I’ve been schooled
January 29, 2008 – 8:12 amMy last few months have been occupied with just one thing.
Ok, ok, so they’ve been occupied with a few things… like learning how to cook vegetables, and blogging, and trying to keep my hair from mildewing in all the RAIN, and avoiding housework, and searching for a house cleaner. But none of these things provide the MENTAL TRAUMA, panic attack fodder and downright bloody anguish of this one thing, which is,
Researching, finding, selecting, and GETTING CJ INTO the perfect school (or at least one that won’t permanently warp, traumatize, and destine him for life as a tollbooth attendant*). You know, for kindergarten this Fall.
*Not that there’s anything WRONG with being a tollbooth attendant… I just don’t feel that I want this to be his ONLY choice.
Seattle, being the wondrous city that it is, has a whole PASSLE of options when it comes to schools.
You can do public schools, which include a range of alternative hippy-dippy-trippy to flash-from-the-past “this is JUST LIKE my old school!” to highly acclaimed international schools. Well except there’s no WAY you’re getting into that last one. Or probably the first one.
YOU’LL JUST BE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE GIVE YOU! Seems to be the actual mantra of Seattle Public schools.
Still we parents tour and interview and research our little hearts out and then CAREFULLY and PAINSTAKINGLY consider the schools to put on our selection form. There’s much strategy and consideration in the ORDER of school selections and WHICH SCHOOL YOU PUT AS YOUR WAITLIST school.
It’s enough to give anyone a massive headache.
Then, as if this weren’t enough to worry about, there’s the issue of “should we go with a private school” (said in hushed tones lest someone overhear and take offense).
Because, see, I started this whole insane process by touring SEVEN private schools. Why look at one when you can look at three? And why stick with three when you can visit seven?
After all the touring, I decided firmly and permanently that we would not go private. It’s just so expensive. And the parents seem kind of scary what with their nice cars and vacation homes and Fendi purses and perfect manicures and what-not.
But then a telephone conversation with a friend caused me to send in the application (with the $60 application FEE) in a last-minute rush of urgent desperation. Surely private school is the only way to ensure that CJ is happy, healthy and not forever destined for a life of illiteracy and “welcome to McDonald’s, may I take your order?”
Not that there’s anything wrong with working at McDonald’s. Well, except for the smell. And the greasiness. And the MINIMUM WAGE.
I was talking with a nice man at the playground last week and he said, “just go with your gut.”
But the problem is my GUT is ALL OVER THE PLACE.
My GUT vacillates wildly depending on the hour, the day, the phase of the moon, and who I happen to be talking with at any given moment.
WE MUST DO PRIVATE SCHOOL! IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO RELEASE CJ’S INNER POTENTIAL!
PRIVATE SCHOOL IS OVERPRICED, ELITIST, AND UNNECESSARY! WE WILL SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY! WE WILL GO PUBLIC!
And my gut and I believe both points of view… vehemently.
So the problem is that I’ve been trying to follow my gut. And let me tell you, with all the loops and dips and dives and sharp corners it’s enough to make me AND my gut sick.
(Another issue is that I still cannot for the life of me remember how to spell kindergarten. Also ‘permanently’ and ‘attendant’ seem to cause me problems. Is this a sign of intellectual deficiency? Probably. I did go to PUBLIC SCHOOL after all. AAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!)
In other (better) news, I got a new shirt! Check it out!!
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Don’t forget that this Friday (Feb 1st) is Hot Mamas Know time! I want your tips. I need your tips. Bring me your tips!!
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Mother. Coffee drinker. Information seeker. Skeptic. Creative. Dreamer. Schemer. Absolutely Bananas.
By Life As I Know It on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
We went through this last year. Toured schools. Put in applications. Worried.
In the end we decided to move and now we’re in really really really good public schools.
Crazy how competetive Kindergarten is these days, huh?
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By kittyhox on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
Ahem. I happen to be a toll booth attendant and my husband works at McDonalds. No, not really. I’m just popping over from Daring Young Mom’s site and thought I’d say hi.
My son is only 20 months old and I’m already stressing about school issues.
We can’t afford prep school, nor would we be likely to get in. But I hear so many horror stories about (egads!) PUBLIC school! At least in the area where we live, in SW Seattle. I’m thinking a happy medium, like a nice little Christian or Catholic school. Not too pretentious or expensive. Smaller classes and stuff like that. The faith-based curriculum would be a plus for us, although not for everyone, naturally.
Good luck in your decision!
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By Mom of 5 on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
I have 3 kids in elementary school, and I just registered my 4th for kindergarten this evening. I live in a large city and have a lot of options. But I chose the school near my mom. I use her address and all 4 kids will be in the SAME elementary school next year! (k, 2nd, 4th, 6th) Yeah, I’m one of those parents who lied about my location just to get my kids in a good school. But it’s worth it to me. The bonus to 4 kids in the same school is they tattle on each other and all of the teachers know their names! Bonus #2 is that my mom watches them after school, and the bus drops them off at her door since she’s in the district! We make lots of sacrifices for our kids’ educations, don’t we?
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By Hillary on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
What a nightmare! Good luck with everything!
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By Midwest Mommy on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
I was a public school teacher and from my experience most teachers who can’t get hired in a public school turn to a private school. What does that tell ya? I am not sure what it is like by you with all the options but around here that was the way it went. I think public schools can be great but I would request the teacher that you want. Trust me there are good and bad teachers wherever you go. Good luck :-)
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By Smiling Mom on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
Boy, I could have written this exact post, and I’m a public school teacher. I’m already stressing about it and I have 1 1/2 years left… oy.
But being a public school teacher I don’t have enough money to fund the private school education.
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By Loralee Choate on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
Yes, well Seattle doesn’t have copyright on that attitude. Trust me.
This would be why we put our boys into a Charter School.
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By the mom on Jan 28, 2008 | Reply
What about homeschool? {slightly deranged chuckle}
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By Krista on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
It sounds like you’re having a conflict between community interest (”public schools support the community”) and private interest (I want CJ to have ever possibly chance - or a chance at all to excell). So which one is more important to you?
(no, I’m not being sarcastic)
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By JaniceNW on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
You want my tips on how not to wear make up? How to look younger than you are by being chubby cuz fat cancels wrinkles?
My kid went to public school, works for Amazon and has better bennies that we do. He did not finish hs(his choice) and works warehouse but loves it. Kids have this way of doing what they want no matter what kindergarden they went to….
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By PufferfishMommy on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
My kids went to private school until my oldest was in 3rd grade. That’s when we pulled them out to homeschool. Got tired of all the politics involved with the private school.
It’s a tough decision to make, but you will figure it out. And until then, just remember that kids are resilient and very forgiving! :)
Bev.
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By Joe Bruzzese on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
Indeed you have been schooled, manipulated and sent through the spin cycle at least once. Watch out for Kindergarten zealots who have charted their child’s career course at age 4. There’s a long road ahead. As a private school pupil turned public school educator I see both sides. I marvel at the kids who come out of public schools in the darkest areas and go on to thrive in the world. I’m equally amazed by the private school child who graduates from the Best and Brightest Academy and then subsequently chooses to disconnect from society. And there are plenty of success stories and heart wrenchers from both sides.
Point: the schools do not guarantee a life of happiness and success. Parents do. The choices you make at home about guiding your child’s development will ultimately determine the person he becomes.
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By skiplovey on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
Oh wow, school. what a pain in the tuckus. Down here in the Los Angeles area everyone is going with some kind of private school now and the waiting lists are insane. we were blissfully ignorant of this until someone mentioned that we needed to get our son on a list somewhere. “Um but he’s only 8 months old”. And they said, unbelievably, well it’s a little late but there’s still time to get into a decent school. Arghghg, crazy making business.
It’s such a toss up, public or private. Much as I’d love to do public, the schools are so bad here we don’t really have a choice.
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By Kimmylyn on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
I am so not ready for this stress and yet it is right around the corner.. Good luck with your decision.
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By Amy on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
This is so hard. We have it easier because we are Catholic, and the Catholic schools here are great and while not cheap by any means, cheaper than secular private schools. There are many non-Catholic families at our school too.
I had my daughter in public for 1-2 grade, wanting to support it and being zoned for the best elementary school. Well ya know, that wasn’t such a great experience.
Don’t let politics in private put you off. There is plenty of it in public too. And don’t think you can just request a certain teacher and get him/her either.
I feel your pain!!
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By Queen of Shake-Shake on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
My opinion…there isn’t a perfect place to send your kids.
I’ve researched different options too and each have drawbacks that I don’t like. So we tried the free one first…it has had bumps, but then I think any of them would.
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By Lela on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
We are actually looking at Catholic schools, even though we aren’t Catholic. They are reasonable priced, no wardrobe competition with uniforms, and if they aren’t Catholic, they don’t have to take the Catechism class!
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By Amy on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
We moved from San Francisco because the schools are even more crazy than Seattle. I was happy that we could send our son to public school. However, we started him in a private school that has a preschool. I love the school so much that we’re staying. Ironic that we moved to get away from the crazy competitive school thing, yet we seem right back in it.
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By MommyTime on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
Here the competitiveness is all about “should I keep my kid home for an extra year to give him/her an extra edge next year when he/she is the oldest in the class and thus can totally kick all the younger kids’ a**es in sports, out-think them in math, and write circles around them when it comes time to do those college application essays in 13 years?” This is a burning topic of much conversation that simply exhausts me already. And my oldest is still 1.5 yrs from being able to start kindergarten. I feel your pain.
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By Maureen on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
Wow, I didn’t think you had to stress like this until College. Up here in Canada, I never gave it a second thought; we just sent our daughter to the school nearest us (public of course). Never had any problems, and now that’s she’s in Grade 11 (with honors - she loves school), she has already decided where to go after graduating next year.
Good luck with whatever decision you have to make.
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By Queeny on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
Public School Rocks — and so does that Pink Tee.
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By amanda on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
ooooh! Snazzy shirt! I like it! My daughter Allie is just two. I dread when it’s time to find a school for her.
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By thediaperdiaries on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
We are going through this right now. Our problem…I have found the PERFECT Christian school and now am in the nailbiting process of seeing if we got it. I have no back up. No back up!!! It is enough to make you just want to lay in bed all day eating brownies. Or maybe the 2 aren’t related and I just really want some brownies…
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By AFRo on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
I am so effin jealous that you actually have public school options there. It is out of the question in this corner of the U.S. My husband and I cannot afford to buy a home because all of our income is currently paying for our kids’ school. Crazy insane isn’t it?
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By missburrows on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
You’ve gotten all the good sound advice already, so how about this…
Write each school’s name on a piece of paper, fold them up, put them in a hat and let your son pick.
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By Chelsea on Jan 29, 2008 | Reply
Oh, I feel for you! When we were looking at schools I actually started crying while I was talking to two different principals at two different schools. (Crazy much?) In the end, we are thrilled with where our kids are enrolled and plan to keep forking over the big bucks to keep them there. I can go 12 more years without new shoes, right?
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By MamaGeek on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
I’m already afraid of this school searching phase. Perhaps the tollbooth attendant career isn’t so bad after all.
I kid. I kid.
KEWL shirt.
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By magnolia mama on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
I’ve heard the “go with your gut” line a lot regarding Seattle schools. My gut says $17,000 is too much to spend on kindergarten.
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By Mommy Cracked on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
Love the shirt!! Choosing schools is SUCH an ordeal. I have a few years (ok, 2) before we have to do that, but I am already dreading it.
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By An Ordinary Mom on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
Fabulous shirt!
I am dying to know what you have decided to do and what public and/or private schools you liked. We went through this just two years ago and the public school we went with has been more than wonderful!
Hang in there, you WILL make the right decision.
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By Believer in Balance on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
Great shirt though!!!
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By Zenmomma on Jan 30, 2008 | Reply
Yeah that whole school thing sucks BIG time. That’s why we just don’t bother with it. My kids are unschooled and learning out in the real world. They’ve grown into a couple of kick-ass teens if I do say so myself. And neither one is undereducated or destined to a life in a tollbooth. :-D AND we lead a pretty stress-free existence.
Just thought you might like to hear a different perspective.
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By Shauna Loves Chocolate on Jan 31, 2008 | Reply
LOVE the shirt!
As for schools… I hate that topic. It gives me a headache. I’m not even going there.
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