Looking past what they want you to see

The search for the right school for your child can be a daunting task.  With so many schools to choose from, and all of them putting their best faces forward, it can be hard to pick out what's really important in those info sessions.  Even when you are invited to visit the classrooms or observe the children, what should you be looking for?  Which are the right questions to ask?

Most books, guides or internet research will present you with a list which have been read by all the school development personnel.  That means they are ready for you to ask about certain topics and they have a canned answer for you.  Some of these answers will even be typed up and presented to you in a "full disclosure" attempt; probably in the folder you're handed as you walk in the door.  But this blog is an attempt to get you past all the smiling faces and drawings in the halls.

What qualifies me to give this advice?  Admittedly, not much.  I did attend independent schools from age 2 through Grade 12.  I have been working in independent schools for nearly 10 years.  I have worked in academic and specialty classrooms from pre-k through Grade 8, run summer camps, been an administrator and volunteered extensively.  Currently, I am focused on the pre-k and kindergarten range.  I am particularly interested in Montessori schools, though I hope at least some of my comments will be valuable to parents of older children, searching for non-Montessori environments.