relocating to the US B


ADVICE FOR FAMILIES


eginning with whether to use public (the US equivalent of ‘state’) or private (independent and fee- paying) schools and how to access any specific support their children may need, parents relocating to the US may be overwhelmed by questions.


Are US public schools really ‘usable’? Do they offer good education, and are they safe? US public education is often misrepresented by movies


and the media in general, and parents entering the system are understandably nervous about if and how to avail themselves of it. Incidents of egregious violence have not helped its cause. The US’s public education, like that of many countries, varies wildly in quality, and if one is going to use the public system, one must choose carefully.


Over the years, one issue has been that the US does not


have a national curriculum or national exams, and the content and standards of education have been set at state and even local level, such that there has been little uniformity across states and even districts within a state.


In 2009, the Common Core Standards were initiated as part of an effort to establish a minimum of uniformity across states, and 43 states have signed up to follow the shared standards. This is only a first step, however, since the programme proposes common standards but does not try to dictate the specifics of curricular content.


Added to this is the fact that US public schools are funded primarily by their states and from their local tax bases, and not by the federal government. This contributes to the disparity in the quality of schools, since wealthier neighbourhoods boast good facilities with a rich offering of programmes, while poorer ones struggle to provide the basics.


As with many things in the US, one can find every extreme in the public-education system. While some public schools are certainly to be avoided, others offer outstanding programmes in all areas – academic studies, the arts and


Families moving to the US will encounter a wide range of education options, and will inevitably have questions about how best to explore and navigate them. Elizabeth Sawyer, of Bennett Schoolplacement Worldwide, answers some of the questions most commonly asked by relocating parents.


athletics – and parents can feel completely comfortable enrolling their children in such schools.


How does one access a good US public school? Are good schools typically oversubscribed? Are there entrance exams?


Every area is divided into school districts, and every residence is part of a school district and assigned to schools within it. Every school has a catchment zone, which is the area from which it draws its students. Generally, when one chooses a residence in the US, one is automatically entitled to a space for one’s child at the local elementary, middle or high school, and one does not have to apply for a place or have a student pass entrance exams. Enrolment is automatic, and this means that relocating families will ‘shop’ districts and schools, since they usually know ahead of time which school their child will attend if they rent or buy a certain property.


There are, of course, exceptions to this, often in urban areas where relocating families tend to be headed. In New York, for example, a child is theoretically assigned to a specific elementary school by virtue of address. However, schools do fill up, at which point a child may be assigned to another school in the particular zone. Administrators are typically helpful in letting families know ahead of time if places are open in a given school and, if not, where a child might be assigned instead. Some districts offer ‘open enrolment’, which means that a family may choose a school within the district and not necessarily be assigned to the one associated with their address. It should be noted that, within the public-education system, there are schools called ‘magnet’ or ‘charter’ schools, which operate differently from the more mainstream options. Such schools may receive funding from additional sources in order to offer a specific curricular programme (arts, science and technology, the International Baccalaureate, and so


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