I'm a public school teacher. I attended public schools through high school. I'm a proud union member. I believe in public schools for all, and think that our education system should be expanded and improved and strengthened, not hemmed in by charters and voucher programs.
However.
Our daughter attends private school.
Parenthood = it's complicated.
Last summer my mom-stincts went into red alert mode over Lily's schooling. I just could not rid myself of the pit in my stomach that seemed to be shouting at me- "She needs something different!!!"
Our daughter is a very bright, energetic and fearless child. Those are AWESOME qualities, but they didn't really jell with the traditional school that she had been attending until this year. Also, she was the only African-American girl in her grade. (and it's a big school) There was plenty of diversity- a majority of kids of color- just not her (beautiful) color. And she felt it. She was very vocal about feeling alone with her identity and she was having a hard time making good friends. Anywhere we went, she gravitated towards other African-American girls, even getting total stranger's phone numbers so that she should set up playdates with girls she met in the local park.
So, we needed a change. Unfortunately, the way that our city's schools system is set up, you really can't just go to any school you like. Our local school is, frankly, terrible. Better schools in our area were over crowded and unlikely to take in a non-local kid.
Did I mention that this mom-stinct panic set in... last AUGUST? Uh-huh, I was a little slow on the uptake on that one.
Luckily for us, the lovely little Christian school that Lily had attended for nursery- Pre-K has an elementary academy, and very luckily for us, they had an opening in the 2nd grade.
So we found ourselves, just 3 days before school started, scrambling to take the entrance exam, fill out forms, buying uniforms and supplies, transferring records and figuring out how we were finding the tuition fees in our budget.
Lily didn't take too well to the news that we were moving her to a new school. I believe there was some thrashing on the floor involved. But when we went to pick up her new gym uniform, and she saw the snazzy zip up jacket it came with, she was on board.
Fashion. Not unimportant to 7 year olds.
So here we are: I'm a Unitarian, public school loving, progressive education proponent hippie dippy mom sending her kid to a West-Indian, Christian, traditional, no-nonsense, uniform wearing school.
And it was, by far, the best decision we have made as parents so far.
She is thriving. She has an African-American teacher and principal. She is friends with everyone. She has zoomed up to the top of the class and loves it!
Thank you, mom-stincts. I promise to listen to you better in future.
However.
Our daughter attends private school.
Parenthood = it's complicated.
Last summer my mom-stincts went into red alert mode over Lily's schooling. I just could not rid myself of the pit in my stomach that seemed to be shouting at me- "She needs something different!!!"
Our daughter is a very bright, energetic and fearless child. Those are AWESOME qualities, but they didn't really jell with the traditional school that she had been attending until this year. Also, she was the only African-American girl in her grade. (and it's a big school) There was plenty of diversity- a majority of kids of color- just not her (beautiful) color. And she felt it. She was very vocal about feeling alone with her identity and she was having a hard time making good friends. Anywhere we went, she gravitated towards other African-American girls, even getting total stranger's phone numbers so that she should set up playdates with girls she met in the local park.
So, we needed a change. Unfortunately, the way that our city's schools system is set up, you really can't just go to any school you like. Our local school is, frankly, terrible. Better schools in our area were over crowded and unlikely to take in a non-local kid.
Did I mention that this mom-stinct panic set in... last AUGUST? Uh-huh, I was a little slow on the uptake on that one.
Luckily for us, the lovely little Christian school that Lily had attended for nursery- Pre-K has an elementary academy, and very luckily for us, they had an opening in the 2nd grade.
So we found ourselves, just 3 days before school started, scrambling to take the entrance exam, fill out forms, buying uniforms and supplies, transferring records and figuring out how we were finding the tuition fees in our budget.
Lily didn't take too well to the news that we were moving her to a new school. I believe there was some thrashing on the floor involved. But when we went to pick up her new gym uniform, and she saw the snazzy zip up jacket it came with, she was on board.
Fashion. Not unimportant to 7 year olds.
So here we are: I'm a Unitarian, public school loving, progressive education proponent hippie dippy mom sending her kid to a West-Indian, Christian, traditional, no-nonsense, uniform wearing school.
And it was, by far, the best decision we have made as parents so far.
She is thriving. She has an African-American teacher and principal. She is friends with everyone. She has zoomed up to the top of the class and loves it!
Thank you, mom-stincts. I promise to listen to you better in future.
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