I fully realize that education is not a “one size fits all” proposition and I believe it’s important to find the right school for your child. However, there are definite signs that a school is thriving. . .or not. In researching a school, don’t be shy about asking questions. Would you invest thousands of dollars without asking where your money is going? Of course not. Neither should you invest several years of your child’s life without asking some questions. It is perfectly acceptable to set up an appointment with the school principal if the school in question doesn’t already have an open house.
#1. Look for books.
When you walk into a classroom there should be lots of books. The books should be where students can access them easily. Not only that but the genres and levels of the books should be labeled. Kids who have easy access to books are much more likely to make use of them. A teacher who has organized her classroom library in this way will be able to easily refer students to appropriate reading material.
#2. Watch out for teacher turn over.
How many new teachers does the school have this year? How many did they have last year? A high teacher turn over rate may indicate that something is not quite right with the administration. I don’t know any teachers who got into education for the money. I know several who left their schools because of administrative policy. You can be sure that if the administration has a hard time keeping teachers happy, it is likely that they will have a hard time keeping parents happy as well.
#3. Where’s that parent association?
Look for a thriving parent association. If lots of parents are involved in their child’s education, you can be sure that a classroom will be full of generally “invested” students.
#4. Be wary of a school that has strict limits on parent visitation.
It is unreasonable that you should be able to drop in whenever you want. Visitors to the classroom really can cause havoc. On the other hand, it is not unreasonable to be able to call the school or your child’s teacher (which ever is appropriate) and schedule a visit at yours and the teacher’s mutual convenience.
#5. Look at those test scores.
You should be able to see how your child’s public school performed on standardized test scores on the Board of Education website for your state or city. You can ask the principal of a private school how their test scores were as well. It is not necessary for the school to be scoring high across the board in order for your child to receive a good education. On the other hand consistently low scores could be a sign of substandard academics.
#6. Look for a strong P.E., music and art program.
As many schools are cutting back on these, I still consider them fundamental to a good education. While funding may play a part in the decision to keep or cut a program, principals who feel strongly that these are vital parts of education will come up with creative ways to keep them at school.
#7. Is there recess?
Yes–I would actually ask if the school has recess. Kids need to play and release energy. Steer clear of a school that has abandoned recess for more classroom time–especially if you have a wiggly child.
#8. What is the mission statement?
My grandmother used to always say that if you aim for nothing, you’ll achieve your goal every time. Schools who have a focused and common goal tend to offer a more cohesive program. Every thing they do constantly gets evaluated through the lens of their mission statement.
#9 Does the school offer staff development?
Ask the principal what they do for staff development–especially if you’re considering private school. Teaching, in my opinion is both a science and an art. The best schools will constantly seek to improve the science part of teaching. Also, really good schools will have a mentoring program in place for new teachers.
#10 Look at the curriculum.
You should be able to see a scope and sequence of your child’s education written out on paper. There should be a clear order of progression.
#11 What about class size?
Some parents know right away if their child needs a small classroom. However, be wary of a private school that promises a class size smaller than 25 students. If they do make this promise ask how they achieve it. Why? Unless they have private donations in place to make this happen having a student to teacher ratio smaller than 25 students to 1 teacher is generally fiscally impossible. Some schools are able to achieve small class sizes but they have a full blown development program in place. If you’re promised a small class size, make sure that there is development in place otherwise the school is likely to break their promise.
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