education
The Differences Among School Types— Charter, Independent, International, Magnet, Parochial, and Homeschools
The New York metro area provides families with a variety of school types, allowing you to choose the best one for your child. By Katelin Walling
C
hoosing what school to send your child to in the New York metro area can be a complicated decision, one you agonize over for days or even weeks. To choose the best school for your child, it’s important to first explore the differences among school types—parochial, independent, international, charter, magnet, and homeschools. We all worry about whether we’re making the best choices in raising our kids, and one thing most of us fret over is whether our children are getting the best education possible that is suited to their needs. In a lot of areas in the country, traditional district public schools may be the only option for kids. But living in the New York metro area, we are blessed with an abundance of choices in addition to great public schools. While one school option doesn’t necessarily provide a better education than another, each type has pros and cons for every 14
January/February 2022 | nymetroparents.com
individual family. It’s up to you to determine which school setting best suits your child’s needs. Read on to learn more about the basic differences.
CHARTER SCHOOLS» “The most important concept to get is that a charter school is a public school,” says Ian Rowe, who was the CEO of Public Prep Network from 2010-2020. Public Prep is a system of three nonprofit charter schools in New York City. Charter schools often have a specific focus, one that typically responds to a need articulated by public school families. Public Prep schools, for example, are all single sex (two schools for girls and one school for boys) and have a focus in STEM education. As with public schools, charter schools are tuition-free, though students must apply for admission. Public Prep currently admits students via a lottery system due to high demand.
