School Open Houses and how to navigate all the fall open houses

Importance of School Open Houses

Fall is here bringing a flurry of school open house activity. Do you need help navigating the school choices and making sense of it all? Which school is right for your child? Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important yet difficult and confusing decisions facing parents. This post will help with finding the right school. Topics include types of schools, special learning needs, and your child’s uniqueness.

Public or private school?

Choosing a school that is right for your child is a daunting task. Your child spends a lot of time at school beginning in pre-kindergarten through high school graduation. Therefore, it is crucial that the choice of school be the best fit for your child’s needs and uniqueness. The amount of information and choices of schools to vet are enormous regardless of whether you are considering a public or private school. Working with an educational consultant who impeccably knows the schools in your area would be a great start in helping you choose the right school for your child.

When to start looking at schools?

The first step to choosing a school starts with knowing when to begin evaluating them. There are common entry points such as kindergarten, entering elementary, middle or high school. Or, it may be time to consider another academic environment if your child has been attending school but is not happy or thriving. (See my post dated 3/18/2019 https://cecsolution.org/its-march-how-is-your-child-doing-in-school/ .)

Open Houses

Fall school open houses offer the first peek at schools. Schools will have scheduled presentations, tours, and information packets available. Therefore, it is important to visit as many open houses as possible to compare and contrast curriculum, mission statements, culture, speak with the administration and teachers. If you have the opportunity to plan ahead and you think you may choose a private school, then going through the visiting and enrolling process as early as possible is important as some schools may have wait-lists.

Your Child’s Needs

If you have not been satisfied with your child’s previous school year, your child has not been performing well in spite of academic support and/or interventions, your child is gifted and is under challenged, or there has been bullying or other issues that have been counterproductive for your child’s academic and emotional development, then now is the time to look at other schools.

Educational Options

The educational options are complex and more competitive than ever. Because each child has a unique learning style, personality, talents, and needs, it is important to weigh-in on the school choices available. There are public, private, traditional, progressive, alternative, gifted and talented, specialized schools focusing on certain subjects, special needs, and religious. Thus, whether your child is following a routine progression through the grades or has had a disappointing year, here is what to consider in types of schools.

Public Schools

Public school districts can be large or small depending on the geographic area and district. The larger ones may have multiple elementary, middle and high schools. And, the feel and culture of each school will be as different from one another as are the school principals and families at each. In addition, if you are buying a home, it is worthwhile to explore the schools for which you can be districted.

Curriculum

Public school curriculum follows the state’s common core state standards. As children progress into middle and high school, there will be the appropriate selection of Honor’s and AP classes.

Magnet Schools

Public magnet schools offer educational choices through innovative programs of theme-based instruction. Enrolling in these schools is often based on the lottery system. More and more school districts offer additional learning opportunities at their International Baccalaureate (IB) schools.

Other Information

Generally, class sizes may be larger than private schools. Public schools provide testing/evaluations and services for children with learning differences. Bus transportation between home and school is provided.

Private Schools

Private school campuses are attractive and usually offer better-equipped facilities than public schools. They will likely have state-of-the-art science and tech labs, art studios, music rooms, and gyms. These facilities will support programs with art, music, technology, and athletics that will never be cut because of budgets. Independent schools often offer specialized programs of study that involve travel, exploration, and study in another location. Review a private school’s mission statement. It will give you an idea of the culture and values at that school.

Curriculum

Generally, private schools’ curriculum do not follow common core state standards. Many offer a rigorous curriculum but are, also, more nurturing and supportive which can work for a broader range of learners. In addition, these schools can be more flexible in the programming and delivery of the curriculum. However, private schools lack the resources to test, evaluate, and provide services for children with learning differences.

Other Information

In general, private schools offer smaller class sizes with a lower teacher-to-student ratio. Tuition is usually expensive. But, to many parents who send their children to private schools, it is because they believe the money spent equals a better pay-off. Transportation is not provided and parents must make their own arrangements.

Private Schools: Independent

Private, secular, independent day schools offer a general college-preparatory course of study. The educational experience may have a traditional or progressive approach to learning. Academic programs are broad and challenging with a wide array of electives and opportunities for independent study to allow students to explore their passions and interests. These schools offer either co-educational or single-gender educational environments.

Private Schools: Religious

Private schools with religious affiliation may or may not follow the common core state standards. They offer smaller, warmer learning environments and have limited resources, if any, for students with learning differences. Religious education can provide advantages beyond the development of one’s faith. Many offer strong academics and a community of friends sharing a same moral base which can offer a stable learning environment.

Private Schools: Alternative/Micro

Alternative and micro schools offer customized programs when students are not thriving in a traditional school format. Their approach is more individualized, usually on a 1:1 basis. This allows programs to be personalized to suit the individual student’s talents and interests. In addition, these types of schools offer intimate learning environments for students seeking more challenging, complex work, or who may be extremely gifted in one or more areas, or who suffer from anxiety disorders.

The academic environment of alternative schools supports students who have lost confidence, self-esteem and suffer from anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed. Students benefit from this sort of personalized learning environment wherein they learn to develop positive relationships. “Because students spend a majority of their developmental period at school, they must be taught social thinking, independence, empathy, and critical thinking skills in addition to academics”, points out Maggie Gregory, Head of School at Fusion Greenwich.^1. “Small group education in alternative schools gives students the space for deeper understanding of material and meaningful human interaction. In addition, a classroom built upon developing the person inevitably leads to substantial engagement and growth beyond the walls of the school”, adds Maggie.

Private Schools: Special Education

Special education schools are able to provide more individualized, specialized programming to meet a child’s unique needs. Parents of children with special needs may find themselves frustrated and discouraged with the education their child was receiving at the mainstream public school. And, there may have been issues with limited or inconsistent access to resources and very large classes. Or, there may have been a lack of support from the most well-intentioned teachers who are unable to keep up with the varied needs in their classrooms. As a result, students with unique needs may fall through the cracks.

These schools have much smaller class sizes and are able to provide more individualized attention and instruction. In addition, these schools often offer support and instruction in “soft skills” such as social skills, time management and study skills which strongly support and aid student’s success. And, there may also be stronger communication and collaboration with families than the public school counterpart is able to offer.

Special Education Law

It is important to understand state special education laws and regulations and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004. That is because these laws may provide your child with rights in terms of attending a private school. Therefore, if your child qualifies for special education services and the public school is unable to provide the needed services in a way that meets your child’s needs, then you may be able to have the tuition of a private, special education school paid for by the public school district. Still “that can be a difficult process and you would benefit from the help of a lawyer or educational advocate who can help maneuver the requirements and procedures involved” suggests Diane Beltz-Jacobsen, an attorney and educational advocate practicing in Fairfield County. ^2.

Regardless of whether you have your child in your local public school so that he/she can receive the full range of special education services or goes to a private school and receives “equitable services”, the school and the district may create an Individual Services Plan, similar to an Individualized Education Program. Importantly, placement decisions will be made as to which learning environment and special services are most appropriate for your child.

Conclusion

The important fact to keep in mind is that each child is unique. It is ideal to find the right-fit school that would set the stage for your child’s success in learning and bring out his or her best. However, school decisions need to be made within a complex matrix of other factors which include transportation logistics and financial considerations.

If a child has special learning needs, parents will need to work with their public school and private school administrators. An educational consultant, an advocate and/or special education attorney are additional specialized partners who would work to obtain the best solution for your child.

Research finds that children in happy, strong, academic environments are better off in terms of academic achievement, educational progression and even behavioral and emotional competencies. This is true, as well, for children receiving timely intervention in the way of special academic support.

· Maggie Gregory is Head of School at Fusion Greenwich, Greenwich, CT. Email mgregory@fusionacademy.com for questions about Fusion Greenwich.

· Diane Beltz-Jacobsen, JD, is an Attorney and Educational Advocate practicing in Fairfield County. She is a co-Partner of Children’s Education Advocacy Group. Email diane@childrenseducationadvocy.com with questions about Connecticut’s special education law or other questions pertaining to your child’s need for special education.