“Every child deserves the best education they can possibly get.”

Jamie Driver

Welcome to Navigating STL Schools, a podcast.  

Today’s guest is Jamie Driver, executive director of Independent Schools of St. Louis. Jamie got her start in education as a kindergarten teacher and got into arts education, as the director of education for Opera Theater of St. Louis. She has been with Independent Schools of St. Louis for about seven years and is committed to letting parents know that an independent school education is accessible to anyone and everyone. In this episode, Jamie sits down with Staci to discuss the advantages independent schools can offer, indulging the passions of teachers and students, and equity initiatives designed to give anyone access to an independent school education.

They discuss:

• Jamie’s evolution in the independent school system, from student to parent, administrator and board member at independent schools, and the insights this allows her
• What are independent schools? How are they different from public schools?
  • Centered around a mission that governs everything they do
  • Run by an independent board of trustees
  • Funded primarily by tuition and charitable donations, no government funding
  • Intentionally small class sizes and teacher-student ratios
  • Schools develop strong relationships with the family, not just the student
  • No state mandates, so schools are free to develop their own curriculum
  • Schools are exempt from state-mandated standardized testing
• Equity initiatives 
  • Schools hiring staff to focus on diversity and equity
  • All schools offer tuition assistance
• Standardized testing in independent schools
  • Schools still must have accreditation, which is a rigorous process
  • Tests are mainly to see what’s working and what’s not
• The focus on students rather than standards 
  • Teachers can really indulge students’ passions
  • Curriculum is flexible
  • Teachers are passionate about their subject areas and have deep experience
• St. Louis is unique because of the concentration of private and independent school options, which gives parents and students a lot of opportunities
• Empowering parents to find the right fit for their child’s education
• Changing education in St. Louis region, and the future of education here
  • Demographic and population changes
  • Younger generations of families
  • “Fit” is central to what independent schools do
  •  Families, educators, students: It’s a partnership
• What should parents consider when choosing a school
  • Suggested list of questions and things parents should look for at Indepdentschools.org 
  • What kind of opportunities are they looking for? Sports, arts, outdoors, etc.
  • What kind of environment would the child thrive in?
  • Take a virtual tour, visit an open house, schedule a one-on-one (if possible).
• Parents shouldn’t be bashful about calling to talk to admissions directors
• Families know their children best, providing parents the information about what opportunities are out there and encouraging them to reach out
• We’re here for parents, to be their partner in education
• For more information about Independent Schools of St. Louis or to begin your student’s academic journey, visit https://independentschools.org/