What Questions Should I Ask...?

QM · 12-12-2011, 10:06 AM

This evening DH and I are going to a nearby Christian school to be shown around the school by the principal. I went a Christian school from grades 2 to 9 when I was a child, and I really want the same education for my daughters...even though it's a big expense being private and all.

I am stumped as to what I need to ask about the school, etc. Any suggestions would be helpful. This is a big decision, and I want to ask all the right questions.

TIA!

**Libby** · 12-12-2011, 10:17 AM

Not sure how to help you out but why not sit back and make a list of things you remember experiencing and liked/disliked while you were in school and what things you want/hope to find in a school nowdays for your girls? Kind of like a pro's/con's list?

**Neeley** · 12-12-2011, 10:49 AM

We send our son to a private Catholic school. When we were deciding which private school to send him to we asked about the things that were important to us.

*DS is heavily involved in varsity sports, football, wrestling, track & field, etc... Their athletic and weight training program and facilities were important.
*We wanted to know what the ratio of Catholic vs non-Catholic students was.
*The top four private schools here are notorious for unexpected fees being assessed throughout the year. We wanted to know, on average, how much in additional fees could we reasonably expect.
*College admittance rate, average ACT/SAT score, average number of National Merit Scholars, etc...
*Since we are not Catholic, could we expect DS to be behind and have trouble in religion classes (they go from Sacraments to Moralities, to Catholic Church History, etc...all aspects of Catholic religion over a four year period). Side note: DS is in his second year (10th grade) at this school and is one of the top religion students. So, no him not being Catholic was not an issue at all.
*How strong is the English department and how much focus is placed on essay and research paper writing.
*Number of teachers who hold a Master's degree or higher in the field they were teaching about.
*Turnover rate of staff.

Basically, my point is think about what YOU want out of a school for your daughters. If special needs, whether they are learning disabled or gifted programs are important, then ask about what they offer. If making sure they not only get the academic, but the extra-curricular, then ask about that. If you are concerned about cliques and bullying, then ask about that, etc...

You are going to get home after the meeting and think of all kinds of questions you wished you had asked. Be sure to get the principal's email so you can email him/her any questions you may think of later.

**dinah** · 12-12-2011, 10:54 AM

i would ask if they provide the same services as public schools in your area do? for us, it was great to know that the catholic school we were considering could access speech & language therapists, psychologists, etc.. the same as public schools could.

does the school have a resource teacher?
does the school have a before and after school program?
lunch program?
bussing?
does the school have up to date computers?
what about music & art & other electives?
what does the religious programming look like? (ie. is it daily, weekly, monthly? what does it entail?)
what church services do they attend? (ie. catholic mass or a protestant church? what does the church service look like?)
if you are of a different denomination then the church how will the school handle that? (ie. the school our son goes to is catholic but we are protestant)
what are class sizes like?
if you volunteer will you get some money back off tuition? (we do!

)
how much are parents expected to be involved.
if the school is only kindergarten to grade 6...where do the students go after that? is there a school close by to accomodate older students?
do they follow the government curriculum or does the school use their own?
are the teachers all certified teachers?

**shoiji** · 12-12-2011, 04:09 PM

I would also ask if they have some type of open house where you could meet the teachers and parents that already send their children to the school.

**ml2620** · 12-12-2011, 04:34 PM

Whenever you go to a private school, my uncle always said you were buying a peer group for your children. I think this is certainly one of the benefits and hope to send DD to a private school for the awful middle school years if at all possible.

And along with your children, its a whole new set of parent friends for you. I'd ask about families, PTA, school diversity, ethnic, racial, religious, etc.

Mostly I'd go with my gut. Would I want to go there? Am I comfortable and excited about learning there? It's a family investment really!

**shp1055** · 12-12-2011, 05:21 PM

I agree with all of the above, but one thing that really bothers me is students who go to private school here are "REQUIRED" to sell X amount of candy, wrapping paper, cookie dough, pizza kits, etc. Don't get me wrong, I have ALWAYS donated generously of my time & money & so did my dd, but being REQUIRED to sell products just sends me off the deep end as it is usually sprung on you at the last minute & I just plain hate "selling" stuff.

If this type of thing bothers you, please ask if they require this type of thing & if so how much and how often. There are some parents here at the office that another sale starts as soon as the last one is over.

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-12-2011, 05:34 PM

i would ask how they would say they differ from public schools
And how they differ from other like private schools
I would ask about disciplinary measures and policies
I would ask if he knew other families in my area that went there
I would ask about art and music programs because they tend to push sports?
If catholic I would ask about mass before school
I would ask about parent involvement and volunteer obligations
I would ask about attendence and illness policies
How up to date are their textbooks.
What other "hidden costs" are there besides texts and uniforms
Are there trip you have to pay for
Are there fund raising efforts you MUST be involved in
Are their teacher certified and is there an ongoing update of education for them?
Sample menu
kitchen tour?
liability and insurance coverage
Check out their computer sytems-are they ancient?
Who teaches-nuns,certified young teachers,teacher w/ kids who understand kids?
Good luck.

QM · 12-12-2011, 09:35 PM

Thanks, everyone! I did a compilation of questions based on your help! Much appreciated!

DH and I really liked what we saw. We're actually thinking of switching the girls in January. There's no point in waiting, really. It'll take a little adjustment to new routines and new friends, but the change is for the best. We sent the principal a quick e-mail with more questions. We're waiting for an answer back. We're welcome to let the girls attend a day at the school. If allowed, we were thinking about sending them this Friday for their "trial" class. Other than being a little nervous about the newness of it all, I'm quite sure they'll really like it.

**lisaflex** · 12-13-2011, 08:59 AM

do they get to spend a day "shadowing"? that should give some nice insight.

IMO - if the school is Catholic (not private as there is a big difference) make sure that the school has good ratings. alot of times, catholic schools are "behind the eight ball". private and catholic are 2 very different educations....will they stay until grade 12? if so, be sure that the graduating children are getting into great colleges and have great ACT/SAT scores.

Check the ratings online and do your homework. Just curious, are you changing them from a public school? is the district highly rated? if so, your children will be a bit bored as catholic schools are usually a bit behind...unless they are jesuit...the jesuit schools are usually on par w/ most public districts. on the other hand, if you are in a not highly rated public district, the change may be one that is needed.

catholic schools are much smaller and there are less friends for the children to pick from. so, if they have issues, the issues will stand out much more than if at a larger public school.

this is just my personal opinion. dh and i both went to 12 yrs catholic schooling. our children are lucky enough to live in two of the best school districts in the state. and, dd's district is one of the top in the country.

and, keep in mind that catholic education is more for the "cookie cutter" type of child...and that is not all...good luck in your choice.

**Neeley** · 12-13-2011, 10:00 AM

Edited post - never mind.

**brennasmom** · 12-13-2011, 10:56 AM

When we moved DD from public to private we asked if she could come spend a day at the school which was a great way for her to get a feel of the school.

QM · 12-13-2011, 12:05 PM

They're allowed to spend a day or a few hours in the classroom. I want them to be comfortable with their new surroundings instead of throwing them in without seeing the school first.

I've heard very good things about the school from people from my church and other people I've bumped into. (My aunt sent her kids there for a few years; they're all in their mid-twenties now.) Their curriculum is on par (if not better) than the public schools. Currently, our girls are going to a public school.

We're still waiting to hear back from the principal. Very excited.