Making Good Choices: Tips for choosing a school

Once parents have been given the right to choose a school, the next step is to be prepared. Arming yourself with information can make a huge difference in finding the right match for your child. When considering a school, ask some basic questions:

• What is the goal or mission of the school?
  
• Does the school seek to make every child proficient in every subject? If so, how?
  
• What's different about your school?
  
• What happens when children fail?
  
• How does the school get parents to contribute to the process?
  
• How does the school's performance stack up in comparison to what the state expects of students?
  
• How are teachers hired, evaluated and rewarded?

Whatever your options, here are some questions you need to be able to answer to help ensure that your child is getting a solid education. Ask teachers:

• What is expected of my child this year, in this grade?
  
• How is my child's individual work?
  
• How do essays, tests and class participation count in the course or in a grade?
  
• What are the curriculum standards and how many hours are spent on various subjects?
  
• Have you noted that my child has a particular learning style?

Be ready, too, to answer questions about your child. If you are looking for a new school, think of the reasons why - you may be looking for better curriculum, a smaller school or teachers more receptive to your child's needs. To find the right match, parents need to create a positive dialogue in which they open up about the needs of their child and find out the most relevant information about potential schools.

Need help locating schools in your area?

If you need more help or if you are interested in helping to bring a school choice program or charter school to your area, contact The Center for Education Reform at 1-800-521-2118.