Choosing a Private School

First of all, let's understand what a therapeutic school is. A therapeutic school is a special school designed to help troubled children, typically teenagers, with various emotional and other problems. Therapeutic schools come in a variety of forms. They can be non-residential and residential. Which kind of therapeutic school is appropriate for your child depends on a variety of considerations. For a detailed description of the various types of therapeutic schools, see Therapeutic Program Descriptions on the Independent Education Consultants Association's website.

When to consider a therapeutic school

As a rule, parents probably should consider a therapeutic school for a child challenged by emotional, behavioral, substance abuse, or academic issues, or any other challenge that the local public school cannot handle effectively. In other words, she cannot receive the consistent treatment and individual attention she needs in a local school and the home setting. Whether to send the child away to a school with a highly structured environment where she will receive the treatment she needs 24/7 is something you should discuss in-depth with a professional psychologist. Once you understand and have accepted the diagnosis and the optimal treatment recommended for your child, hire an educational consultant to help you identify schools that will suit your requirements. Hiring a professional to assist you with this task is just as important as hiring an attorney to review a real estate contract or help you write your will. You know what you want. The professional will make it

Do you know....? If you know the answers to all these questions, you probably teach or work in a private school. Be that as it may, these questions contain links with the answers. Test your knowledge. Dispel some urban legends about private schools. Do you know....?

Questions about Private Schools

• the five things critics love to hate about private schools?
• that private schools have become quite diverse ?
• that not every Montessori school is the real thing ?
• that there are free private schools?
• that private school may be free if you make less than $75,000 ?
• that 8th graders in 1895 had to take a final exam like this?
• how to evaluate a private school?
• how to avoid common mistakes during your admissions interview?
• how to pay for private school?
• how to find a private school job ?
• what the research says about single-sex education ?
• what private school teachers make ?
• what is being taught in private schools?
• what the difference is between an independent and a private school?
• when to apply to private school?
• where to find scholarships ?
• when you should consider a special needs school?
• where you can use cellphones and iPods in school?
• which school is best for your child?
• which school is the most expensive ?
• which school Malia and Sasha Obama are attending in Washington?
• why there is no ranking of private schools?
• why you should send your child to a private school versus a public school?
• why

Is your child struggling in school? Are you not understanding why she is having difficulty learning in a classroom setting? Does she hate going to school instead of wanting to go eagerly every day? Are her teachers requesting conferences with you to discuss the situation? These and many other signs should alert you to the fact that you need to give your child some extra attention. As one parent to another, I can tell you that admitting that your child has learning differences or special needs is not an easy thing to deal with. We had to deal with this situation ourselves. One child had great difficulty reading. Another had serious problems with mathematics. I will focus on the more common learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia in this article. Special needs encompass a wide range of syndromes, some of which we will examine in companion articles.

At the first sign that their child has a learning difference, many parents panic and withdraw into a state of denial. That may help you. But it will not help your child. Your child's teachers know what to look for. The signs of a child with learning issues are fairly obvious, as a rule. While teachers may not know how to treat the disorder professionally, they are trained to alert both parents and the school administration when they suspect that your child has a learning issue.

Public schools must implement Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students

We parents are in a rather difficult position when it comes to finding out information about private schools. Because they are private schools, they are not subject to the usual sunshine or freedom of information laws. They are just like a privately-held company. They are under no legal obligation to tell you or the general public anything. You need to know exactly what is lurking behind those gorgeous web photos and enthusiastic classroom shots. You need to know the condition of the school from reliable sources. That's where hiring an educational consultant comes in. These professionals know their schools from the arts curriculum to the vintage of the Zamboni machine used on the hockey rink. This is information which you need in order to permit you to make the informed decisions you need to make about finding the right private school for your child.

One caveat, and it is a major one: there are educational consultants who claim to be able to get you into a school. Be careful. The sign of the genuine article is an educational consultant who will offer to help you find the best match for you and your child's requirements. Just be aware.

Questions to Ask Your Educational Consultant

The following questions are ones you might want to ask but probably feel uncomfortable asking. That's why it's a good thing to hire an educational consultant. She can ask such questions with relative impunity. Plus she will think of dozens of other

If you are following our timeline for choosing a private school, you will notice that this process starts almost two years before the fall in which you want your child to start school. The process begins in a leisurely fashion as you gather your thoughts and think about schools. The intensity builds in the final six months before the January admissions deadline most schools seem to have.

Here's a recap of the steps you need to follow to find the right school for your child. Work through the process in sequence from beginning to end.

Why Private School?

Is private school right for your child? Learn about the things you should consider and the unique benefits of a private school education. Once you are convinced of the value of a private school education, then you must determine which private school is going to be best for your requirements.

Which School is the Best for Your Child?

It depends on your requirements. But in the end only one thing matters most anyway: the fit. When you get the fit right, you will have a happy child.

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. There are benefits to both kinds of schools. This is an important choice to make.

Single Sex or Coeducation?

You ought to consider a single sex school as opposed to a traditional coeducational school. Why? Because