Francis Parker, Latin, University of Chicago Lab, Chicago City Day, Anshe Emmet, Sacred Heart or Somewhere Else? Which school is best for my child?

How do I pick the best school for my child and what if my child has special needs?

If you have a baby and you live in a big city like Chicago, then soon enough you will be thinking, “Oh boy, what activities do I sign him up for? Where do I register for preschool? When? Is today too late?”. For some parents, you will have now discovered your child also has some learning or attention need. Now, which school is best?

Consider the following when deciding where to send your children to school:

•  There are always the suburbs, but keep in mind, you will still need to do a lot of research on which is best because each suburb has something different to offer.

• Make a list of what is important to you in a school. One may be very competitive, one may be less so, one may be in a better neighborhood, one may go all the way up to high school, and one may stop at eighth grade. If you decide which characteristics are most important, you can narrow down your list.

• If you child needs services, will the school have them? What do they look like? Remember, you will still need to supplement school services but you do need the support.

•  How competitive do you want the school to be and in which areas? One may be more arts based while another may place high importance on math and science.

• What kind of friends do you want your child to have? Each school has a different sort of parent body, different values taught to children, etc.

• If you need financial aid, will they have it? How does the application process work to get in and to get assistance?

Enjoy the process and start very early. Talk to and seek advice from many people but in the end base your decision on who you and your family really are and who you hope your children will turn out to be.

Please feel free to leave a comment below with your own experience in choosing a school!