My husband and I recently chose a private school for our child in Boulder County, Colorado. Looking back, we really didn't ask all the questions we could have, to understand which private school would give our child the best school experience and the best foundation for a life of learning. Fortunately, now that we understand more about the private schools, we still feel great about our decision. If we had it to do all over again, we'd choose the same school! Not everyone, however, is so fortunate. So, I've put together a list of the top questions parents don't ask! Here are some questions that can be very important, yet not everyone thinks of them when choosing a private school. As you read these questions, there may be some you would like to add to your own list of questions to ask the schools.
1. Does your school teach academics at the expense of the arts, physical development and foreign language classes? Most parents agree that academic achievement is important for success in today's world. However, for us, a complete education includes music, drama, art, physical activity, and foreign languages. Does a school have to limit their curriculum to the "Three R's" to support academic achievement? Fortunately, the answer is "No." You don't have to settle for a limited academics-only curriculum to produce high college entrance exam scores. In fact, there is evidence that certain well-rounded approaches create better results than mainstream schools, as measured by future academic achievement.
2. How do graduates of your school perform in college and in the world? Do they continue learning their whole lifetime? In some ways, the skills held by the graduates of a school say more about that school's approach than any brochure. For us, it's important for a school to inspire a lifetime of learning and to have a long-term track record.
3. How happy are this school's graduates with their education? It can take some time for students to understand how their schooling prepared them for life. One key question is: How many of your graduates would send their own child to the same type of school?
4. What is this school's approach to discipline? Does the school have a student conduct policy? You may want to know what kind of behavior and attitudes the school encourages, and what is off-limits. In addition, it can be important whether behavioral issues are dealt with in judgmental ways, or ways that are more supportive. Every normal child misbehaves at times, so the school's disciplinary approach is likely to be relevant for you and your child.
5. How do teachers assess their students' learning? Conventional schools focus on testing, which has both advantages and disadvantages, especially for young children. It does give an objective measurement. However, for many young students, a fear of testing detracts from their enjoyment of learning. Kids who hate school may not learn as much. Poor test scores, for some kids, creates a belief that they are incapable of learning. In addition, objective tests are generally limited in scope, and are often poor at evaluating creative ability and social skills. Whether you want a focus on testing or not, it is probably a worthwhile area to ask about. And for those schools that de-emphasize testing, how do they communicate students' progress with parents?
6. How does this school's approach fit with the developmental stages of childhood? Developmental psychologists have learned a great deal about how children's learning capacities develop in stages. We also read about educators who really push early reading and math skills at younger and younger ages, on the assumption that "earlier is always better." But does this assumption fit with optimal child development? Or are children better served with an early childhood filled with imaginative play, making friends, and physical activity? We have opted for the latter, and for delaying academic instruction until there is greater developmental readiness. It may be surprising for some that there is growing evidence supporting an emphasis on play and imagination for young children. Children who learn to read at a slightly later age are also more likely to have greater motivation for reading years down the road, in high school. This is too complex a subject to cover fully in this brief article, but I highly recommend exploring it further.
7. What is your private school's approach to spirituality? You may prefer a school with or without a spiritual orientation. In any event, you probably want to understand how teachers will address spiritual subjects.
8. What expectations do your teachers have of parents? The other children in your child's class will strongly influence his or her school experience. For this reason, it can really make a difference if parents are "on the same page" in some important ways. As an example, if other parents let their kids use foul language and poor manners, you can expect your child to pick that up at school. If other parents let their kids live on sugar and potato chips, this is likely to have an adverse effect on the kids' behavior in the classroom. It is possible your child would learn more if your school gives parents some guidance in how to foster useful behavior and attitudes in their children.
As an example, the average American household watches TV 8.2 hours a day. Even one hour or more of TV per day has been linked to poor attitudes toward school and poor achievement in 14 year olds. Three hours or more is associated with learning and attention difficulties. Kids who have trouble paying attention end up distracting the whole classroom. Do you think your child would learn the best if most children in the classroom were watching three or more hours of TV a day, or if most were watching less than 1 hour a day? If you are willing to make the effort to limit your child's TV viewing, then it's greatly to your benefit for a school to require this of all parents. Excessive TV viewing may well play a significant role in the poor performance of so many schools today.
9. How does the school support emotional and social development? Meaningful, healthy relationships are an important component of a truly happy life. Does the school emphasize cooperation and relating well with others? Does the school support healthy emotional development?
10. What types of play are young children offered at your school? If you are looking for a kindergarten or preschool, you might want to know if they let children be children. Active play and using the imagination are so important for a young child, yet many schools divert much of a young child's energy toward learning academics.
11. How much time is spent on rote learning as opposed to gaining cognitive abilities? Unfortunately, many students are taught what to think rather than how to think. Memorizing facts is important. However, creativity and reasoning skills are at least as important! Those at the top of any field are able to reason beyond what they are taught.
12. How else is this school unique? No matter how many specific questions you ask, there could be something unique about the school that you didn't think to ask about. So an open-ended question can give a private school spokesperson the opportunity to let you know what's special about their school.
Once you've covered the basics, these in-depth questions can yield information to help you make a more informed decision. I can only hope that you are as thrilled with the private school you choose as we are with ours!
Be sure you have a complete list of questions to ask the private schools! Check out our 10 basic questions parents often ask private schools. Go to PrivateSchoolsBoulder.com to find out about the private school the author chose in Boulder County, Colorado.
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