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LOCAL MOM PENS SCHOOL GUIDE
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Laura Eversz
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Fiona Whitney’s school search inspired her to pen guide books which later led to a consultation service.
THE WHITNEY GUIDE HELPS PARENTS CHOOSE BEST SCHOOL FOR KIDS
I sure wish I’d met Fiona Whitney 11 years ago. Having just moved here from the midwest, I was in a panic as I considered the array of options—not to mention the cost—of educating my two school-aged daughters.
Whitney’s search for middle schools for her own two kids—Charlotte is now a senior at Immaculate Heart, and Bevan, a sophomore at Humboldt State University—is what led her to pen “The Whitney Guide” in 2003. The 7th edition of the book, scheduled to be released in the fall, features reviews of more than 80 private elementary, middle and high schools in the greater L.A. area. Another guide covers 70 of the area’s top preschool.
“I had the brochures and they all looked the same,” Whitney tells me in the kitchen of her Wilcox Ave. home. “Special classes, small student-to-teacher ratio, science labs, blah, blah, blah.” She was also armed with opinions from friends and neighbors who had their own ideas about which schools were the best.
“But I realized there was nothing out there that would really give me a flavor for the school without all the bias,” she says in her charming British accent. “What you don’t get is the feel of the place, the physical look. And I’m a big believer in how it feels.”
The more she researched, the more Whitney understood the variety of reasons for parents’ private school choices, including financial, educational, geographical, religious. “I also learned that all private schools were not created equally.”
Some kids need the challenge of a rigorous, college-prep curriculum, while others do well in a less-structured, creative environment, she says. “When all is said and done, every child should be in the environment where his talents and strengths can be nurtured.”
With that in mind, she wrote the guide in the hope that it would help parents focus in on the school that would be the best fit for both the parent and child. “What my guides do is narrow down the choices for parents,” Whitney says. “You start with, say, 12 schools that you like the sound of. Then you get my book and you settle into bed with a cup of cocoa or whatever you like to drink, and off you go.”
Whitney, who has visited “each and every school,” gives an idea of the 150 sites’ physical settings, as well as the school’s philosophy and in-depth information about teaching methods and programs. She also includes a worksheet where parents can jot down their thoughts.
The guides save time, money and frustration, Whitney says. “First, they’ll help you narrow down the number of places that you visit. And by compiling your own short list, you’ll save money because you won’t need to apply to eight or more schools at up to $100 per application.”
Most importantly, she says, is that just about everything you’ve ever wanted to ask someone about a school is there in her guide.
As if that weren’t enough, she offers phone, one-on-one and group school selection counseling. “I’ve had a lot of experience and I’ve learned a lot from parents that I can pass along. I’m really just handing down what I’ve learned.”
In consulting with parents, Whitney says she’s often asked to affirm their decisions.
For instance, a couple who live in West Hollywood had applied to a highly regarded private school on the west side. “We met for a consultation and they asked me what I thought,” she recalls.
“I said to them ‘you live in W. Hollywood and you have one of the best public schools in the area right up the street from your house. Go take a look at it.’”
So the dad comes back, Whitney continues. “And he says to me, ‘I’m so happy.’ He had the $14,000 deposit check for the private school in his hand. He ripped it up in front of me and said ‘now I can build that pool and take the family on a trip to Europe.”
Don’t be too concerned about getting your child into the most popular school, or even the school that is the most difficult one to get into to, says Whitney, an advocate of public schools. Her latest editions include information on magnet and charter schools.
“The key is to keep an open mind and select the school that best fits your child’s needs.”
For more information, go to www.thewhitneyguide.com
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