Choosing the Right School for Your Child

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It may feel like the year has only just begun, but it’s time to think about where your child will be attending school next year. Most schools are preparing for enrollment at the beginning of the calendar year so that classes are scheduled and ready to go in the fall. Now, you may be happy with your child’s current school, or maybe you’ve just moved or your child’s current school is just not meeting their needs. There are lots of things to consider when looking for the “right” school for your child. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all when it comes to the perfect school, because the reality is that every child and family has unique needs. What works best for one child may not be the best fit for the child who lives down the street. Luckily, there are several key criteria that many educators and parents alike can agree that are important to consider when looking for the right school. We will be addressing how to approach the type of school that best fits your child; then provide tools to evaluate which school is the best fit for you. 

But let’s first approach the question of why it’s important to think about different schooling options. I grew up in a safe suburban city in the 90s and attended all public schools from K-12th grade. It seemed like all the other kids in my neighborhood were going to the same schools because that was the norm where I lived. I had a few friends that attended private schools or were homeschooled, but for the most part public school seemed to be the majority. Fast forward to today, public schools aren’t the only ones stealing the limelight as we’ve seen so many schooling options pop up over the years. This is great news! More options means more opportunity, especially for family’s with needs that may not fit the cookie cutter model of school.

In my extended family alone I have nephews and nieces that are attending private school, magnet school for science and engineering, public school, and homeschool. As a parent myself, I am faced with the question of what type of school do I want to send my child to? With the advancement of research and technology in our day and age, schooling has significantly evolved since I was a child and there are many options or approaches to schooling that can cater to different student needs. As parents, we have the privilege and responsibility to allow our child(ren) to benefit from the best type of schooling for them.

So let’s take a look at 4 ways to assess the best type of school for your child. 

1. Assess your child’s needs.

The first question you need to ask is what are my child’s individual and unique needs? Parents, you know your child the best - their strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and you have their best interest in mind. 

Take time to observe your child’s learning style. Are they auditory learners or do they learn more easily through pictures and visual examples? Do they need more individualized attention or do they thrive in a group environment? 

Next, what are your child’s social needs? Are they adamant about going to the same school as their friends? Or do they thrive in a quiet learning environment where they get 1-on-1 attention? Are they extremely active and plan to participate in school activities, extra-curriculars, sports, etc? 

Do you have a child with special needs or interests? Does your child require special needs assistance, such as IEP? Or perhaps you have a Mozart in the making that wants to focus on mastering his music skills. 

Understanding your child’s personality, interests and needs can help you identify the specific niche that your child fits into when looking at different school models.

2. Assess your family’s needs.

Looking at your family’s needs is just as important as identifying your child’s needs when it comes to schooling. After all, where and when your child goes to school affects everyone in the family. Some things to consider when you’re evaluating your family’s needs are:

• Finances - Is paying for school tuition something your family can afford? Are both parents working full-time? If so, you will need to consider the cost of after-school care. Do you prefer to homeschool your child? You will need to purchase curriculum, textbooks, and teaching supplies each year for each subject area.

• Location - How far are you willing to drive your child to school? Do you prefer something that is walking distance? Do you travel a lot and need something that’s more flexible?

• Practicality & schedule - How many schools do you need to do drop-offs and pick-ups per day? Do you have a child with special needs that requires more assistance at home? Do you have a busy or obscure working schedule?

• Values - Do you prefer to send your child to school that aligns with your religion? Do you prefer a school that fosters your child’s creativity? Do you want a less structured environment that allows your child more freedom in what they study? 

3. Look at what school options are available to you.

Besides your neighborhood schools, it’s time to take a look at all the options that are available where you live. Now this may mean a brick and mortar school down the street or it may mean a virtual school for you right at home. To help you with your search, here’s a breakdown of different schools that are typically widely available in the US.

• Local public schools

  • Magnet schools

  • Charter schools

• Private schools

• Homeschool 

• Online or Virtual schools

If one or more of these types of schools peak your interest, I encourage you to do some research. It may help to begin with looking at what type of schools are near you so you can narrow down the options you have readily available. You can start by using this tool, National School Locator, to help you find different types of schools within the US. Another great place to start your search is by checking out Greatschools.org.

Interested in learning more about online schools? Check out PCPA’s program for students K-12.

4. Know how to identify good schools.

Making comparisons of the different schools around you can easily add up to an overwhelmingly long list of items. To help you with your search, here are some must-haves for a great school, in which the primary focus is to look at how the school benefits the whole child. Another thing to consider is knowing key attributes of a successful school. 

When you’re ready to visit your schools of choice, GreatSchools.org has a School Visit Guide with questions to consider when observing the environment, facilities, and evaluating the culture and policies. 

And lastly, we want to share a helpful school comparison tool that allows you to select several schools and generate a side-by-side comparison of school sizes, demographics, ratings, and other information to help you visual learners out there!

Just as the saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover”, the same should be applied when you’re evaluating the effectiveness and quality of a school. There are a lot of stigmas around public schools being too focused on state testing or home schools creating a hindrance on a child’s social skills. However, I encourage you to look beyond the stereotypes and instead dig into the pros and cons that each of these school models can provide your child. After all, selecting the right school for your child is just the beginning of the process! The real journey is staying involved throughout your child’s schooling years and being a source of encouragement and support.

We hope you’ve found some helpful tools and wish you the best on your school search!

Sources:

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/four-steps-selecting-school-your-child 

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/choosing-a-school/