Decision 2008 by Shelley Titzer

While the rest of the world may seem consumed by the presidential primary elections, perhaps some of you are making an equally (or perhaps even more) important decision: Where to send your kids to school next year. In Berwyn, many private schools offer open houses in January and the pressure to register and secure a space for the next year is great. For two years, I have encouraged Districts 98 and 100 to plan a similar event in the public schools so that the families of young children have an opportunity to get as much information as possible about all of their options before making such an important decision.

The fact is that many families choose private schools without ever setting foot in their local public school and, for many, that decision is partially based on what they've heard about their public school.

For the last 3 years, my family has attended the open houses at local Catholic schools to begin the decision making process. I was impressed! We really have great options here in Berwyn.

But, I was disappointed that it wasn't as easy to get information about my public school. Ultimately, I found the information I needed, but I maintain there is a great need for some kind of formal Open House at our public schools where the community is invited in to see what the public schools have to offer. I went to the trouble of making an appointment to visit my neighborhood school on my own.

Though I wasn't invited like the private schools' open houses, I found I was welcome. I sat in the back of a few classes, looked at what student work was displayed on the walls, paid attention to student behavior, and asked some pointed questions about discipline, achievement, arts education and opportunities for parental involvement.

Oh, and I brought a few other parents along with me. I found it really energizing to be with a group and I think we probably got a bit more attention than if we had been alone. In the end, my family chose the public school. My kindergartener is happy and I am, too. I am impressed daily by his hard-working teachers and by the educational opportunities given to him. He really is getting a great education.

The private schools in our area are excellent and I continue to attend the open houses in January and reevaluate our family's choice on a yearly basis. Choosing a school for my children caused me so much anxiety and maybe those of you reading this know a thing or two about this! For me, information is the anti-anxiety medication. Here are some tips to help you choose the best educational option for your family:

1. Go to the Open Houses. Most of the Catholic Schools have open houses on Jan 27th. Make appointments to tour other private schools that do not have scheduled open houses.

2. PLEASE, call your local public school and make an appointment to visit classrooms and meet with the principal. Do what I did and organize a group. You'll be surprised by the questions that others ask that you may not have considered. Follow these links to get the name and number of your local public school's principal:

North Berwyn: http://www.d98.cook.k12.il.us/web/index.htm

South Berwyn: http://www.bsd100.org/

3. Do some research and bring a checklist with you. There are many available on the web, but I found the greatschools website to be the most helpful.

4. Consider forming an informal playgroup with other families in your immediate neighborhood. These are the children that your child may end up sitting next to for the next few years! Get to know each other. Share your concerns about education. Brainstorm what you each individually envision as an ideal school. Then see if any of the private or public schools in the Berwyn area offer that. If not, can that vision be made into a reality through your group?

Could you be agents of change?

It is probable that, in the end, a group like this will make different school choices, but the experience will help form a sense of community among families in your neighborhood and you will all be confident in your school choice because you will have gotten all of the information necessary to make that choice. If you are interested in starting a playgroup in your neighborhood, I can help you organize. I'll post contact information on this blog and include your playdates in the "Upcoming Events" section.

5. Post your experiences on this blog. Let's hear about those visits. I'd also ask that if you've been through the process of choosing a school, share your advice with the readers of this blog. Just click on "comments".

Happy New Year and Good luck with all of the important decisions you make in 2008!