Educational Consultants for Help Choosing a School
See Also: More Reviews of Educational Consultants
Parent Q&A
We had both a daughter and son who wanted to leave their current schools (which were quite small). They both opted for boarding schools in the East. We used an excellent private high school placement counselor (Christine Southgate, Nextstep) who found schools that had openings for their gender and grade. In the case for our daughter, it was the 2nd or 3rd week of August before 11th grade when she decided she didn't want to go back to her current school. Within a week Christine found 7 schools in the east and arranged for us to visit and interview. We got on a plane, traveled to all the schools, and by their start date right after Labor Day weekend, she was in a new school. We used her again with our son, who in March of 9th grade, decided he didn't like his current school, and we had more choices and he went to the new school for 10th grade.
Archived Q&A and Reviews
- Which kindergarten?
- Need Help with High School Selection
- Help pinpointing best school for 1st grader
- Seeking consultant to help select private school
RE: Which Albany Kindergarten?
Feb 2012
We recently went through the craziness of choosing a school for our son who will enter kindergarten in the fall, so I feel your pain! While I can't speak specifically to the Albany choices, I recommend you contact Theresa Lozach. She is an educational consultant. I first talked with her by phone and then met with her in person, and both interactions were all I hoped they would be. We were struggling with the many schools, the many things to consider, the many ways of looking at what's right for our child, and she brought us such calm and clarity. She really helped us sort out the facts and our feelings and guided us in choosing a school that matches both our goals and our son's personality and needs. She has many years of experience, so much passion for her work, loads of useful information, and best of all a real understanding of what it's like to be in this process! Check out her blog (http://beyondqualityco...) and give her a call. You'll be glad you did! Happy Parent
Need Help with High School Selection
Dec 2011
We need some guidance and help with looking at high schools. It is so overwhelming. Can you recommend someone to help us. Have you ever heard of Gail Berland or Amanda Mallory? Please send your recommendations. thanks! Middle School Mom
Amanda Mallory is very experienced and professional, in addition to kind. She was an immense to us when we were looking into alternative highschools for our son who was struggling at the time. I can't say enough wonderful things about her. HTH Grateful mom
Help pinpointing best school for 1st grader
Nov 2009
We need someone to help us. Our son is in first grade in a bilingual school (this is his 4th year, has been there since pre-K). While his language acquisition is great, it is becoming clear to us that the school's learning approach is not a good match for our son. He is very interested in science and hands on work (a kinesthetic learner), and the emphasis in the program is on language acquisition and verbal engagement (auditory learning). We are considering moving him to a different school -- but the thought of navigating the search for private schools in Oakland is extremely daunting. We were hoping that we could get a recommendation for an education consultant -- someone who really knows about learning and Oakland schools -- who could help us pinpoint the private schools that might be the best fit for our son. Any recommendations would be much appreciated! Help us find a school for our hands on learner!
We were so lucky to have found Ethan Ris from another parent on the newsletter. I have talked to some other consultants but found that Ethan to be the most reasonable and helpful. Yes he looks very young, but he has been in the business for quite a few years and has a good connection and understanding with teenagers. He answers calls/emails quickly. We used his Diagnostic Evaluation package but he went beyond. He gave great tips on essay ideas and strategies on why my son should apply certain schools and why to avoid others. He is warm hearted and always willing to help. If it's anything quick, he'd help you even without charge. For us, he read and commended on my son's essays and answered our ''emergency'' questions (i am sure you will have one or two of those in the last minute) how to fill application forms. His fees are very reasonable and he does not just watch his clock and to count the fees. He goes to your home to meet the child and parents, that's another big plus. his website and contact info is in google. i think he does hourly rate too which is really reasonable in the bay area. good luck to you! we have another child who will need such advisor in a couple of years. we will definitely use his service again. you can contact me for any other questions.
Seeking consultant to help select private school
Dec 2008
We would like to move our energetic third-grader to private school, and are searching for a consultant who can help advise us. Any recommendations? DC
I would highly recommend Nancy Blum. She's lived in the Bay Area most of her life, raised her children in Marin and knows all the principals and schools throughout the Bay Area. Her background is in education and she's been an educational consultant for many years. She's absolutely lovely! She really listens to what you're looking for, what your child's interests are, and understands best ''fit''. She can be reached at 415-435-2414. Best of luck to you. Dana
I am not aware of a freelance high school counselor focused on the East Bay. Our private middle school has one on staff, which I think is most common. You could start your research with greatschools.org.
I have a current 8th grader; my best advice is to get serious about this fast so you can start attending school events (for public schools) and admissions events (for private schools) beginning in August/September to get a feel for school cultures and have your daughter feel comfortable with her options. My child is a slow to warm up person and it took lots of visits to campus for her to feel good about her two high school options.
My older child has a 504 for ADHD at their public high school. The tricky thing about this in high school is that the student MUST self advocate to follow what's in the plan - teachers will not consistently read it or follow it without nudging. Students get embarrassed and don't want to remind the teacher they only have half-homework, for example. In any case, if your student doesn't already have a 504, you should get one in place for next year that follows them to high school (at least through the start of the 9th grade year, where there's a meeting at some point to review the accommodations to see what is still relevant).
I highly recommend Margaret Piskitel from MP Educational Consulting. She helped my daughter on her search last year and knows the public and private high school scene really well. She takes on a small number of private clients each year, and has hourly and package rates. Her email is mpeducationalconsulting [at] gmail.com (mpeducationalconsulting[at]gmail[dot]com)