The beginning of the elementary school article explores the legal requirements of education.

Why Do I Need To Send My Kids to Elementary School?

Ever hear of compulsory education?  It is part of the laws of the United States, and has been since the middle of the nineteenth century.  By law, unless other arrangements have been made, if children are not enrolled in public school, it is considered a form of child neglect or even child abuse.   Elementary schools were based on the Prussian model of education, which was more about conformity to authoritarianism, with education as a secondary goal.

Schools started changing somewhat in the twentieth century.  Some wiser educators realized that producing generations of people who were all about conformity, and not about individuality was not truly in children’s best interest.  Children’s individual growth is stifled in a rigid elementary school.

What to Look For in an Elementary School

Ideally, every elementary school in Mesa should be the same.  Children should all receive the same exact education, and adhere to the same standards as their peers.  Education should be excellent, preparing children for their place in the world while at the same time, maintaining their individuality.  However, that is not the way it works.  Some public schools are still stubbornly adhering to the older model of education that has been proven to be a failure.

Before you enroll your children in any school, you want to meet the administrator of the school as well as the teachers.  You want to make sure your children are not only receiving an education, they’re also going to be in an environment that encourages them to learn as well as helps them to grow and develop to their full potential.  You want to make sure you pick the elementary school that is the right fit for you and more importantly for your children.

The next section of the elementary school article explores why not all education is equal.

Elementary School and Public Education Inequality

Seems like a lot of people are talking about education these days.  From political figures to actors, teachers to parents, a lot of people are asking variations of a similar question: “why is public education not working?”  First off you have to understand that there is not only universal public education system, there are two, unfortunate as that is.

A child in an elementary school in a poorer school district or a rural area will not receive the same quality education as a kid in a more affluent area.  School budgets are determined mostly by factors such property tax and population density.  Even in the same urban area, an elementary school in Mesa may be worlds apart from another school only miles away in the level of education that it provides as well as its atmosphere.  This dichotomy leads concerned parents to ask the next question: “how do I find a good school for my kids?”

Finding a Good School

As we said above, schools are not created equal.  With that said, use it to your advantage.  If you’re new to Mesa, do your research.  Don’t just limit your elementary school search to ones in your immediate area.  And what to look for?  You want to find a school that meets the minimum standards set by the state and whenever possible exceeds them.  You also want to make sure you arrange a tour of an elementary school.  Most importantly of all, remember that your child’s wishes are also important.

Trust your feelings about a school.  If it is run down and in an equally run down area, you could conceivably be putting your child at risk.  So do your research, look around the area, and look over their ratings with the State.  That way you can find an elementary school in Mesa that is right for you, and more importantly, for your children.

Lastly, the elementary school article explores some things to consider when you’re looking for a school.

Finding the Right Elementary School in Mesa

As we covered briefly in our last article, one of the most important factors to consider before you enroll your children in elementary school in Mesa is to go on a tour of the facility, preferably with your child or children along.  Why?  Well, you want to hear their input on a place that they will be spending a third of their days at.  You also want to see the environment your children are going to be in, and it isn’t just how brightly painted it is or how clean.  You want to go in prepared to ask a bunch of questions.

What is the school’s anti-bullying policy?  Do they even have one?  If not, that’s a big red flag.  What are the requirements for teachers and teachers assistants? What technology is in the classrooms?  Is it just whiteboards and overhead projectors, or are the classrooms i-Pad enabled?  Is there an Internet connection?  You want to make sure that your children are in an environment that is as technically savvy as possible as this will help them both in later education scenarios as well as in the workforce.  You also want to make sure that the school is in a safe area, and that there is campus security.

The Mistakes Some Parents Make With Elementary School

As an elementary school in Mesa, we get a lot of parents that made a mistake in picking their child’s school.    A lot of parents pick the school that is geographically closest to their home and/or workplace, thinking back to a simpler time.  However, sometimes, if you live in a neighborhood that is mostly apartments, even if they are upscale, sometimes, the schools are subpar, because school budgets are based on property taxes for a particular area.

So be sharp.  Know what to do and what not to do.  That way you are sure you are enrolling your children in the right school.

Noah Webster Schools
7301 E. Baseline Road
Mesa, AZ 85209
(480) 986-2335
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