Let’s be honest, when you were a kid, was there really anything better than finding out school's cancelled? Be it rain, snow, or a water main break, the reason for a school cancellation mattered not — only that you got to stay home. Few things can compare to the bliss children feel when they know there’s no school tomorrow.

Yet as a parent, finding out that school has been canceled can really mess with your day. Suddenly, you have to find a babysitter for your son or daughter. And if you rely on your school’s hot lunch program, you need to make sure your child has a nutritious meal for the day.

While you can’t stop Mother Nature, you can have up-to-date information about school cancellations so you have time to plan ahead.

One of the most important decisions you make as a parent is choosing great schools for your children. You want your son or daughter to learn about math, science, music, and art but you also want your child to grow socially and to learn about how the world works.

Today’s parents have a lot of choices when it comes to how their children are educated — traditional public schools, a variety of private and religious schools, home schools and publicly-funded charter schools.

Most people are familiar with and understand that the primary difference between private and public schools is how they are funded. Unlike private schools that require you to pay tuition for your child’s education, public schools are entirely funded through federal, state, and local taxes.

Charter schools are an entirely different breed of school. In fact, they are actually independently-run public schools that operate according to their own guidelines, while still meeting certain state and federal standards.