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Developing an Education Plan for Your Child:
Questions to Guide
School Choice
Parents are the first and most important influences on a child’s learning
and development. Yet being a parent does not automatically bring with it
all the information you will want to have in order to take charge of your
child’s education. Gaining that information—about the best schools and
educational programs, and about the problems you might expect to
find—takes considerable time. And information about schools is still not
enough because you will next want to match what you know with your sense
of your child’s strengths and needs.
The worksheet below was designed as a guide to help you organize and
further develop your own views and values concerning the education of your
children. As you thoughtfully consider your answers to these questions,
you will find that you are building your own knowledge base, readying
yourself for the difficult choices ahead, and empowering yourself to
become more active in your child’s education.
Choosing a school may begin by looking for a school with a good
reputation, but the right school choice begins by understanding what you
want and expect from a school, and what you are willing to do to ensure
that your child receives the support he or she needs to achieve academic
success. This is work worth doing, because whether you decide to place
your child in a district-based public school, a chartered public school,
or a private school, and particularly if you decide to educate your child
at home, your involvement in your child’s education will improve his or
her chances of academic success.
As you explore your own views and ideas and familiarize yourself with
different schools, you will want to determine if the information you
gather can be translated into a positive experience for your child. This
means taking the time to visit, call, or write the school or organization.
It means observing lessons and activities at the school or program. It
means gathering information about the school’s weaknesses and strengths
from other parents affiliated with the school or program.
Your Child’s Characteristics
| 1. |
What are your child’s needs, strengths, weaknesses, and interests? |
| 2. |
What special qualities does your child possess? |
| 3. |
What academic, athletic, or other abilities stand out in your child? |
| 4. |
In what academic area(s) does your child need improvement or
assistance? |
| 5. |
Based on your past experience, in what areas do you expect your child
to excel? |
Your School Preferences
| 1. |
What features are you looking for in a school? |
| 2. |
Are you interested in a large, medium, or small school? |
| 3. |
Are you interested in a neighborhood school, chartered public school,
private school, religious school, district-based public school, or a
school that is built around a particular culture or ethnic group? |
| 4. |
Would you prefer a single-sex school for your child? |
| 5. |
What specific programs would be available at an ideal school? |
| 6. |
What class size do you prefer? What class size would you consider
unacceptable? |
| 7. |
Do you have any networks or connections to any school through family,
friends, or location? Have you used these connections to help you form
your concept of the ideal school for your child? |
Your Educational Values
| 1. |
What are your aims and aspirations for your child? |
| 2. |
What sort of school mission corresponds with your view of your ideal
school? |
| 3. |
What strengths must the school have? |
| 4. |
What weaknesses will you tolerate? |
| 5. |
Is it acceptable if the child is disciplined in some way for failures
to do the work or for misbehavior? What sort of discipline is acceptable
and what is not? |
| 6. |
Do you insist on a school in which parents are encouraged to express
their concerns and aspirations for their children’s education? |
| 7. |
Do you insist on a school where parents are encouraged to interview and
choose their child’s teacher? |
| 8. |
Do you insist on a school where parents are an essential part of the
leadership team of the school, and are encouraged to take part in critical
decisions? |
| 9. |
Do you insist on a school where parents are encouraged to challenge the
teacher’s educational practices or suggest new ones? |
| 10. |
Do you insist on a school where parents are able to
work alongside teachers and school leaders in the education of the
students at school? |
| 11. |
Do you insist on a school that embraces cultural and religious
differences? How will you tell? |
The most basic, and sometimes the most difficult, choice that parents have
to make is choosing the right school for their child. It is possible,
often, to have a choice among district-based schools, charter schools,
private schools, and home schooling. The problem is finding the best path
through all these possibilities. The following tools may help.
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