Back to School is About More Than Supplies: Does your child have an education strategy?

With millions of families preparing to get their children back to school, they tend to be focused on one thing – supplies. They scramble around ensuring that their child has the right supplies and some new clothing to start the new school year. None of that matters, however, if the educational plan isn’t a good fit to begin with. Without the right educational plan and path, it doesn’t matter what type of supplies and clothing the child has. They simply won’t be able to flourish. The good news is there are questions parents can ask now to help prepare for the best outcome.

“Not every school option is a good fit for every child, and it’s time that we take that into account,” explains Michelle Smith, Founder and Chief Education Strategist of Independent Education Group. “If we want our children to excel and flourish, we must consider more than the school rankings in order to help them. We must create the habit of doing an annual educational checkup as our children age, so we can ensure they are on the right path.”

Smith, an education strategist who advises families about the entire educational trajectory of their children, knows that putting a student in the right educational environment is going to make a world of difference. When a child isn’t in the right environment, they will often struggle, no matter what the parents do to help get them on track. She’s on a mission to help parents understand the importance of having an educational strategy that will help kids thrive, and she is urging parents to use the beginning of each school year as the time to do an educational plan checkup for each child in the family. Doing this annually will help ensure that the best decisions for each child are being made from kindergarten through college.

No two children are alike, making it crucial that people don’t assume all educational paths will work for everyone. It’s important to take each child into consideration so they can be matched with the best plan and path for them, which will provide them with the conditions and environment to succeed and flourish. Smith urges parents to understand that it’s not about the most prestigious schools, but rather it’s about finding the right educational fit for each child.

As she likes to remind parents, rankings may tell them about a school, but they cannot tell them if that school will be right for their child. Plus, each child in the family will benefit from their own strategic educational path, rather than taking a one-size fits all approach. An annual educational strategy checkup for each child in the family will ensure that everyone is getting what they need to thrive academically.

Many parents want to have more input when it comes to their child’s education, but are only now learning about what options they have. According to the U.S. Committee on Education & Workforce, a survey shows that 52 percent of parents want more ownership of their child’s education. They report that around half of all parents surveyed say they are fed up with the status quo in K-12 education.

There are 8 things every parent should consider as part of their new school year checkup:

• Whether or not this is still the right school for their child, just because it was in the past doesn’t mean the situation has changed. Be willing and open to consider the possibilities if the school environment isn’t a good fit for that child.
• Determine what success for that child looks like, focusing on details beyond grades. Consider the child’s strengths and weaknesses and interests. There may be better options that allow them to focus more on the things they are interested in and are worth exploring.
• If their child is prepared with the right skills in order to succeed in their classes. We can’t only focus on what is in the backpack. We need to ensure that the student has such skills as time management, the ability to study, executive functioning, and self-responsibility. There may be skills that need improvement.
• Whether or not they are helping their child too much. Parents want to help their kids succeed, but helping too much will have negative consequences and can keep kids from becoming confident problem solvers.
• Evaluating whether their child is having any difficulty with the transitions they are experiencing, such as changing from middle to high school. They may need an action plan.
• If they are aware of the opportunities that exist to help with their educational plans. These include any scholarship opportunities, special programs, and educational pathways. They are often overlooked by most families, which limits their options.
• Knowing when parents should step in and advocate for their child. It’s important that parents know when they should intervene and the best way to do it to get the most out of the experience.
• If they have a plan beyond the current semester. While plans can be changed as needed, it’s a good idea to have a road map of where things are headed.