Whether you already have kids or you’re buying a home with starting a family in mind, many of our clients want to find the best school possible for their kids. It’s common for our clients to ask us where the best schools are, but in truth, the answer is a complicated one.
Everyone has a different value system, and we cannot advise you on whether or not a school is “good.” However, we are always happy to equip our clients with resources and point you in the right direction!
Here are things to consider when finding the right school for your child:
What makes a school “good” or right for your family is going to be different for everyone.
If you know that your child thrives in a setting where they can explore the arts, then finding a school with a focus on music or visual art might be the right choice. If your kid has special needs, then you’ll want to find a school with a great program for their learning style. This will require some research.
Use a variety of resources to learn about a school.
This might include talking with teachers, principals, PTA members, a school district’s superintendent, exploring resources on school websites, reading reviews of schools online, and chatting with parents with children at a given school. If you can, attend an open house or an event at the school to get a firsthand sense of the environment.
Take scores on school rating websites with a grain of salt.
People are searching for answers, so finding a website with school ratings can feel like a relief. Oftentimes these websites have schools ranked with a rating system based on things like test scores, college readiness, and academic progress. However, these rating systems typically don’t take the unique needs of your child into consideration.
COVID-19 had a huge impact on test scores.
For websites that take test scores into account when rating a school, know that COVID-19 had a significant impact on many students. Many school district’s test score ratings do not look great right now when generally their scores might be great. But again, using test scores to rate a school is one small component of finding a “good” school.
Whether you’re choosing a house or a school, one size fits all isn’t always the best approach, especially when it comes to your family’s unique needs.