Introduction

Can you trust the public school system to prepare your kids for their future? We hear a lot today about the flaws and faults of public education. So what is the truth, how does it impact your family and what are your options?

My Qualifications

I have been a teacher for 25 years in both private and public schools. While currently teaching in public school I have spent 12 years as the administrator of a school, sat on two accrediting teams that accredited large private schools, watched the evolution in teaching first hand and have seen what works and what doesn't.

The Big Benefit

For families with school aged children, the biggest draw for public education is that it is publicly funded and does not call for tuition to be paid. For many people that clenches the deal, but are they being sold a pig in a poke? Is the local public school the right place for them and their future? These are very important questions for parents and their children.

Strides In Teaching Techniques

In recent years all of the teaching techniques are beginning to coalesce into a unified teaching theory. Best practices have been developed from all of the techniques that have worked in the past while discarding techniques that were useless and sometimes downright harmful. In theory we know how to teach much better than we did in the past, but has this resulted in better outcomes? Do these techniques translate to the teachers and their students?

A Big Bureaucracy

First of all it should be remembered that public schools are big bureaucracies and operate the way all bureaucracies operate. When you go through the hassle to get your drivers license, or obtain a permit from your local government you will get an idea of how your public schools are run. The overriding interest the public schools have in your child is statistical not personal. (e.g. How are the masses doing?) Did we reach our proficiency goals for the county? What is our retention rate?

Many counties are administering several tests a month to your child and stuffing the results into a computer to be number crunched, digitized, and added to the masses average. The test grades are not even allowed to be part of the child's grades. The deleterious effects on your child of this practice are not considered important next to the goal of satisfying the bureaucracy's need for data. You should clearly understand that when you send you child to his or her first day in kindergarten they are entering the mow of a big machine.

You Are Your Child's Educator

It should be understood, contrary to what the state would have you believe, that you are your child's educator. How they are educated is your responsibility. The county certainly is not equipped or interested in your individual child's educational welfare, nor are they concerned with what is best for him or her. They offer what they have to give, but they are only one option. In today's public schools current laws have put a lot of pressure on reading, math, and science scores and that is where the efforts of the schools are directed. As a result we often have children in the 5^th grade that still do not capitalize their sentences, write in paragraphs-or even know what a paragraph is, or provide ending punctuation on their sentences.

They often struggle to express themselves in writing and many of them do not know how to read or write in cursive.

As for the areas of concentration-math, reading, and science, the numbers of students moving through the system often prohibits needy students from receiving the attention they need. And those that do receive special attention receive it only after they have met arbitrary guidelines that qualify them for these services. The problem is, is that by the time they are exhibiting behaviors that qualify them for services it is to late for meaningful intervention. That is why children in the 8^th grade who are receiving services for, lets say reading, probably have been receiving them since their early primary grades, but this begs the question: If these services are designed to help my child learn to read, why is he still needing them?

As for children with no special needs, what does that mean? Every child has unique needs and it should be in the educator's heart to realize that their number one client is not the state, county, or local school administrator, but that it should be the child. The others will not pay a life time for the educator's errors, but the child will. That is why you must be your child's educator.

What Can You Do?

When I use the term "your child's educator" I do not mean that you necessarily need to home school them, but that you need to make the best choices for them, set goals for them, enforce those goals, and make sure that they are educated in the excellent way you desire. If you chose public education be sure that you fill in the gaps that are sure to result. Be an evolved parent and if necessary a pain in the butt about what your child needs from his or her teacher. The squeaky wheel does get greased. The good news is that public school is not the only option and before you dismiss options due to cost; ask yourself, what your child's future is worth?

Choices

First of all there is no simple turnkey system that you can purchase or put your child in that will take care of your child's future. Avoid the proverbial slogan we care for your child so you don't have to. You must always be the director and judge of the quality of your child's education. There are broad choices that depend on what type of personality your child has.

• Small Private Education

You might be surprised at how affordable private education can be if you are willing to shop for it. Generally small faith based schools are the least expensive because they are subsidized by local congregations. Many of them offer a very good conservative education with a big emphasis on the basics. Because they are small they usually have a low ratio of students to teachers and you as a parent will have much more influence in the school's decisions. Again, if you explore this option, check out the schools history. Talk to parents who are sending their children there. Find out what the schools religious requirements. Check put the school's curriculum and if possible it's standardized testing results. These types of schools best serve children who do not excel in larger venues where they can get lost in the shuffle.

• Large Parochial Schools

These schools are often located near large cities and are generally very expensive. They offer an education for students who are highly motivated. The list of activities both curricular and extra curricular can be quite extensive and impressive. If you have a student that is headed for leadership and is a self-starter and you have the budget for it you might want to check some of these schools out. There are usually scholarships available for various reasons, but you should apply for these as early as you can. These schools are often organized in associations like the National Association of Independent Schools (Web site: http://www.nais.org/) and can be reviewed through their websites.

• Home Schooling

This option is neither for the faint of heart nor for anyone who does not have time for the full-time job that it is, though when done correctly it produces some of the best academic results. You can join associations for home schoolers which provide social opportunities for your child and collective activities such as joint field trips and standardized testing. The American Home School Association (http://www.americanhomeschoolassociation.org/) is one such place to begin your search.

• Magnet Schools and Charter Schools

These schools can offer some of the benefits of private education with the benefit of being publicly funded, but the draw back is that they are hard to get your child in. Your child often needs to be in a traditional public school and meet certain performance criteria, and secure the recommendations of teachers and faculty. A good place to begin your research is: at US Charter Schools found at http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/index.htm .

Conclusion

The bottom line is that wherever you finally choose to place you child, you must be the director of his or her education. Research the options, techniques, and results. Make sure your child is reasonably happy, and well adjusted. If he or she is miserable in their educational experience something is wrong and they will never love education, but instead learn to hate it and that would be a terrible pity.

Also you migh want to check out:

http://www.myhomeschooler.com/