1. Your child is hesitant to go to school or worn down and unhappy at the end of most school days
2. Your child has made little progress in the past year — academically, socially, emotionally or physically
3. Your child is not performing as well academically as you reasonably think (s)he can
4. Your child says "school is boring" or expresses little interest in what (s)he's learning
5. Your child learns more in a core subject outside of school than in school
6. Your child's teachers do not seem to understand your child or appreciate your child's strengths
7. Your child doesn't seem to have any close friends or friendly acquaintances at school
8. Your child regularly makes poor choices at school, such as befriending bullies, choosing work of little interest, focusing on weaknesses rather than strengths — and school staff does nothing to intervene
9. You or your child are worried about your child's health, behavior or personal well-being at school
10. Your child shows symptoms of stress only when school's in session (e.g., sleeplessness, fatigue, excessive clinginess and whining, new nervous habits, regressing to younger behaviors)

Adapted from Picky Parent Guide: Choose Your Child's School with Confidence, The Elementary Years (K-6). © 2004 by Armchair Press, LLC. All rights reserved.

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