Balancing your child’s needs with your family’s needs by using school choice

School choice is not just a matter of applying for a lottery ticket and hoping your child gets admitted to the school they want. Thoughtful parents know that school choice decisions involve not just finding a school that seems better than the last one, but one that fits your child’s needs as well as your family needs. For instance, if your daughter really wants to go to a private school that emphasizes the performing arts but the tuition would hinder you from meeting other family needs, such as bill payments, then her needs can’t be directly met. However, now that you know the performing arts drive her to learn, you can see if your school district has a school that emphasizes the arts. These are probably going to be charter schools, such as The Bronx School for the Performing Arts, a public school for grades 5 – 8.

When the school choice options don’t meet your needs

If you don’t have a performing arts school, or a trade school, or a science school, etc. in your area, you should consider both conventional and unconventional school choices. For example, you can seek art classes that occur after school for your daughter, or help her create more arts opportunities in her current school by sponsoring a club or extra-curricular activity; if she’s a junior or senior in high school, ask about dual enrollment opportunities where she can take Community College courses in the arts, paid for by your tax dollars. Unconventional solutions can range from swapping services or chores with a local professional artist or performer in exchange for lessons, to creating a club or group in your school or home that involves learning by doing what you want to learn. By working through the logic of your decision with your children’s input, you can arrive at some solutions you may not even have thought of on your own. Here are some questions to help focus your school choice decision and locate a solution that works for your family.

1. What is your family’s philosophy of education? Would your children flourish more in a conventional school or in a less conventional child-centered school? How important is the diversity of the student body to you and your children?
   Here’s an exercise to help you find your philosophy of education and exercise school choice: If you could homeschool your children, how would you plan your school year? Are there schools in your area that can meet those plans or work with you to do so together?
2. How does each of your children learn best? Do they like to learn on their own, or as part of a group? Which do they prefer: large school or small school environments? How important are school music, arts, and sports opportunities to you? What sorts of foreign languages do you want your children to learn and are they offered at any of the schools you can choose? What are the average class sizes in the schools you are choosing among?
3. What sort of school building do you want your children to learn in? Does it have up-to-date equipment and books? Will you need to provide transportation or can your child use the school bus service? Will you incur childcare expenses before and after school because you can’t be at home during those times? Do your children have special needs that can only be addressed in a particular school or by special education teacher?

As you sort through these questions you will see how you can use school choice to refine your child’s education options, as well as determine actions you can take as a parent that will benefit your entire family.