I came across this article and want to share it with you. I wish I would have written it, but why duplicate work? It covers so many important points.
The approach is made up of five steps.
Step 1: Investigate the school’s pedagogy.
Through stories and clear explanations, they walk you through these types of learning approaches: Montessori, Waldorf, Classical, STEM, AI-based, Project-Based Learning, Religious, and Democratic schools.
They give you things to look for and to look out for.
Once you’ve chosen an approach you think will work for your child, go to step 2.
Step 2: Read each school’s Mission Statement.
They provide 5 example mission statements, ranging from “Weak, but probably not dangerous” to “Run. Run as fast as you can.”
I’ll highlight their 3rd example, since it explains some of the unclear language (which I bolded, not found in the original) often used in mission statements.
Example 3: Spidey Senses Tingling
“__________ is a diverse and inclusive community dedicated to the intellectual, personal, and social growth of each student. We develop critical thinkers, problem solvers, and compassionate, globally-minded citizens who use their knowledge and skills to contribute to a just and equitable society.”
The first sentence is fine and would keep most parents on board. The second begins well, but then starts coding for leftist policy.
When you see the word “compassion” it means restorative justice, i.e., compassion directed at the perpetrator, i.e., zero discipline in the classroom.
When you hear “globally-minded” we’re talking oppressed/oppressor dynamics in the classroom.
The last clause? Anytime I see variants of the words “equity” and “justice” in the mission, I assume that academic standards are ambiguous at best, nonexistent at worst. While this sounds good at first (easy A, amirite?) what it means in practice is that your child will arrive at an expensive college totally unprepared for any major that requires big brains and hard work.
I couldn’t agree more with their take on these words. They are red flags. You may like what they mean by them, in which case you are free to choose such schools.
Step 3: Visit the school.
Tips and hints for what to look at and to look out for. There are some things that might surprise you.
Step 4: Interview the principal.
They provide questions about curriculum and instruction you should ask before the interview.
There are some telling stories where schools use some of the learning approaches mentioned above.
They also say some things about what special education does to schools that most people wouldn’t say in public. The author is a teacher, and has taught special needs students. Here’s what he had to say:
[I] got pushback from parents who believed accommodations meant their child was guaranteed an A or B.
Can you imagine? Those parents didn’t seem to care whether their children actually learn anything.
I would add that I’ve seen some public schools not provide the special ed services that a student’s IEP mandates, and even if they do, many of the student’s needs are not actually being met. I have met homeschool families who found that they can meet their children’s needs better than schools ever did.
Step 5: Choose wisely.
As they said, your child’s education is the most important project of your life. Make sure the school is aligned with your values — you’re going to have a lot of work ahead of you if you don’t.
They end with this:
I’ll leave you with one question: might it not be worthwhile, in the face of the headwinds I listed above, to just direct the whole project yourself? The technology is there now to make it manageable. The extra time with a kid you love is a payoff most people would kill to have, if only looking in the rear-view mirror.
I couldn’t agree more.
Read the entire article here. It’s worth the time.
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