What do you want for your child’s education?

To my friends who are parents: CottageClass is getting ready to support the development of 20 new schools, coops and playgroups over the next year and it would help us a lot to get feedback from you.

Many parents enter this process not knowing what to look for, so I’ve come up with a few questions, which I hope may help to guide you.

If you would, take a moment to think about the kind of life you’d like your child to have now and in the future and how you hope school will support them in reaching their highest potential (socially, emotionally and intellectually). Think about what values you’d like to see instilled in them and what relationship you’d like to see them develop with family, community and life itself. Take a moment to think about your child, his or her personality, strengths, challenges, how these resonate with or differ from your own, think about the times, places and experiences where you’ve seen your child thrive. Think about your own learning environments from infancy through adulthood, what you loved and hated, things that you’re reacting against (appropriately or perhaps too strongly?) and opportunities you had as a child which you’d like to be able to give your child as well.

*With this in mind, what kind of learning environment would you like to find for your child? What values and skills would you like them to cultivate there? What do you see as the purpose of school and how do you think it will enhance your child’s development beyond what they’re able to get at home? 
*Tell me about your child’s teacher. What is their personality like and how do they interact with your child? How do they navigate conflicts or problems that arise? What skills do they bring and what is their role in the classroom? When do they intervene and when do they step aside?
*What does the physical space look like? Are there large windows and lots of light. Is it outdoors in the park? Is space not important to you as long as content is rich? 
*Is this program more academically structured or self-directed? 
*Is there a special curriculum (Waldorf, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Bank Street, Free School) the school follows? (Don’t worry if you don’t know what these are)
*What kind of subjects would you like to be included in the curriculum (arts and music, math and science, technology, foreign language) 
*Would you like the program to be bilingual? If so, which language? *Does your child have special needs? How would you like the program to be able to accommodate these?

Does the process of thinking about school leave you confused, frustrated or overwhelmed? If so, what kind of information or resources do you feel you need to support you through this process?

If you’d prefer your answers to be confidential, you can also fill out our learning survey on-line. http://cottageclass.com/learningsurvey 
Thanks very much for helping us to support innovative learning in the community.