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Schools

Friends Schools: Similar, Yet Different

Friends schools promote Quaker philosophy of tolerance and service, but differ in many other aspects.

The Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, established its first school – William Penn Charter – right here in northwest Philadelphia in 1689. 

According to the Friends Council on Education, 85 Friends schools now operate throughout the United States, eight of which are located in Philadelphia and the immediate surrounding area, providing local families with yet another option for educating their children. 

A commitment to community service, peaceful conflict resolution, and respect for others are hallmarks of the Quaker philosophy. The Friends schools embrace the Quaker belief that “God is in everyone,” and they strive to create learning environments concerned with both the academic and moral development of students.

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For East Falls resident Theresa Raufer, that approach was a major factor in her decision to send her children to Germantown Friends. “GFS’ underlying philosophy ‘that there is that of God in all of us' shapes their approach to education in a way that really clicked for our family; it made us realize that we were looking for more than a school, for more than a solution,” said Raufer.

Lesley Buck, a Mt. Airy parent with twins at Plymouth Meeting Friends, was also struck by the Friends philosophy and how it permeates all aspects of school life.  “The love, warmth, compassion, creativity, kindness, joy, and fun that my kids experience daily are amazing to me,” said Buck.

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Even some local public schools have adopted aspects of the Friends approach to education. Wissahickon Charter, a publicly funded charter school in Philadelphia, includes both peaceful conflict resolution and service learning in its mission statement.

Although the Friends schools share a common philosophy, there are several differences among the individual schools, including course offerings, extra curricular activities, student-teacher ratios, levels of diversity, availability of financial aid, campuses, and facilities. For example, middle schoolers at both Greene Street Friends and Germantown Friends may participate in foreign exchange programs, immersing them in the history and culture of the host countries. However, the programs differ in several ways.

Mt. Airy parent Michelle Quirk, whose daughter is a kindergartner at Abington Friends, said that “although all of the schools are guided by the same Quaker values, each school has its own personality in terms of the emphasis that is put on academics or the arts or service to the community, as well as the student selection process.”

Like other private schools, cost seems to be the major obstacle for families considering a Friends education. The schools are primarily funded by a combination of annual fund drives, endowments, and, of course, tuition. Annual tuition for a kindergartner in 2011-2012 will cost anywhere from $6,975 at Frankford Friends to $19,300 at William Penn Charter.

Although all of the area Friends schools offer need-based financial aid, most families do not receive aid from the schools. On average, approximately one third of the students at most of these schools receive some tuition assistance. Greene Street Friends is one of the most generous, awarding need-based assistance to 39 percent of its students. Parents may also pursue outside sources of support, including loans and private scholarships.

In addition to cost, another concern for some families is diversity–racial, religious, and economic diversity. As mentioned earlier, all of the schools award some need-based aid to a portion of their students. Most also boast students of many faiths. Regarding racial diversity, Friends families feel that the schools reflect the diversity of Philadelphia. Children of color make up 31 percent of the student body at Germantown Friends and 38 percent of students at Plymouth Meeting Friends.

“Our daughter’s school experience is enriched by faculty and children from families with many different racial/ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic levels, and gender structures,” said Quirk.

Many of the Friends schools are under the care of a particular Monthly Meeting, the term used for a local congregation. This relationship is somewhat similar to the one that exists between a Catholic parochial school and a parish church in that the Monthly Meeting oversees school operations. Germantown Friends and Greene Street Friends are two such schools, as are the nearby Abington Friends, Frankford Friends, Friends Select, and Plymouth Meeting Friends.

Other schools are independent and unaffiliated with a Monthly Meeting, but still hold to the Quaker mission and philosophy. William Penn Charter and Friends Central are independents.

For more information on Quaker education, including a directory of schools, visit the Friends Council on Education.

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