School Choice International
 | |
| Full name | School Choice International (SCI) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Members |
90 consultants in 50 countries (2010) [1] |
| Key people | Liz Perelstein, President |
| Office location | White Plains, New York |
| Country | International |
| Website | www.schoolchoiceintl.com |
School Choice International and its consumer division, specializes in school admissions and placement services. School Choice International provides education consulting for transnational companies and globally mobile families. The company has three main functions: aid relocating families find schools, help global companies set educational policy in regards to their employee’s children, and provide online tools.[2] School Search Solutions provides school placement and advisement services directly to families.
Operations
The company employs over 100 consultants in 50 global locations, including 9 special needs educators. The consultants work with families, especially those facing unplanned relocations or midyear moves, students with learning disabilities or learning style preferences, parents interested in exploring local schools in the host country, as well as families facing repatriation.
The company also has a research team that specializes in research projects for families and companies: helping answer specific questions about specific academic situations or creating educational policy for large multinational companies. School Choice International also developed Global Education Explorer, an online tool to help families understand and compare educational system all around the world.
School Choice International headquarters is located in White Plains, New York. The company recently appointed Timothy Dwyer as Chief Operating Officer.[3]
History
In 1998, Liz Perelstein founded School Choice International as a result of her husband’s business transfer to London. The move proved to be difficult in terms of school choice, and despite her credentials as an educator, Perelstein struggled to make an informed decision about her children’s education: to fully understand the British curriculum (and long term academic implications for her children) and compare it with the American and international schools available in London.[2]
She established School Choice International to help families choose the right schools for their children, based on understanding of local and international educational systems, as well as personal values and the circumstances of the family. Prior to founding School Choice, Liz Perelstein was a teacher, an educational administrator, a school board member, and worked at all levels of education, from nursery school through university. In 2006, she co-founded the British International School of New York, the first British curriculum school in the New York metropolitan area. She frequently writes and speaks on topics related to education, relocation, and women owned businesses. Ms. Perelstein holds two master’s degrees in Educational Administration, and Public Policy, from the University of Chicago.[4]