The first Parent’s Guide to Hudson Valley Schools by Shannon Devereaux Sanford.

 

• Times Herald-Record Book Review

• Finding the right school: A Mid-Hudson guide

• By Mitchell Uscher, For the Times Herald-Record
• Updated Dec 16, 2010 at 5:11 PM
• “The Parent’s Guide to Hudson Valley Schools: Orange and Sullivan County Edition” by Shannon Devereaux Sanford includes detailed information about private schools, public schools, special education, day care, preschools, after-school activities and many other educational opportunities available in the region.
• In her introduction, Sanford writes, “Many of you reading this book have just moved into the area or are thinking of moving here and need to know where the schools are. Even if you have lived in either Orange or Sullivan County all your life you usually don’t start thinking about schools until you have a child. And so much has changed since you were a kid!”
• While it provides a lot of in-depth data, the book does not compare schools or give opinions about them.
• “I have heard many stories in my compilation of this book, both good and bad,” Sanford writes. “Some of the schools I visited seemed competent, only later to hear pessimistic stories from parents who found it wasn’t suitable for their child. Inevitably I would run into a parent who thought that same school is wonderful and her children are flourishing there. Clearly, we all have unique children and specific needs that vary from family to family.”
• In addition to a comprehensive list of schools in the area, Sanford offers insights (such as the fact that preschools are not required to be registered with a government agency in the state of New York). She also suggests questions to ask when looking at schools for your children.
• Sanford, a graduate of the London School of Journalism, lived in Manhattan for a long time before moving to the Hudson Valley about five years ago with her husband and daughter. It took Sanford months to find the school that her daughter, Saige, now attends.
• She hopes her book will make this search a lot easier for others.

• Reprinted from The Times Herald Record