Which School Is The Best For Your Child?

Published April 22, 2008
The question and answer on the Bay Area Private Schools site says it all:

Q. Is there ranking on California private schools?

A. There is no ranking on private elementary schools. Since the key to a rewarding private school education is finding a good match for your child's specific needs, parents should not make their decision solely based on test scores and reputation.


So, the answer to every parent's question "Which is the best school for my child?" is a very ambiguous attorney's answer: "It depends!"  What does it depend on?

It depends on your requirements.
You and your child will have different requirements, of course. You will be looking at test scores of a school's graduates, the colleges to which they matriculate, the quality of the faculty, how competitive the admissions are, and so on. Typical adult benchmarks.

She's more concerned with what kind of kids go to the school, what her social life will be like, whether she can bring her horse to school, how much homework there is and how difficult the work is. Typical teenage concerns.

What you must do to determine the best school for your child is to examine and discuss all the things which matter to you both. This is not a discussion which can take place while stopped at a traffic light after field hockey practice. Set aside some quality time in a neutral location - a quiet booth in a diner will do just fine - and explore the issues with your child. You will develop a list of items which will help you define the ideal school. Proceed from that common ground.

A much more important question than "Which is the best school for my child?" is "At which school will my child be happiest?" Sending a child off to private school is a tremendous step. She needs to understand that enormous opportunity your decision entails. She will have a chance to develop learning habits and skills which will set the course for the rest of her adult life. She will become part of a community which truly cares about her, wants only the best for her and sets standards of excellence to which she can aspire. The bottom line is that the best school for your child is the one at which she will be the happiest.
 

Read Related Choosing a School Articles:

Step by step guides and tips on finding the right school.

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  • Changing Schools and Moving to New Area
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  • Should You Send Your Child to Private Primary or High School?
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  • The Value of a Private School Education
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  • Why Private School?
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Identifying Schools

Make lists of schools which seem to fit your requirements.

  • Choosing A Prep School
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  • Boarding or Day School?
    Many parents agonize over sending their child to boarding school or keeping them at home and sending them to day school. A look at the pros and cons here.
  • If We Did Rank Schools...
    Ranking private schools is almost impossible because it is so difficult to gather the data needed to compare statistics. If we did rank schools, this is how to do it.
  • Do Ranks Matter?
    How do I know how this school compares with the others I am considering? Has anybody ranked private schools?
  • When Should You Consider a Therapeutic School?
    It is a heart-stopping moment for any parent when you realize that your child needs much more help than you can give him at home and at his current school. Perhaps a therapeutic school is the answer.
  • Single Sex or Coeducation?
    Sooner or later you ought to consider a single sex school as opposed to a traditional coeducational school. Why? For several reasons.
  • When Should You Consider A Special Needs School?
    Dealing with the reality that your child has a learning difference can be a defining moment for many parents. So much is at stake. Special needs schools offer programs and highly trained faculty.

Evaluating Schools

Doing your due diligence.

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