Thursday, February 25, 2010

15 questions to ask your school Principal


I am absolutely in love with my Son and Daughter's school. I feel good dropping them off every morning because I know they are receiving the best education possible. I'll admit that sending my son to public school next year has me in a bit of a panic. If his current school went beyond Kindergarten, I'd find myself back at work so I could afford tuition. Considering the costs associated with private school, we're going to give public school another shot. I have extensively interviewed elementary school principals in the area and would like to share some of the questions that have been helpful in my interviewing.

  1. What is the mission and or philosophy of the school and administration?
  2. How does the school rank within the district? What about withing the state? Are there any biases or errors in the state's method of testing and evaluating schools? How does that affect the scores of the school you're interviewing?
  3. What is the school's biggest strength?
  4. What is the school's biggest challenge?
  5. How are students placed in classes? What about placement within the class such as learning groups?
  6. What is the average class size? What does the school do to make up for larger class sizes?
  7. What is the PTA like? How is parental involvement?
  8. How does the school address a child that falls outside the norm? If the child is struggling, what steps are in place to insure that the child doesn't fall through the cracks? What approach is taken to keep an exceptionally bright student challenged?
  9. What can your child expect in an average day?
  10. What are the learning objectives? What should children know when entering the appropriate grade and what skills should they possess before moving onto the next grade?
  11. How does the school handle bullies?
  12. What is the Principal's approach to discipline?
  13. How does the school prepare the students to be lifelong learners and good citizens?
  14. What kind of technology is available to students and staff?
  15. What reading and math programs are used? *** This is a really good thing to learn and research later. Understanding the programs will allow you to teach and enrich your children at home.
Next, tour the building. Is this a place you would like to go to school? Is it clean and safe? Are the children happy or does it feel like the military? Are there colorful, educational charts and art on the walls? Do the classes seem to be under control or are they total chaotic? What about the teacher's desk? Is it clear and organized or a heap of papers?

Finally, do your homework before you go. There are several great websites that can give insight about your school. Interview several schools within your district. If local districts allow transfers, consider interviewing outside your district. If, after your interviewing, you still don't feel comfortable with your options, consider researching private and homeschooling options.


Posted by at

2 comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)