Is a Charter School, a Magnet School or a Choices School Right for Your Child?

The first thing that you need to know is that charter schools, magnet schools and choices schools are all public school choices and do not have any tuition payments which gives you some school options that wouldn’t break the bank in these tough economic times. Although they may have different names in different districts, most districts have similar choices available. These types of schools are gaining popularity and new school options are popping up every year.

Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to all of the rules that other public schools must follow. In addition to the district rules, Charter Schools are held accountable for producing certain results as outlined in the school’s charter. Class size is usually smaller than a public school and they are perceived to be safer because of the smaller size of the school population. Many Charter Schools have a waiting list and admission can be based on a lottery, so you may experience difficulty getting your child into these schools. Some charter schools provide a curriculum that specializes in a certain field such as the arts, technology, or mathematics. Others provide the opportunity for innovative teaching practices like cooperative learning, or self-paced learning.

Magnet Schools are Public Schools and therefore must adhere to all the rules and regulations of the district that they belong to. They provide an expanded list of classes in an area of focus. This is particularly beneficial to a student who has an area of interest that they want to explore further. It provides them the opportunity to gain experience in that area while at the same time letting them explore whether this is the right field for them. Some of the Magnet Schools in my area have focuses in: science & technology, government, theater, music, and medical.

A Choices School is not really a different school type, it is the option that districts provide parents at certain schools which allows the parents to choose between a set list of public schools that their child can attend instead of attending their zoned school. These transfers are offered for a number of different reasons. The main reasons that the district in my area does it is capacity, diversity and class size.

Picking the Right School for Your Child

One of the most important decisions that parents have to make is what type of school to send their child to. The choices available today are numerous. There is public, private, magnet, charter, virtual and home-schooling options. Every month it seems that there are new options available, and all the options seem to have their benefits and their drawbacks. I will be exploring each of these options in a series of postings to assist you in making this important decision. I feel fairly confident that I can speak on the pros and cons of attending public school, and I will be seeking out the advice of other parents and educators who know more than I do about the other options that are available. In addition to the generalized information provided in these postings, I hope that you will do your research on the schools in your area by talking to parents and children who are already attending the school and finding out how the school is doing compared to other schools nearby. The statistics on schools can typically be accessed through the State’s Department of Education and most schools are more than willing to give you a tour of their facility. Do not take it as a bad sign if the tour is conducted when there are no students in the building, many schools have adopted this policy to ensure the safety of their current students.

It is very important to keep in mind the stregnths and weaknesses of your child when picking out the right school. Not every child fits into every school setting, and finding the school that is the best fit for your child may be the difference between academic success and failure. If you are not sure of how your child learns, Howard Gardner's books on Multiple Intelligences may be a good place to start.