Back in the day when I attended school, your local public school was a parent’s primary option.

When a child turned 5 or 6, she got on the big yellow bus with everyone else in her neighborhood. She knew she would be graduating from the local high school that her big brother or sister attended. And, if she were “smart,” she went on to college.

Today, parents are afforded a myriad of options -- public schools, charter schools, private schools or boarding schools away from home.

Every child is different and excels in different environments, so there is no magic solution for ensuring a quality education. Every education option has its pros and cons.

Therefore, your education choice should be personal and based on the facts that clearly impact your child’s opportunity to learn.

Here are some things to consider:

Private Schools:
All private schools are not the same, and there is no guarantee that your child will perform better academically than children who attend public schools. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) published a report in 2006 about private versus a public school education. In summary, it found that even though private schools scored higher on standardized tests in 4th and 8th grades, when taking into account the various student characteristics, public school students actually fared better than private school students.

Other things to consider: Some private schools have an admissions process that involves testing and interviewing, so some children are rejected. Then there is tuition, which can cost anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000 a year – and you are still required to pay taxes to support public schools.

Charter Schools:
Charter schools are funded with tax dollars but are an alternative to public schools. They operate under a state “charter” and are given greater leeway to try new and experimental educational methods. Any individual or private group may apply for a charter.

Because of their small size, charter schools may lack specific courses and organizations in which students can get involved. Some charter schools admit students via a lottery system, and students must meet certain requirements to continue at the school.

Home Schooling:
As more families opt out of public schools, this option has grown in recent years. Some parents like the scheduling flexibility that home schooling offers. Others want to have more control over their child’s education.

But as with other options, there are pros and cons to this method. While some children do well in this setting at the elementary and middle-school level, parents may have to send older children to a public or private high school to get the benefit of more advanced classes.

Some questions to ask before deciding to home school: (1) Can you afford the extras that are often required, such as materials, hiring a teacher, sports clubs, books, association fees and college-level classes for older students? (2) Are you able to address the needs of a gifted or special needs child? (3) Can you ensure that your child will meet the academic requirements to be prepared for college? (4) Are you open to change if home schooling doesn’t work for your child?

Obviously, there are many other circumstances that may impact your decision, such as learning disabilities, access to services and the like. However, for most parents, making sure your child receives a good education is a full time job and can be very frustrating. Parents have to find what works and take advantage of the services that are available in the school and community to assist with the growth and education of children. It really does take a village to raise and educate a child.
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Macie Caldwell is owner of Macie Caldwell Consulting Services (www.maciecaldwell.org), a Charlotte firm that provides information, tools and resources to parents, students and organizations to assist in preparing students early for college.

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