By Leland Pulley
Before reading this article, remember this fact. Formal schooling is only part of a child’s life while growing up, and his growing up years are only a part of his total lifespan. So, keep things in proper perspective. During those growing up years, you as a parent are responsible for your child ultimately. You are more important than third parties like teachers, coaches, friends, clergy, or even employers offering part-time jobs during the late teens and early young adult years. You are to be there or be informed about all activities, projects, endeavors, and relationships in which the child becomes involved. You have the most authority over the life of the child, so use this to help him, as well as safeguard his quality of life.
Beginning at a young age, every child needs to have some formal schooling. This can be obtained in a variety of ways. As a parent, be open-minded each year that you have a child who would benefit from some type of formal education.
There are three important factors involved with school choice.
- The amount of parental involvement available in any school year for a child, and the type of involvement. This can vary from year to year.
- Consider the actual academic performance of a child each year as he gets older. His performance has a direct impact on the best choices for him.
- What are the actual school choices available in your area for your family? Without choices you are limited or restricted.
Let us first consider some common school choices available today for children and adolescents.
Public Schools – The easiest thing, which most parents do, is enroll young children into a daycare center and/or preschool program for ages 3-5. After this, the child is sent to the public schools for the kindergarten thru grade 12 experience.
- Public schools are basically free and thus they appeal to many parents.
- Class size is larger than other school choices.
- Public schools have the biggest variety of activities, clubs or student groups, athletic activities, social events, etc. Many students benefit from these opportunities to participate.
- These schools have teacher unions which do not merely focus on better ways to teach students. They seek benefits for themselves too.
- One suggestion is for some parents to be teacher assistants in the classroom. This helps the teacher and allows another adult to observe what is really going on. Another option is to be a substitute teacher. There is plenty of flexibility in scheduling for the days you work.
- In recent years there have been debates over who has control over the curriculum. The federal department of education, state department of education, and teachers think they do. However, parents also want to provide input, especially for some subjects. As a taxpayer, especially as a parent of a public-school student, you should be able to see the curriculum for any class and any grade level. Some subjects cannot be taught to your students if you object. Confirm what you can and cannot do at your local schools. Remember, influencing the minds of the next generation is a big responsibility. It ultimately affects all of society. So be involved.
- Public schools often have large school district boundaries. This can discourage parents from getting involved in what the schools offer students. In some districts you the parent can move your child to a different school within the district provided there is an opening and you provide the transportation daily for your child.
- There is very little need of parental time unless a child is having a specific problem at the school or with the academic work. In such cases parents and school personnel should communicate with one another and seek mutually agreement solutions.
Some parents do not realize that you can pull a student out of a public school and place him or her in a different educational environment. Some of these options are discussed below.
Charter Schools – This is another option.
- Most of these schools are tied with the local public-school district.
- Many require students to wear uniforms.
- There is more flexibility of curriculum in these schools. For adolescents especially, these schools can focus on specific curriculums, each one emphasizing specific subjects to study. For example, one curriculum could stress science and technical subjects in preparation for college courses related to this and/or jobs that eventually utilize this emphasis.
- For many parents, charter schools offer a better education than a typical public school. Unfortunately, in many areas, more parents want their kids to attend a charter school than there are openings for students. Often a lottery is used to determine which children are allowed to attend a particular school.
Private Schools – If you have the money, you can send your child to a private school. There may or may not be such a school in your local area.
- Usually these schools require uniforms, which I think is a good idea.
- The size of each classroom is smaller than public schools.
- There can be a stricter set of rules and more discipline by the school for students who do not obey the rules or cause other types of problems.
- These schools have more freedom to select the subjects taught to students. They can emphasize specific aspects of any general topic like history.
- Many such schools, especially for high school, are an all-boys or all-girls school. This can have advantages and disadvantages.
- Parents paying for their kids to attend these schools want to see some good results for their investment. Private school administrators seek excellence to please parents and thus stay in business.
- One thing to monitor with such schools is the set of values and attitudes being stressed to your child. Just because these schools cost more doesn’t mean they are strengthening his character, or helping him becoming a better family member, or ultimately a smarter voter. Check out the reputation of such schools and what their overall goals are for their students.
Church Schools also have their place.
- These are a type of private school, which means parents pay for their children to attend them. However, these schools usually have lower costs per student per year than regular private schools. Also, they require less money for your child’s education than public schools.
- Class size is usually smaller in religious schools.
- Uniforms are normally utilized, and if not dress codes are normally maintained.
- Many such schools are smaller in size. They have more flexibility and control at the local level. This allows more input by parents.
- As with private schools, there is more freedom of curriculum than public schools. Some subjects can receive more emphasis. Even with the same subject, how it is taught can vary between public and private schools.
- These schools can add some religious training into the curriculum. There is nothing wrong with this. Most parents put their kids in church schools because they support the religious teachings of the parents. Also, church schools provide a better environment for kids while at school. This policy may not please all parents. Personally, I would not care if some of our kids had attended schools run by other churches than our church.
- There is a code of behavior for students to follow. When any student gets too far out of line with this or becomes disruptive to other students, that student can be disciplined. One approach is probation. Another is to kick the student out of the school.
Home school is another choice and it is quite different than the school options discussed above. The primary teacher is the parent, not paid third-party teachers. School is in the home and not in a classroom with other students the same age. With this approach, a parent can shape the educational experience to meet the specific needs of each child. This allows the child to advance in his education as fast as he chooses or as he is able. He is not restrained by age restrictions, such as those utilized in most formal schools with classrooms.
The decision to utilize home school for any particular academic year and any child depends on several variables.
- Parental attitude. Start with a positive outlook or perspective. Time is required, but only a few hours per day in most cases. How much time varies with the ages and number of kids involved. Fortunately, the schedule is flexible. Late afternoon and evening hours, plus weekend time can be utilized. Another benefit is the ability to have medical appointments for parent or child during the day. A big factor is employment. You may have a part-time or full-time job outside the home, or work from home. Does your job interfere with home school? Flexibility and adaption are required. Perhaps you can share some home school responsibilities with your marital partner. Remember, you can do home school if you make up your mind to do it. It gets easier with more experience each month and each school year.
- Will there be significant benefits for a child or more than one child to experience home school for one or more years? A good example is specials needs of some children. These are difficult to meet in large schools with limited staff and resources. Remember, you can pull a child out of public schools or other types of schools and utilize home school for a year or two, then put the child back into the classroom setting.
- Some parents have hesitations. You do not consider yourself to be a good teacher. You do not know how much you will like teaching. You may or may not be successful with home school. Do not worry. Other parents have had similar reservations. Joint a local home school group and learn from these other parents. Also, there are lots of resources available to help you provide home school. Many are found online. There are educational materials available in bookstores and libraries.
- In some states the public education department will supply all the materials, as well as distant professional teachers via computers for basic subjects. You merely utilize these things and supplement with materials of your own. For other subjects you select the materials and do the teaching. In all cases, you control the time schedule daily and weekly.
- Usually, home school parents find a way to connect with other such parents. You can find other home school parents in your neighborhood, through your church, and of course the Internet. Ask around and usually there is someone who is doing home school or knows someone who is doing it. Usually home school parents will get together and have meetings on a periodic basis. This is social reinforcement. It is also a chance to share outlets for supplies. More important these parents share good ideas, techniques, and strategies for effective teaching of their children.
- As a home school parent you may feel uncomfortable or less qualified with teaching one subject. In this case you can allow another parent to cover this subject. For example, one parent may be strong in math and offer math classes to the kids of three or four home school parents.
- Some parents are concerned about lack of social contact and interaction with peers while kids are growing up. Your child can interact with other home school kids. Also, many school districts allow home school students to participate in many school activities like band, choir, sports, dances, etc. So, the isolation from other students is not as serious as you may think.
Speaking from experience, home school is not as difficult as many parents believe. With some of our children, we used home school some years and regular school other years. If you are willing to investigate what is involved and what will be required of you as a teacher, you can find a way to offer some homeschooling to your children.
Education After High School
For most young people today, school does not end at age 18.
- Most will seek further education at a junior college or four-year college. These can be attended in person, as well as utilizing online courses.
- There are also trade schools where classwork is combined with actual job training experiences.
- One big difference is that now the student is a legal adult. He is free to pursue more education or not. He can set his own schedule. He can blend school hours with part-time or full-time work hours.
- However, parents, your young adults can still use your encouragement and advice. They may choose to live at home still, or at another residence. They will certainly accept any financial help you can offer. Your support and their efforts up to age 18 deserve to be rewarded with successful efforts and activities in the young adult years. This is the real payoff time, not merely high school graduation. So, stay active and informed as each of your children walk through their young adult years. They will be learning and educating themselves in many ways during these years.
In your overall evaluation of school choices, remember this. You can check your kids out to various schools and third-party individuals from age 3-18. and then in the young adult years. Who do you think is having more influence on their growth and development? Third-party teachers or you? Friends in their peer group or you? Consider this contrast. You look at that little 3-year-old child and think how important and precious he or she is. Before you know it, the child is 18 and out of high school. He then has young adult experiences and eventually is totally on his own living away from home and supporting himself. What are all those changes in the child that you can see now? How did they get there? Are you closer or more distant from your child? Has he been taught things you do not agree with? Do you trust the schools and colleges to do a good job with your child, or a better job than you? If not, be involved as much as possible in your child’s learning experiences and education. My advice is to utilize the best of parental efforts and the good things third parties offer too.
The growing up years are very important in any person’s life. This is when you as a parent can have your maximum influence on any child. Carefully consider your options and choose wisely. Remember, once these years pass by, the door will close, and you will never have the same opportunities again. You should seek to have the best and most influence for good in every child’s life while growing up. If you can do this halfway successfully, then you lay a foundation for a good parent-child relationship that will continue for the rest of your adult lives.
Key Words – growing up years, formal schooling, school choices, public schools, charter schools, private schools, church schools, home school, education after high school, college, trade schools, young adult years, overall evaluation of school choices
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