Choosing Schools

5 Reasons Why You Might Change Schools

The scenario that we are going to discuss is not as uncommon as you might think.

• After all, you have spent a considerable amount of time researching and visiting schools in a serious effort to find the school with the best fit.
• But a few months after school has begun, you realize that something isn't right. Your child is miserable.

Well, that's just one of the several reasons why you might want to change schools. Let's look at some other reasons.

Canva generated this picture of some concerned parents.

1. Your child has been expelled.

Ouch! We will discuss this unfortunate reason for finding a new school first.

• This reason for changing schools is rather like being fired. It is enormously dispiriting and, in many ways, a life-changing experience, just like losing your job is.
• Continuing that analogy, finding a new school for a child who has been expelled is almost as difficult as finding a new job.
• Private school expulsions are covered by the contract that you and the school signed.
• The net result is the same and is a very serious situation.

You can expect to have lots of questions asked. So, have your answers well thought out. Do not equivocate.

• Try not to put too positive a spin on the situation. An admissions staffer will see right through that.
• Answer the questions truthfully. The school

As you begin exploring schools for your child, you begin to realize that you have dozens of options. And they are all a little different. It's rather bewildering looking at all these websites, especially if you have never visited a private school before. They are all so different. How can you ever decide which one is best for your daughter? Start with a very basic strategy, a game plan, if you will. Let's look at what really matters when it comes to choosing a private school for your child.

Your requirements

Start with your requirements. Your requirements trump everything. So have a family discussion. Be relaxed and open-minded because your requirements as a parent will be different from your daughter's. You are thinking about the best educational experience. She's thinking about her life and her friends and the reality that she will have a whole new situation to deal with. That's scary for a young person. But you can make it an adventure and get her to buy into going to private school if you are patient, informative, and, above all, a listener. Dictating your child will probably get you nowhere in a hurry.

So, what's really important? Ponder these questions and then develop some answers after having that family discussion.

1. Are you looking for a traditional college prep school experience or something else?
2. Is your religion a major determining factor?
3. What about sports? Arts programs? Extracurricular activities?

What about a school such as Midland School in Los Olivos,

This step in your school search process comes after you have narrowed down the list of schools which you are looking at. When you begin comparing schools on your short list, review what is being taught and how it is being taught. Instruction goes to the heart of what private schools are really all about. That is the main reason private schools exist. This is why we send our children to private school. We want certain subjects taught. More importantly, we want them taught in a certain way.

What we want our children taught generally exceeds any minimum requirements. The state department of department will require every school under its jurisdiction to meet certain minimum requirements. That is a given. For example, a high school student must receive a certain number of credits in English and mathematics in order to graduate. Private schools typically outpace any minimums specified by the state department of education.

Against this backdrop, take time to review the courses which are offered in the schools on your short list. Do these courses match your objectives and requirements? Do they offer the depth and intensity which you want your child to have? For example, Shakespeare is taught in many public high school English courses. Typically one play will be covered in an academic year. By contrast a private school English class will read two or three Shakespeare plays in a year. Because private school classes are small and the students focused on their academic work,

When you begin comparing schools on your shortlist, it is important to at least be aware of certain important aspects of the school and its operation. While you can certainly tell whether a school is well-run just by visiting it and observing the condition of the grounds and facilities, it is worth asking a few detailed questions. The answers to these questions can be found online, as a rule, so explore the school's website thoroughly before asking the admissions staff.

How long has the head of school/principal been in office?

This question speaks to the stability of the school. If the headmaster or headmistress (also called head and occasionally director) has been there for a couple of years, that's a good sign. Private school heads will stay forever if they are doing a good job and the trustees are satisfied with his job performance. Nowadays a private school head is the de facto CEO of the school. But his major responsibility is going to be in the area of fundraising. Public relations is another part of his brief.

If the door to the headmaster's office has become a revolving one with several heads coming and going over a period of a few years, you might want to find out why they didn't stay. Most private schools conduct national searches for a head of school and involve the school community in the process. So it would be unusual for a school to get the fit wrong.

Is there a

The historic metropolitan Boston area offers a wide range of academic and cultural activities. Just as impressive is the area's selection of private schools which cater to almost every need.

A fine transportation network and the fact that the Big Dig is finally finished make Boston a wonderful place in which to live and go to school. After graduation, there are thirty-seven colleges and universities to choose from. Head north a few hours and you will find excellent skiing in the winter and a host of recreational activities in the summer. Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard to the east and south are treasures in their own right. Boston's accommodations and restaurants are decidely world-class. Perhaps one of these fine schools should be on your short list.

• The Advent School, Boston
• Archbishop Williams High School, Braintree
• Arlington Catholic High School, Arlington
• The Atrium School, Watertown
• Beaver Country Day School, Chestnut Hill
• Belmont Day School, Belmont
• Beverly School for the Deaf, Beverly
• Bishop Fenwick High School, Peabody
• Boston College High School, Boston
• Boston University Academy, Boston
• Brimmer and May School, Chestnut Hill
• Brooks School, North Andover
• Buckingham Browne and Nichols School, Cambridge
• Cambridge Friends School, Cambridge
• The Cambridge School of Weston, Weston
• Catholic Memorial High, West Roxbury
• Chapel Hill-Chauncy School, Waltham
• Charles River School, Dover
• The Chestnut Hill School, Chestnut Hill
• Concord Academy, Concord
• Cushing Academy, Ashburnham