All parents are greatly invested in the education and schooling of their children, since a good education is the key to any child’s future success. This is why parents may look up good schools, from preschools to high schools, when they move to a new city or county, and enroll their children there. Many different schools are in operation today, and they range from the best private elementary schools in Miami to camp for artistic kids to th4e best pre-K programs along the West Coast. Parents can enter an online search such as “preschool near my home”, and refine it with more specific details to find desired schools. How might this work? And what are the differences between a private and a public school? This is something to consider carefully when searching “preschool near my home” or looking for elementary or middle schools.
Finding Preschools
Preschool is on the rise in the United States today. More parents are sending their children to preschool than ever before, and that is true of families of all different backgrounds. The most robust growth in preschool attendance rates was from 1990 to 2000, and now, over half of households enroll their children in preschool (even though it is not actually mandatory). A preschool is not a mere day care center; it is an academic setting for children aged three to five, where young students may learn how to learn, get along with and meet their peers, and get used to following directions from adults who are not their parents. This can give a child a considerable head start for elementary school.
How to find these preschools? As mentioned above, parents can look up “preschool near my home” or something to that effect online if they do not already know some quality preschools in their area (especially if they just moved). An online search like this can be refined further, such as “preschool near my home Boston MA” or “private preschool near my home” and add the correct ZIP code. Some preschools are private, and others are public, and parents might have a preference where that is concerned. At any rate, entering such a query may bring up a whole list of local schools, and the parents may narrow down that list to the top candidates that fit their needs.
Now, the family can tour the most promising candidate schools in person, and this gives them a chance to get a fair impression of each school. While visiting, the parents can look into the school’s level of funding, as well as see what sort of programs the school offers for its students. During that time, the parents can also review each teacher’s credentials, such as their work history and their educational background. The parents can also check if their child feels comfortable at the school and whether they get along with the staff. If so, that may be an encouraging sign. The family can tour a number of preschools this way until they find one that suits their needs, and enroll their child there.
Other Schools
Elementary, middle, and high school are certainly mandatory to attend, and parents can find them online as they would for preschools. This also involves touring those schools and meeting the staff, and the potential student will be old enough to speak with the staff themselves and later explain to their parents why they did or did not like a particular school. As for private vs public, this is a matter of funding and ownership. Most American schools are public, meaning they are federally funded, run, and owned, and they charge no tuition. Their quality may vary considerably, so it’s important to tour them before enrolling. Meanwhile, private schools do charge tuition, but in exchange, they offer robust funding and thus have expert staff and generous programs and counseling services. Parents who can afford this option may consider it carefully, since this can give their child a real boost in their education. For reference, private school teachers report much lower incidence rates of student apathy than public school teachers, and over 90% of private high school graduates go on to college (compared to 48% or so of public high school graduates).
