As a parent, one of the hardest tasks is finding the right school for our children. It begins for some with day care when their children are infants. For others, the struggle begins when searching for that "perfect" pre-school setting. The stress comes again when it it time for elementary school. Some parents simply use their neighborhood school with no questions asked, yet I know many others who have "shopped around."
I fell into the second category. While our neighborhood school was rumored to be fine, I personally got a strange vibe when I was there, and something (parental instinct?) was telling me it was not the school for my child. Still, I filled out the enrollment paperwork. I seriously contimplated a nearby charter school, also. At the same time, I also put my son on a waiting list for a private school, even though I knew we really could not afford it.
Before my son's kindergarten year, I happened to enroll him in a summer program at a different public elementary school than the one we are zoned for. Within a few days, I felt this was the place for him. Even though the summer program is quite different from the actual school year, I got such a good feeling there, and I liked the security and smallness of the school. We open-enrolled and were thrilled to learn soon afterwards that they had a spot for him.
I am happy to say my instincts were correct on this one. Of course the school is not perfect, because none of them can be. However, our overall experience has been so positive. There are little details that remind me on a daily basis that I made the right choice. I like that everyone knows my child's name, and most of them know mine, too. I like that the gates are locked right after I drop my son off, because it makes me feel he is safer than in an open setting. I like that his teacher is trained to work with Gifted kids (a program he tested into), and that he gets pulled out for extra Gifted work once a week, too. It is also a perk that there are only three classrooms per grade, and each class is small. My favorite thing of all is the many fun, family-oriented events the school plans throughout the year.
We are fortunate to have so many great school choices, and it is worth the time and effort to seek out an ideal setting for our children.
Debbie Akers, a northeast Phoenix mom of two young sons, is a member of the Arizona Republic's Parent Advisory Panel.
Debbie Akers, a northeast Phoenix mom of three young sons, is a member of the Arizona Republic's Parent Advisory Panel.
