How to Choose a School

How to Choose a School -- The REAL Story

Nope, we're not going to recommend the usual dreck on choosing a school. These articles will help you get the REAL story on schools.


• "Choosing a School: A Closer Look" by Kevin Killion: What to look for on the school tour and in the school literature, and questions to ask about the math, reading, science, social studies and technology programs.
  
  
• Comparison of Traditional and Progressive Education Models from the Commonwealth Education Organization in Pennsylvania: A handy one-page chart summarizing the differences between the two dominant camps in education, the learning-centered "traditionalists" and the theory-centered "progressivists"/"constructivists".

• Questions For Your Child's School: A Guide for Parents Who Value Learning. This article by Charles J. Sykes and William G. Durden covers all of the basic questions you'll want answered about your children's school -- or prospective school.
  
  
• Spotting "Broken Windows" in Education: a terrific list of questions to ask and things to observe when considering a school, excerpted from Charles Sykes' book Dumbing Down Our Kids.
  
  
• Author and former Chicago-area administrator Dr. Elaine McEwan suggests these "11 Questions" to ask yourself about your children's school.
  
  
• If It Quacks Like a Duck, It's Probably Baloney (April 2002) by Martin A. Kozloff, Distinguished Professor, Watson School of Education, University of North Carolina in Wilmington. Dr. Kozloff gives some specific examples of the kinds of puffy rhetoric you don't want to hear when touring a school, as well as specific examples of good practices to look for.
  
  

Choosing a School by "Curb Appeal"

• Barbara Shafer studied education issues extensively and once spearheaded an effort to start a Core Knowledge charter school in Libertyville (an effort doomed by our state's weak charter law). She writes about her family's search for a school in a new city in her article which we highly recommend:

  "Curb Appeal Education" by Barbara Shafer. Excerpt:

  "When my husband accepted a new job in Minnesota, we knew it would mean shopping for a house and a school district. ... I began by asking real estate agents about school districts. I received the names of four districts [within] commute distance to work. [But this school information was] Curb Appeal only -- 'reputation,' state test scores, number of National Merit kids, percent going to college, facilities including marble floors, swimming pools, and Food Courts, etc. Last time, I bought my school on 'curb appeal' and got a lemon. ... Fool me twice? I don't think so."

• In an article from the New Oxford Review (December 2001) author Jack Taylor crisply states the obstacle with trying to improve suburban schools:

  "One reason why they can sustain this level of denial is that the schools look normal. A new school was recently built in our neighborhood. Its architecture is not my cup of tea, but its reflective windows and clean, low rectangular shapes appeal to the modern sensibilities of my neighbors. Inside, shiny linoleum floors and computer stations radiate an atmosphere of high tech academics. As a species, we believe that anything that looks good is good. We buy cars this way, we buy houses this way, some of us pick spouses this way, and we enroll our kids in schools this way."

• While "curb appeal" by itself is never a sufficient indicator of a good learning environment, good design can complement a good curriculum and program of instruction. Consider this PDF article from the "Association of School Business Officials International."
  
  

Reading and Math

Investigating how core subjects such as reading and math are taught can help you to assess the a school's commitment to methods that actually work.


• Here is a list, though somewhat dated, of Illinois and other midwest schools that teach reading using the highly regarded "Open Court" program.
  
  
• For math, check out our guide to math in Illinois, town by town!