Parents sharing the process of searching for a school in Greater Philadelphia. What kind of school are you looking for? Charter, public, private, city, suburban?
'Choice' is a term that makes my blood boil when you have a special son like mine, cause it only existent to the extent you want to play roulette with your child's education. I played. 
I never looked at the huge negative of not choosing a neighborhood school--an extra commute. 
I named this blog "Search" instead of "Choice" for a reason. To many, probably most Philadelphia families out there, school choice is an illusion. 
The Notebook just published a riveting interview with a teacher who freely admits that she helped students cheat on the PSSAs. 
Public, private or charter is an important question, especially when you fold in policy issues like school vouchers. But regardless of your opinion on these political issues, the most important factor for most of us is identifying the best environment for our kids to learn. ![Choosing Sides on Charters [Audio]](http://phillyschoolsearch.com/wp-content/uploads/et_temp/32666f3d34p18s9-89395_200x200.jpg)
I have learned that for many of my readers, policy is an important factor in school choice. It makes sense--if you do not support the charter movement, sending your child to a charter isn't exactly consistent behavior. The problem for most of you who are like me is that there are not a lot of impartial resources out there to help you form an intelligent opinion. 
For what reasons do parents make alternative school choices for child number two? 
Ever since I started this blog, people see me as some sort of school expert and thus are keenly interested in my personal school choice. This blog was never about that. 
Len Lipkin
PSS Community