Education and access to knowledge hold a sacred place for Black Americans. From the time when it was inaccessible to us, the risks that we took to acquire it, and the opportunities that have arisen for us from its acquisition, we have always valued learning and education.
Our demographic – the Black members of generations X and Y – have become the caretakers of that tradition. Now in our prime parenting years, we are faced with difficult choices as we consider the scholastic portion of our children’s education.
This series of articles chronicles five aspects to consider as you choose the right school for your child. There is no one strategy that will help you to find that “best fit”, but these basic guidelines will be beneficial to you on your search.
1.Choosing the right school is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.
The above quote was a mantra repeated by the Director of College Counseling for a school in Minneapolis at which I taught, but it applies to any school choice. There are so many different types of schools: public, independent (private), parochial, Montessori, exceptional student education (a general term which includes gifted & talented as well as learning-disabled students), arts-based, sports academies… the list can daunting.
