<p>I feel we * are* what we spend time on- both doing and thinking about.
I wonder what is the motivation to post links to articles that aim at making ourselves feel superior, because " we" have different values or have made other decisions.</p>
<p>Sure it is easy ( and cheap) to feel good, by putting someone else down, but is that really the way we want to elevate ourselves?</p>
<p>really- unless the kids are identical- legacy doesnât mean squat in my neighborhood.
Kindergarten is mostly important- because that is where the openings are. a school has 30 openings for K- but two for 1st grade.
When my kids were young- I didnât realize our public schools sucked so badly- the neighborhood * kindergarten* teacher advised me to send my oldest someplace else.
:eek:
I found something by 1st grade that was great- but again- it was not the environment that my younger daughter needed.
( that was * much* more difficult.)
so while I raise an eyebrow at pushing and shoving to get your name on the list for Andover or Hotchkiss, I still recognize the anxiety surrounding the selection of the place where your child spends a great deal of their day.</p>
<p>***I have a problem with this - with the Wicker Park mom, for example, researching which public school her darling should attend, based on test scores. </p>
<p>What about diversity? What about making a neighborhood school reflect at least the diversity of the neighborhood in which itâs located? I realize that having your child be one of a small minority of kids in a school who comes from a stable, structured, academically oriented family is probably too much of a burden. But if you choose to live in a vibrant urban environment there will probably be schools in a gray area - they may include kids from families nothing like your own, kids who will score not so well on standardized tests, for example. If you canât abide your kindergartener being in at least a somewhat mixed environment, you should probably think pretty hard about moving to a suburb or finding the bucks for private school. ***</p>
<p>I have no problem with this at all. As long as the public school system is allowing it, then I say kudos to the parents who do their best to get their child into the school where they think the child will receive the best education. Frankly, if I lived in the city, Iâd be doing the same thing. Diversity can be valuable, but not at the cost of my childâs education (or safety, in the case of some schools). We DO live in the suburbs, in a very good school district, but if for some reason we wanted/needed to be in the city (our closest city is Chicago), why not look for the best education? Not everyone can live in the suburbs or afford private school, so if the public school district makes choice available, whatâs wrong with choosing the best school available, whether thatâs based on test scores or a parentâs other criteria?</p>
<p>I have kids in two different independent schools. The K-12 school no longer give preference to siblings.
The K-8 school however, is still giving priority to siblings. It received hundreds of applications this year for 40 spots. The area where it is located is over saturated with ugly buildings, that are popping all over the neighborhood like weeds, and not enough public schools to accommodate the families.</p>