Private School Parents- How Did You Evaluate?

Most private schools will have kindergarten coffees in the fall where you can get a tour, drop by a class, ask questions, general information, etc. Go to as many of these as you like and you will probably have a gut feeling to what the best couple of schools are for your family. Then go back to your 2 or 3 favorites and get more information - they will give you parent #'s to call and other events that you can attend. I would apply to your favorites and continue to evaluate them until acceptance letters come out - just like college, your child could be accepted at all, waiting list, etc - then make your final decision.

Much like choosing a college - the right one is different for each family. Just because one person goes to a particular school doesn't mean it's the only choice. Take your time and find the best fit. Good luck!

I think Esmeralda hit it right on the head!! In order to come up with a list of questions you need to consider your child and what is best for him. Academic philosophies from school to school do run far and wide, you just have to look for schools that are in harmony with yours.

After you make a "list" of questions, go to the school and take a tour, if possible meet the teacher, and sit down with the administration and let you questions fly.

I would suggest that you go to greatschools & privateschoolsreview - or the yellow pages to get a web address for some of the schools you are interested in touring. Alot of schools have ALOT of info on their site already ie. tuition, admission policy etc.

Some of the questions I had were:
*Student ratio (I was looking for a school who kept their numbers low)
*Curriculum (What is used and how is it implemented?)
*What tests are given (Placement and year end review. What should I expect from the scores that are obtained from these tests?)
*Parent involvement (What is expected of the parents, and is this in the policy?)
*Extra curricular programs (Are they implemented at the school/ available through the school or do we have to go out on our own?)
*Physical fittness (PE, recess -how long, how much?)
*Parent teacher communication (how often and when will be able to meet with the teacher? Am I able to contact the teacher at anytime regarding my child's progress, concerns I may have, or simply to see how he is doing?)
*If my son struggles or excels, what is in place in the classroom to accommidate those needs?
*Out of the classroom experiences, feild trips, presentations. (how many, how often)
*Hands on learning (yes or no)

I had many more but cannot remember them off hand. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have and good luck with your search!!!

Once you've narrowed down your choice to a reasonable amount of schools, you could ask them each to give you a couple of families' phone numbers to ask for their input. Most private schools will be glad to let you talk to their "satisfied customers," and will probably have a list of references available. If they don't, they should be able to quickly find a few families/parents who would be glad to talk to you and tell you why they really like their school. That should help in knowing if the environment is a match for your child and family. Best wishes!

Wow...there are so many philosphies on what constitutes a good education.

So I would start by listing what you desire for your children: be specific.

Secondly, what type of classroom atmosphere would you consider a good learning environment.

Most of us either prefer for our children to learn like we did or have a very different opinion about what constitutes a learning environment.

Most importantly consider your child's personality: Would he work better in a structured atmosphere?

I hope this gives you a starting point.