5 Signs Your Child is at a Good School

Education has always been one of our most important values. That is why as we move forward into a new decade, it is important that we keep an emphasis on the quality of our schools. I am both a teacher and a parent of school-age children. As a parent, I try to take an active role in making sure that the schools my children attend are top-notch. As a teacher, I have an inside view of the education system and I try my best to keep up with all the new developments in the field.I know that not all schools are created equal (believe me, I've been in some pretty bad ones) so I like to do my best to help parents make sure that their children are getting the best opportunity possible. Here are some things to be on the lookout for at your child's school that should let you know that they are on the right track. All of these things are products of educators demonstrating the kind of forward thinking and concern that lets you know that they are truly concerned with providing a quality education for their students.Now realize that not every school is going to have each and every one of these things. Unfortunately just like schools, not all funding is created equally either. The only way for you to truly know how good of a job your local school is doing is to get involved with school organizations and activities that will allow you to see the school from the inside out. However, these are some pretty good signs that something positive is going on at your child's school and many of these measures can be put into place for little or no cost to the facility.1. Computer Learning is a Mandatory Part of the Schedule – This should be a standard for all schools. It is essential that education follow the trends of society at large. There are virtually no jobs available in the modern market that doesn't require workers to have computer skills. That is why all schools should have mandatory requirements for computer use in the classroom starting very early on (3rd or 4th grade at the latest).2. The School Provides Daily Physical Education to Students – There have been a lot of studies that have concluded that increased physical activity not only contributes positively to student health, it also increases academic performance. That's because exercise is linked to increased endorphin levels, better circulation and increased blood flow to the brain. A study in France actually concluded that increasing physical education even at the expense of regular class time resulted in higher test scores. Sadly too many schools have reduced the presence of physical activity in education, but the best schools still have it.3. The School has Fresh Healthy Vending Machines – Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage about what kind of foods are being carried in the vending machines at our schools. There is really no excuse for schools to be catering junk food to our children. There are healthy vending machines available out there and schools should be taking advantage of them. One great example is Fresh Healthy Vending. They carry a variety of all natural and organic products in their machines that are tested and verified as being healthy for kids. Schools that take the time to make sure details like vending machines are optimized to best serve their students are showing that they care.4. The School Has an Active Arts Program – Although arts programs have traditionally been among the first to suffer under budget cuts, the truth is that the best educators know that the arts are valuable to rounding out a child's education. Schools that have strong arts programs that include after-school activities typically have better test scores and better all around academic performance. Kids involved in arts programs and after school programs are also less likely to do drugs and are at a reduced risk for teen pregnancy.5. The School has a Secure Campus – This is another standard for all well managed schools. Nowadays it is absolutely necessary for all schools to run a secure campus. All walk-on visitors should be immediately directed to the school's office. This reduces the danger to students from outsiders entering the campus and the risk of students coming in contact with undesirable people that might do harm to them.