UPDATED! Reassure me "wrong" elementary school choice isn't going to ruin DD1's life!

[smiles33]

See post 33. I am going Monday in person to ask them to rip it up!

I am second-guessing myself and could use some wise "been there, done that" parents to chime in. Something akin tro arivecchi's don't sweat the preschool angst thread but re: kindergarten/elementary school choice.

Our local neighborhood public school is the "best" in the district due to high socioeconomic backgrounds, high test scores, and newest facilities (<10 years old, large playgrounds and fields, etc.). We moved here in part because it is known for being a great school. However, it is also the least diverse and only offers 1/2 day kindergarten. I also learned that they have a new principal (from reading the last few newsletters on their website) and was dismayed to see grammar/spelling errors in his Principal's Message corner.

I really prefer a full day program since we both work and I don't want DD1 in the after school program for 6 hours from 11-5. A neighboring school offers full day K and isn't more than 10 minutes away. I have mixed feelings about this school though. This school is more diverse and has a wider spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds, which I value. I am not as concerned about lower test scores (as I figure it's related to socioeconomic background and not quality of teaching) but the facilities looked really dismal on a drive-by. There were far too many portable buildings and lacked an attractive outdoor space. It's not a fenced in playground yard space so kids can run right into the street and strangers can walk right up to them on the playground from the neighboring park. it looks so dark and dreary compared to the pretty new school with its sparkling new building and huge outdoor space that is fenced in. Yet this seems so superficial so I think what is really eating at me is that so many parents want to get into my neighborhood school and here I am bucking the trend. Am i missing something?

I also worry that I am short-changing DD1 since I assume our neighborhood school PTA probably raises much more money (average home price here is double to triple the average of the second school).

Yet I had to make the decision today and went with the second school. I called the second school's principal to see if I could get an appt. but was told tours are not allowed until May. Feb. 1 is the deadline for an intra-district transfer so I took a risk and signed up DD1 earlier today. She is now committed here until 5th grade. I was told i cannot change my mind after the application is approved as they hire teachers based on these requests.

Reassure me that I just have cold feet. Or tell me to call on Monday and have them tear up that application. Or just remind me that it doesn't really matter as both schools have basic supplies and resources and I need to be confident that my child can thrive anywhere based on what we will offer/supplement with at home.

[Tondi G]

I would call and tell them to rip up your application. Sure you don't really want your K in an after school program for hours but it's only for one year and she will be in full day school for the next 5 years after.

the unfenced playground open to a neighboring park would not make me feel comfortable with the 2nd school. The fact that you drove by and your thoughts were "dark" and "dreary" would make me change my mind... it's not what I would want to envision when I think of my children's Elementary School. Like you said "so many parents want to get into my neighborhood school" ... there is a reason for that. Having an active PTA is HUGE ... I am involved in our schools parent organization and we are very busy trying to raise money to fund things that our school district does not (PE and music). Having the extras really do make a difference.

I would be on the phone first thing in the morning on Monday. Especially since you said your child would be LOCKED in till 5th grade if the application goes through.

[happymomma]

I would call and tell them to rip up your application. Sure you don't really want your K in an after school program for hours but it's only for one year and she will be in full day school for the next 5 years after.

the unfenced playground open to a neighboring park would not make me feel comfortable with the 2nd school. The fact that you drove by and your thoughts were "dark" and "dreary" would make me change my mind... it's not what I would want to envision when I think of my children's Elementary School. Like you said "so many parents want to get into my neighborhood school" ... there is a reason for that. Having an active PTA is HUGE ... I am involved in our schools parent organization and we are very busy trying to raise money to fund things that our school district does not (PE and music). Having the extras really do make a difference.

I would be on the phone first thing in the morning on Monday. Especially since you said your child would be LOCKED in till 5th grade if the application goes through.

:yeahthat: I agree with previous post. I would stick with your neighborhood school. It's only for one year that you will need to worry about after school program.

[goldenpig]

It's not a fenced in playground yard space so kids can run right into the street and strangers can walk right up to them on the playground from the neighboring park.

This scares me. I would ask them to rip up your application.

[C99]

It's kindergarten. Don't stress. You can move her to the better neighborhood school at 1st grade, no? If you look at curriculum at the full-day K and half-day K and they are comparable, don't stress and don't sweat the small stuff. Where you send your child to K does not mean that you cannot move her or that you have to stay in that school forever. These are not line-in-the-sand decisions.

[sste]

Are either of the schools walking distance?

How do the art/music/gym/drama/etc. type specials compare?

If your daughter ends up needing either gifted/talented or some special therapy/learning intervention/disability, etc., how do the two schools compare?

Can you just do kindy in the new school and retain the option to switch back to your district school if you are not as thrilled as you would like to be?

FWIW, I could be quite happy with dark and dreary with fantastic teachers. The unfenced play area would bother me though.

[american_mama]

You do not make a strong case for the second school in what you wrote, but is there more to it? Why did you chose it? I know that I have written things on BBB that were meant to be a balanced pro and con of a decision, but ended up heavily slanted in one way. Surprise surprise, the replies tended to be heavily in the direction of my slant, and then I'd be puzzled. I realized that sometimes I wrote only the con of something because I wanted to really work out the cons. The pros of something were clear to me, or harder to write in words, and so they didn't come through in my posts.

What I mean is, based on what you wrote, I'd say tear up the application to the second school. But before you do that, ask yourself if there are more reasons to choose the second school than you indicated here and if those reasons stand up to a 5 year commitment. I am just taking a stab here, but you seem to think the first, richer school is kind of bland, homogeneous, and you feel a bit like one of the crowd going there. The second school seems like a more daring choice. That, and the full day kindergarten option, was my guess as to why you preferred the second school, but forgive me if I am wildly off-base.

The PP makes a good point that full-day kindergarten won't matter after kindergarten. I think a happy playground is a meaningful place for children: they go there every day and it's a bright spot in their day, when they can socialize and run and play. For both my DD's, it's probably their favorite part of the day and always has been (and they do well in school, don't have a problem sitting still, but even so, recess/lunch/gym are their favorite parts of the day).

I too hate misspellings, especially coming from teachers and principals, but eh, whatever. I think of what I like about our principal - leadership, connection to kids, positiveness, can-do attitude, kindness, confidence - and he'd still have all those qualities evenn if he had the worst writing skills in the world.

My kids attend a school with limited PTO involvement and limited money. Maybe I just don'tknow what I am missing, but I can tell you that LACK of a large or rich PTO doesn't define the school and it makes very little difference in what goes on in the classroom. As DD1 has gotten older, I care more about deeper learning experiences - things that come mostly from teachers during class time - and less about family fun nights and climbing walls and extracurricular stuff that I've heard about other PTOs doing.

And lastly, if you really want a longer view, I cannot provide that yet since my kids are still young. But I suspect that by high school, many of us will not be fretting about where we sent our kids to elementary school. But still, if you have a better option and are making a multi-year commitment (I cannot believe how rigid your system seems, very strange to me), I would go with the safer school choice.

eta: I also think it's a big red flag that you chose a school without a tour and the principal was not accomodating to your tour request. It may be just bureaucratic rules that prohibit tours now, but still, that does not send like a welcoming principal. I believe our principal gives tour anytime to anyone. Also, have you confirmed that you are locked in to this decision? Have you heard that from multiple sources or read it in anything official?

[baileygirl]

Without having toured the second school and being locked into thru 5th grade, I would call them on Monday and have them rip up the application. Also, keep in mind for the after school program a good part of that time will only be Kindergarten students.

[TwinFoxes]

I don't have BTDT, but I would ask them to rip up the application. If you had said "but the teachers are amazing" or "I got such a great vibe" I would not feel that way, well not as strongly at least. The unfenced play area would bother me, and I'm on the lower end of the paranoia scale.

I don't know your district, but I agree that having a PTA that raises money can be big, especially if you're from a state with severe fiscal problems.

Arivecchi's situation was different. I don't think pre-school matters as much, and I think she was choosing between fairly equal ones. K-5 is much more important.

Can you really not transfer DD after K? That is very strict.

ETA: I really think the importance of PTA fundraising depends on where you live. Where I am now, where all the schools are "good" not such a big deal. In LA, where I moved from and TondiG lives, you might not have paper for art projects in the classroom without PTA funds. Music was canceled in LAUSD years ago, PTAs fund music classes. PTA involvement can very much effect what DCs are taught.

[lmwbasye]

I say definitely get that application ripped up. Half day Kinder is not a bad thing (coming from a former full-day Kinder teacher) and there are some HUGE red flags to that 2nd school. Even without seeing it I wouldn't send my child there for any reason.

[turtle12]

i would recommend reconsidering -- don't you want your child's friends to be your neighbors? so much easier to schedule playdates, etc.

[KrisM]

I would not base a decision for 6 years of schooling on going to after care for 1 year. What does she do now? Are you home or is she at daycare? If she's at daycare, I don't see what the difference will be on being at another daycare/after care next year. If she's used to you being home, then being at school all day is going to be hard anyway, regardless of school or after care, IMO.

[smilequeen]

While I like full day K myself and I do think that in certain situations it turns out to be better (more time, less cramming, more specials, more recess). I would definitely NOT be locked into a school until 5th grade based solely on that. I DO personally think that early elementary school is the most important part of an education as it sets the foundation for their attitude towards learning. I would not get too hung up on diversity in a large public school setting. The studies I've seen show that kids segregate themselves out and it does not have the positive impact that people want to believe it does. In a smaller setting, I think it can be very helpful, but on a large scale, not so much. The playground thing would concern me too. Ultra state of the art facilities are not that important to me though. Education is more important.

I'd probably rip up the application unless there is a lot more to the other school than what you've listed here.

[pinkmomagain]

I was going to say rip up application and put your dc in a private full-time kindy for the rest of the year if you don't want her that long in after care. Then put her in the 1st PS for first grade.

[egoldber]

Well, I honestly don't think where a child goes for early elementary matters if they come come from an enriching home environment. Things like PTAs who bring in lots of money for extracurriculars (vs. teachers or whole subjects like in CA) is not that big of a deal. A child who comes from a family that supports learning, loves learning, models and instills a love of reading and is able to support in gaps in the education with it's own resources is frankly going to do fine academically anywhere.

I totally agree with american mama that the most important thing is the quality and kindness of the teachers that you get for your child. That may or may not necessarily be related to the principal. It has more to do (in your case) with the past principal since he/she did the hiring for most of the teachers in the school.

That being said, I would not let full or half day K influence my decision on where to go. K is only one year. If the full day is a big deal, then I would go private for one year. But honestly, after care is often the favorite part of my kid's day....

[Gena]

What is the Kindergarten after care program like? In my district, aftercare for half-day kindy includes an enrichment program that makes it more like full-day kindy. Do you have other options for aftercare? Local day cares often after an after school program and these can be very enriching a well. Or a local day care may offer a full day kindy program that suits your needs and you could transfer to the neighborhood school for first.

A non-fenced in playground would be a deal breaker for me.

[ECMom]

I say definitely get that application ripped up. Half day Kinder is not a bad thing (coming from a former full-day Kinder teacher) and there are some HUGE red flags to that 2nd school. Even without seeing it I wouldn't send my child there for any reason.


Ditto.....I'd call & rescind the application.

[Melbel]

Another vote to rip up the application first thing Monday morning due to the reasons posted above. There are WAY too many red flags with the second school and you are not going to have the opportunity to properly research before the deadline. Also, I imagine if you went from assigned school first, you would not be locked in, which would allow you to better explore the second school for the following years. IMO, the elementary years are very important because it sets the foundation for middle school which is the scariest time frame for me. While you can supplement learning at home, it is difficult to do so when you are working, you want your child to engage in sports/extracurricular activities, there is homework etc.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I had to shake off the bells and whistles of the one private school I fell in love with on a tour because I knew that fancy playground, beautiful campus...are not what a great education is made up of. It took me a while to get there though. :) The school we would have sent ds1 to, had a charter school not opened, was quite dingy, lacked a lot of the things the other school had (big auditorium, nice library...) but, the made do with what they had and used them well. In speaking with his preschool and k teachers I heard that pretty school was pretty lousy academically- all worksheets, no creativity- but the dingy school was super creative and had a really great educational philosophy. I really had to sit back and think about my education goals for ds1 when making my choice. I think a great education can be found in a lot of places...and some just don't show as well at first glance.

eta- oops! missed some details. I wouldn't have chosen it if I saw you hadn't toured. That's a big necessity, imo, and you should make every effort to get in there on Monday, one way or the other. The playground thing- are you *positive* that it is public during school hours? Not all are.

Beth

[Tracey]

Have them tear it up. Your intuition is talking to you or you won't have posted.

[justlearning]

I would call and have them rip up the application.

You said that the other school isn't more than 10 minutes away. FWIW, my older son goes to a school that is only 10 minutes away from our home. But so far we've only met one family who lives within a few miles of us that goes to that school (in addition to the two families that we carpool with).

In contrast, my younger son currently goes to our neighborhood school for pre-K. It's been really nice to just walk him to school, to meet all of the families from our neighborhood whose kids go there, etc. It's shown me that there's a lot to be said for going to a neighborhood school.

So from your post it's hard to see any reason that you'd want to drive to a school farther away except for the diversity and for the fact that it has full-day K.

But will your DD be able to ride a bus to that school? Could she ride a bus to your neighborhood school? In the future, if your work hours change, would you prefer that she's able to ride a bus to make it easier on you?

Regarding the after-school care, I don't think it's that bad of an option really. It could be nice for your DD to only have to be "on" for half a day of K and then get to relax and play with friends for the rest of it.

I'm surprised that the school won't allow you to tour it or sit in on a class. That would be a major concern for me. You would have to assume that some of the parents who are trying so hard to get into your neighborhood school have been able to tour the other school (or have their kids in it already), and there's a reason they're choosing your school. It's quite possible that it's not just the poor facilities that are making them want to go outside of their own school boundaries.

And, like others have said, I want my kids to be safe at school. The open playground next to a street and neighborhood park would REALLY concern me and would lead me to wonder what other safety measures they are lax in (or don't have the $ to implement).

The bottom line is one year at the other school wouldn't be terrible, but it's not just one year--they're saying that she's locked in until 5th grade. From what you posted, there's no way that I would want to be locked in to a school with the concerns that you already have about it in addition to so many unknowns (quality of teachers?).

[crl]

I have posted before about San Francisco's insane assignment system. Well, we got our fifth choice. I was not happy. In fact we filed an appeal and when that was denied, I started looking at privates. DS school is actually highly sought after, but I had all these reasons it wasn't a good fit for him.

Well, I talked myself down, with some help from dh, and we sent him off to this school I was so sure wasn't a good fit for ds. Turns out he has thrived there! His k teacher and his 1st grade teacher have been fabulous. All the things I was worried about haven't been a problem.

I don't know what you should do, but I just wanted to say that sometimes things really do work out just fine even when a school doesn't seem perfect.

Catherine

[bubbaray]

Yet another vote for having them rip up your application (wow, is this a unanimous thread or what?!).

My vote would be based in large part on the building. We live in an earthquake zone (same fault line as LA and SF). Old schools here are not up to current seismic standards and this is a huge controversy, even before the Haiti quake. I feel so so SO very blessed that DD#1 is in a brand spankin' new school.

I wouldn't base my decision on the 1/2 day kindy/aftercare issue. I would find another daycare or inhome care (what are you doing currently?) that will work with the 1/2 day K.

GL!

[daphne]

She is now committed here until 5th grade. I was told i cannot change my mind after the application is approved as they hire teachers based on these requests.


What does this mean? Is it truly binding? It's really the only thing that stands out to me as a problem...

[crl]

Yet another vote for having them rip up your application (wow, is this a unanimous thread or what?!).

My vote would be based in large part on the building. We live in an earthquake zone (same fault line as LA and SF). Old schools here are not up to current seismic standards and this is a huge controversy, even before the Haiti quake. I feel so so SO very blessed that DD#1 is in a brand spankin' new school.

I wouldn't base my decision on the 1/2 day kindy/aftercare issue. I would find another daycare or inhome care (what are you doing currently?) that will work with the 1/2 day K.

GL!

Old schools in SF have been seismically retrofitted, so I wouldn't assume an older building is less safe.

Catherine

[bubbaray]

Studies done here are showing that the "to code" retrofits are not as safe as new builds. DH is in the biz and is not impressed with the retrofits that are done. On top of that, most old schools here have NOT been retrofitted at all for budget reasons.

[mctlaw]

Add me to the list of rip up the app, mostly for your feelings re: safety.

[smiles33]

Argh! Had an entire post but DD2 grabbed the ipad and it's gone.

In short, American Mama had an astute observation. There is more to this. DH hasn't done any research because his good friend (who I also respect immensely) is planning to send her kids here (it's her neighborhood school). Plus, she is a ped so she has heard good things from parents. The lack of research by DH is making me anxious. We both agree we don't want to be "tiger parents" but i don't want to go the opposite extreme either and be too lax.


FWIW, both schools feed into the same middle school. Other answers to questions raised by other posters:

- DD1 is in all day preschool now and loves it. We had signed her up at a fancy Montessori school and then learned it was REALLY academic from the same ped. She recommended our current preschool, which is grungy looking but has fantastic teachers.

- we can't walk to the current school or proposed school. The lines were drawn so a long skinny strip on the westside of all the newer homes go to our neighborhood school as the developer built the neighborhood school.

[TwinFoxes]

Well, knowing that someone you know recommends it makes the other school a little more appealing. My big question is are you really, truly locked in through 5th grade? That's what makes me nervous, along with the unfenced play area.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ok, I was thinking about this a bit more and I change my answer. Stick with your home school. YOu chose it for a reason. Don't second guess yourself. It may not meet every thing you hoped for but that would be pretty unusual anyway!

Beth

[MMMommy]

I would run to the office and tear up the application in person if I had to! I would not give up six years of schooling in the highest rated zone school in order to avoid one year of half day kindergarten. Your description of the second school and its safety concerns/issues do not sound compelling. Others desperately want to be in your zone school, and I wouldn't ignore that. Go with your gut. If you are second guessing your decision, there is a reason. Rip it up!

[wimama]

That being said, I would not let full or half day K influence my decision on where to go. K is only one year. If the full day is a big deal, then I would go private for one year. But honestly, after care is often the favorite part of my kid's day....

I would get in there and have them rip up you application.

:yeahthat: If the 1/2 day program is a deal breaker for you, than maybe private school for a year would be a better option for you. What do the kids do in the second half of the 2nd schools K program?

K in only one year, what about the next 5 years? In my son’s K4 class there is a full and half day option. The cover all the K4 classroom material in the morning. In the afternoon they have recess, lunch, naptime and playroom time. So really I don’t think there is much difference between half-day programs and full-day programs. And, my DS loves afterschool care. At in K years, I think down time and free play time is important.

The 2nd school not allowing a tour until May is a major concern of mine. Why? What are they hiding? And, You can’t change schools until 5th grade. I find that concerning.

The unprotected play ground is another concern, especially with a neighboring public area. My DS playground is not completely fenced in, but it is protected from the neighborhood because of how it is located and his school is not near any busy streets and there are playground monitors. In addition K4 and K5 students only go to the playground with their teachers or with after-school care providers. I know my DS is safe on his schools playground. His school places high importance on playground safety. His school is private and parents take turns as playground monitors. The school places a high importance on safety.

It might not seem important now, but the neighborhood factor is important at least to us. Both the schools we considered for our son were in walking distance to our house. We are lucky to have two good options. My son goes to a neighborhood Catholic school and I really like the fact that he is going to school with kids from his neighborhood. In the first school you mentioned, you DD will be likely going to school with the kids in your neighborhood. It would make play dates easier, but I also personally makes me feel like we are part of our neighborhood and in our case our church's community.

The only pro of the second school you mentioned were the full day K and the diversity. I think diversity is great, but personally the other issues you mentioned would be more important to me.

[smiles33]

Ok I just had a long talk with DH and we agreed I will go Monday in person to ask them to rip up my app. We both agree that being locked in for 6 years and the fact that the principal refused to meet with me until May are red flags. Plus, given the state's budget crisis, I think more cuts are ahead and it will be better to be at a school where parents have more means to make up for those cuts. Sigh. The world is truly messed up when a parent foundation can donate $1 million to its schools (not in my neighborhood but in some of the affluent areas where I work 45 minutes from home and in the neighborhood where i grew up).

Now i am just hoping and praying they didn't just approve it on Friday afternoon! Thanks everyone for confirming what my gut was telling me.

[arivecchi]

I think you are making the right call! Good luck!

[MMMommy]

I'm glad you reached that decision. Of course, it is your decision to make, and what your gut tells you is important. Parental/community funding is key for our school district. Our small school district is supplemented by our city's non-profit school foundation. Our school foundation makes a huge difference b/c it supports class size reduction, reading specialists, enrichment specialists, technology, etc. For me, community support makes a huge difference in the quality of education.

Good luck on Monday, and keep us posted!

[Globetrotter]

I think you made the right decision.

The playgroup situation would make me very nervous, if indeed there is access to the public. It should be sealed off! In this day of budget cuts, a robust PTO fund can make a big difference.

Like PP said, you can switch later if you are unhappy with the neighborhood school. Also, I consider the personality and requirements of my friends before following them to another school. Some of them love schools that, frankly, i would never consider!

[Tondi G]

Now i am just hoping and praying they didn't just approve it on Friday afternoon! Thanks everyone for confirming what my gut was telling me.

I can't imagine that would be the case ... very few school districts have themselves together enough to receive an application and approve it in the same afternoon. If they try to tell you that I would tell them your child will be attending the school in your homes boundaries. PERIOD! I can't believe that once you put in an application they can lock you in for 6 years.... what if you truly have issues at a school (ie your child is being bullied etc.) and want to pull them and enroll elsewhere, you can't? you have no other choice? Thats crazy!

Follow your gut mama and stand your ground on Monday if they try to give you any trouble. Tell them exactly what you said here. You sat down and spoke with your husband about it and didn't like the fact that you couldn't meet with the principal till May etc. You want your child at your "home" school.

[vonfirmath]

The world is truly messed up when a parent foundation can donate $1 million to its schools (not in my neighborhood but in some of the affluent areas where I work 45 minutes from home and in the neighborhood where i grew up).

So you'd rather parents NOT be able to affect their kids' schools?

[maestramommy]

So you'd rather parents NOT be able to affect their kids' schools?

Well, I think I understand OP's feelings on this. We have a situation in our district where a parent submitted a petition warrant article to be voted on. Basically it says that a parent can make a donation to the teacher of their choice. 50% of it goes to a teacher's retirement fund, and the other 50% goes to the town for tax abatement of seniors 65 and older. This is submitted as an option instead of giving the teachers a raise, which they already haven't had for 2 years. I won't go into all of that mess because it's truly crazy how it works here, but *I* personally thought this gives new meaning to the term "merit pay." The ethical ramifications of this are enormous, assuming it manages to pass.

In the OP's district I would feel very uncomfortable with a parent foundation able to make such a large donation. It gives that foundation a lot of power over the district, which is not always a good thing, when you consider who might be the movers and shakers in that foundation.

[smiles33]

Well, I think I understand OP's feelings on this. We have a situation in our district where a parent submitted a petition warrant article to be voted on. Basically it says that a parent can make a donation to the teacher of their choice. 50% of it goes to a teacher's retirement fund, and the other 50% goes to the town for tax abatement of seniors 65 and older. This is submitted as an option instead of giving the teachers a raise, which they already haven't had for 2 years. I won't go into all of that mess because it's truly crazy how it works here, but *I* personally thought this gives new meaning to the term "merit pay." The ethical ramifications of this are enormous, assuming it manages to pass.

In the OP's district I would feel very uncomfortable with a parent foundation able to make such a large donation. It gives that foundation a lot of power over the district, which is not always a good thing, when you consider who might be the movers and shakers in that foundation.

Exactly. If the parent foundation gives that amount of cash, what are their expectations? Does the principal need to be deferential if one or more major donor parents insists on something for their child and says, "Well, I did donate $50,000...."

Ideally public education would be fully funded but the sad reality is that schools ARE relying heavily on parents with money to supplement their budgets.

[[email protected]]

Exactly. If the parent foundation gives that amount of cash, what are their expectations? Does the principal need to be deferential if one or more major donor parents insists on something for their child and says, "Well, I did donate $50,000...."

Ideally public education would be fully funded but the sad reality is that schools ARE relying heavily on parents with money to supplement their budgets.

The reality is that any parent who can afford to donate 50k is going to exert a large influence on the school regardless b/c of his power in the community.

I dislike it because in our district pretty much everybody donates between $750 and 1k for each kid. So our schools have new computers, teachers aids, science labs, music and art classes and gardens. It makes up for the state budget cuts b/c we don't feel them so acutely and we don't demand help for the 99% of school districts who can't get such generous parent support. Also, our community has lots of stay at home moms. If you have a parent or two in each class each day or parents keeping the library open by volunteering then you aren't going to feel the same pain as less affluent schools who have no aids and no librarian. There's less pressure from our community for Sacramento to fund all schools b/c our schools are just fine and the tax increase might cost more than the amount we're donating to the foundation.

[AnnieW625]

The reality is that any parent who can afford to donate 50k is going to exert a large influence on the school regardless b/c of his power in the community.

I dislike it because in our district pretty much everybody donates between $750 and 1k for each kid. So our schools have new computers, teachers aids, science labs, music and art classes and gardens. It makes up for the state budget cuts b/c we don't feel them so acutely and we don't demand help for the 99% of school districts who can't get such generous parent support. Also, our community has lots of stay at home moms. If you have a parent or two in each class each day or parents keeping the library open by volunteering then you aren't going to feel the same pain as less affluent schools who have no aids and no librarian. There's less pressure from our community for Sacramento to fund all schools b/c our schools are just fine and the tax increase might cost more than the amount we're donating to the foundation.

Couldn't have said it better myself. We are looking for schools in areas that have high levels of SAHPs because we want our kids to know what it is like to have parents involved in the classroom. Both DH and I work full time so we know we won't be able to be there once a week, but it will be nice knowing that other parents are able to be there when we aren't and that they will most likely have similar education goals for their kids as we will for ours.

hope that made sense

[smiles33]

Whew, the lady gave me back my application without even needing an explanation. I was all prepared to lay out the reasons why we changed our minds, too.

I do understand the benefit of having lots of parental involvement--that's how my own elementary school was like (and we benefited as those moms often drove me to the GATE site 20 minutes away since my mom WOH). We would likely have to move districts to find a school with a high proportion of SAHP though as this area is largely dual WOH parents.

[AnnieW625]

Whew, the lady gave me back my application without even needing an explanation. I was all prepared to lay out the reasons why we changed our minds, too.

I do understand the benefit of having lots of parental involvement--that's how my own elementary school was like (and we benefited as those moms often drove me to the GATE site 20 minutes away since my mom WOH). We would likely have to move districts to find a school with a high proportion of SAHP though as this area is largely dual WOH parents.

YAY! So glad it worked out. I want the same thing for my girls too, but we still have to apply to school of choice:(

[MMMommy]

I'm so glad you updated us and that you got your application back, no questions asked. Hurrah for you! I was thinking of you and hoping that things would go your way this morning.

Congrats!

[Globetrotter]

:bighand: Let us know how you like your neighborhood school!