By Molly Dickinson

“What are the schools like?” It’s one of the first questions any parent asks when hunting for a new neighborhood to call home. Throughout the metro area, communities, leaders and educators are working hard to provide the best answer to this most critical of moving questions. No matter the age or needs of your child, the size of your budget or the location of your home, a great educational experience awaits you in Atlanta. Whether you’re looking to enroll your child in public school or to capitalize on the many charter, magnet or independent school options offered across the 24-county metro area, you’ll find regionally- and nationally-competitive curriculums, innovative programming, cutting-edge technology, high-aiming strategic plans for continual, across-the-board improvement and a dedicated community of award-winning leaders, faculty and staff.

Currently, Georgia ranks No. 1 in the nation for its use of technology in education, and is one of 23 states whose high school curricula have been revised to align with college and workplace expectations, one of 21 states whose graduation requirements have been raised to college/career standards and one of only 10 states to implement assessments to gauge college and career-readiness. Partly as a result of this new, rigorous curriculum, two-thirds of Georgia high school students went on to post-secondary education in 2009. On the primary school front, a lull in CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Test) scoring in 2008 was met in 2009 by increased scores in all 14 categories, most notably in the math and science categories and among minority students.

Likewise, the number of schools meeting or exceeding standards for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, continues to rise, and with 79 percent of schools currently meeting AYP—closer to 87 percent in the metro area—Georgia’s numbers are competitive with those of the Southeast and the nation.

A strategic education plan outlined by state superintendent of schools, Kathy Cox, ensures that Georgia will only continue to make strides toward its ultimate objective of “leading the nation in improving student achievement.” Since her reappointment by an overwhelming majority in 2006, Cox has headed the reformation of Georgia’s schools with successful initiatives to increase high school graduation rates (at their highest ever in 2009 at 78.9 percent) and expand career, technical, agricultural and online education programs like the Georgia Career Academy Project and the Georgia Virtual School program.

In a few major school districts alone (Atlanta City, Clayton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Fulton County and Gwinnett County) 17 new elementary, middle and high schools are slated to open in the 2009-2010 school year, with dozens more in the pipeline for all metro counties over the next five years. Such across-the-board progress allows for even more high-quality options for where to start your child’s Atlanta education, and having this many choices can make the school-selection process that much more challenging—and exciting.

Starting the School Search
When it comes to finding the right school for your child, you will find a wealth of resources at your fingertips, both within these pages and online at websites managed by the Georgia Department of Education (doe.k12.ga.us), the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (gaosa.org) and on websites for the individual schools themselves. Making full use of these resources, interpreting the data firsthand and getting to know each potential school option intimately will enable you to make educated decisions while helping to shape your child’s educational career. Statistics and test scores are important indicators to keep in mind, but often the most accurate measure of a school’s ability to meet you and your child’s needs is feedback from parents and students who’ve already chosen its particular brand of education—and, of course, that instinctive, “at home” feeling you get when you walk through the campus and interact with the school community. And what better time to start the search for the right school than right here, right now? Read on for an overview of the metro area’s diverse educational options, advice on choosing a school and more tried-and-true resources to help put your child on the path to their best Atlanta education.

Public School Offerings
There are 33 public school districts in the metro area, 17 of which rank in the top 50 districts for the state of Georgia. Strong leadership on the school level has led to several metro area educators receiving national recognition in the past year, including National Principal of the Year in Barrow County, National School Counselor of the Year in Cobb County, two Milken Educators of the Year in DeKalb County and Marietta City and National Superintendent of the year, Dr. Beverly Hall, of the Atlanta Public School System. Hall, approaching her nearly unprecedented 10th year as superintendent, is credited with championing the reform of Atlanta Public Schools, transforming it into a model urban school district that was recently nominated one of two finalists for the Urban School Board Council’s Board of Excellence Award. Also a finalist (and $250,000 scholarship fund winner) for a major national award is Gwinnett County Schools, one of five finalists nominated for the Broad Prize for the greatest overall performance and improvement in an urban school district. In addition, several high schools in Carroll, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Hall counties all received awards in U.S.News & World Report’s rankings of the Best High Schools in America.

For parents moving to intown Atlanta, a new law recently passed by the Georgia legislature allows Atlanta Public School students to enroll in schools other than those designated by zoning boundaries as long as space is available at the preferred institution. For the 2009-2010 school year, 33 elementary, 10 middle and four high schools were listed as offering space for out-of-district students. This, coupled with the metro area’s growing number of public magnet and charter schools (the number of charter schools alone has tripled in the past five years) means that parents who choose to enroll their children in public school systems in the coming school year will have more, and more diverse, options than ever before.

Going the Independent Route
Whether Montessori, parochial, single-gender, international, boarding, military or special needs schools top your list of private interests, the metro area has just the independent institution you’re looking for. An expanding roster of diverse private schools, broadening transportation options, tuition prices that start at around $3,000 per year and a wealth of need- and merit-based financial aid programs make a private education a viable option for nearly any family moving to the Atlanta area.

Chris Pomar, president of the Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools (AAAIS), shares some welcome advice for parents considering a private school education. The AAAIS is a membership organization created to make the private school admissions process as fair as possible for enrolling families by establishing principles of good practice under which all member schools agree to operate—such as establishing a common acceptance date (usually the first Friday in April) and candidate reply date (the second Thursday following).

Pomar says the first thing to do when starting your private school search is to take a look at AAAIS’s list of member schools online at atlantaprivateschool.com. “Schools become members to show goodwill in the admissions process,” Pomar explains—an outward sign that they are dedicated to working with parents in order to find the right fit for their child, as opposed to merely trying to boost enrollment numbers. Today, there are 71 member schools, up from just 20 two decades ago.

Once you’ve located the schools in your neighborhood and any other schools that may interest you, it’s time to do your research. “According to the NAIS [the National Association of Independent Schools],” Pomar says, “the top two reasons families choose a specific independent school are word-of-mouth reputation and location.” Location can be overcome by carpooling, seeking out schools along your commute routes and taking advantage of school transportation programs. Parent, student and community feedback, however, remain the most important aspects to consider when evaluating any school—private or public.

“A lot of factors go into choosing a school,” Pomar says, “The type of education the parents had as children, a dislike for their public school choices, if they’re seeking a specific learning environment…But, in the end, it’s a gut choice based on where the parent feels best about having their child, and that depends on the mission of the school, the curriculum, where they see their child fitting in and where they see themselves fitting in as parents.”

Involving your child in the selection process is key. Invite your child to look through brochures and websites with you, to come up with questions to ask on school tours (a crucial step for any school you’re considering) and have them make pro and con lists once you’ve narrowed the pool down to a handful of select schools. Because many private schools in Atlanta are highly competitive, it’s wise to apply early and to apply to more than one.

“I encourage parents not to be intimidated,” Pomar says. “If you feel like you want to have other options for your children’s education, definitely explore independent schools in your neighborhood or near your commuting pattern. Don’t think it’s inaccessible. There are so many levels of tuition and many admissions offices are willing to interpret what it would take to make independent education an option for you. It’s worth taking a look.”