While you are in the early stages of identifying private high schools for your child, you will read plenty of catalogs and scan dozens of school websites. That will uncover a lot of information. Just be aware that all of this is the information which the schools want you to see. These are marketing tools that present the best side to the schools and their programs. While there is certainly nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward, the reality is that you need to lift the hood and see what's inside. Find answers to the following five basic questions as part of your due diligence as you sort through schools and begin to determine which one is the best fit for your child.
Get the answers to your questions two ways: by reading the materials offered and by asking in person. Incidentally, if you have decided to use the services of an educational consultant, these are questions which she can answer for you. Then all you have to do is follow up when you visit the schools and affirm what you already know.
1. What are they teaching?
For most parents, this is the first question on the list. It is our priority #1. It plays to our concern about what kind of college or university our child will ultimately attend. Preparing for that next step is a huge undertaking and we know that we have to get it right. Preparing for college level work is a 3-4 year project.
So,
Don't Just Look at Price!
It's certainly fun to navigate different private school sites and see what's out there. And you must do that, not only on your own but with your child. For all sorts of good reasons. Remember: your child needs to buy into this important decision. It mustn't be a unilateral decision unless the circumstances are exceptional such as your requiring a school for special needs or a therapeutic school. In those situations, obviously, you know best and will make the appropriate decision for your child.
There's another consideration we parents need to review carefully as we decide which private school is the best one for our children. And that's the cost. But don't just look at the price! Why? Because there are several factors in play when it comes to paying for a private school education.
1. Financial Aid
Depending on your financial situation the school may offer you a financial aid package. This could well have the effect of making that school that charges $25,000 a year as affordable, for example, as the school which charges $18,000 but offers no financial aid. So, ask questions and get the answers you need about financial aid. Financial aid programs vary from school to school. Assume nothing. Ask.
This video from the Parents' League of New York discusses financial aid for private school tuition.
2. Tuition-Free Education
The other factor to consider is that you may be able
Be Careful What You Post in Facebook!
I wrote this article and its companion Leave No Evidence! because I have long been concerned that my colleagues in the classroom are not as street smart with social media as they need to be. I am focusing on the use of Facebook here. However, much of what I have to say applies to the other social media apps such as Instagram and Twitter.
When you use social media, be aware of the following:
- Your posts are forever.
- Your posts can be forwarded outside your circle of friends.
- Your comments can be forwarded outside your circle of friends.
- Your following of people and groups is visible.
Your posts are forever.
As part of my research for this article, I googled "teacher fired for posting on Facebook" and got 2,602,000 search results. Well, not all of those search results are relevant, but you get my point. My warning is simple and very clear: if you are employed by a school or would like to be, on Facebook which could be misinterpreted by your present or future employer. The issue is not freedom of speech. The issue is electronic media. It is everlasting.
Now, let me be more specific about what to post and what not to post. Birthday and anniversary greetings are appropriate. Nasty, intolerant comments are not appropriate. News about family gatherings and activities are appropriate. Photos of a family gathering
What is Really Important in Choosing a School?
As you begin exploring schools for your child, you begin to realize that you have dozens of options. And they are all a little different. It's rather bewildering looking at all these websites, especially if you have never visited a private school before. They are all so different. How can you ever decide which one is best for your daughter? Start with a very basic strategy, a game plan, if you will. Let's look at what really matters when it comes to choosing a private school for your child.
Your requirements
Start with your requirements. Your requirements trump everything. So have a family discussion. Be relaxed and open-minded because your requirements as a parent will be different from your daughter's. You are thinking about the best educational experience. She's thinking about her life and her friends and the reality that she will have a whole new situation to deal with. That's scary for a young person. But you can make it an adventure and get her to buy into going to private school if you are patient, informative, and, above all, a listener. Dictating your child will probably get you nowhere in a hurry.
So, what's really important? Ponder these questions and then develop some answers after having that family discussion.
- Are you looking for a traditional college prep school experience or something else?
- Is your religion a major determining factor?
- What about sports? Arts programs? Extracurricular activities?
What about a school such as in Los Olivos,
Do You Need a Rebranding?
I can just hear you thinking to yourself: "Why on earth would I need a rebranding?" Signs that you might need a rebranding include the reality that you are invisible to prospective employers and, almost as bad, your credentials have begun to look kind of 2000-ish. Rebranding. Makeover. Facelift. Call it whatever you wish. But it all amounts to the same thing. Or does it? Rebranding, you see, is intrinsically much more focused than a simple makeover or a facelift. Let's see what is involved.
What is rebranding?
Rebranding sounds like something Proctor and Gamble might do with a tired soap brand. The product does a great job, but it has lost the appeal it once had in the marketplace. Are you beginning to see how this might have some relevance to a private school teacher? Rebranding yourself as a dynamic teacher with vision, expertise in her subject and the skills to create excitement in the classroom will push your candidacy for the position you want to the front of the pack. Or you can leave things as they were. The choice is yours.
Remember: it is a fiercely competitive job market in the second decade of the 21st century. Schools have hundreds of highly qualified and experienced candidates from which to choose. Why should they look at you? They should look at you because the rebranded you seems fresh, relevant, and perfect for position they have open.
Who is a candidate for rebranding?
Unless you have an
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