Rating Schools

I understand that many schools are ranked by standardized test results but if parents were given the go ahead by society, they would consider other variables. Many feel pressured to choose a school based on rank whether a school of the arts or honors. What I ask instead is to listen to both your child and yourself.

One of the most important choices a parent will make is to choose a teaching method. This may be easy for some parents but others may be curious or new to multiple teaching methods (or styles). This goes beyond formal or non-formal. Most public schools today use a state wide method, usually a form of Rote learning/liberal arts with text books, and standardized tests. There are exceptions. The City of Buffalo, NY has a public Montessori Elementary school. Montessori would fall under the progressive teaching methods. Some public school districts have magnet high schools such as a school of the arts, honors or technology. But most public school systems do not have teaching method choice at the elementary level. Whereas, charter and private schools could be traditional, liberal arts, progressive or even technology or art based. There are many classifications. I have a tendency to group them as Main Stream, Classical/liberal Arts and Magnet/Progressive. Examples of magnet schools in Buffalo, NY would be The school of the Performing arts, City Honors, or Hutchinson Technical school.

What I found was that in order to choose a school, I had to choose a teaching method (Main Stream, classical/liberal Arts and progressive), which depended on several smaller desires. So, I made a list of all the details I wanted from class size to a preference of using all natural cleaning products. I then rewrote the list putting the items I refused to go without at the top and then the ones I would be flexible on at the bottom. Remember items like a second language can be had by using a tutor.

Factors that could lead you to choose a school could be class size, teacher quality, teach method and the amount of free time or study time (depending on the grade). What types of teaching materials were used (books, hands-on, abstract, verbal, computers, TV?)? Were the kids at desks, tables, or allowed to move from task to task? Also, look for condition of learning materials, school resources, activities both in and out of the class room. Do the kids go on field trips and how often? Are the book cost separate? I have heard of parents having to buy the books for their children in public and charter schools not just the privates.

Something that is easy to do is to dream of the school you always wanted to attend. This may not be the best fit for your child though. In fact, my brother has two lower school age children. The eldest, step child, is clearly leaning towards the arts and dance while the younger one will most likely go the way of a Non-Arts School. He was of the mind set that to be fair to all children they should all get the same education. But that would not really be fair to them, would it? A child with artistic & dance skills may not be happy in say a honors school, sitting in 8 classes of scholastic learning Latin, calculus, AP English, etc. Just as an honors student may not be comfortable in a dance leotard for ballet, modern dance and tap classes for most of the school day. He got the point.


So, once you have your list and you have thought about what your child's temperament and interests are you will start to see a natural selection happen. I knew from the beginning I wanted a progressive teaching method as a first choice and a classical/liberal arts as a second. Though, I originally was leaning towards a public gifted and talented (G&T) program near my home. Some parents may start with choosing public or private first then seeing which teaching methods were available.

This is how knowing your child and your wants for your child can automatically whittle your choices down to a short list of schools.

....May the school lotto be forgiving....