特殊需求

　　Public schools: Due to special education laws, public schools must educate all children, and provide the necessary programs to meet their special needs. This means that most public schools have special education programs and teachers who are trained to work with students who have particular needs.根据特殊教育法，公立学校提供特殊服务给有需求的学生.

　　Private schools: Private schools do not have to accept children with special needs, and many choose not to (although there are a small number of private schools specifically designed for special needs children). As a result, most private schools do not have special education programs or teachers trained to work with students with severe special needs. Private schools will try to help all the students they admit, but extra resources may also come at an additional cost.大部分私立学校不提供服务给特殊需求的学生，但也有小部分学校会有个别可能，但要取额外费用.

　　班级规模

　　Public schools: Many states recognize the value of small classes and have provided funding to keep class sizes small in grades K-3. As students become older, class size tends to get bigger in public schools, especially in large school districts and urban schools.班级人数较多.

　　Private schools: Private schools are generally committed to providing small classes and individual attention to students. Many parents choose private schools for this reason.平均人数在12人.因为私立学校致力于提供小班授课，也是家长选择私立学校的一个理由.

　　The Bottom Line

　　There are a few fundamental differences between public and private schools, but here's the bottom line: There are great private schools and there are great public schools. The trick is finding the school that best fits your child's needs. You may also want to consider public charter schools or homeschooling. It's a good idea to research the schools that interest you and, to get a true picture of the school, visit in person.

　　虽然有很多优秀的私立学校和公立学校.但对我们中国大陆家长来说，关键是选择适合你的孩子的学校.不要以为多交了学费自己有可以随意挑选学校. 从08年的申请情况看，学校筛选学生越来越严格，竞争更加激烈.适合中国大陆学生就读的美国私立中学数量有限.美国的家长可能选择小班教学但带有公立学校性质的charter schools或者家庭学校，但这些都不适合中国的学生.