education
The Differences Among School Types
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 our 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 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 our area, we are blessed with an abundance of choices. While one school option doesn’t necessarily provide a better education than another, each type has pros and cons for every family. It’s up to you to determine which 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 nonprofit charter schools in NYC. Charter schools often have a specific focus, one that typically responds to a need articu14
January/February 2022 | nymetroparents.com
lated by public school families. Public Prep schools, for example, are all single sex 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. Charter schools, though, tend to operate with fewer regulations than traditional public schools and can set their own curriculum. But there is typically an accountability system in which charters are evaluated each year to see if they are meeting the outcomes set by the state, Rowe adds. Plus, there is a renewal process every five years to determine whether the charter is able to continue.
HOMESCHOOLS» There are numerous motivations for a family to decide to homeschool their children, from religious and health reasons to a child’s learning style, aptitude level, or schedule (think: child actors). There are also numerous options for homeschooling your child. For parents who decide to take the lead in teaching, joining a homeschool community, such as Classical Conversations, may be a good option. Online homeschool programs, such as the George Washington University Online High School, have faculty on board who serve as a child’s teachers.
