Teachers, Students, Test Scores & More

As an expectant mom – due 5 weeks and counting! – my husband and I are already wondering what daycare to send our baby boy to when it's that time. He's not even here yet and I am already obsessing about how to evaluate and compare schools in our area. I know I'm not alone. It's estimated approximately 3.5 million parents search for information about schools online every month. That’s more than 40 million parents looking for answers to questions they have about their child’s current or new school every year!


There are some local tools that help evaluate daycare in the Bay Area, including safety records and curriculum. But nothing that gets to what I really want to know. So, it looks like we're going to be scheduling some meetings in the next few weeks. And, I hear we're on the late end of this process. Some parents in the Bay Area start evaluating day care options at preconception. Is it like this everywhere around the country?

Education.com's SchoolFinder is a great, free online resource that gives parents access to information on all public and charter K-12 schools across the 50 U.S. states. I will use it when he's closer to playing in the school yard and as parents, focused on making sure his school is the best option to making sure he gets to Harvard. Until then, I am sharing this great resource with other moms and dads who have already braved the daycare dilemma and are now on to bigger fish, including elementary and middle school. Thinking this is perfect for parents looking for a new school, moving to a new area, or simply want to see how other schools are comparing to their child's school. The resource provides comprehensive information that evaluates schools based on academic performance, student demographics, teacher statistics and parent reviews.

Gone are the days of parent teacher conferences and after school events to stay informed about our children’s schools. We’re in the age of the internet, where it’s the norm to use online sites and resources to help us make decisions about our children’s futures. Heck, we’re baring our souls online during our pregnancy journey for women around the world to read and share in the journey with us.

SchoolFinder is a tool I trust and have sent to all my friends. Send it around to all of yours as well. And in the meantime, if you find a resource that compares and evaluates daycares in the Bay Area, let me know. I am in need of some easy comparison shopping for that.

Cheers,

Danielle Simmons

Originally posted 7-25-08