Before you choose a school for your child, tap into parent and teacher networks. Talk to active parents who have their children enrolled in the schools you're considering. Ask teachers about parent involvement in education and the strengths and weaknesses of the school in which they teach. Why? Parents stories are a great source of information, which can improve parent teacher/communication. When you have the information you need to choose the right school, you can foster the parent involvement schools benefit from.
Below are a few questions to get you started.
The most important question.
Based on our family’s goals, would you recommend this school for my child? Why?
Questions to help you understand the person’s viewpoint.
- What kind of schools do you prefer?
- Why are you sending your child to this particular school?
- How much time have you spent at your child’s school?
If people recommend schools to you, consider these questions:
- Overall, what do you think about the school?
- What do you like best?
- What do you like least?
- How far does the school go out of its way to make families feel welcome?
- How involved are parents?
- How often do you hear from the school or your child’s teacher about your child’s progress?
- How much do teachers seem to like their jobs and the kids?
- What do people think about the principal’s leadership?
- Does the school seem safe and well cared for?
- What are the names of some active parents at the school that I could talk to?