Schooling choices: How and what did you decide?

[Mothering]

There are a myriad of option available when it comes time for your kids to go to school.  From Unschooling to Private Schools and everything in between.  Seemingly gone are the days of sending your child walking out the front door to the neighborhood elementary school. 

How did you choose what school your child would attend? What kind of research did you do? Why did you make the choice you did?  Would you rather be doing something different?

[JohannaInDairyland]

We're still trying to decide ... I was homeschooled, and loved it, but we are blessed with so many options in our community, including a public charter with an environmentally-based curriculum!  Looking forward to hearing how others decide.

[LynnetteEden]

We chose all of the above options depending on the climate of our community and the needs of our child. Currently he is finishing 9th grade and is enrolled in both the Public and Private school as well as an online tech high school. He also unschools in 4 subjects year round, P.E. Science, Algebra(currently) and Social Studies/History. Knowing he has a say in his education causes him to be invested in his classes and decisions and he's done a great job.

[Melaniee]

In Part, thanks to mothering.com!!  I had thought homeschooling, but as my parenting years went on I realized that would not be for us.  I tried a few different local parent & me classes but they varied from 'not quite the right fit' to 'run away screaming quickly!'  I had read here and there regarding Waldorf, as it seems to weave in and out of the AP circles.  At one point there was a thread, in my local Tribe area I believe, that mentioned a somewhat nearby (Waldorf parents will know that "nearby" is a relative term to us!)  school to me and their parent-tot class. That was one of the real first steps that led us down our path to Waldorf Education.

I did a lot of reading online, attending lectures at the school, reading books, talking to alumni (it's a small world!) and just taking part in the school community, in addition to joining the parent toddler class. The more involved we became the more it became clear as the right decision for us.

Thank you, Mothering.com!

[anniejoy]

Unschooling has been a natural fit for my family. We get to spend a lot of time together and in the community. As the kids get older, they have chosen to take more classes at the community centers and through private teachers, but their directions change frequently. I love seeing where their interests take us.

[Holiztic]

My husband's and my educational experiences were number 1. I was a public school success, getting all A's in honors classes and never getting into trouble. I was bored, depressed, and totally suppressed.  My husband thrived in a Waldorf school but was still relatively depressed (more due to family issues).  We thought we'd go with a Waldorf school.

Then as my general lifestyle views changed and grew--I realized any kind of school would clash with our values.  I want my kid outside-- A LOT.  I want him to be a part of the world, daily life, running the household.  And I want him to be at least mostly free to follow his own passions during the day.  We will not be unschoolers exactly, especially after he's 8, but there will be A LOT more freedom in our homeschooling then in a school setting. A LOT more. And last but not at all least, I want our family and our home to be our center, not just where we are in the evenings and part of the weekends. 

So he's only 4 and we just live--no schooling in any form.  But we'll be something in the realm of unschoolers with Waldorf lifestyle that transition to a Charlotte Mason and later a Classical approach to homeschooling.

[earth-mama]

My DD is 29 months and will be starting at a Waldorf Preschool in the late summer/early fall.  I chose it by doing research online and including mothering.com.  I am leaning towards homeschooling her when it is time for elementary to start, right now we need part-time care for her while I work, which is why she will be in preschool.

[amma_mama]

We chose based on what we believe to be the best fit for DD. DD is currently finishing up first grade in public school. We chose this route because we bought a house in a community with really great schools, in terms of both academics and the social aspects. There is a big commitment in the school to educate in a holistic way, with a well-rounded curriculum and differentiation. DD did go to private school for kindergarten as her birthday was 2 days after the public school cutoff date, but we felt that DD was super ready for the kindergarten environment. And we were right, she has abolsutely thrived both last year and this year, despite being the youngest in her class.

Homeschooling is just not a good fit for DD and neither is Montessori, as she does better with a more structured environment (and is far more attentive with a "thrid party" than she would be with me at home).

[aHikaru]

I toured a couple preschools and came out over stimulated or confused as to why a child would benefit from such a strict schedule. I almost gave up on finding a preschool and just homeschooling until i gave a Waldorf school one last shot... and the rest was history. I have since toured 4 other waldorf schools closer to me, i'm currently in southern California, and found one that fit just right. Overall all Waldorf schools are different, as with any other type of school (ie christian, public etc.), so it gave me a taste of how each "community" in a Waldorf school was different. 

[mamazee]

My daughter went to a Montessori preschool and now goes to public school. We have great schools here and she is very happy there. She is very social and loves having so many other kids around. The younger one will go to the same Montessori preschool in another year.

[beenmum]

I Homeschool my oldest girl. My other 3 go to  seperate Catholic schools.

[Cavy]

I guess it came down to the best-looking options in the area where we wanted to live.

I have one in private (supposed to be very "traditional", whatever that means, they are good on pastoral care which is not traditional at all; he was picked on at state school) and two in state school (like a US "public" school).  Being in the UK we don't have charter schools,, not that they appealed to me particularly.  My cousin's kids were bullied (by a teacher) in a charter school and I would hate to home-ed.