How to Select the Right Charter School for Your Child

My daughter attended charter schools throughout her entire education, grades K-12^th, as I was looking for something different than her assigned public school. As a parent and director of charter schools, I have found that charter schools may not be for every student. Some students prefer and do very well in a traditional school setting. However, if a parent and student do find themselves looking for an alternative educational experience and have turned to charter schools, the following might be good to look into when doing so as it helped me in my search:

• Teachers- I think this category goes for any kind of school anywhere. Teachers make or break any program and without good ones, there is no point in looking further into a program. We know good teachers when we encounter them. Are the students getting enough small group or one on one instructional time with the teachers?

• Curriculum- The curriculum of a program reflects key components of a program including: rigor, alignment to standards, and level of experiential approach and engagement. Is the curriculum challenging, interesting, and pertinent to the real world?

• Culture- The overall culture of the program is critical. Is there a positive feeling on site? Do the overall goals and vision of the school align to what’s important to you?

• Personalization- If the setting of a traditional school is too large or overwhelming, it may be important to note how student driven a program is. For example, looking at how much say a student may have in the program can be reflective of how student driven the program is. Are the students spending time working on concepts too easy or too difficult for them or are they able to work at their instructional level and progress accordingly?

• Alignment to current standards/demands- When I searched for a school for my daughter years ago, I wanted to be sure that the program was doing things in a way that was more student centered, hands-on and better preparing her for the world today. Are the students afforded the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom/curriculum to real life?I was looking for a program that wasn’t doing the same thing the same old way for a world that is very different today. If this is important to you, then keeping an eye out for innovation may be a good idea.

These are a handful of categories to consider when looking for a charter school that is right for you and your child. There are many choices out there and programs that stand out from the rest should value these as well.