It really depends on what "flavor" of education you prefer for your kid. There are the Catholic and private schools, Charters like LCCS, and Public Schools.

What's your philosophy in educating children?

there have been a lot of jc school discussions here on jclist.

this was recent about Cordero which you likely saw -
http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=423124

there was this - http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=370933

Some of the private schools maintain Facebook pages. You can try corresponding with some of the parents who comment on the school's page to get their opinions. I found this technique useful when reviewing medical groups. The people I talked to were very informative. Sites like Greatschools or other sites with a limited number of commenters can get cranks or fake posters writing b.s. posts.

I am in a similar situation... trying to figure out where to send my son and how to afford it when he hits school age. 1st step is opening a Coverdell ESA account, so at least I can put some $$$ in a tax sheltered account to help pay for private school.

As someone who teaches in an inner city urban NJ district I feel your pain, but it is not really getting better. The pre-k through 8 school I find to be awful on both ends of the spectrum. It is terrible for the little ones and the 6th through 8th graders do not learn to take personal responsibility. There is also too much focus on discipline, math, language arts, and any of the other standardized testable subjects. Enrichment subjects are really just treated as prep periods for other teachers. The vision of Horace Mann has been lost.

I'm looking for a good resource to research both public and private schools in JC (and NJ for that matter). I'm aware of a few sites that grade schools based on their test scores but those sites don't provide any information about the safety of a school or the learning environment.

I recently enrolled my child at Cordero for Pre-K but decided not to follow through after visiting the school and seeing its dilapidated condition, noting that middle schoolers are in the same facility as 3 year olds, and seeing a teacher berate a preschool aged child on the playground before huffing off to sit on a bench and look at her phone. I have read some positive accounts from parents who have sent their children to Cordero but I've also read accounts of bullying that went unaddressed. More than anything I want my child to be in a safe and nurturing environment.

Would love to hear about other experiences at Cordero or from parents who have opted not to send their children to JC public schools and any resources for private school enrollment.

Hoping not to get the usual JCList response that I should just move to the 'burbs. I've been in JC for 20 years.