Alternative Schools

"Alternative schools" describes a broad collection of schools breaking from mainstream, traditional education. In a broad sense, alternative schools can describe all the private schools that separate themselves from public education for whatever reason. School listed at ourkids.net, such as Montessori schools, Waldorf schools, Arrowsmith schools and numerous others can all be called alternative schools.

Reasons people see the need for alternative schools include classroom structure or pedagogical orientation, as well as philosophical biases and essentially 'alternative' ideas about childhood development. Parents searching for Montessori schools, Waldorf or Arrowsmith schools also share the school's philosophy and are thus seeking an alternative to the public education system.

Our Kids Go to School has promoted independent education and alternative schools since its inception. Parents who are dissatisfied with public schools and seeking alternative schools will find our school search engine and school listings the perfect place to start in finding a school they like.

Often, especially in the United States, alternative schools entail a more flexible program than public schools. In some cases, these schools are focused on a uniquely innovative program; one example of this is the Arrowsmith School, although there are many others.

Alternative elementary schools
Quite often, Montessori schools are a choice for parents of elementary school aged children who are looking for an alternative school that will allow their child(ren) to be more creative or more free from structure. Many Montessori schools are ideal as alternative elementary schools.

As is the case in the United States, many of these kinds of schools attract students from a broad geographical area beyond the segregation inherent in public school districts; as such these might also be called magnet schools or public alternative schools.