Researching Private Schools

Is it just this teacher or the school in general?
The thing is, public or private, there will be teachers who rub you the wrong way, or those you and/or your daughter may not get along with very well. Even at an "excellent" school. In fact some of the best private schools are very rigorous and challenging.
Before pulling her and switching her to a new school I hope you try to work with the situation you're in now. Why not meet with the school counselor? Fourth grade can be hard on girls, especially shy girls. The counselor may be a big help.

For researching schools I would look for reviews on line and then go to the schools, look around, observe, ect (call ahead first of course)

Until then, have you talked to your child's teacher about the issues she is having? If not, set up an appointment to speak with her.

Don't go by accreditations. I had my son in a private school that had all sorts of recognition, awards, etc and then all heck broke loose. The principal was charged with all sorts of things (a laundry list of stuff) and the school was closed. It opened my eyes to the fact that no matter what they tout on their website, it may not be the best place.

Since then we went to a very small private school that has been amazing for my son. I would suggest 1) go to the campus and see everyone in action 2) ask if you could speak to a few other parents of children that would be in your childs grade (normally they'll have a few parents that are willing to tell other parents about their experiences) 3) Look on yelp, greatschools, etc 4) If they pressure you to make a decisioin, run the other way. 5) speak with the principal and ask for a copy of their handbook to look through before making any decisions.

Definitely ask about their view on parent involvement/volunteerism. Do they require parent volunteers? Some school differe grealy on this whole subject. Also, maybe take a look at their cirriculum and also ask what style of teaching they use.

Hope that helps a little. :)

Keep in mind that many of the private schools you could be interested in have deadlines for applications because most of the children around here are tested to see if they can be accepted into the school before any further steps are taken.

That said, what has your communication been like with your current school and what is being done. How is her teacher making things worse? Are you hearing only from your daughter or are you hearing ALL sides of the story which include the teacher. It could be that your daughter just needs a little extra umph and the guidance counselor at the school could probably help her adjust well.

It has only been 4 weeks. and 3rd grade is a big transition grade around here. Without specifically knowing what you are not happy with, the best advice I have is to communicate with your child's teachers and find out what is going on and put a plan into action to help your daughter.

Best wishes

When you say private do you mean religious schools or charter type schools? religious schools do not have exams that children have to take for entrance at grade school level. You don't say what the problem is in the classroom Is she getting behind, is she bored, is she being bullied by other students? teachers etc? My older 3 went to catholic school. We loved it. Both for the religious training they received every day and for the superior education they received. Our youngest went the public school route. we moved away from the catholic school and he needed some special ed stuff not covered. The recommendations you need will depend on the needs you have. As far as starting this process just start calling the local schools and asking for a tour. make sure the tour is during school hours and just your daughter. Because you will want to have her go to whatever school you choose without the cries of "but I liked the x at the other school"

Every school thinks they are the best, every school thinks their test scores are highest. In reality every school is pretty much the same.

With a private school you're going to pay a lot of money for kiddo to basically learn the exact same thing that every other school is learning. They have to meet the state criteria no matter if they are public or private. IF you send her to a christian private school she'll get religious instruction along with academic education.

My kids attend St. Hubert Hoffman Estates and I can't say enough good things about the Catholic education they are receiving there.

It looks like you are in McHenry, so look up Catholic schools in McHenry country. There are a few. St. Francis De Sales in Lake Zurich is supposed to be very good.

WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) is the accreditation agency in this part of the country. It may be different where you are. In any case, a WASC accreditation a good sign that the school has a decent curriculum and facility, qualified teachers, and meets basic guidelines. However, it's not the end-all and be-all to have that accreditation. Perhaps more important when you're looking for a school (whether public or private) is whether you believe it will meet your child's needs. A school might be fantastic for your child, but terrible for my child, because all kids have different needs. If your daughter is shy, maybe a smaller school with a more nurturing environment would be a better fit for her. Or maybe she would prefer a big school and being "lost in the crowd." You know her best, and you know what type of focus you'd like the school to have. Go visit several schools, ask to see their test scores (granted, this is not a 100% accurate indicator of what the kids learn, but it does measure how well they know the basics), sit in a classroom for several hours (and ask if they'll let you bring your daughter and let her participate). No school is going to be perfect, but surely you will be able to find somewhere where she's comfortable and can reach her full potential. Life is too short for kids to be miserable in school.

Honestly, with things like this, I'm more inclined to trust word of mouth than anything I can find online.

And accreditation tells you if a school meets certain benchmarks. How students do on various tests, how many of them go on to college (or get into selective high schools, etc.) The teachers' qualifications. But none of that tells you anything about the quality of life at the school, and that seems like the big question for you.

And every school advertises itself as the be-all end-all for every child.

I really think you just need to ask around. And, for any private school near you, visit, several times. Have your daughter visit at least once.