What do you look for when searching a school for your children?

Depends on the age...

For my elementary school children, I want a school where the average on standardized tests is in at least the 80th percentile in both math and reading and they offer a variety of extra curricular activities (computers, sports, music, art, language, field trips, etc). I want an academically challenging school, but not one so focused on doing things perfectly that they don't allow kids to be kids. I want to feel that the teachers really love my child. I want the school culture to reflect my Christian values and for them to teach love, charity, and respect.

When we hit junior high, I'm going to look for a school which offers honors classes and a focus on the specialized interests of my children (too soon to tell yet). Since I got my first computer in fourth grade and that was a generation ago, there's no reason for a school to have a low technology usage ratio today. As "tweeners" face a much different environment than they did even a decade or two ago, I want a school which is safe and where my kids feel secure (no gang problems, drugs, etc.)

I'll let my children pick their own high school, because at that point I believe that children are able to look toward their future goals and take responsibility for their decisions. We will of course guide them, but if I've done my job than they'll have a good head on their shoulders. Academics are important to me and both my children will attend university, but I know they'll work harder if they have input into their education. We also specifically picked a church for having a large active high school group so that our children will have friends that share their values. Personally, I left a private Catholic girl's school to attend a public school that was a performing arts magnet (and also offered advanced placement classes and allowed me to take some of my classes my junior and senior year at a local public university), my middle sister went to our local public high school because it was close and her friends were there, my youngest sister chose to go to the Catholic girls' school for all four years of high school because she enjoyed the small school size (a couple hundred as opposed to the close to 8,000 at my middle sister's school), and my brother switched between three schools in four years (LOL - he's still a little lost).

No, this is not right. It's not legal. Your teacher can't just search you for no good reason. Your teacher can't even search you at all. If your teacher of a member of the staff at your school is suspicious of anything of your behavior they have to report it to your school principal. Then the principal will decide what to do. Weather it be to call the police and have them come search you or to contact your parents , whatever it may be. They have to have reason to search you. If they were searching lockers or something that would be a different story. Second of all since you are a female, another female officer would have to search you. Male officers can have you emtpy your pockets and take off your socks and shoes but they can't have you take off your clothes or check your bra or in your pants. You need to tell your parents and you need to tell your school principal and talk to the police. That teacher may be some creepy sex offender or something.

I plan on homeschooling :)

However, if for some reason, I have to send my kids to school, then Montessori schooling is my next choice. Should I not find a Montessori school I need, then I look for the following:

School size: I prefer a smaller school to a larger school.

Uniform: All schools in Australia (all public schools, anyway) have uniforms, but some schools present more nicely than others. I don't know why, but a nice uniform is a big seller for me. It means the school is often represented at State Levels and in functions, usually meaning the kids perform better in classes.

Languages: I want my kids to have as much exposure to LOTE as possible. Schools with bi-lingual streams are even better.

Extra-curricular: The more extra curricular a school offers, the better.

and of course, reputation.

But I hope I don't have to worry about all that, because I intend to let my kids sleep in till 8 everyday and play most of the time. It only takes 2 hours to get through everything, school just takes longer because theres more kids and more red-tape.

When choosing schools for my children, my husband and I chose private education for our children. Then we considered whether to chose single or coed schools. When decide on single sex schools. Then we chose schools that best support and help develop our children's talents and support them in their weaknesses.

My 16 year old son is a full boarder.

My 14 year old daughter is a day student at private girls school.

My 7 year old son will be a cloister next year and move from being a day boy till a full boarder.

My 4 year old son attends the same school as my 7 year old as a day boy and like his brother will most likely become a cloister and full boarder.

My 2 youngest will when old enough attend the same school as full boarders like their older brother.

I started by researching high schools and worked backwards. Ideally, I'd like for my child to be with her same class from kindergarten through 12th grade. I understand that a million things might come up in the meantime, but I don't want to start down a path that I KNOW I will have no interest in finishing.

Going this route, I narrowed my possibilities down to 2: the Catholic school and the public IB magnet school. Both have excellent high schools with low student teacher ratios, great academics, opportunities in the arts, little to no police involvement, involved parents, low teacher turn over and good statistics on college admissions. From there we looked at the elementary/middle/primary schools that fed into the high schools. What I looked for was:

- average class size (more important than student teacher ratio)

- turn over rate among teachers.

- standardized test scores (I don't put a lot of weight on this factor, but I did look at it)

- number of police contacts.

- how frequently the library and curriculum are updated.

- phonics vs whole language instruction.

- Saxon method vs Every Day Math.

- responsiveness of the teachers. I e-mailed a handful of teachers in various grades asking questions about the schools to see who would respond.

- opportunity for working parents to volunteer at the school (in other words, don't hold your PTA meetings on a Wednesday morning and complain that I don't come).

- extra curricular activities.

- homework policy

- gifted education programs

I recommend you stay out of Government schools

Brainwashing is not, as some anti-Christian educators and students contend, the Biblical process of training our children to love and follow God. The word "brainwashing" refers to a planned, step-by-step attempt to "wash" family-taught beliefs from the minds of those who oppose government ideology. In America, it would mean replacing the old Biblical values and world view with a new way of thinking that would support a totalitarian agenda. In other words, every child must become a peace child, a willing and active servant of a new world order.

A massive world-wide partnership is pioneering new strategies for social transformation. The media, the entertainment industry, computer companies, government agencies, educational institutions, the United Nations and its accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have all joined together in a common quest for a global mind change. They seek solidarity -- a worldwide unity based on a new set of beliefs and values. "Obsolete" and "exclusive" loyalties to national sovereignty, Biblical values, and the unadulterated U.S. Constitution stand in their way.

Conforming the masses to their way of thinking requires all the sophisticated tools and tactics developed at the various "behavioral science research" institutes and "education laboratories" established first in England, then in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and finally in the United States. If these psycho-social engineers win their battle against an unsuspecting public, they would "wash" away individual thinking, free speech and all the other "rights" that have made America unique. The vacuum would be filled with lofty ideals, enticing images and deceptive promises designed to mold minds that match their global vision. Group thinking and other controls and "incentives" would enforce compliance. (See Mind Control and The UN Plan for Your Mental Health)

Bombard children with mind-changing suggestions

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/brainwashing.htm...

For the schools in my area there is a website that lists statistics on the local public schools (such as results of scholastic testing, graduation rate, funding, etc.) Do a search and see if you can find any similar websites in your area.

Quality and cleanliness of facilities.

Friendly staff.

Bilingual teaching.

Quantity of natural open, green spaces.

Graduate likelihood of pursuing higher education (college).

Turnover rate of professors.

Location, and surrounding resources (parks, convenience store, bus, etc.)

Schools are generally evaluated locally, so take into account how the ones you are checking out compare to others.

How hot the teachers are if you are a single parent (for parent-teacher meetings) ;)

Talk with some of the students and ask them what they think of their school!

whatever public school is in the area