Let’s talk about schools. It’s the main reason why people move to the suburbs, really. And the extra space. And to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Ok, ok so there are many reasons to move to the suburbs but schools is still the most important one. Once kids are done with Kindergarten and going into 1^st grade, or maybe you can push it until they are ready for 2^nd grade but you know already that it’s time to make the move, if you’re ever going to do it. I resisted our move till our daughter finished 1^st grade, and then it was clear to me that the transition to the public school system from a Montessori school was only going to get harder as time went by.

Choosing a Public School

So how do you pick a suitable school district if you are considering public schools?

The first question you need to ask yourself is: how important is it for you to pick the most sought after school district or are you OK with a good school district that may not be the most highly rated. Let me tell you about how we made our decision. We picked the Millburn school district when it was rated as the best public high school a few years ago (second to McNair, JC). We figured, if we are going to make the move, why not go for the best public school district in the area! Well, here is something no one talks about and something you often only learn from experience. The best schools attract the smartest and most motivated students (and families) and that makes the competition to get into selective classes (e.g., Advanced Placement classes) that much tougher. This is not easy but what you need to do is decide, based on your child’s learning ability and personality, if being in a highly competitive public school will be better for them in the long run or if being in a good (but not as competitive) school is where they will feel more comfortable and be able to shine more.

There are a number of websites that have done the basic legwork for you on school choice. These websites rate schools on an easy to comprehend scale based on test scores and other available data, including students’ academic growth and college readiness. Until now many websites used the New Jersey Assessment Test scores (NJASK) to help rate schools but now NJ is doing away with the NJASK test. A new curriculum and test are being implemented across school districts called the Common Core which is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career and life, regardless of where they live. These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade (K-12). This new curriculum is currently in the process of being implemented across school districts in NJ.

More on the Common Core: http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/

Here are some good links that you should browse for school ratings and reviews:

Great Schools: http://www.greatschools.org

School Digger: http://www.schooldigger.com/go/NJ/districtrank.aspx

US News: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey/rankin...

If high school in a district is highly rated, it also reflects well on the elementary and middle schools in the same district. The students at various elementary schools in a school district come together in the middle and high school (of which there is only one each in most school districts). Keep in mind that elementary school teachers often rotate from one elementary school to another within a district over time. This helps to maintain uniform standards of teaching across multiple elementary schools in a school district.

Comparing Public Schools to Private Schools

Honestly, this is a very difficult choice to make. I can list out a few obvious factors to keep in mind. Private schools are difficult to get into and quite expensive (~$30,000 in lower grades to ~$40,000 in the high school). They have smaller class sizes (e.g., the typical Millburn High School graduating class averages 400 student vs. say Kent Place School which has no more than 60-75 students in each class). Smaller class sizes usually translate into more individualized teaching. Private schools focus on the overall development of students, while a lot of the non-academic development activities are left for parents to take care of at public schools. Public schools bring together children from the same neighborhoods which makes it easier for your kids to socialize with their class mates after school. Kids from the a neighborhood typically walk to school together, play together after school, and get to know each other well. Students at private schools come from multiple towns and their parents typically find it much harder to arrange play dates or a get together.

Well, I hope this helps. There is a lot more one could prattle on about but the space here being limited, I’ve put down some basic thoughts. Feel free to call me with questions.

(I have one child in public elementary school and one leaving public middle school to start private high school in the Fall- a decision we made based on our knowledge and understanding of the school systems and our child.)

In my next blog, the different types of houses and how to decide which works best for you.

For more information feel free to call me at 201-892-7649 or email me at Njrealtor.ruchi@gmail.com