Book Nook: The School Choice Roadmap - 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child

I recently had the chance to review Andrew Campanella's new book, "The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child."

This book provides practical information for parents looking for the right educational environment for their kids. It's a helpful resource during a time when parents across the U.S. have more options (public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home) than ever before.

It doesn't go in-depth into any option, but I was impressed at how well it gave a survey of each type of school available, ways to determine the best fit, and additional resources once parents identify a type of educational environment they want to pursue.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Why did you decide to write this book?

I've been working in K-12 education for fifteen years. During most of that time, I have worked to raise awareness about school choice, and I meet hundreds of parents a year, if not more. Parents frequently ask me for advice on how to start the school search process, and how to best make sense out of education jargon. I've tried my best to provide parents with the best information and advice possible, but sending moms and dads to a patchwork of different websites to find answers wasn't exactly user-friendly. Plus, a lot of online information is outdated or overly simplistic. Some online resources encourage parents to use just one or two metrics, such as a school's grade or aggregate test scores, in making decisions. That advice asks parents to ignore their own expertise – what they know about their own children and how their children think, learn, and are inspired. There is a need for a resource that helps parents harness the power of their own intuition as they pursue the school search process, to empower parents with the confidence that they truly are experts on their children's needs. So, I decided to write The School Choice Roadmap to serve as a practical, all-in-one-place resource –– one that celebrates parents' knowledge and empowers moms and dads to trust their instincts.

Why do parents need help sorting out the best educational option for their children?

Parents don't need their hands held when they're deciding the best education for their kids, but practical resources and information can certainly make the school search process easier. Plus, education in America is changing and evolving. It's not the same as it was ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. Families today have more choices for their children's education than at any other time in history. The array of choices that parents have for their children's education is starting to mirror the diversity, variety, and options we have in almost every other aspect of our lives. 

What are a few factors parents often overlook when making decisions about school?

First, there is frequently confusion about when to start the school search process. If you are looking for a school for the next school year, you need to ideally start evaluating your options in the winter, not in the spring or summer. This is one of the reasons we celebrate National School Choice Week in January. If you start too late, some schools might not have space available. Another factor that is occasionally overlooked is that parents need to decide what a "good" or "great" school looks like for their daughter or son. Even if you read that a local school is popular and gets great results from many of the students it serves, that does not necessarily mean that it will be the ideal fit for your child. Every student is unique and a school that might work for your neighbor's child or your friend's child, might not be the best place for your child. The goal of school choice, and the process of choosing a school that meets your child's needs, is to find the ideal fit. And when you do, great things happen!

Andrew Campanellais president of National School Choice Week, the largest annual celebration of opportunity in K-12 education. In 2019, NSCW featured more than 40,000 events and activities designed to raise awareness of the education options parents have for their children. Prior to his work with National School Choice Week, Campanella worked in senior-level positions at the American Federation for Children and the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. He grew up in New Jersey, graduated from American University in Washington, DC, and currently lives in Florida. Learn more at www.schoolchoiceroadmap.com. Find more about Andrew at www.andrewrcamp.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/andrewrcampanella, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/andrewrcamp.