If you’re like the vast majority of Americans, your children attend public schools. It’s bad enough that when you move, your children are uprooted from their current schools, but then it’s your job to make sure you move into a school district with the best schools for your children.
Fortunately, there is a lot of information online, but to really get a feel for the schools, you have to do some legwork. Here’s how:
List Your Best Schools Priorities
Do your children have specific interests, such as art, music, sciences, or math? Do you want them attending a diverse school? Are they academically gifted, or are there specific challenges you feel need to be addressed? Are your children athletic, bookworms, or both?
A school might look fantastic on paper, but that school with the strong science and math programs might not be a fit for your musical genius. If you have a star basketball player, high test scores are great, but a ranking based on college basketball scholarships might be more appropriate.
Don’t let looks deceive you. Some of the roughest looking schools have incredibly high graduation rates and college acceptance rates. Sites like Great Schools list parent reviews. They rate public, private and charter schools.
Talk to Your Realtor
Choose a Realtor who’s local to your target area. They should be an expert on the schools. They should also know the boundaries surrounding good schools. Don’t rule out schools in transitional areas. You never know where you’ll find the most dedicated teachers.
Check the School Out
Once you’ve narrowed down your picks, spend some time there. Sit in on classes. If the school won’t let you, that’s a bad sign. When you do sit in, observe everyone in the class. Are the children interested or do they have glazed looks in their eyes? Does the teacher involve them?
Don’t feel that you have to send all of your children to the same school. Sure, it might be inconvenient, and sometimes prohibitive, for you to spend that much time carpooling. If you can work it out, though, you might find that separate schools allow your children to focus on their strengths and interests.
Remember that no school is perfect and with a little help at home, well-educated and well-rounded people can come from sub-par schools.
Featured image by Linda LaBonte Britt via Hanscom Air Force Base.
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