The Park School of Buffalo Blog

Dear Park Community,

A few weeks ago, I picked up the fall issue of Independent School magazine, the official publication of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). The theme of this issue centered on the “value add” of an independent school education. 

As many of you know, The Park School of Buffalo is an independent school that was founded in 1912 by a group of parents dissatisfied with the traditional teaching methods of the era. An independent school is a private, non-profit educational institution that is self-governed by a board of trustees. Independent schools are mission-driven and have the freedom to set their own curriculum, standards, and policies, allowing for a focus on a comprehensive education that includes academics, social-emotional growth, athletics, the visual and performing arts and learning how to live and flourish within a community. They are funded through tuition, fundraising, and endowment investments. Park is accredited through New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). Every five years, NYSAIS verifies that Park is held accountable to its mission and to a set of enhanced standards through a rigorous evaluation process involving a self-study and a school visit from a commission of independent school educators and administrators. 

Independent schools provide advantages that make them an exceptional choice for parents and guardians who want a personalized, high-quality education for their child(ren). One of the most significant benefits of independent schools is the individual attention students receive. With smaller class sizes, teachers can focus on each child’s learning style, strengths, and challenges. This allows for a more customized approach that encourages deeper understanding and curiosity. The close teacher-student relationships found in independent schools foster mentorship, confidence, and a sense of belonging that can make a profound difference in a child’s academic journey.

As an independent school, Park has the autonomy to design its own curricula, allowing us to go beyond state-mandated standards. This freedom encourages innovation in teaching methods and course offerings. We emphasize experiential learning, critical thinking, and creativity—skills that are increasingly important in all professions as well as to nurturing educated and engaged citizens and leaders. Independent schools  can adapt quickly to new educational research, technology, and global trends. As a result, students often graduate not only with strong academic foundations, but also with intellectual curiosity and the ability to think independently.

Independent schools often provide strong guidance for college, helping students gain entry to top universities or pursue alternative career pathways with confidence. Park offers a unique, personalized, comprehensive college counseling program beginning in Grade 9 that erases the need for parents to pay for a private college counselor. Our goal is to get students into college and out of college by connecting them to an institution that is the right fit for them academically, socially, artistically, and athletically.

It would be remiss of me not to make the point that independent schools carefully select their students to create a positive peer culture where it is cool to do well; where it is cool to try hard; where it is cool to dream and be ambitious; where it is understood that temporary failure is part of the equation of success. In addition, independent school faculty are experts in their subject matter and understand that building developmental and supportive relationships with their students undergirds how and what they teach. Choosing an independent school is not merely a decision about where a child studies—it is a choice about the kind of person they will become. 

Thank you for choosing Park.

Warmest Regards,

Lisa M. Conrad

Head of School