growth and learning of their younger schoolmates.
Finally, the economy of scale of a larger K-12 school combined with the intimacy of three smaller educational divisions provides students, faculty and staff, and parents the educational benefits of small size with the operational advantages of a large school.
All of these factors make The Bush School a wonderfully rich learning environment for our students and their families. As we work to maximize all of these benefits and advantages, we acknowledge the gift that Helen Bush gave to us eighty years ago when she created the city's first K-12 school. We look forward in the coming years to strengthening all of the benefits we currently enjoy.
Frank Magusin
Head of School