Admit it. Mother knows best

Admit it.  Moms know a lot.  This week we have a guest blogger.  Jill Campbell is an educator and mother who recently completed the independent day school admission process and has some insights for parents engaged in the same process.

As a parent who has recently navigated the independent school admission process for our children. I would love to share my experiences of searching for schools and finding the right fit for my children.  I hope, as a mother, this will help many parents who might be considering options for your children's education.

My husband and I decided to investigate independent schools because we were not sure that the district public school was the best fit for our sons.  We are both educators and were concerned about growing class sizes and continued budget cuts.  Don’t get me wrong, many  public schools and their teachers do wonderful jobs at educating children, but I have been home with my sons for years now and I feel that I truly understand what makes their hearts beat and brains tick.  We wanted them to be individuals in their school, not just a number and we wanted a school community where all people were valued and could be involved.  Another factor for us to consider was that, being a musician, I wanted a school with a commitment to the arts.

While investigating our local public schools, we learned that our district has 30 kids in each kindergarten class and for a large portion of the day they are expected to sit at a desk.  After teaching in a public school for seven years, I recognized that many boys struggled with their behavior in school.  In my experience, this was not because that boys were deliberately “bad”, but because  they were naturally more active, more physical, and more assertive than some girls.  Instead of meeting the needs of young boys, many are heavily disciplined and made to feel their innate manners are wrong.  I didn’t want my young boys in detention or saddled with a dread of school because they were active little boys.

As we became concerned and confused about our educational options, we contacted Crisp Consulting + Coaching.  As a parent and educator, I knew that there must be a school out there that wanted to educate boys as vital children and not as tiny adults.  Brian was so helpful and encouraged me to explore our options in our city.  He encourage and supported our search and assured me that many schools would fit what we were looking for.  With that confidence, we ordered many information packets and took school tours all over the city with the thorough guidance of an educational professional.

We were delighted when we found a school that we fell in love with and more importantly, that our sons fell in love with.  When we walked into our final choice, I actually cried in the art classroom when I saw that there was actually a place that valued children for being who they are.

I was so thankful for the educational planning that Crisp Consulting + Coaching was able to provide for my family’s schooling needs.  Through out the process, Brian provided us with critical information and professional opinions while allowing my husband and I to make  and understand our ultimate decision. He constantly checked on our progress and answered many mundane questions with passion and reminded us of the reasons we started the admission process. From financial aid to application questions to tours and screening, the admission experience can be overwhelming.

If you are considering going through a school search, and admission process,  I would highly advise that you take the first step and contact a professional educational consultant.  You will feel so much better going through uncharted territory with a master guide. Don’t wait!!! You are making a decision for your family that is more important than where you go on vacation, what you eat for dinner, or what kind of car you drive. Invest in your children. You won’t be sorry!


We are so thankful to know that our children’s education will be beyond what we ever dreamed it would be.  Crisp Consulting + Coaching’s confidence in our family will change our son’s lives forever.

Jill Campbell holds a BM/ME in vocal music education from The University of Kentucky as well as a minor in violin performance. She earned both a MM in choral conducting and a Rank 1in Music Education from University of Kentucky and completed the Graduate Certificate in Orff Schulwek. Mrs. Campbell has experience teaching both elementary and middle school music in KY.  For the past eight seasons, she has conducted  the advanced choir and served as the administrative assistant for the Lexington Singers Children’s Choir . Mrs. Campbell is often a guest adjudicator and clinician for district and all-state honor choirs, including directing the 2008 KY ACDA All-State Children's Chorus and the 2010 CKMEA Elementary Honors Chorus.  She is married to Mickey, a high school economics and goverment teacher, and they have 2 boys, Andrew and Nathan.

Admit it. Prevention is the best medicine

Admit it.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of medicine.  We grew up hearing our wise North Carolinian grandmother’s adage frequently.  This axiom rings true on many occasions but especially when applied to financing a college education.  In our initial meetings with parents we discuss myriad ways to prepare for a  boarding school, independent school and college education.  Crisp Consulting + Coaching would like to share two ways to guarantee a penny saved is truly a penny earned for education.

529 College Savings Plan.  The 529 is a tax-advantage investment  plan that is used for post-secondary education expenses of a designated beneficiary.  Each state has a 529 plan that has two avenues:  prepaid tuition and savings.  Although a thorough conversation is needed to determine which plan would best suit your educational needs, the overall benefit is that distributions  for qualified higher education expenses are exempt from federal income tax.

Education IRAs.  These plans, such as the Coverdale Education Savings account, can be used for qualifying elementary, secondary and college education expenses.  Contributions to these accounts are nondeductible. The advantage of the  account, besides that fact it can be used for independent school, boarding school or college, is that the earnings are tax-free and remain so if utilized for education. 

Crisp Consulting + Coaching  has more information on saving for an education.  To learn more about  admission, education, financial aid and school options contact Crisp Consulting + Coaching or visit our YouTube Channel.

Brian D. Crisp is an independent educational consultant working with families in Asheville, Charleston, and Savannah  to optimize and realize their unique educational fit and admission success.  As a former professor, administrator, and teacher,  Brian has the knowledge and skills to counsel families in all aspects of educational planning.