Choosing the Right Private School Education

You have made the decision to give your child a private school education. With so many options, how do find the right one to fit your child's needs? The first steps are to consider your priorities, arm yourself with a lengthy list of questions and start setting up appointments. Your child's education is too important not to take the time to choose the perfect fit.

Why Choose a Private School Education?

Those sending their children to private schools have a variety of motives behind their decision. For some the decision is based on moral values and religion. Others feel that a private education offers better academics and want their child in a smaller class that will offer the benefit of more personal attention.

It is important to have a list of education priorities before you start looking for a school. For example, if academics are more important to you than religion, but religion is more important to you than extracurricular activities, have academics be number one on your list, religion be number two on your list and extracurricular activities be number three on your list.

Private School Considerations

As part of choosing the right private school for your child, you will have to go through a process of elimination to get the number of schools you are considering down to a manageable number.

You might want to consider:



Finances. What can you afford to pay for an education at a private school? Ask if there are any financial aid or scholarship programs available to you. In addition, some states, including Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, offer breaks on income taxes if you send your kids to a private school.

Grade Levels. Do you want your child to have the option to stay through high school? Not all private schools offer grades kindergarten through 12.

Location. You will have to decide how far you are willing to drive. As you get closer to selecting a school, you can also inquire if there are any other students at the school who live in your area. You may then be able to carpool.

Questions to Ask

Additional questions to ask include:



Accreditation. Is the school accredited? If so, who is the accreditation body?

Instruction Model. What is the school's education philosophy? Does it have a traditional or alternative approach to education? What is the school's policy on homework, grading and testing?

Service Staff. What kind of staff does the school have? Is there a school nurse on location? Does the school have a psychologist or counselor? Is there a librarian on staff?

Principal or Headmaster Turnover. If the school burns through principals, the school may have a problem.

Teacher Turnover. What is the teacher turnover rate at the school? Typically speaking, private schools have higher teacher turnover rates than do public schools. In addition, smaller private schools have larger turnover than do larger private schools. However, a teacher turnover rate of 40% or more may be an indication of problems at the school.

Plan a Visit

As you get closer to choosing a private school, you should schedule an appointment with your candidate schools' headmaster or principal.


Ask about student attrition. The longer that students stay at a school, the more likely the school is to be well-run.
Ask for names of parents who have children at the school for references.
Are the school's textbooks up to date?
Does the school have enough computers? Does the school use the latest in technology in teaching?
Does the school have programs for parent involvement?
How does the school feel? Are children interacting, smiling and participating?
How does the school qualify their teachers? Does the school offer teachers additional training?
If your child has special needs, what types of programs does the school offer that will help?
Look at the grounds and facilities. How new are the facilities? How well are the facilities and grounds maintained? Is the library well-stocked with books?
What type of relationship does the school have with local businesses and the local community?
When are applications accepted? Is there a waiting list? If so, how long is the waiting list?

Making the Choice

You will have to narrow down your choices to a select few and then visit each school before you make a final decision. Do not get discouraged if the process takes a little longer than you would like. It is important to get an education for your child that matches the your requirements as closely as possible.

For more information on private school, visit the parenting section of Life123.com.

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Choosing Among Private Schools - Are You Asking the 12 Questions Many Parents Neglect to Ask?

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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Schools Must Harness the Power of Community to Fund Activities and Athletic Programs

What happens when a school system decides to eliminate high school football because of funding cuts? That is what the city of San Diego has been considering. Other school districts are imposing fees on student athletes as high as $400 per sport to participate. Our public schools for years have been dependant on taxes and federal funding to provide an education and activities for our children. In the future, they will have to find other means to fund programs or totally eliminate them.

Private schools for years have relied on tuition, gifts, and fundraising to support their programs. Because of their fund raising efforts, most private schools even provide financial aid for lower income students. Public schools can learn some  lessons from these schools, especially in their fundraising efforts.

When examining typical fundraisers put on by booster clubs and athletic programs, we found  the focus is on sales activities by individuals or the focus is on events to raise money.  Event based fundraisers such as a golf tournament or a silent auction can raise funds but there no way to estimate how much revenue can be brought in. Its a guessing game. Selling candy, coupon cards, or sports tickets (focus on individuals) are a true nuisance to both students and potential buyers. The amounts raised are typically small and are very labor intensive. So what is the solution?

The solution is for schools to define their community, to get commitment, and promote fundraising programs that provide a benefit to all involved.

Community

A school is not just students and teachers, it is also extended families of students, families of employees, friends, alumni and also the people who visit schools to compete. A 1500 student school is actually a community of 10,000 people or more. That community has a "common interest" and has purchasing power.

The school must act to "harness the power of community." Regardless of the fundraiser, the school must make every attempt to notify the community of their fundraiser. Home room flyers, e-mail blasts, and phone calls by volunteers should be utilized to perform out-reach to the community.

Most high school fundraisers say the lack of communication is the main reason their efforts fall below expectations. Actually, it is communication and commitment which is lacking.

Commitment

The school must demand commitment from its community, especially students and parents. We say demand because the alternative is elimination of programs and possibly higher fees required by students. Pay for play is not an effective model for public schools.

The question arises, what do they commit to? It is difficult to gain commitment when you are forcing children to sell magazine subscriptions or chocolates as many schools do require. The school must implement a fundraiser which does not require selling or time consuming events. They must offer their community something that provides a benefit to each and every member of the community that participates. Of course, there must be a revenue opportunity for the school or program.

A simple (but ineffective) fundraiser is the "car wash". Typically students meet at a specified location, make card board signs, and hope to flag down enough cars to raise money. The only commitment here is that of the students. They wash cars, they make money for the school. This scenario that is widely utilized is completely flawed and is highly risky. Injury, damage to cars, or bad weather can make it a money loser. The return is not worth the risk, yet parents allow their children to particpate and school staff support and manage it.

What the car wash fundraiser proves, however, is that students are motivated to participate, but its the schools job to utilize their enthusiasm in the right way to raise money.

Promotion

Take the enthusiasm of the "cheerleaders" doing the car wash and put them in the middle of your down town. A Saturday afternoon in most shopping districts has a flow of casual shoppers who are approachable. Safely done in groups, these "promoters" of your fundraiser can create a buzz in the community. If done on a recurring basis, many local businesses, merchants and consumers  will be curious as to what they are doing.

A fundraiser must have defined goals and a central coordinator. The coordinator can schedule teams to go into the community, each and every week . A 1500 student high school can have as many as 800 to 900 athletes. If each student, in return for reduced fees for their sports program, agreed to promote the fundraiser for 3 hours, how effective would it be? That is almost 3000 hours of promotion in a community.

So now we have the commitment, the promotion, the community, but what can they promote?

What  medium  can provide a benefit to the community, family, schools and local business?

Finding the Right Fundraiser.

We now have come full circle. Private schools for years reach out to their graduates and the general business  community for funding. Public schools can do the same but they have not built those relationships. They should start immediately to get alumni and the business community active in their schools. It is essential now more than ever.

Does the school collect parental occupational information and have it stored in a central database? It is certain that the private schools know the occupations of the parents and alumni, but does the public school? Knowing who is involved directly in your school community is the base for the beginning of an ongoing fundraising effort.

A survey of occupations of parents  will most likely uncover all types of professionals and business owners. Taking it a step further, close relatives may also be business owners and serve your community. Key is collecting the information and communicating to these businesses your fundraising needs and providing something of value in return. Then going deeper into your community with more aggressive promotional programs to sign up other businesses in the community.

Today there are a number of programs which can build ongoing revenues without being a burden to any of the participants. Mingamo, www.mingamo.com offers online digital coupons where business pays monthly subscription fees to post local coupons. Schools share in the monthly  subscription fees. The only real requirement the school has is to actively promote the program to their community. Parents, students, and the entire community commit to using coupons to save money. It is not unrealistic to have a school sign up 100 or so businesses on a program like Mingamo while collecting on average $25.00 per month for each account. Could your school use an extra $2500 per month to help support school programs?

Other similar programs are e-scripts, www.escrip.com where a percentage of money spent at member locations goes directly to the school of your choice.

School heart.com offers a coupon card, however, students pay a yearly $25.00 fee to use the cards.

Again, to be successful, the school must ask for commitment from the entire school community. Every effort and medium should be used to explain the exact need for funds and how the program will benefit the school. The school should do active promotions throughout the community. The more visible the efforts of the school the more likelihood that local business will realize there is an advantage to participating in funding school programs.

If done properly, athletic booster clubs, music programs, and school administers can create measureable, recurring revenue. By performing ongoing promotions, these revenues can continue to grow with minimal intrusion placed upon students and parents. Schools can effectively reduce participation fees to an affordable level for most students. Families can save money using valuable coupons. Merchants and business can drive consumers to their place of business while creating access to a growing, common market.

Michael Fahey publishes The Trades Journal, [http://www.thetradesjournal.com] An online guide for homeowners to find contractors and home improvement products. He is active in his community and has participated in a number of fund raising efforts for years. He is a firm believer that athletics are essential to the success of local high schools and students.

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Six Back-to-School Tips Every Parent Should Know

It's August-and they're Going Baaaaack!

Can you believe it? It's time to jump into the "back-to-school" routine. Once again we're amazed at how the summer flew by. Fall must have arrived faster than ever before! It seems too soon that we are thinking about what the kids need, and what life will be like for them in the next ten months. Ready or not, we set about the tradition of getting the kids ready for school.

But wait! What about the parents?

Back-to-school means changes for the grown-ups too. Undoubtedly, some parents will breathe a sigh of relief at having the kids back in school. Others may be sad that the slower summer pace is ending. Whatever your personal parental point of view, the reality of back-to-school time rings in a "new year," and brings challenges for all.

As grownups and kids go about this yearly business, it might be helpful for parents to consider some "Back-To-School" tips that can make the season easier and brighter for everyone.

Tip One: Taking the Age of Your Child Into Consideration Makes Preparation Easier. (Secret: Even the older ones benefit from parental forethought.)

The "Going-Back" experience will vary depending on your child's age.

A child going into pre-K will need a different preparation than the teen entering first or last year of High School. Even the how and what of selecting the new fall wardrobe will differ based on age. (You will get more say with the six year old than the sixteen year old!-To many parents this is no secret!)

Then there are the supplies. Find out in advance what supplies your child's teachers and the school require. Don't forget to include sports equipment or other extra curricular must-haves. High school students will need binders and back packs. (Some schools do not allow backpacks. You will need this info'.) Also find out what kind of technological equipment is needed for the grade your child is in. Familiarize yourself with what the particular school supplies.

Kids will go forward into a new school experience with more confidence when they feel they have what they will need. If your child does not know what is required you can call the school to find out. Usually personnel will be available to help during the summer.

To avoid an abrupt transition, consider adapting the home routine to the new requirements of the school routine. All kids benefit from consistency, and will do better if they do not go directly from summer rules to school necessity rules, such as bedtime changes, and free time changes. You might help them get used to their new schedule (Again, depending on age and coping ability) by having them experience the new schedule a few days before school starts. If they resist the actual doing, as the older ones might, talking to them about expectations can serve as effective preparation as well.

Tip Two: Communication About Your Child's Going Back Experience Helps Reduce Anxiety. (Secret: talk about it before it happens-and after too.)

Communication helps prepare your young student for the transition back to school. With children who have gone through this experience in the past discuss what has helped them to feel good about themselves, as well as what made the experience enjoyable. With little ones you might make up stories with school situations that create conversation ideas. You can try playing out scenes with puppets, reading books with school themes, as well as watching TV shows, or movies with school plots. You might even try relating a positive childhood school experience of your own. (Younger kids love stories where the hero/heroine is just like them. Try making up a parallel character that can make his/her way through a challenging school transition.)

Be sure to discuss the coming event before the beginning of school. You might ask your child to tell you what he/she thinks school will be like. What has he heard about the new teacher? Is there anything she is worried about? This is part of a process in which the child can begin to point out any problem areas, or the parent can listen for concerns the child is not able to identify. As problem areas are revealed, you can review coping options with your child. This type of "rehearsal" presents on-going preparation for dealing with school and other real life events.

Sometimes a child will return from day one or two with a comment such as "I don't like my teacher;" or "I don't want to go anymore." Dealing with comments like these also depends on the child's age. Little ones need to hear that "You have to go." (Older kids know this, but may also need to hear it.) Follow this type of statement with some questions about what is going on and how you can help. If there is a realistic problem in the class or the school, bring it up with the school. Encourage your child to believe that things usually get better, and that he will get used to the new routine.

Tip Three: Promoting Your Child's Resilience This Fall Will Make Transition Easier Next. (Secret: And throughout the year...and his/her life.)

Resilience is the ability to cope with change and difficulty, as well as to build a fulfilling life. Back to school brings many changes, depending on the child's age and existing coping capacity. Some changes, such as old friends having moved, changes in the school setting, a new school, a new teacher, and/or new rules, may be hard for some. However, the resilience to adapt to changes can be developed. Talk to your child about what may be coming, or what currently is at hand. Go over ideas that your child has for how to handle these changes, and how to make the school experience satisfying.

Continue to give your student a chance to tell you about her school concerns. Offer opportunities to discuss how school experiences have played out. (Look for openings to point out how well your child may have handled something she was concerned about. Normalize worries by reassuring your child that everyone has feelings when they start something new. With school there are new experiences all along the way, even after the new school routine is established.)

Continue to focus on your child's problem solving capacity. Build on conversations you have had in the past (Even yesterday!) about options. Talk about what choices he made. How did things work out? Would he do the same thing the next time? Why or why not?

Growth builds in a spiral. By reviewing what worked in the past and considering what to do in the present and future you help your child to develop the needed inner resources for coping. Your interest and attention will also serve as inspiration and psychological nutrition for the development of your son or daughter's resilience.

Tip Four: Paying Attention to Potential and Actual Problems Helps Children and Teens Build Coping Skills. (Secret: And learn how to deal with emotions at the same time.)

Going back to school, even if the child is home-schooled, presents a normal transition with a variety of problems that must be solved in age-appropriate ways. Bear in mind that normal transitions (Not just unusual ones) bring up normal emotions, as well as the need for problem solving/coping skills. Many adults have been taught to avoid dealing with emotions, but facing feelings is an important tool in problem solving.

Fall is a time when you can help your child to increase her kit of coping tools, and build her capacity to deal with feelings. (Remind yourself that it is okay to face and talk about feelings.)

Reassure your child that feelings about going back to school are normal, and that feelings can be talked about. (All of them, even the ones that he is not proud of) If your child has gone through the back-to- school transition before, remind him of his past ability to adapt and cope with specific problems. If your child is going to school for the first time, talk about other problems she has handled in previous situations and generalize her success to this new situation. Point out the qualities in your child that helped her to handle these past feelings and situations. If she thinks she has not handled a situation well, go back to the review of options for handling a similar occurrence in the future.

Be aware of other problems your child and/or other family members may be having. They may be impacting the way your child is viewing his return to school.

Tip Five: Equip Yourself With Knowledge About The Nature of Stress. (Secret: Stress is not a dirty word. Normal, expectable situations cause stress.)

We know that traumatic situations bring forth the stress response. However, normal situations can also produce stress. Be alert to stress in your child. (And in yourself.)

Be aware of signs of stress such as:

Alterations in sleep patterns, changes in eating habits, (including lack of or larger appetite), low mood, loss of interest in usual fun things, irritability, acting out (particularly, but not only, in older kids), changes in usual behaviors, (fussiness, especially in, but not only in little ones,) increased rudeness, and anything that indicates a change from the norm for your child.

It may be helpful to remember that thoughts play an important role in the amount of stress that one experiences. If you notice any of the above signs (Including things not mentioned that you deem to be stress related for your own child) consider that the child may be having some anxiety thoughts about school starting. (Or about other things going on in her larger environment that may be affecting worries about going to school.)

Look for openings to begin a conversation with your child about what is bothering her. If there are economic, situational, or health problems in the home or wider family network, these may affect the child's thinking about school. Stress works like that. These related concerns may need to be addressed. Your child, and/or other family members may even need outside help to resolve certain problems so that your child's comfort (and possibly everyone's) is improved. (A child does best when her loved ones are doing well.)

In general, a child will experience less stress when the home environment is consistent and predictable. However, life is always handing out problems that need to be solved. Check in on your own resiliency quotient. (The way you cope will affect your child's ability to cope.) Effective problem solving helps to keep the environment predictable, which optimizes your child's ability to manage his Back-To-School experience.

Tip Six: Back-To-School is not a One-Time Only Event. (Not much of a Secret: Your child goes "back to school" most days of the week!)

Beginnings are very important. They set the stage for dynamics going forward. While the big back-to-school moment happens only once a year, there are many returns, such as after vacations, after an illness, or even on a daily basis. Use of these tips at any time can help build your child's capacity to adapt to changes in school, home or life routines.

One idea you might try is this: Think of these "back-to-school" tips as back-to-basics tips. Any time your child has to deal with something new or difficult, you can employ these ideas. The growth in your child's resilience, will make life easier for you as well. These are all purpose tips useful for any occasion. (FYI--they can be helpful for grown-ups too!).

Bette J. Freedson, LCSW, is a stress expert, author and speaker. For over 25 years, she has made overcoming life's challenges easy and accessible. A sought-after media expert, Freedson has been featured on radio shows, several websites and in a number of magazines. Her first book, Soul Mothers' Wisdom: Seven Insights for the Single Mother, is due out in 2012.

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The Fastest Growing Unified School Districts

A School District or school division is an organization of public schools in a particular state that gives the residents their basic educational needs. It is headed by a school committee or school board. They are usually called school administrators. They ensure that all policies are implemented and that school activities, functions and even student-employee activities are carried out smoothly.

Most of the school districts support and participate in the city's business operations, including television stations, public libraries, kitchens, medical clinics, school bus yard, school laundries, warehouses and police departments. There are also recreational areas available in a school district. Oftentimes, school districts become a contributing factor to the success or the recession of the city's economic and political status.

The performance of a school district can be equated to the performance of the schools itself. Schools are not just for students. Schools are community centers. They cater to a number of different people and different businesses. Therefore, a good school should include a good learning environment. Discover why these unified district schools are making a reputable name.

Flagstaff Unified School District

The success of Flagstaff in Arizona is through the collaboration and commitment of parents, educators and its community. They have qualified teachers, wherein, most of them have a master's degree, are certified counselors, librarians and administrators. A number of their teachers are also recipients of citations and awards.

In 2002, the National Principal of the Year came from their district. Flagstaff Middle School received the Golden Bell award, the highest commendation for innovative instruction in Arizona. This district, founded in a log cabin, has now 6 elementary schools, 3 high schools, 4 middle schools and 1 alternative combination of high school and middle school. It also has a number of school buildings, libraries and recreational areas. Magnet schools were also opened to concentrate on academics, especially in Science, Arts and Citizenship and Character Education and Technology.

Flagstaff has a rich mix culture, excellent tourist destinations along with a scientific but family-oriented community that knows how to established good schools and a good quality of life. The community supports the districts' entire program by opening opportunities for both faculty and students alike. Some companies that provide it include a Lowell Observatory, W.L. Gore & Associates, a number of museums and symphony orchestras.

For the schools comfortable and safe environment, the community provides bus fleets, food services, health services and basic social services. In return, the students consistently score above national average on achievement exams, in which, drop out rates are lower than the state average. They garner gold medals in state and national competitions. They are also well prepared for careers in technology, trade and business. Graduates have been accepted at prestige universities including Princeton, Stanford and Yale.

Lake Elsinore Unified School District

Lake Elsinore in California is fast growing when it comes to commerce, retails, residential and light industry. The city provides excellent public service programs that include fire and police protection, public and commercial transportation and job opportunities in industries like tourism, computer animation, telecommunication, machining, aero sports and construction products. This school division provides students opportunities for academic excellence, extra curricular and athletic programs along with scholarship and employment opportunities.

This district consists of 15 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 4 alternative education schools. For the last two years, this school district is making a name in academic achievement and was even placed in the top 10 in riverside County ranking. Schools in this area are also known for its community involvement doing charitable works.

This school district has implemented a magnet program called Visual and Performing Arts and is now proving to be a success specifically in Butterfield Elementary School. It is making a name for arts and theaters in its 14 yrs of successful performances. They have received a number of honors and awards including Golden Bell, Los Angeles Music Center "BRAVO" award, healthy Start Grant and as a Treatment School for Reading and Arts Integrated for Student Excellence.

This school alone offers great amenities which make the school district unique. These include computer labs with eMacs for research, a theater fully equipped with lighting and sound system and BESTv green-screen, Reader's theater and classrooms with document cameras; plus Internet access.

For more information on School Districts List and Long Beach Unified School District please visit our website.

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Childhood Obesity and School Lunches - How to Put Your Child's Lunch Under Remote Control

The School Lunch Program: Parents Surrender Control of the Children's Food to The Federal Government and the School Boards

"The reason that children are currently too fat is, in part, because they used to be too thin"- The School Lunch Programs

School time, including going and coming home from school dominates a child or teen's day. The control the parents have at home evaporates once the school bus leaves and does not return for eight or more hours. The after school hours become dangerous times for eating and drinking because of the fatigue and low blood sugar experienced by many children and teens. It is easy for the parent who is also fatigued and often overwhelmed to give the child one of the bad snacks that he has seen on television. Whether it's the wrong school breakfast, bad school lunches and school sponsored vending machine the parents have relinquished control of the child and teen's food and drinks not only to the school but to their 7 year old!

School lunches offered to your children may differ among school districts, areas of the country or whether the school is public or private. Some schools have only cafeterias and provide the standardized school lunches while other schools also have a la carte food items, fast food kiosks or even student stores. Comparing what large groups of children end up eating for lunch, reveals twice as much fat from cafeteria lunches compared to bag (lunches brought from home.) Total fat and calories are even greater when students buy meals on an a la carte basis because they often pick two, three or more items and often the "wrong" items.

Where School Lunch Programs Began:

Undernourished and malnourished families and children began to be widespread across the U.S. in the 1930's. Draftees during World War II were regularly turned away because they were undernourished. Seeing this problem, President Harry S. Truman in 1946, pushed through the School Lunch Program, guaranteeing a hot lunch for every schoolchild who could not afford one. Thus began a plan that would contribute 60 years latter to the obesity epidemic we see today!

Changing School Lunch Programs:

The programs have changed over the years, adding free and reduced-cost breakfast during the 1960's. The government is in the school-food-supply business, buying surplus products from farmers and sending it along to the schools. School lunches tend to exceed the national recommendations for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. While the quality has improved somewhat in recent years, fresh fruits and vegetables usually are lacking. A sample of 24 public middle schools in San Diego County, CA. found that almost 50% of students in a school that has a student store or a la carte facility bought mostly candy, cakes and cookies and significantly fewer servings of fruit, and vegetables.

Scoop of the School Lunch Program:

Here is the 2005 USDA Food and Nutrition's Service presentation entitled "School Meal Program Performance: What Do We Know?

o 94,622 schools (90% of public schools) participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) which served 49 million students

o School cafeterias served 4.8 billion lunches.

o NSLP serves over 29 million lunches, 9 million breakfasts and 154 million after school snacks

o About half of all lunches and 3/4 of all breakfasts are served free.

Children from low-income families may receive more than half of their daily caloric intake for from these meals. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not common place at homes can be come a stable of school lunches. Nutrition education could give students the tools they need to make healthy choices regarding eating and physical activity.

Mindless School Lunches vs. Packing a Lunch from Home:

Children, teens and their parents can buy their lunch at school or bring it from home. The choice should depend upon which results in the children obtaining the right foods at lunch. The typical school lunch is often much higher in calories, carbs and fat than it should be. It means that the parent needs to look closely at the cafeteria lunch menus which in most school districts are available for a week or two ahead. Here is what to look for in the school lunch:

What to Eat: Sandwiches, subs, wraps, vegetables, fresh fruits, yogurts

What to Drink: water, low fat or no fat milk, zero calories, fruit flavored waters

What NOT to eat: fried foods, meat, pasta, pizza, rice or potatoes

What NOT to drink: whole milk, sugar filled juices, soft drinks, sport drinks

On the other hand a lunch prepared by the parents is not always automatically healthier than one bought at school. If parents pack cookies, cake or potato chips, that's not a nutritious meal! But a packed lunch, if the parent does it right, does have a clear advantage. When you pack your children's lunch, you know your children and teens are eating the "right foods" - stuff you know they like. Remember you are not around at lunch, so you must direct their food almost by remote control.

Talk to your child or teen:

Make sure what you send for lunch is what they like. Even better, take them shopping and listen to their input. Stock up on their favorite healthy foods, you can save some money and end up with a healthy child.

Here are some quick lunchbox tips:

o Easy to open small packs which children like. It needs to be made quick. Remember, lunch time may be no more than 15-20 minutes.

o Small children may not eat very much at one sitting. Think about packing appetizers instead of a large sandwich and whole banana. You can also include more choices if the quantity of each is smaller.

o Small foods are not only easier for children to handle, but they are more fun to eat. Cut sandwiches into smaller pieces, small sandwich buns, and fruits or vegetables in small bags. Don't overwhelm the child with a large portion of anything.

o Some kids are content to eat the same thing day after day. It often can drive you crazy about the habits they get into. Don't worry as long as the food is healthy

o Instead of making sandwiches, consider packing individual sandwich ingredients to let your child make their own sandwich at lunch, or eat the ingredients separately.

o Cereal bars can pack a lot of nutrition into a food kids love to eat.

High tech insulated lunch boxes and bags on the market that have built in food safety features: thermoses, a space to slip a pre frozen gel pack, even pockets for wet wipes

Children and teens need to make good choices at lunch:

Whether the better choices are accomplished by taking food from home or by careful selections from school cafeterias, it's really unimportant. Parents need to understand they have little control of their child's food from the time the school bus pulls away until 8 hours latter. School menus need to be reviewed constantly and the parent needs to watch the selections. If eating a school lunch, child needs to learn how to make the best selections from what is available.

Richard Lipman M.D.a board certified internist and endocrinologist has been treating weight and metabolic problems for 25 years in his Miami office. His recent book, The 100 Calorie Secret, describes how thousands of his patients lost weight and kept it off. Learn more weight loss and tips from a doctor who actually takes care of metabolic problems and obesity problems at http://www.the100caloriesecret.com.

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Will Private Schools Survive?

The surest way to improve public education in this country is to close down private schools. Invested parents, committed to having their children properly educated with manageable class sizes, innovative programs, inspired teachers, and up to date facilities, would storm the gates of the public schools demanding better instructional delivery. Given the current economic trends, and the growing challenges for parents to make overblown tuition payments, this reality just might come true.

It won't happen overnight, but more and more private schools, living at the margins of balancing budgets with tuition, are staring at stark decision-making about faculty, staff, and programs. Some private schools have placed a freeze on salaries, others have limited tuition increases to 2 percent, and even others have cut staff and part-time faculty. Professional development funds have dried up, school heads are scrambling to come up with inventive ways to raise revenue, and faculty face parents demanding to know that they are getting their money's worth in the classroom. Will private schools survive the current economic storm?

The answer is yes, but it won't be easy. As state budgets shrink, with California as the most extreme case, public school class sizes will balloon, up to as many as 40 per classroom in some areas. Budgets for "specials" like art and music will disappear, after school programs will no longer be able to absorb cost of care for working parents, and facility maintenance and improvement will fall into further disrepair without a strong boost from the gargantuan education stimulus package. President Obama has made the case for change.

He boldly stated that he did not come to Washington to continue with business as usual. These are strong words and have many Americans bracing with excitement at the possibility of a clear overhaul of education, health care, and even energy policy. However, it will take time, and for those families torn at the seams over whether to make their tuition payments for private school, the President's plans may be too slow in coming. That is good news for private schools.

The sacred cow for private school families is education. Some parents will risk going into foreclosure, just to make sure they can pay tuition for their children. These parents know what is on the other side, if they fail to keep their children in private school, especially in urban centers like Washington, D.C., New York, and San Francisco. President Obama has his daughters at the elite Sidwell Friends School, after all. DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee has decided to wage holy war on the public schools, and she has the moral support and good wishes of many, while at the same time infuriating the entrenched bureaucrats, who have driven public school policy into a 10 car pile-up for years. She simply will not stand for anything less than excellence.

In fact, her metric for determining acceptable classroom teaching rests right where many private school families stand - their children. As she cold calls on schools, and steps into classrooms to observe teaching, she asks herself whether she would want her own children in that classroom. If the answer is no, there is hell to pay for the teacher. Not surprising, then, that teachers' unions are up in arms. But, Chancellor Rhee is only doing what private school parents do every day - asking and demanding excellence in the classroom. Of course, Chancellor Rhee is not being asked to donate hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to help keep school running, but she is invested in the education of her own children and all of the children in the grossly under performing DC public schools.

Private schools have a unique opportunity to soar through the economic crisis. Because they are not bound by state standards, classroom teachers have a greater degree of flexibility with curriculum design. Many private school teachers are drawn to teach in this type of environment because they have freer reign to develop creative lessons. Private schools can also cultivate a niche, choosing to serve the needs of gifted learners, or emphasizing environmental stewardship.

Charter schools have this same freedom, which is why they are increasingly the school of choice in urban centers. Class sizes are smaller, and will remain so. Even if private school class sizes swell to account for budgetary woes, parents know that their children receive more individualized attention. At many private schools, parents are invited to participate in the life of the school in productive, meaningful ways, whether it is on school committees and task forces, or running book and math clubs for students.

Navigating the financial mess may prove to be more challenging for many private schools, especially for those schools that are primarily tuition-driven. Only the very few have the ridiculously high endowment numbers of Exeter and even those schools have witnessed a sharp decline in their endowment monies. Financial aid asks are up this year, particularly from current families, who previously did not have to put in a request for aid. Schools are being especially sensitive with these families, since many have been at the school for several years and have more than one child enrolled.

Auctions and annual funds will walk along a cliff this year, and many schools count on these additional dollars to balance budgets. To mitigate the rise in financial aid requests, coupled with the dip in auction and annual fund dollars, schools can take several steps. First, they can rebid all service contracts and construction projects. Contractors are desperate to keep their clients, and are more than willing to negotiate to maintain relationships. Second, schools can seek alternative sources of revenue, through developing summer camp programs, and renting out facilities for corporate meetings, weekend weddings, local athletic leagues, and clinics.

Third, schools can be prudent with budgets and curb classroom spending by modest amounts of 10-15 percent. Fourth, the time is right to move in a greener direction, through electronic mailings, and careful unplugging of machines and equipment at night, to stem electricity costs. Fifth, and perhaps most important, schools can systematize their communications to ensure that each family receives word about how their child is doing on a daily basis at school. Classroom teachers, specialists, administrators, and staff can and must coordinate their efforts to build even stronger connectivity with their families.

Private schools won't shut down tomorrow. Parents will still stretch to send their children into the outstretched arms of independent school education. Even Oprah Winfrey is on board, and has taken the leap with the start of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for girls in South Africa. Private schools can stand apart from public schools, and with careful budgeting, smart messaging, and lasting personal connections, private schools can swim through the current financial waters and arrive safely on dry land.

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