Advice on choosing an elementary school?

[msk]

Would anyone be willing to share some words of wisdom on choosing a public or private elementary school? What was your family looking for, and how did you figure out which school was the best fit for your situation? I know there's no one-size-fits-all answer here, but school open houses are coming up next month where I live, and I'd like a few ideas.

I'm lurking here and getting ideas of ways to supplement my oldest daughter's education (she starts K in fall of 2011). I've found a lot of great ideas on supplementing, but couldn't find any threads on what to consider in choosing the "school" part of "afterschooling." Thanks in advance!

(PS-- If anyone in the Chandler, AZ area feels like sending me a PM with your experiences in local schools, I'd love that too!)

[fairytalemama]

I would ask your mommy friends what they think of the local schools. If nothing else, you'll get an earful of information to sort through.

We picked our school based on size (it's small. My daughter has 17 kids in her pre K/K class), other parents' recommendations, program (it has the only 1/2 day K program in our city which is what we wanted), and my daughter's two best friends had already gone there the previous year and are in her class (big selling point for my daughter :001_smile:)

Usually at some point during the year, the school board releases the rankings of all the public schools based on test scores in our city. It made me feel good that her school was ranked #3. Perhaps your city does the same?

In the end, I really think it comes down to a gut feeling that you get when you visit and meet the teachers. Trust your gut.

[msk]

Thanks! Unfortunately my friends' kids are either younger than my daughter, in religious schools (we're not religious), or homeschooled, so I don't really have the usual sources. And, I feel like kind of a hypocrite looking at standardized test scores (although I do look at them) when one of the things I'm worried about is too much emphasis on standardized tests! It's good to know I can probably trust my gut on the visits, though.

[Cadam]

Go tour it. Meet the principal, meet the teachers. Your instincts will be a pretty good guide and nothing is forever. If you get in there and it's not working out you can always go elsewhere.