Too Many Choices

We Americans love to have plenty of options. When we enter the grocery store, we are surprised, or even disconcerted, if we see an empty or partially empty shelf. We try on a dozen pairs of shoes before we finally select a pair, and we save the receipt, just in case we see something even better. And we’re glad—at least, most of us are glad—to receive a reminder each year from the Wake County Public School System that lists our children’s “base school” for the subsequent school year because that same reminder also explains that we could be sending our child to a different school.

Sometimes, the choice of a school for your child is easy. Your younger child should go to the same school as his older sister, for example. The “neighborhood” school happens to be excellent. (You did a great job selecting a place to live!) Your child has an opportunity to attend the school that you attended, back in the day. Or your child is enjoying a magnet program and is likely to do well if s/he continues in the magnet program at an affiliated school when it’s time to move up. If you or your spouse has a flexible schedule, or if your situation is pure nirvana and your neighbors are willing to coordinate a carpool, the choice of a school is also easier.

And if you’re working crazy hours, work at a good distance from home, don’t have a good carpooling option, or can’t leave work every day at 2:30 to pick up your child at school, selecting your “base” school is a no-brainer because your child can then ride the bus to and from school.

But here’s a situation that many parents face: what if you feel that you do have a few decent choices, but you can’t make up your mind?

Selecting your child’s school is an extremely important decision. We all want to give our children the best possible start in life. If the schools they attend don’t actually affect your children’s future—and the notion that they do provide a foundation for future success is more than plausible—then they at least have a large impact on your family’s lifestyle for a substantial length of time. Politicians love to promote “School Choice,” but do we parents really want to have to make this type of choice?

Of course everyone’s situation is unique, so there’s no formula for selecting the best school for your children. But this blog series will offer some observations and criteria for you to consider when making this decision.