What Are My School Choices?
School choices fall into four basic categories: public, charter, private and home schools.
Articles within this series
- Overview
- Multiple Intelligences
- School Choice
- What Are My School Choices?
- Next Steps / Related Information
By now there is a choice for almost every type of child. Choices fall into four basic categories:
Public schools — Ninety percent of America’s children attend public school. Yet there are choices within this most common choice. Many districts have created “choice” schools within existing schools. For example, in one district with 10 high schools, one may be geared toward underachieving students, one may be for overachieving students, one may be geared toward pre-med or pre-law, and another may be for the arts. Districts that try to customize existing public schools are trying to meet the needs of children in their communities.
There are still some excellent neighborhood schools. If you live in a smaller community, chances are that your neighborhood school is adequate. Small schools have the advantage of a strong community and the ability to get to know their students and families personally. That is hard to duplicate in large schools and districts. More information can be gained from your district or county’s website.
Charter schools — Charter schools are publicly funded schools that meet the needs of a specific student population. Each state has its own regulations for starting and maintaining a charter school. Some states are more charter-school friendly than others. http://edreform.com/charter_schools/map.htm A good way to get a solid understanding of the charter school movement is to visit the U.S. Charter Schools Organization*.
Charter schools have come under great scrutiny as their students take the state tests. Charter schools still have to meet state standards but have the freedom to choose how they do it. For example, a school devoted to the needs of highly gifted children is not obligated to use its district’s current curriculum. There are concerns that some charter schools are not “testing out” well. States that grade their schools are disappointed at the performance of some of their charter schools. On the other hand, many charter schools are effective, and their students test well. Keep in mind that performance on state testing does not automatically mean a school is a success or failure. It just happens to be the yardstick by which we measure these days.
A recent charter school twist is the virtual charter school. If you want the security of accountability and the freedom of home schooling, virtual charter schools may be the choice for you. Dr. William Bennett’s K-12* is just one example of such a program. K-12 has two aspects. It has created home-based public schools in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania and provides K12’s curriculum, a computer and materials tuition-free! Schools in more states are coming soon. It also acts as a home-school umbrella school.
Private schools — You might be interested in a private school for a variety of reasons.
- Maybe you are concerned about your child’s religious education and choose a parochial or nondenominational Christian school.
- You might want a certain standard of advanced education that your local public school just can’t offer.
- Maybe your own experience in a private school was such that you hope to duplicate that positive experience for your child.
No matter the reason, it is important to research this option just as fully as you would a public or charter school. Not all private schools are created equal.
For some families, a private school education is just not financially feasible. Think twice if you are a stay-at-home mom and you’d have to go back to work full time just to cover costs.
University-Model Schools — Many parents deeply desire continued and active involvement in the lives of their children all the way through high school graduation, but they are frustrated. The reason revolves around the issue of time. In spite of the parents’ high ideals, real life is that in traditional classroom education, whether public, charter or private, kids are in class from 30 to 40 hours every week, then they begin their extra-curricular interests and social activities. Add in the busy pace of the parents themselves and it is easy to understand their frustration: “Yes, I want to have a close relationship with my kids, but when in the world is there time to be together?!"
Until the University-Model School (UMS)* came along, the only alternative to traditional classroom education that was available to these parents was home schooling, an excellent option but difficult for many parents to maintain all the way through high school. UMS students attend classes only half the traditional number of hours, with amazing character development and college-preparatory results. The secret is the higher degree of parental involvement that is systematically integrated into the professional academic instruction done in a college-like format (Mon-Wed-Fri and Tues-Thu classes).
Educational research has proven time and again that parents are the single most influential factor in a child’s academic success. This is no surprise to students of the Bible who know that parents are at the center of God’s plan for the overall character development of children, including their education (Deut 6:5-7)
UMS not only attracts traditional school parents who believe in and long for closer family relationships as the foundation of their children’s education; it also draws home schooling parents who, though they have had that time with their children, are feeling overwhelmed with academic burdens as their children grow older. Indeed, UMS seeks to blend the best of home with the best of traditional education. AND, in most cases, it is only AND, in most cases, it is only one-third to two-thirds the cost of the other private schools in an area. For parents who value college-preparatory academics as well as a high degree of ongoing, age-appropriate input into their children’s lives, UMS is worth looking into.
Home Schools – You may already be home schooling or you may not have seriously considered this option until this very moment. Home schooling is no longer a fringe movement but a mainstream educational choice. When you have a 5-year-old, you have three valid educational choices: public, private or home school. Early in their academic lives, children benefit from continued interaction with their parents. Parents are their children’s first and best teachers.
If your child has special needs and you aren’t convinced that the existing school system can accommodate him, home schooling is a good option. There is more support than ever, and children with special needs* are the fastest growing home-school population. There are as many different reasons to home school as there are home schoolers. It is a very individual choice.
*(Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)