# GradeYourSchool.org
> K–12 public, private, and charter schools rated by parents and students — the actual customers. Merit over bureaucracy.

Site: https://gradeyourschool.org
Tagline: It's your turn to give out the grade!
Audience: Parents and students grading U.S. K–12 schools and teachers anonymously with preset categories (no rant wall).

## Mission (exact)
Who are schools for? Schools and teachers exist to serve children and their parents, not the other way around. Somewhere along the way the message got flipped. We went from revering our children to revering teachers. Unions protect teachers whether they're great or failing, they're not there to protect the children. GradeYourSchool brings back merit. Great teachers get recognized, weak ones get noticed, and parents and students (the actual "customers") give out the grade.

Students are the ultimate customer. Education is to give them the brightest future possible.

## How we differ from GreatSchools / Niche / U.S. News
Those sites mostly remix government data (tests, growth, graduation). We publish parent experience grades: professionalism, real learning, classroom control, communication, safety, and more.

## Key pages
- Home / interactive map: https://gradeyourschool.org/
- Parent guides hub: https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/
- Example state: https://gradeyourschool.org/wi/
- Example city: https://gradeyourschool.org/wi/eau-claire/
- Sitemap: https://gradeyourschool.org/sitemap.xml
- Full machine summary: https://gradeyourschool.org/llms-full.txt


## Outside-the-box audience guides
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/school-districts-and-home-values/ — Do School Districts Affect Home Values? What Buyers Should Know
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/school-research-for-real-estate-agents/ — School Research for Real Estate Agents: How to Help Buyers Without Guessing
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/school-board-elections-parent-guide/ — School Board Elections: What Parents Should Research Before They Vote
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/school-referendum-voter-checklist/ — School Referendum Checklist: How to Decide Before You Vote Yes or No
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/military-pcs-school-guide/ — Military PCS School Guide: How to Choose and Transfer Without Losing Ground
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/remote-work-towns-schools-for-kids/ — Picking a Remote-Work Town for Kids: School Checks That Matter
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/best-districts-to-teach-in/ — How to Find the Best Districts to Teach In (Beyond Pay Scales)
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/thinking-about-homeschooling/ — Thinking About Homeschooling? A Clear Decision Guide for Parents
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/school-safety-checklist-parents/ — School Safety Checklist for Parents: What to Verify Beyond the Drill
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/co-parenting-school-decisions/ — Co-Parenting School Decisions: How to Choose Without a War
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/new-to-us-schools-immigrant-families/ — New to U.S. Schools: A Plain Guide for Immigrant and Newcomer Families
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/dyslexia-at-school-parent-guide/ — Dyslexia at School: What Parents Should Ask and Watch For
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/grandparents-guide-grandkids-school/ — Grandparents Guide: How to Help With School Without Overstepping
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/find-your-old-school-and-teachers/ — Find Your Old School and Teachers: A Guide for Alumni
- https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/employer-relocation-school-guide/ — Employer Relocation and Schools: A Practical Brief for HR and Families
## Parent guides
- [How to Tell If a Teacher Is Good (Beyond Test Scores)](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/how-to-tell-if-a-teacher-is-good/): A practical parent checklist for spotting strong teachers: learning, classroom control, communication, and fairness—not vibes or rumor.
- [How to Evaluate a School Beyond Test Scores](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/evaluate-school-beyond-test-scores/): Test scores matter, but parents also need safety, teaching quality, communication, and whether kids actually learn. Here's a practical framework.
- [What GreatSchools, Niche, and U.S. News School Ratings Are Based On](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/what-greatschools-niche-usnews-ratings-mean/): Plain-English breakdown of what major school-rating sites measure—mostly government data—and what parent experience they leave out.
- [What to Do About a Bad Teacher (A Calm Parent Playbook)](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/what-to-do-about-a-bad-teacher/): Step-by-step: document, meet, escalate, protect your child, and leave a structured rating so other parents get signal—not drama.
- [How to Talk to a Principal When Something Is Wrong](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/how-to-talk-to-a-principal/): A script and structure for parent–principal meetings: facts first, ask for a plan, set a follow-up date.
- [Parent Rights in U.S. Schools: A Plain-English Overview](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/parent-rights-in-schools/): High-level parent rights: records access, disability process basics, and how to use policy—not rumors—when advocating for your child.
- [Teachers Unions Explained: Who They Serve](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/teachers-unions-explained/): A factual, parent-centered explainer: unions advocate for educators' pay, conditions, and job protections—not primarily for students as customers.
- [Merit Pay for Teachers: What Parents Should Understand](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/merit-pay-for-teachers-debate/): A clear explainer of merit pay debates—what 'merit' can mean, common designs, and why parents should care about incentives.
- [U.S. Education Performance: NAEP, PISA, and the Long View](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/us-education-performance-naep-pisa/): A sourced primer on U.S. student performance trends using NAEP and PISA—what the scores show and what they don't.
- [Why Kids Fall Behind in Reading—and What Parents Can Do](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/why-kids-fall-behind-in-reading/): Evidence-aligned parent guide: reading difficulty causes, what to ask the school, and high-leverage habits at home.
- [Why Kids Fall Behind in Math—and What Parents Can Do](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/why-kids-fall-behind-in-math/): A practical guide to math struggle: missing foundations, pace, practice, and how to partner with the school.
- [Homework Help That Works (Without Nightly Wars)](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/homework-help-that-works/): Parent tactics for homework: routines, time boxes, when to help vs when to stop, and when to email the teacher.
- [Screen Time and School Success: A Parent Framework](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/screen-time-and-school-success/): How screens affect sleep, attention, and homework—and a simple household policy that sticks.
- [Choosing a School When You Move (Relocation Guide)](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/choosing-a-school-when-moving/): How to shortlist schools when relocating: boundaries, tours, parent ratings, and what housing search gets wrong.
- [Charter vs Private vs Public Schools: Differences That Matter](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/charter-vs-private-vs-public/): Clear comparison of governance, funding, admissions, and what parents should evaluate in each sector.
- [Wisconsin School Choice & Open Enrollment: Parent Guide](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/school-choice-open-enrollment-wisconsin/): Wisconsin-focused overview of open enrollment and choice options—what to verify on official DPI pages before you apply.
- [ESAs and Vouchers Explained for Parents](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/education-savings-accounts-vouchers/): Neutral explainer of vouchers and education savings accounts—what they are, what varies by state, and questions to ask.
- [Questions to Ask on a School Tour](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/questions-to-ask-on-a-school-tour/): A ready-to-use school tour question list covering learning, safety, communication, and how struggling students get help.
- [How to Prepare a Child for Kindergarten](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/prepare-child-for-kindergarten/): Skills that matter for kindergarten readiness: language, self-help, routines, and social basics—without the panic.
- [How to Prepare Kids for Middle School](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/prepare-for-middle-school/): Lockers, multiple teachers, organization, and social shifts—what parents can practice before day one.
- [How to Prepare for High School (Parents & Students)](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/prepare-for-high-school/): Credits, habits, extracurriculars, and early career/college thinking without the hype.
- [How to Switch Schools: A Practical Parent Guide](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/how-to-switch-schools/): When to switch, what to document, timing, transcripts, and how to avoid repeating the same problem.
- [Classroom Control: Why Parents Should Care](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/fix-classroom-control-parents/): Why orderly classrooms are a learning issue—not a 'strictness' fashion—and how to spot problems early.
- [How Parents Can Support Good Teachers](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/how-parents-can-support-teachers/): Concrete ways to back excellent teachers—communication, boundaries, and public recognition through fair ratings.
- [Reading at Home: Habits That Compound](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/reading-at-home-habits/): Simple reading routines that compound across a school year—for emerging and fluent readers.
- [What Makes a Great Principal](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/what-makes-a-great-principal/): Parent-visible signs of strong school leadership: standards, teacher quality, communication, and safety.
- [Bullying at School: A Parent Action Guide](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/bullying-at-school-parent-guide/): Document, report, follow up, and know when a school culture problem is bigger than one incident.
- [IEP and 504 Plans: Basics for Parents](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/iep-504-basics-for-parents/): Plain-English difference between IEPs and 504 plans, and how to prepare for meetings.
- [Advocating for a Gifted or Advanced Student](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/gifted-students-advocacy/): How to ask for challenge without drama: evidence, options, and when to change courses or schools.
- [Summer Learning Loss: What Actually Helps](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/summer-learning-loss-parents/): What the research suggests parents can do in summer without turning June into school 2.0.
- [How to Read a State School Report Card](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/how-to-read-a-school-report-card/): Decode proficiency, growth, graduation, and subgroup data—and what still requires a parent visit.
- [Why We Educate Children: First Principles](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/first-principles-why-we-educate/): A first-principles look at schooling's purpose—and why parents and students must remain the customers.
- [How to Help a Struggling Student This Month](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/how-to-help-a-struggling-student/): A 30-day parent plan: diagnose the gap, partner with the teacher, add practice, and escalate if needed.
- [Parent–Teacher Conference Tips That Get Results](https://gradeyourschool.org/learn/parent-teacher-conference-tips/): What to ask, what to bring, and how to leave with a plan instead of a vague smile.

## Data
School directory sourced from NCES CCD / PSS. Ratings are user-submitted parent grades.