Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
I noticed that a local preschool was holding a meeting for the community about entering public Kindergarten. It was run by a local non-profit that specializes in the New York City public school system. You might wonder how a school system could warrant a non-profit like that, so let me tell you a fun fact: in this fine city, there are more than 1,900 public schools.

Haley is several years away from entering Kindergarten—she’s not even in preschool yet—but I’m glad I attended the meeting, because I was clueless about how the system functions. Now, I have half a clue, so I’m getting somewhere! For some reason, there is a narrow four-week period in early winter in which you register your five year old for Kindergarten for that fall. If you want to go to your “zoned” school, you probably can. If you don’t, you are in for a windy road that includes ranking at least twelve school choices and being rejected by most of them.

Unfortunately, quality varies wildly when it comes to elementary schools here. Living in a nice, middle-class neighborhood does not come close to guaranteeing a good school in New York City. In fact, I know of a neighborhood not too far away from where I live that is downright posh—and the elementary school there gets failing grades. It’s one of the most expensive places to live in the country and you would not want to send your kid to the corresponding zoned school. Most people buy multi-million dollar homes there, and then send their kids to a private school. Consequently, students are bused in to the public school from a lower income area. It’s a self-perpetuating, no-win situation for everybody and quite sad.

As anyone who has sought a house to purchase knows, it’s important to get the 411 on schools before buying a place. Complicating matters in New York City is that re-zoning is a reality. It’s pretty disheartening to imagine that something like that could happen to you. I feel lucky that my zoned school is a good one, but who knows what the future holds?

One of the most important take-aways from the meeting is that responsible parents should do a lot of research to make sure they are making the best choice for their situation and their family. A progressive school that emphasizes diversity might be right up your ally, while a charter school that values academic success might not. I’ve been very focused on Haley’s learning as a preschooler, but now I’m starting to consider what her formal education should look like. I wish it were as simple as signing up at the district office. But it isn’t, and now it’s Mom’s turn to get educated.

From Friday Mom – Erin:
As the child of a public school teacher–and a gifted education teacher at that– I was raised with extreme appreciation of the importance of having the proper resources available to children to foster creative learning and independent growth. That is not to say I learned that every educational opportunity required substantial spending. Rather, I grew up realizing the impact a few generous parents or school board members could have on a classroom. Whether it was helping my mother scour the sale rack for stickers to use in her own classroom or seeing the look of gratitude on her face when thanking the moms who volunteered at the various district-wide events she organized and hosted each year, I grew to value the importance of parental participation in the classroom. And, even more importantly, I learned the importance of listening and responding to teachers’ requests.

As a working mom, I sometimes struggle with the question of how and in what fashion I will be able to contribute to Rory’s own classrooms over the years. I felt an extreme twinge of guilt this year when I chose, deliberately, NOT to sign up to be a “room mom” for his classroom. My reasoning was that I should not over commit myself in my first year back at work without taking the time to see whether I could handle the additional responsibility AND still do a good job at work and at home. Instead, I made it a goal to attend as many school events as possible, and I am making good on that promise to myself (at least so far).

Still, when Rory’s “head teacher” mentioned last week that she was hoping that parents could keep an eye out at rummage sales or other events for a few additional toys for the classroom–namely shape sorters and ring stackers–I was thrilled to have an opportunity to help out. The toys she mentioned are some of Rory’s absolute favorites at home, so I purchased an extra one of each. Though she hadn’t asked for new toys, I knew that her request had come from a genuine desire for the kids to have the best resources available to them, and I was more than willing to oblige.

When I dropped off the new toys yesterday, his teacher was overwhelmed. So much so that she asked if she could give me a hug to say thank you. I told her it was the least I could do. And I meant it. After all– in choosing childcare, we trust a great deal to the folks who spend each day with our children. I was more than willing to help ensure that she had everything necessary to continue doing an excellent job fostering the creative and loving learning environment for Rory and his classmates.