Your Child's Education

You'll notice that I have a poll along the side of the blog asking where your child receives his/her education. That is because I'm working on some articles about different education options.

I'd love to hear from parents about education choices.
What kind of school does your child attend or how is your child educated?
How did you make that choice?
Has your choice differed between children. If so, why?
Has your choice for your child changed through the years?
What factors do you consider when choosing?
How much are you involved at your child's school?
What else would you like to say about education?

I attended public school until sixth grade. Then I went to a Christian school. I went to a Christian college also. My masters was split between Indiana University South Bend and The University of North Dakota. I have a masters of education with a reading specialty, but I really don't have much experience in the classroom. Part of that is due to moving so often when my husband was in the Air Force, so I'm not certified anywhere and part of it is because the classroom has changed so much that it's not fun. I am very much a hands on person, and you can't really teach that way anymore. I taught in two Christian schools and substitute taught for several years. My real passion is children's literature, so I probably should have been a librarian! I like connecting kids with books they'll want to read. I'd like to write that kind of books too!

My children were in public schools in several systems. A couple of my children spent a year in an English school when they were small. Since moving to the Florida panhandle, different children have been in public, Christian, a computer based charter school, and a tradition charter school.

Each year we look at each child's needs and decide the best place for them. For instance, our charter high school is a good school with great opportunities for the kids in marine biology,  medical fields and technology. But it was not a good placement for my special needs child. Since I didn't want her in our zoned school, I did school choice to get her in a smaller high school. But it is still a school with lots of problems. There isn't a really good choice for her. 

My twins are in different schools, one in a public elementary school and one in a charter school where she is closely supervised. Next year I will be doing school choice for a different public middle school for one (the school with a swim team!) and leaving the other in the charter school. 

Please share your own stories with me in the comment section, but only what you don't mind being shared.