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Try conducting a Google search for “Top questions to ask when looking for a private school for my child.” You’ll find a plethora of advice—everything from pedagogical styles to teacher training, tuition, inclusion, and diversity. When you visit CCAC for a tour or even browse our website, you’re likely to find answers to most of these common questions.

So, instead of focusing on the usual questions, I thought it would be fun to mix things up. 

Welcome to:
“Five Questions NOT to Ask When Looking for a Private, Christian School for My Child.”
Although I haven’t been Head of School at Christ Classical for very long, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in early education administration and I can tell you, I’ve heard every one of these questions. Hopefully, they’ll give you a chuckle today. Here we go!

Question 1:
"My child is the smartest kid ever born—much brighter than all the other kids her age. Can you make sure she skips a grade if I enroll her at your school?"
Answer:
This question is usually met with an awkward laugh, followed by an explanation of our regular enrollment testing and a meeting to discuss placement options. A good school will evaluate what’s best for your child—not just accommodate parent requests. After all, skipping a grade isn’t always the ticket to academic success; it’s often more like skipping a chapter in a book you really should have read.

Question 2:
"May I come and observe my child’s teacher in the classroom?"
Answer:
Nope. For the safety of our students, and to avoid the inevitable disruption this would cause, most schools do not allow parent observations. However, rest assured, we take teaching quality very seriously. Teachers are observed regularly by peers, administrators, and experts for evaluation and training purposes. So, while you cannot sit in, you can be confident that someone qualified is keeping an eye on things. You’re welcome to volunteer at school or serve as a substitute teacher though! These opportunities would provide more insight into our day-to-day operations if you’re interested. 

Question 3:
"I want my child to attend Christian school, but we are not Christian believers. Can you please exempt her from all Christian curriculum, prayer, chapel, and other faith-based learning?"
Answer:
Sorry, not sorry! As a Christian school, our main goal is to integrate faith and learning to help students develop a Christian worldview. Separating faith-based elements from the curricula would be like removing strings from a guitar—it’s just not going to work. If you’d rather your child not learn Christian values, morals, and ideals, we’re probably not the right school for you.

Question 4:
"Since I’ll be paying tuition to send my child to your school, you’ll have to do whatever I want, right?"
Answer:
Okay, no one phrases it quite that bluntly, but it often comes out as, “If you don’t do [this or that], I’ll just take my kid out of your school” or “For the tuition I pay, I expect the teacher to [do this or that].”
Here’s the thing: we offer a service that we believe is unique and valuable. We want every student to feel joy here and to thrive in our classrooms. But—spoiler alert—no school can be everything to everyone. We  do everything in our power to meet our students’ needs, but sometimes, the expectations are more than can be reasonably delivered. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with families to provide the best outcomes for our students. That’s the ultimate goal.

Question 5:
"What are you doing to guarantee my child gets into an Ivy League college?” -OR- “What are you doing to ensure my child earns a college scholarship?"
Answer:
We’d love to have that magic wand, but college acceptance and scholarships have to be earned. That said, we’re doing everything possible to set up students for success. We meet high school graduation requirements, offer daily (free!) tutoring during Subject Support time, keep parents updated with grades on RenWeb/FACTS in real-time, hold parent-teacher conferences at minimum twice a year, maintain low student-to-teacher ratios to ensure individualized attention is provided, offer college prep electives (hello, CAPE!), take students on college tours—you name it.
But ultimately, students must take ownership of their education. We’re here to support, guide, and cheer them on—but it’s their hard work and determination that will unlock the doors to those big opportunities.

I hope this gave you a smile (and maybe a helpful insight or two). If you’re considering Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte, we’d love to answer your questions (except for the five above) and help you decide if we’re the right place for your family. In all seriousness, we’ll look forward to hearing from you soon. Set-up your tour today and get first-hand, personalized answers to ALL your questions.