Considering School Choices

Considering School Choices

            The past few months, I have looked at a variety of school choices that exist in my local community and in other communities. I have learned a lot more about choices that are available to parents in my area. I have created a graphic organizer to provide a quick look at the pros and cons of the choices. This does not cover all the advantages and disadvantages because there are too many factors in the dynamics of each family who is considering options.

            The important thing that I discovered is that my community offers a lot more school choice than I thought was available. While the options might not be as much as a larger city, there are options, which parents have if they are dissatisfied with their child’s current academic status. It is my hope to provide some insight to these options so parents can use this information to look at options available to them. 

Options for Educators

            My focus for the blog has been on choices for parents and their students. By looking at this topic, I also found information about teachers’ choice for employment. This triggered a remark that a good friend made many years ago when I lived in North Carolina. She said, “I would love to teach at a private school again, but I have to pay my bills”. Teachers looking for employment might appreciate these comparisons to private and public schools. 

·         Teacher qualifications – private and public schools are looking for qualified teachers. Private schools tend to hire teachers with advanced degrees.

·         Teacher salary – public schools generally pay their teachers more and have better benefits such as health and pension plans.

·         Class sizes – private schools generally have smaller teacher to student ratio. This provides the teacher with the ability to provide more individual attention to the students.

·         Flexibility – private schools can experiment with different programs and practices to meet the needs of the students because there are reduced state regulations.

·         Parent Involvement – private schools tend to have more parent involvement than public schools. Parents are generally more involved because they are investing in their child’s education.

·         Diversity – public schools are more diverse in their student populations. Private schools often have an isolated student population.   

Conclusion

            I have been excited about all the information that I was able to view on this issue in education today. I feel there are more choices to families than ever before. As education professionals, we need to provide parents with clear information about their options both the good and the bad.

Questions

Have you ever been approached by a parent with questions about school choice options?

If so, what advice have you provided?

References

What Are Private Schools? (2012). Retrieved March 15, 2012, from About.com, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_What_private_schools/ 

Private vs. Public Schools: Private and Public Schools Compared. (2011). Retrieved March 15, 2012, from Education.com, from http://privateschool.about.com/cs/employment/a/teachingcond.htm

School Choice and the Student

Understanding the Student’s Needs

            There are many factors relating to school choice. In looking at public, charter, private, on-line, or home education, parents need to look at what will be best for their child. The parent knows their child best, and using questionnaires or surveys, they can often identify the learning styles of their children. Understanding how a child learns best is a great place to start.

            To gain a better insight to how a child learns best, teachers and parents can use online resources to help discover the child’s learning style and an insight to their strengths. 

The following resources focus on learning styles: 

[Photo from: bubblyprofessor.com]

• Learning Style Inventory 
• What's Your Learning Style? 
• Abiator's Online Learning Styles Inventory Test 1 

        

 

[Photo from: classroomchoreography.wordpress.com]

The following resources focus on the multiple intelligences:

• What are My Learning Strengths 
• Multiple Intelligences for Diverse Learners 
• Find Your Strengths

    

         Other questions that need to be asked about the child pertain to their temperament and motivations. Does the child enjoy interacting with others (social)? Does the child find motivation through competition? Does the child work will independently? Does the child enjoy extracurricular activities? Does the child have a particular area of interest they want to pursue?

   

         Parents know their child their best – what it takes to motivate them and what discourages them. This knowledge, along with an assessment of the child’s learning style and strengths help educators to plan instruction which will be meaningful to the students. This knowledge can also help parents in the area of school choice. A child who enjoys extracurricular activities and enjoys interacting with others might not do well in an isolated educational setting such as home school or on-line learning. For a child who has a strong musical intelligence and desires pursuing an education rich in music, the parents might choose home education or a private school which focuses on music performance. 

            It is important to remember that every child is different. The reason behind school choice is to give parents options to provide their children with the best educational environment for each child. Parents need options to give each child a rich academic environment which will stimulate the child. 

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                  "The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice." - George Eliot

What is your learning style? 
Have you completed a multiple intelligences survey?  
Do you feel learning styles and strengths can impact school choice? 
 (Please feel free to make comments)