Accreditation and Curriculum

Are microschools accredited?

It depends. But probably not.

This leads to a set of questions, such as:

·       What value does accreditation provide?

·       Does it mean that the educational experience is better?

·       Who does the accreditation?

And I return to what I think is the most important one: who is in the best position to judge the quality of the education a child receives?

The family. The parents.

What other questions might you ask as you are evaluating a microschool?

·       What does my child need? Do they wish to excel and therefore need a teacher that nurtures this drive, while having the intellectual heft and teaching abilities to bring out the best in the child?

·       Have there been difficulties at other schools that can be remedied by a smaller class size, with greater love and care?

And for the teachers:

·       What curriculum do you use? How did you come to settle on your choices? What did you use, and then chose to leave behind, and why?

·       How do you use all the various tools?

·       How do you manage the different age groups?

·       How do you balance the benefits of computer programs with plain old paper and pencil?

Why not ask to see generalized testing scores? Why not ask to speak with another parent?

When you visit the school, how do you feel? Are you comfortable?

Trust yourself. You care the most about your child.