Finding a good-enough school

It's that time of year again.

No, I'm not talking about the holiday season.
(Although, it is the holiday season.  Happy Holidays and all that.)

I'm talking about school choice. Our local school district offers school choice, if the local school has any room after taking all the kids in its' designated area.  There are also several charter schools in the area.  This means that signing up for school isn't as simple was walking to the neighborhood school and filling out a form.  For most of us it means we have to make an active choice.   At PSD registration deadline for school of choice is in January 27 for secondary schools, February 10 for elementary.  Dates on applications to the charter schools vary, so check out each school directly to be safe.

I've been asked (sometimes with voices tinged with desperation) "HOW?  How do we choose?  How do we find the perfect school for our child?"

My answer? 
You don't.  There is no perfect school.  If you're lucky there might be a good-enough school.  If you're super-duper-extra lucky, that school will be your local school.  Actually, for lots of folks, especially those people whose kids fall into the "normal" category, your local school may be an excellent choice, but wouldn't it be nice to feel confident that it was?

So, given that, and a recent question that showed up on FB,  I thought I'd share our process with you, in the hopes that it might help you think about your own process and what your priorities are.

Basically, we visited all the schools that seemed like they might be a good fit. We sat down w/ councilors at each school, did a peer tour, etc... made a spread sheet with pro and cons of each school and compared it to our kids' list of priorities. We supported them as they did this, they didn't do it alone. If we thought they'd missed a category we ask them to consider it, if we'd picked up on a nuance during the school visit we'd ask them about it... etc.

Things you might want to consider as you ponder schools:

Location - there's a lot to be said for being able to walk to school.  If you can't walk, is there a school bus?  A public bus? What is the schedule like?  How far is it to bike and/or drive and is it on the way to other places (like your work, another child's school, etc.)  Is a carpool possible?  What are your limits around driving time?  Consider that if your child does after-school activities the school bus probably won't bring them home.

Why is your kid going to school?  
Academics?  Social outlet?  Sports?  Music or art?  Some schools are better at somethings than others.  Some have a specific culture, or some special teachers and/or programs that really stand out.  What does your kid need?  What do they want?  What are you seeing at the school?

How much does inclusivity  matter to you?  A higher rate of free/reduced lunch likely means that there's more racial and socio-economic diversity, which can be of value.  It might (not necessarily, but might) also mean a school is overwhelmed with higher need students.  Think about your values, your child's needs, and compare it to the actual school.
 
Here's a list of questions we asked during our visits:
(pick and choose freely)

Can you describe your school culture?
How do you think you are perceived in the community?
How is that perception accurate?  How is it inaccurate?
How would you describe the relationship between the staff and faculty with the students?
How would you describe the relationship between the school and parents/families?

How many students attend this school? (ask for break down of grade levels, free/reduced lunch, number involved in extra-curriculars, graduation rate, attend college rate...)
What is the student/teacher ratio?
How do you handle special needs kids?
What kind of gifted programs do you offer?
Do you have experience with profoundly gifted students (ask more if they say "yes", PG applies to 1/10,000 or fewer students, so they might not realize what you're talking about)
What kind of support for students with learning differences/disabilities?
What kind of differentiation?
Does your school offer co-enrollment (college credit during high school)  Under what circumstances and how to access that?
What other special programs (IB, AP, experiential learning...?)

What enrichment programs do you offer?
 
What kind of music program do you offer?  Classes vs. before or after school?  Marching band required for all band instruments?  Different instructors for band, orchestra, and choir (for bigger schools, not realistic for small schools to have many music teachers) Ask to meet the instructor if this is an important area for your kiddo.
 What kind of art classes are available? (If you have an artist kid, ask to meet the teacher)

What clubs are on campus?  Which are student run?  Which are supported by school/teacher/coaches?
Can students from a different schools or homeschooling join your clubs/teams/extra-curriculars?

What programs do you have set up to help students make connections, fit in, "find a home" in a large school?

 Is part-time school an option?
 
Is this an inordinate amount of work?  
Perhaps.  
If your kid is comfortable where they are, then you probably don't need to change anything.  If, however, your kid is struggling, is not feeling challenged, is acting out, etc... then it might be worth thinking about what is working and what isn't, and what you can do about it.

For us, all that work paid off with our oldest when he was picking his college. After his high school experience he had a strong sense of his priorities, what he could and could not put up with. He's in his first year of university and really enjoying it.  Woot!  
Let's celebrate the victories when they happen, eh?

Liberty Commons High School

Our Brazilian exchange student is going to Liberty Commons High School.  It was the only school left with room for an exchange student, and I'm glad he was able to get a spot.  It seems like a reasonable fit for him, and it gives me a change to get to know  a high school I was interested in for Bit Boy, but didn't get a chance to see.

Liberty Commons High School (commonly called "Liberty") is a parent run public charter school.  It has  420 students, grades 7-12.  It grew from the Liberty Commons Elementary school.  Although they share the same campus, the 7th and 8th graders have a different lunch than the 9-12th grades.    I was amused to learn that Liberty has "houses" for the 9-12th grades (and "orders" for the 7-8).  Each house has it's own name (using the cardinal virtues), motto, and student president. The houses and orders are a bit like "home room" or "advising" period in other schools, allowing the students to have a smaller group of individuals to become familiar with and work with across grades.

Liberty is billed as a classical education with a common core foundation, but has a growing reputation as a good engineering prep school.  My first exposure to Liberty was when Firelord came home from volunteering at High School Days at our local university, where high school students are introduced to basic engineering concepts and given application opportunities.  He was most impressed with the Liberty students.  As a whole their diligence, insight, and demeanor set them well above the other students.  A friend who works in the Engineering College at CSU told me that department is actively recruiting from Liberty Commons High School because their  admitted students have been outstanding.

LCHS has some drawbacks.  The first thing most parents and students notice is the dress code.  Our exchange student had to go shopping in his first days here because his standard teenage wardrobe of t-shirts and jeans was not acceptable.  The most important thing families should know going in is that the course work and homework load are considerable.  Our student is exceptional academically and has been quite capable of getting his work done (despite working in his second language), however it leaves little time for other activities.   It was refreshing, if telling, when the soccer coach told us directly "We know Liberty has a lot of homework.  If you need to miss practice to keep up with school, just send us an email or give us a call to let us know."

LCHS is not for every family.  The majority of families and teachers there seem to be fundamentalist Christians, something that was demonstrated in the fall soccer banquet when the head coach repeatedly commented on "God's plan for this young man".   There are a few liberal families there, but they keep their heads down and their mouths shut.  If, like me, you have out spoken tie-dye wearing hippie kids, they're probably not going to feel at home here.  Also, LCHS's budget is well above that allocated by the state so their fund raising is non stop.  If regular requests for donations of time and money are going to get your goat, this probably isn't the place for you.  There is a strong expectation of volunteering and financial contribution at this school.

If you have a diligent student who is wanted an academically  rigorous high school experience, and you are willing to give up the time it takes to support that student and this school, then Liberty might be an excellent fit for you.  If you have a student who is more interested in the arts, outside projects, or just isn't willing or able to keep up with the difficult course load, you might want to keep looking.

Fort Collins High School - Report

Today Bit Boy and I went to visit Fort Collins High School.  Bit Boy was less than enthused.  He already has his heart set on Colorado Early College Fort Collins.  As a parent, I agree that CEC looks like a good fit for him, but I want him to see the choice he's making.  It's not really a choice if you just pick the first thing you see, is it?  Well, maybe it is, but I still want him to have an idea of what's out there.  I'd rather not hear 3 years down the road "I would have liked xyz, if only I had known about it".  Also, if CEC doesn't work for some reason, I want him to know that there are good alternatives out there.  (Including homeschooling straight to college, but right now we're focusing on high school because that's what he's wanting.)

First we met with a councilor who sat down with us and explained the curriculum and the requirements for graduation.  Bit Boy is "9th" grade at Sunday school, and all over the map academically, but if he goes to high school full time next year with graduation as a goal, he'll have to start as a freshman (9th grader). (Never mind that if we continued homeschooling he'd be ready for college level work with in a few months...  don't get me going about institutional bureaucracy.)  She was kind and helpful, explaining the rational behind their requirements, and ways to work around his asynchronous academic development.  When questioned she also explained their attendance policies, and acknowledged the possibility of attending part time (so long as a diploma and graduation aren't a goal).   When we were done with the councilor we were passed to a peer councilor (a senior volunteer) who have us a tour of the physical facilities and talked a bit about her experiences there and the social climate.

FCHS offers many Advanced Placement courses, as well as limited concurrent enrollment possibilities.  The councilor said that they  had had students who were able to enroll directly as sophomores in college after graduation. (Compare this to CEC where the goal is an associates degree or enrollment as a junior in college after high school graduation)  There are over 1500 students, with 400 in the current freshman class.  It offers a full array of electives, sports, clubs and traditional high school activities.  Every student and staff member we met was helpful and kind.  The building appeared in good condition.  The school had a comfortable atmosphere.  I thought I wouldn't mind be a parent with a child here. I wouldn't mind working with these people, and leaving my child in their hands.

When I asked Bit Boy what he thought, he shrugged "It's fine.  I'm sure I'd do ok here."  He went on to say that he still thought CEC was a better fit for him.  When I asked him why he said, "It offered me what I want and need right now."  "It gives me a chance to work more quickly toward what's important to me."  "It still leaves me time for my own projects. A regular high school sucks up your life."  He went on to explain that he thought a smaller school would be a better institutional start for him (coming from homeschooling), and that sports and high school traditions weren't of significant importance to him.

So there you go.  From a parental prospective I found nothing wrong with Fort Collins High School.  It offers a traditional high school experience, access to advanced coursework, and what the councilor called "A proud history."   For a student who wanted what most of us would consider a "high school" experience, this would be a good school.  As a high school student I would have loved the theatre and musical opportunities, as well as the abundance of AP courses.  I had thought that the art and tech opportunities might draw Bit Boy, but he pointed out that he has had (and taken advantage of) all those opportunities as a homeschooler, and is looking for a very specific thing from high school - social peers, and college prep.  Fort Collins High School has that, but so far he likes CEC better.

Early College High School - Report

Remember the drama last year when Bit Boy wanted to try Junior High School?

And then, after I busted my butt getting it set up, how he decided, "Na, I'd rather sleep in in the mornings."?

Right.

So, a couple of months ago Bit Boy let me know that he'd like to consider going to high school, and a couple of weeks ago he told me "Yes, I am definitely going to high school next year."  This time I wasn't taken by surprise, and made some calls.  We'll be taking tours of local high schools in the coming months.

Today we visited the Colorado Early Colleges High School, Fort Collins campus.  The Early College High School is a state charter school, not really part of our local school district, although it is located in the city closest to us.

I was pretty impressed with the program.  Bit Boy was ready to sign up on the spot.  (It might have had something to do with the 3 different girls there who recognized him and said "Hi Bit Boy!" with happy little giggles.)

Colorado Early College Fort Collins (from here on called CECFC) is in it's first year in Fort Collins, but it's 6th year in Colorado Springs.  The campus is located in a building that was obviously designed as an office building, but previously home to the Heritage Christian Academy.  Much of the current CECFC staff came here from the Colorado Springs campus, and are bringing that expertise to this campus.

CECFC seems like a sweet deal.  Their goal is to get their students prepped for college, then get them going on college credits, working towards 2 years of undergrad courses, an Associates degree, or certification in a desired trade.  Students can go part or full time.  They give the students college prep courses, and get them in college courses as soon as they're ready.  All of the high school courses, and many of the college credit courses are offered at the local CECFC high school campus.  The classes are taught by CEC teachers,  Front Range Community College teachers, and, in at least one case, by a teacher who is also a  CSU Assoc. Prof.  For students wanting college courses not offered on the CECFC campus, they can take courses at Front Range Community College, or at Aims Community College.  (CECFC is also working to develop relationships with Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado.)  Students can earn up to 60 hours of college credit concurrent with their high school diploma.  That 60 credits can be an Associates Degree or the first 2 years of a Bachelors (of Arts or Science) degree.  They work with students to make sure the credits will transfer to an in-state college.  If the student is wanting to go out of state to college, they will help the student make choices that will facilitate that end as well.

Personally I don't care much about the high school diploma.  It doesn't mean a lot these days, and we had always planned on Bit Boy going straight to college.  On the other hand, one thing I like about CEC is that they're pretty much doing what I had planned for Bit Boy to do, but on the state's dime.  Until this year, we haven't used public funds to educate our children, but I'm ok with them helping to pay for college credits. ;-)  This also is appealing because I've realized that while Bit Boy may be academically ready for college, his (lack of) organization skills and his social needs would be better met in a high school.

We were touring as classes passed and I was pleased to see the normal teen interactions going on.  Chatting, rough housing, and camaraderie were all in evidence.  That sounds silly of me to have noticed, but I had  imagined it could be rather sterile, and impersonal environment where the kids all had their noses to the grindstone.  Since one of Bit Boy's primary reasons for wanting high school is a chance to interact with other teens, that would have been a deal breaker.  The councilor that we spoke with assured me that while there are no "extras" like band, orchestra, football, etc., the students are encouraged and supported in starting extra curricular after school activities such as choir, theatre, and various clubs.  They also have traditional events such as homecoming and prom.

Random bits:
The school runs classes on the semester schedule, not a year long schedule.
Most classes are offered MWF to coordinate with the community college schedule.
On T and Th  the common room is staffed with 2 tutors who are there to assist the students with any academic help they need. Students sign a contract with the school when they take off campus college courses - the school pays for the course, BUT if the student receives less than a grade of "C" in the course, the student must reimburse the school the tuition cost.
No on site class is larger than 24 students.
If 12 or more students come together to request a class that isn't currently available, the school will make every effort to create and staff that class within a semester.

I think this would be a much better option than the PSD Global Academy for high school aged homeschool students, or for students for whom a traditional high school isn't attractive for some reason.

This would not be a good program for a student who wanted sports, or large music ensembles like marching band or orchestra.  With it's small numbers, it wouldn't work for a student who wanted to blend into the crowd or have a large school experience.  It also wouldn't be a good fit for a student who wanted a high school with lot of the "extra" courses that are fun to explore (shop, ceramics, drama classes, etc).  This is not a traditional high school.

However, for a student ready and willing to work toward their own goals, who wanted an intimate experience and was willing to do without a more traditional high school experience, this might be a very good fit.  I asked Bit Boy why he thought it was a good fit for him.  He said "They are used to dealing with homeschoolers, and they're willing to help me do what I want."

As a parent, I see that this gives Bit Boy a more of a "high school" experience than he would have if he continued homeschooling, at the same time it could help him meet the goals he's been aiming for.  And, let's not forget, it could save us up to 2 years of college tuition.  What's not to like about that?