Finding the right School in your New Community by Kelly Barnett
Seven years of surgical residency and it all can be summed up in one word: Fellowship. We are finally finishing residency and are moving into the last step of this training process. Of course, taking this next step also means that we will have to relocate to a new community with our children. One of the most critical aspects of making a new move successful is finding a school that resonates with your child’s needs and the entire family’s goals and values. The task of finding a school from several cities, states, and perhaps even in another country can be daunting. However, in the age of technology, there are several things that you can do in order to maximize your chances of finding the best fit.
An obvious starting point for your research is the internet.
Websites like www.schoolmatters.com and www.greatschools.net are good starting points to get an understanding of how a school compares based on standardized test scores alone. However, as any educator will tell you; don’t place too much emphasis on the simple mathematical number of the standardized tests. Many districts compromise learning by teaching to the test. In other words, maybe their students are the champions of the scantron tests but have learned to loath education as a rote and uninspiring process.
If you are considering private schools, www.privateschoolreview.com offers just a very basic overview of what is available in your new area. However, if you know what kind of private school you are looking for, it would be much better to look at the national affiliations. Catholic education: http://www.ncea.org/; Jewish education: http://www.caje.org/ ; Christian education: www.acsi.org and www.aacs.org; Waldorf education: http://www.caje.org/; Montessori education: http://www.montessori.org/, http://www.amshq.org/, and http://www.montessori-ami.org/. Each of these websites lists their member schools.
After you have identified potential schools, call the principal and ask for a telephone appointment to chat about potential enrollment in the school. Ask for references from a few current parents and be sure to ask the question, “What don’t you like about the school?” Another resource for recommendations are local community websites. Join one and ask for recommendations. Of course, before taking this route, determine what is most important to your family: a small community school as opposed to a colossal school with great test scores, a religious based pedagogy, diversity, or any number of other factors.
Follow up these conversations up with phone calls to the local college’s Department of Education and/or whatever national accreditation society in which the school belongs. Explain your circumstances and ask if they have any knowledge or recommendations about the potential schools. This tactic is tantamount to asking doctors which doctors they go to see for their own health care.
Finally, once you have narrowed your list down, try to make an appointment to observe the classrooms. When it comes down to the final decision, a picture is worth a thousand words. Originally we choose two schools to observe, one of which came highly recommended both personally and professionally. Ironically enough, within five minutes we knew that this was not the school for us because the staff appeared distant and unengaged. This illustrates why all the research in the world needs followed by an actual visit. The right research and an hour of your time can help smooth both the entire family and your child’s transition to your new locale.
Happy hunting!
About The Author
Kelly M. Barnett is a busy mom and attorney who has single-handedly raised her children and supported her husband during a 7 year General Surgery residency. She is currently in the process of working, playing with her children and packing to move!
