Last year at this time, I was in high stress mode along with many of our friends. It wasn’t post holiday blues or the fact I wanted to purge every toy in the New Year, it was because January in San Francisco = high stress for those with pre-school children heading off to kindergarten the following y
ear. San Francisco, like other major cities, has a lottery system for public schools. I live in a nice neighborhood with great schools. I should be fine, right? Not the case in this wonderful city. Last year (school year 2011-2012) was the first year to even take your neighborhood into consideration. If a school has more applicants than openings, there is a list of tie breakers with neighborhood selection being fifth.
The applications for your top 10 choices are due the end of January so November and December is crammed with stress, school tours, research, spreadsheets, pros and cons and so forth. Having gone through the process (and having survived), I have learned a thing or two when evaluating schools. Here are some tips.
- Don’t assume the most popular school is going to be your first choice. After touring the most sought out school in our neighborhood, both my husband and I didn’t like the feel of the school. Academics were great but felt as though we would be surrounded by SuperMoms and helicopter parents.
- Imagine yourself a part of the community. While it is your child that is attending, there is a fair amount of parent interaction. Do some mingling with the parent volunteers to see if you think you would be a good fit.
- Ask a lot of questions. Don’t be shy. This is the time to find out about the principal, teachers and philosophy. One of our top choices was because of the principal’s passion and honesty. He answered questions very truthfully and gave insight to successes and challenges in the school. It was also the only school to have a Q&A with attendees.
- Go with your gut. You know your child, you know yourself (and hopefully your partner). If something feels right, it’s probably the right choice, if something is nagging you though everything looks good on paper, pass on it. We were visiting a school that was our backup choice and wound up loving it more than any school we had toured. It wasn’t as popular as the others, but felt right in every way. Now half way through school, our son is thriving and we couldn’t be happier
Lastly, don’t stress too much. As everyone told us though it was hard to believe, it will all work out. Almost everyone I know that went through this process, is happily placed in a school they like whether it’s public, parochial or private.
Good luck!
- Deb
Wired Mommy
