Explore Your Schooling Options - Families Empowered

DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF SCHOOL WORKS FOR YOU


What is school choice? It’s selecting a school where your child can succeed.

Before you apply to any schools or begin diving into school tours, it’s important to look at the full range of options you have when it comes to the type of school.

The school that works best for your child is a personal choice for your family. You are in the best position to decide which option will work for your kids.

CHOOSING
A SCHOOL

THE BENEFIT OF CHOOSING A SCHOOL: FOCUS ON YOUR CHILD.

We encourage you to look up data about school performance, but we passionately believe that you have to go to the school in person – to see teachers, students, and school leaders in action – in order to really understand it. And when you do, you should consider:

HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS.
TIP: don’t just look at one overall rating or school but look at whether students of all types and backgrounds are succeeding.

COMMITTED TEACHERS. STRONG, CONSISTENT SCHOOL LEADERSHIP.
Hint: do you see teachers and students actively engaged in learning? What do other parents say about teachers and administrators?

STUDENTS GRADUATING WHO ARE COLLEGE- AND CAREER- READY.
Note: this is not the same as graduation rates! Ask about what happens to students AFTER they graduate!

HOME AND SCHOOL CONNECTION.
We think parents are one of their child’s most important teachers, and we think school leaders should recognize and honor that!

UNDERSTAND TYPES OF SCHOOLS


DISTRICT-ZONED SCHOOLS

Your district-zoned school is your neighborhood public school. Students are zoned to public schools based on where they live. The student body represents the diversity of your local community. Some district schools allow students to transfer in from other schools. This varies from district to district and from school to school. Contact your local district office to learn more about transferring into a district school. Many districts also have a school choice program.

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MAGNET SCHOOLS

Magnet schools in Texas have a specific area of focus, such as math, fine arts, science, or health. These programs are tuition-free and generally will provide transportation for their students. These programs also require parents fill out an application and often require certain test scores to get admitted.

Some cities offer vanguard schools, which are magnet schools that accept students who have been identified as gifted or talented.

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PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Private schools are non-public schools traditionally supported by student tuition. Private schools may offer programming and curriculum that differs from public schools. Most private schools offer scholarships or financial aid. Private schools can be religious or secular independent schools. The average cost of private school in Texas is about $10,000 per year, however, many private schools offer robust financial aid and accept outside scholarships.

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HOME SCHOOLING & ONLINE SCHOOLS

Homeschooling, virtual schools, and online learning are nontraditional education options, open to parents looking for more individualized education.

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MICRO SCHOOLS

Micro-schooling is the reinvention of the one-room schoolhouse, where class size is typically smaller than that in most schools and there are often mixed-age level groupings of students. Micro schools are less common than many other schools but have become more available and desirable to parents in recent years. They are privately-run schools and often require an application.

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CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter schools are public schools of choice: families choose them for their children. They operate with freedom from some of the regulations that are imposed upon district schools, yet are held accountable for academic results and student achievement. There is no tuition for charter schools – they’re free, just like your neighborhood school!

Parents submit applications directly to the charter schools they want their children to attend. If a public charter school receives more applications than the number of seats it has available, all applications will be drawn at random through a blind lottery. For a list of Texas charter schools, visit the TEA website.

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FIND SCHOOLS
NEAR YOU

AUSTIN | HOUSTON | SAN ANTONIO | TARRANT COUNTY

Once you’ve picked a school model or a few school models that you think will work for your child, we suggest using the school search tool to locate those kind of schools near you.

FIND A SCHOOL IN YOUR AREAGET HELP TODAY