Hi All! I have not been posting much lately. Been busy with being a mommy and spending a lot of time in our learning adventures. I am very proud of the progress we have made in these last 8 months! That’s when I discovered this website, early childhood education, and the potential my girls have. I am proud to say Dakota, my 3 yo is reading now! Excelling quickly in math and all other areas! Avery my almost 1 yo is right behind her. But she does not like to show off so I can’t be sure of all she can do ; ). Anyway… I have starts thinking about where to send my oldest for school. We are over here in the US. I know I still have a couple of years. But I want to know what to look for. I am not going to be homeschooling. I just don’t see us being able to financialy. We are having a hard time now with only 1 income, but this time with the girls is precious. And worth it all. What research should I be doing to find a good school for her? Are there websites that can help me out with this? Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks! Sorry so long! Lol
I am not American, so please take this with a grain of salt, but I am under the impression that the school system there is similar to here.
Basically there is one public school that your children are eligible to attend. It’s based solely on where you live. If your local school sucks, you can ask to have your kids bused to another school. The school board does not accept all requests though, so you might be suck with the bad school, if you choose public schools.
There are many private schools in most areas with different focuses. Catholic schools, Montessori schools, Waldorf schools, etc. In my area in addition to those broad types, there are also academically focused schools, language focused schools, leadership focused schools, and some I’m sure I’m forgetting. However private schools cost a lot. Here, just as an example, your area may be completely different, the cost ranges from about $5000 per year to over $25,000 per year, per child, for tuition alone. Some schools require uniforms, musical instrument rentals, field trip costs. Private school can be a very pricey endeavour.
In either situation, if you are working full-time you will also need before- and after-school care, plus full-time care during the summers. That can be quite costly as well.
Homeschooling is actually still an option even when both parents work. Ideally you would have opposite shifts, one of you would be home at all times. But there are families I know that homeschool but put their children in care during the day. They manage to fit all their schoolwork in on weekends and evenings. Working from home, part-time shifts, and flex-hours all can make homeschooling easier.
Hi,
One resource that has both public and private school info is greatschools.org. My son is in a private school, and I’ll admit I love it. Since public schools are by district, you may not have a choice in your childs school other than to move to a more affluent district. Another option is charter schools. You can research if there is one in your area. Generally, charter schools are free with better education, but the students are chosen (especially if it is very prominent) by lottery. Perhaps if you find one you can enter her in the lottery as often as they will allow you to at least have a chance at a charter school education.
Hope this helps!