Tips For Choosing The Right Public Charter School For Your Child

Posted on: 8 December 2020

In this day and age, more and more states are promoting school choice and allowing parents to decide what school is best for their children. Thus, it is not surprising that public charter schools have become increasingly popular. A public charter school is tuition-free, but it is not a part of the public school district, so it can make its own decisions about education and curriculum. In areas with school choice, it is not uncommon for there to be several public charter schools to choose from. If you are interested in enrolling your child in a public charter school, use the following tips to help you find the right school for your family:

Learn About the Curriculum

Since public charter schools are not attached to a district, each charter school can choose the curriculum that is taught to students. There are many different curriculums available for math, English, language arts, science, and social studies, and each public charter school in your area may use a different curriculum. When you find a few charter schools that you are interested in, learn about what type of curriculum that they use and then do your research to learn more about it. This will help ensure that you select a charter school that uses a curriculum that is a good fit for your child.

Consider Classroom Sizes

Many parents opt to enroll their child in a charter school due to being dissatisfied with the district school that they are assigned to. One complaint that many parents have about district schools is large and crowded classrooms. When you begin exploring your options and looking at public charter schools, it is always a good idea to consider classroom sizes. A lot of children do a lot better in smaller classes, so look for a charter school that has a low teacher-to-student ratio.

Schedule a Tour

One of the best ways to get a good feel for a school is seeing it in person. Almost all public charter schools offer comprehensive tours of their schools for prospective new families. During a tour, you will be able to see the classrooms, as well as the playground, lunch room, gym, and any other amenities that the school may have. A tour is also a great time to ask questions and learn more about the school, as well as their mission and the values that they teach students. 

Contact a local K–8 public charter school to learn more.

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learning beyond the curriculum

I wanted to be as hands-on with my son's education as possible. I also wanted to expand his education beyond what he was learning in school at the time. I started looking for different resources that we could use for him to learn interesting things that he enjoys learning about. My blog is all about going beyond the curriculum in your child's school. You will find tips and ideas that can help you keep your child's interest in learning and make the learning process much more fun for you and your child now and many years into the future.