8 ways to pick the best driving school for your Atlanta homeschooler
As the parent of a homeschool student, you already know the benefits of educating your child at home instead of in the formal setting of a public or private school. Although educated at home, homeschool students still experience the same milestones as in-school students. One of these is getting a driver’s license, the first step to mobility and independence. Yet, parents struggle with finding the best school for their homeschoolers. If this is the case, here are 11 ways to rate driving schools in Atlanta and find the best one for your homeschool student.
1. Does the driving school offer daytime driving discounts?
Homeschool students have more flexibility to learn how to drive a car than in-school students. Does the driving school offer discounts on in-car lessons when taken during school hours? For example, Drive Smart Georgia offers huge savings for homeschool students when lessons are taken between the hours of 7 am – 2:15 pm. The $499 package for homeschool students drops to $400, the $549 package to $440, and the $699 package drops to $560. When considering different driving schools, be sure to ask if they offer homeschool discounts. These can save you a carload of cash.
2. How have past customers reviewed the school?
One of the best ways to review a driving school is to turn to the Internet. Customers of a particular driving school will write reviews – both good and bad. Be sure to head to Yelp or Google Reviews to read about parents’ experiences with different driving schools in Atlanta. If a school has a lot of bad online reviews, steer clear and find one that’s a better match for your homeschool student.
3. Does the driving school specialize in teens?
Not all driving schools in Atlanta are alike. In fact, many specialize in DUI classes, but also offer Drivers Ed as an afterthought. If you don’t want your homeschooler hanging out with adults charged with DUI, seek out a school that specializes in teens. Because they learn differently than adults, a good driving school will offer a high-energy program that’s tailored specifically to new and inexperienced drivers. There’s simply too much at stake and your child’s life could depend on it. Choose wisely.
4. Check out the classroom
If you’re interested in a particular driving school, be sure to pay a visit. Does the classroom look like it’s seen better days? Are the books decades old and falling apart at the seams? The Drivers Ed industry has been stagnant for years. Look for a driving school that utilizes the latest technology to teach and reach teens, just like your homeschooler.
5. How is their fleet of cars?
When it comes time to send your homeschooler out on his first in-car driving lesson, you want to make sure the car is safe, dependable, and clean. If you wouldn’t want to drive the car, you certainly don’t want your child learning how to drive in it. Be sure to ask questions about the cars and accident rates before choosing a driving school. Some more progressive schools even offer an eco-friendly fleet of cars to reduce their carbon footprint. Now, that’s cool, right?
6. Are the instructors dynamic and engaging?
When choosing a driving school for your homeschooler, try to meet one or more of the instructors. Will they be able to engage your teen to make Drivers Ed not only educational, but fun too? Ask about their teaching methods. Will your homeschooler watch fear-inducing videos from the 70’s? Or will students be encouraged to participate in hands-on learning activities?
7. Can you schedule everything online?
All parents are busy, but homeschool parents never seem to have enough hours in their day. Before picking a driving school for your homeschool student, make sure that you can sign up and schedule everything online. This will save you precious time in what can be a time-consuming process. If you can’t do everything online, then skip on over to another driving school.
8. What is the driving school’s pass rate?
Let’s face it. Drivers Ed isn’t exactly cheap. Before finalizing your choice, ask the driving school about their pass rate. If only 50% of its students pass the test on their first try, that’s not a good indicator. On the other hand, if 90% or more pass on their first try, then the driving school is doing something right.
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ATTENTION HOMESCHOOL PARENTS – If you would like to arrange a group class for your homeschool group, please call us at (770) 232-0903 and we’d be happy to arrange it for you!
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