Philadelphia Schools Real Estate Agents Realtors Homes for Sale

Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors Philadelphia realtors real estate homes for sale

Janis Peterson, GRI, Realtor®

Philadelphia Main Line Homes and Real Estate

Tel: (610) 642-3744

Fax: (610) 658-0267

Subject: Moving? Strategies for Selecting a New School

Take out a pen. To pass Relocation 101, your assignment is to complete a major project designed to test your research skills, interviewing techniques, and ability to categorize, analyze and synthesize data. Findings will be presented for peer review (read your spouse). In lieu of a grade, the measure of your efforts will be your child's happiness and future prospects. No pressure here.

Without a doubt, "select a school" should rank high on your "to do" list when searching for a new home.

Take Stock and Take Time to Reflect
How can you zero in on the best school for your child? Learn as much as you can about your child's needs by visiting with current teachers. Have them assess your child developmentally, academically, and socially. Find out how your child learns best and what you might look for in a new program.

Next, articulate what your family values in an education. Consider your preferences for class size and co-curricular and other programs such as sports, music, art, enrichment, and foreign language. Does your child require special services? Do you favor certain teaching methods or philosophies à la Montessori? Is religious instruction a concern? What about public education versus private or parochial?

Do Your Homework
Having established your child's needs and your family's requirements, you're ready to commence your quest for facts. Seek out a variety of sources that will aid you in the decision-making process:

Talk to real estate professionals in your destination community. These professionals have access to data reports and can be counted on to know the reputation of the local school districts. They may be familiar with private and parochial schools as well.
Visit the web site of the Department of Education for the state you're moving to. Most, if not all, sites post school performance reports, or report cards, and information on student achievement.
Contact the district office, in some states the Superintendent of Schools, for each district you're interested in. Ask for a list of schools in that district and a copy of the district's annual "state of the schools" report.
Click on U.S. News and World Reports (www.usnews.com) for an in-depth study of outstanding American high schools. The analysis revealed that these schools have common traits. See what to look for in a school and why.
Go online or to your library for directories of private and parochial schools.
Visit the schools' web sites.
Call the president of the PTA for an up-close and more personal perspective.
Round out your data with information from local newspapers.

Schedule a Visit
Your investigation would not be complete without personally visiting each school that interests you. Schedule time with an administrator, preferably the principal, and a teacher at your child's grade level and arrange to tour the campus and sit in on two or three classes, if appropriate. Also, request that a copy of the student handbook and any other prepared materials be sent to you. Your questions might include:

What are the school's greatest challenges and greatest successes?
How many recent graduates attended college or university and which institutions?
What's the rate of faculty turnover? Compared with the surrounding community, are teachers well paid? How many teachers have a master's degree in the subject they teach (especially important to ask at private schools)? Are new teachers mentored?
Is time scheduled for students to meet with teachers outside class?
What are some "unique" instructional practices? How are students assessed?
At the high school level, is an AP program available? How many courses are offered? Ask to see an AP score report summary.
How is technology integrated into the classroom? How available is it to students?
Do parents have opportunities to meet with other parents?
Does the district offer programs for children in transition?

Review Your Findings
Of the schools you've identified, does one more than any other meet your child's needs and your family's requirements? If so, can you imagine your child thriving in that environment? If the answer is yes, you've got a match.

Because the school is the hub of many neighborhood activities, it affords opportunities to meet and develop bonds among the children and their parents. In the end, the happiness of the entire family may well rest on your choice of school. Again, no pressure here.

"Real Service in Real Estate." For a personal consultation on buying or selling real estate, Janis Peterson, GRI, Realtor® can be reached at (610) 642-3744, e-mail: jp4re@pahomes.com. Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors® is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.
Return to Janis Peterson, GRI Home Page

Janis Peterson, GRI, Realtor®

Philadelphia Main Line Homes and Real Estate

Tel: (610) 642-3744

Fax: (610) 658-0267

E-mail: jp4re@pahomes.com

www.pahomes.com