How to Find a Charter School That Works For Your Family

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Consumers almost always benefit from more options. This creates competition and gives the consumer an active choice rather than a selection by default. At a certain point, though, the number of options becomes overwhelming. Once that happens, additional options risk giving the consumer more anxiety than assistance.

Of all the areas where a parent does not want to face anxiety, their child’s education might top the list. However, with more options recently created in the education space, it can be difficult to sift through all of the content, mission statements, and award summaries to find the right choice for a child’s education. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best strategies for finding a charter school that works for your family.

What Is a Charter School?

Before we start to analyze selection criteria, it will help to identify what constitutes a charter school. By definition, a charter school is publicly funded and operates as a school of choice independently from the established state school system. Because of this, they can offer a variety of programs different from the traditional education system, as shown by charter schools Orange County.

What Type of Education Do I Want for My Child?

At the end of the day, this is possibly the most important question to ask. It’s likely the reason you are looking into charter schools to begin with. If you aren’t concerned about the type of education your child is receiving, you can enroll them in the nearest traditional public school without exploring any other choices. With that being said, let’s look at a few of the alternative options that charter schools might offer.

Montessori

Montessori schooling has existed for more than 100 years, but charter schools have the ability to maximize its effectiveness with today’s resources. For example, charter schools in Orange County provide a long list of schooling programs, and one of them specializes as a Montessori school for kids up to sixth grade. This form of education empowers children to discover their natural interests through hands-on learning while developing real-world skills. The traditional public school system does not have the personnel or structure to encourage this type of learning.

Virtual Learning

While some school districts scrambled over the past two years to create an online curriculum, other school choices already had specialized virtual learning options. Virtual learning can be cost-effective and convenient when done well. The charter schools Orange County features include multiple options for comprehensive online programs.

College and Career Prep

In today’s age, it is critical for students who excel to continue being challenged rather than being forced to slow down so their peers can catch up. If your child is ahead of the majority of their class, look for college and career prep programs that feature acceleration plans like the charter schools of Orange County. These programs enable students to graduate high school early with college credits already in hand thanks to dual enrollment at local colleges.

What Other Factors Should I Consider?

Extracurricular Activities

Kids are constantly learning regardless of the setting. Research if the charter school offers field trips or additional workshops to increase your child’s education outside of the classroom. Are there opportunities for your child to form relationships and develop their social skills in addition to the other knowledge they will gain? These skills can be a big factor in your child’s success as an adult.

Safety and Security

Your child’s education becomes secondary if you are constantly worried about their safety. Research the charter school’s safety and security policy. Talk to the principal and other administrators to learn if they slapped words onto a webpage or if they have taken the policy to heart to ensure your child’s safety on a daily basis.

Teaching Credentials

Speaking of administrators and staff, research your child’s potential educators. Read up on their educational backgrounds. If you can, schedule a visit to talk to the personnel your child will be interacting with on a regular basis. This is one of the advantages that charter schools present.

Rather than your child being arbitrarily assigned to a teacher within the public school system, you have a direct choice over whether you send your child to learn from that particular teacher at a charter school. Don’t waste this advantage. Learn enough about the teachers and staff that you feel confident they are qualified to provide the best educational experience for your child.

Conclusion

Charter schools present a tremendous opportunity for you to have a direct impact on your child’s education. Don’t squander that by becoming overwhelmed by too many options or lazy with your own research. Strongly consider the factors listed above as well as any others that you value. The charter schools that Orange County has available give some great examples of how the right system can maximize your child’s educational experience.