Alternatives to Public School

I don't have direct experience with this school but have a friend who swears by it. Her son's been 'attending' for around 4 years, I think.

www.bransonschoolonline.com

It can take some work to find the right fit for your student. I was not up for home schooling, so put my son in a charter that was great for him. It's in Jeffco, near C-470 and Kipling. Collegiate Academy's website is at http://collegiateacademy.net/ if you want to check it out.

If it's in your post I can't find it... where do you live? Our child is at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, part of the Denver Public Schools, and we love it!

I agree that one school varies a great deal from another and if you are going to change schools anyway, consider excellent public schools. My kids attend Cory Elementary, a DPS school and it's wonderful.
You don't say where you live so it's hard to make other suggestions.

C.,

I can understand your concerns! I am not fond of public schools in Colorado. I have heavily looked into Montessori schools and private schools. I found much better situations for my daughter to grow in. I hope this helps

C.

C.,

I help maintain a website that helps parents find schools for their children. The site is http://schoolchoiceforkids.org

We have resources for homeschooling and listings of private schools in the state under "Nonpublic school options" and then if you go to "Public school options" and "Find a public school" (here: http://www.schoolchoiceforkids.org/searchtool.html) you can search for all the public schools, including charter and magnet, in your area, within your specified search mile radius. We also have a lot of resources about questions to ask when you visit a school and what to look for when you visit (here: http://www.schoolchoiceforkids.org/english.php?ID=88).

Also, as others have mentioned, you can always do a public online school where you keep the kids at home, but the curriculum is provided by the public school district. You would be considered a public school student and would have to follow all rules and testing requirements of public schools. You can look at all the options for public online schools on our site under "Public school options" and "Public online education" (here: http://www.schoolchoiceforkids.org/english.php?ID=14) There are some differences in curriculum, so you'll want to pick the one you are comfortable with. I know that Colorado Virtual Academy (COVA) has a very good curriculum (K12 started by Bill Bennett).

I hope that helps. Good luck!

When we were looking for an alternative to public school for our two children, I was fortunate enough to discover the Sudbury Valley philosophy of educating children. My children attended Alpine Valley School in the Denver, Co area...we moved from California to Colorado so that our children could attend Alpine Valley School. Our daughter went on to graduate from Calif State Univ. Northridge in Theater with a minor in Political Science and our son is about to graduate from CU Boulder in Physics.
Take a look at:
alpinevalleyschool.com
or
sudval.org
GOOD LUCK and I would get them out of public school as soon as you can!!
C.

what exactly are you frustrated with?
please don't write off all public schools just because your neighborhood school is not a good fit.
we, too, were at our wits' end by Thanksgiving when our oldest was in Kindergarten at our home school (in Arvada). I was seriously considering home schooling because I just didn't know what else to do but had strong reservations about it for many reasons. We have found a FANTASTIC public school and great fit for our family (also in Arvada). It is not a charter. None of the charters in the Arvada, northwest Jeffco, area are a good fit for our family. Are there still some things we don't love - of course! but there would be negatives with home schooling and other options too. So, time to do your homework and start investigating ALL the elementary schools in Arvada and consider open enrolling. Not knowing what your concerns are, its hard to give you a recommendation as to where to start your search. good luck!

Hi C.,

My kids go to Graland Country Day school. It has been such a great experience for both my kids! They love school! My daughter started in the Denver Public School system at Lowry, but it wasn't meeting all her needs didn't have the incredible opportunities that Graland has to offer. Plus, the class sizes are no larger than 17!!! Big plus.

Contact me with any questions! ____@____.com W.

I understand your situation. We live in North Denver and I would not put my child in any school in this area. I subbed in Jeff Co several years ago and found there are public schools that are pretty good, you just have to visit and ask a ton of questions. No matter what, my biggest concern is what they are teaching as fact in public schools that simply are not true. I am a christian and firmly believe in Biblical truth. If I had to put my child in a public school, I would request a copy of all the textbooks and be sure my child understood our beliefs. I found many textbooks have a liberal slant and overtly teach other religions, but are anti-christian.
I know this may sound judgemental and I really don't want to come across that way, but in any case, as a parent you need to be aware of what is going on at your child's school. Get involved! Volunteer in your child's classroom on a regular basis. My children attend St. John's Lutheran School by Wash Park. We have a program that serves 18 month-8th grade and I have been very happy so far. My daughter is in second grade and my son is in kindergarten.

We homeschool and totally love it! We are looking into Douglas County Schools for next year, though. I know you're not close, but Littleton Academy is also terrific. We know a lot of families who love it. If you want help on homeschooling, there's a lot of websites, plus a lot of moms here who can help. GL!