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OT: Changing My Mind
So this is completely off topic but I just need somewhere to collect all my thoughts. I don't really feel like putting this on my blog, for obvious reasons. You see, my daughter was accepted into preschool at a local charter school and her cousin was not. Basically I don't want to add more hurt and disappointment to their situation by going on and on and on about this.
Okay, now on to what I'm trying to say. I just got an informational packet in the mail from a PRIVATE school I was considering. Charter school = FREE, Private school = EXPENSIVE. However the private school is a lot more organized and actually has more sports/extracurriculars and is faith-based (my husband is a youth pastor, btw).
Obviously each has pros and cons but now I'm starting to wonder if I should TRY to get my daughter into the private school because we'd qualify for financial assistance.
Both have uniforms. One is large (private) and one is very small (charter). One requires a drive (private) and one is down the street (charter).
And when I say the private one is more organized, it just feels more professional. I don't feel confused by the information they've sent me, their student handbook is VERY detailed, students have to earn credits just like regular public school, etc. They're in a nicer area, too, but we'd have to drive out-of-the-way. I don't think they have buses.
Whereas the charter school does things quite differently in regards to grading students. They get numbers instead of grades (1, 2, 3, 4) and the playground faces a VERY busy and nasty street (can we just say drugs and prostitution and not to mention pedophiles that can just sit there and watch kids on the playground?!?!?!?!).
I know, I'm talking in circles. I'm just befuddled. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try to enroll her for Kindergarten and at least TRY the charter school. The charter school has a lot of great points but I'm really bothered by some things, specifically the location. Arg! Why can't I live in a district with NICE public schools?!?!
Okay, now on to what I'm trying to say. I just got an informational packet in the mail from a PRIVATE school I was considering. Charter school = FREE, Private school = EXPENSIVE. However the private school is a lot more organized and actually has more sports/extracurriculars and is faith-based (my husband is a youth pastor, btw).
Obviously each has pros and cons but now I'm starting to wonder if I should TRY to get my daughter into the private school because we'd qualify for financial assistance.
Both have uniforms. One is large (private) and one is very small (charter). One requires a drive (private) and one is down the street (charter).
And when I say the private one is more organized, it just feels more professional. I don't feel confused by the information they've sent me, their student handbook is VERY detailed, students have to earn credits just like regular public school, etc. They're in a nicer area, too, but we'd have to drive out-of-the-way. I don't think they have buses.
Whereas the charter school does things quite differently in regards to grading students. They get numbers instead of grades (1, 2, 3, 4) and the playground faces a VERY busy and nasty street (can we just say drugs and prostitution and not to mention pedophiles that can just sit there and watch kids on the playground?!?!?!?!).
I know, I'm talking in circles. I'm just befuddled. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try to enroll her for Kindergarten and at least TRY the charter school. The charter school has a lot of great points but I'm really bothered by some things, specifically the location. Arg! Why can't I live in a district with NICE public schools?!?!
Sounds like you've made a good decision. Private schools can be very ticky about things. I wouldn't want to have to tip toe around things for fear my child would get kicked out. If I have a problem I'm gonna bring it up, if they call it griping so be it. I thinkt he charter school will do well. Sounds like they've taken some good measures to ensure safety.
Well I read through the Student Handbook the private school sent me more carefully and there's a lot more to the private school than I initially thought. We have to do fundraisers throughout the year and raise $700 per year or risk being kicked out of the school (that's kind of scary! We live in the inner city among the poor, who the heck would we raise funds from?!). On top of tuition they have technology fees, book fees (which is okay), and even screening fees and registration fees. Not to mention the fees you'd pay for sports and extracurricular activities. Oh it just adds up.
And some of their rules were kind of funny. I mean, a lot of them were just common sense. But one rule was, "No griping! Don't call the school to complain or whine about things." Not to mention parents have NO CHOICE but to volunteer 10 hours of their time to the school per year. Okay, that's fine, really. But at the top of the volunteer sheet it said, "Thank you so much for volunteering!" Volunteering means to do it of your own free will; not because you're forced or your child gets kicked out.
I think we'll try the charter school out and go from there. If all else fails I'll homeschool. This private school sounds amazing until you read all the fine print. I don't mind spending time at the school and chaperoning- I WANT to be very involved.
The safety issues at the charter school- I'll have to see what measures they take to ensure the student's safety. It does have high, metal gates (the pretty black wrought iron kind) and they have a lock on the front door that can only be opened from a button at the secretary's desk. And I *think* they have cameras. Not sure on that.
And some of their rules were kind of funny. I mean, a lot of them were just common sense. But one rule was, "No griping! Don't call the school to complain or whine about things." Not to mention parents have NO CHOICE but to volunteer 10 hours of their time to the school per year. Okay, that's fine, really. But at the top of the volunteer sheet it said, "Thank you so much for volunteering!" Volunteering means to do it of your own free will; not because you're forced or your child gets kicked out.
I think we'll try the charter school out and go from there. If all else fails I'll homeschool. This private school sounds amazing until you read all the fine print. I don't mind spending time at the school and chaperoning- I WANT to be very involved.
The safety issues at the charter school- I'll have to see what measures they take to ensure the student's safety. It does have high, metal gates (the pretty black wrought iron kind) and they have a lock on the front door that can only be opened from a button at the secretary's desk. And I *think* they have cameras. Not sure on that.
That is a tough decision. If you apply for this private school are you then obligated to go through with it? At this point there's no gaurantee she'd get in, right? I think I understood you correctly to say she could attend the charter school to start with? Would it be possible to go ahead and start the process to see if she's even accepted. You will learn alot during that process that may help in the decision making. I think Spades idea of weighing pros, cons by importance is a good one. Something I do when considering anything that's going to require money is sitting down and adding it into my budget to see where it will leave us...where we can reasonably cut back etc. to see if it's doable. Where I live we have city and county schools. I refuse to send my kids to the city schools becuase of gang activity (not like big city stuff but still) and the schools aren't as good academically. I'm hoping to get zach into the county schools for prek this coming year...his sisters already go to the county. BUT becuase we live within the city limits we hav eto be put on a waiting list...and I won't know til the last minute if he gets in. I've signed him up for the prek at his daycare just in case there isn't a spot for him in the county schools. I understand your dilemma. In our case there is supposed to be a $300 tuition fee for each student /year to send them to the county schools if you are considered out of district. Thus far they have not charged us. But I would definately find a way to pay it to keep my kids out of the city schools.
Don't feel bad. Reading it back now it does seem very intrusive and personal but honestly I didn't mean it in that way. Thanks for understanding;) You're a great mom. I know whatever you decide will be best for your daughter and thats the most important thing.
Oh Holly, really it's okay. Things can be taken so wrong on the Internet. Don't worry, I'm not going to worry about it. I feel like a toad for going off like I did.
Im so sorry Joy, I can see I did not explain myself clearly. I have the utmost respect for you and didn't mean it the way that it sounded. My sincerest apologies. I will PM you to explain my reasoning for the suggestion. It was not at all meant in a personal way. It is actually to do with someone in my own life who is experiencing difficulty. Someone in my own life just experienced many setbacks that they were not prepared for and could not cope with in the current economic climate due to changes that they made(spending money, then losing jobs etc). I did not mean that this would happen to you just that changes such as this need to be fully thought out as I realise you know. Also, it was not a question. I know nothing about your personal finances nor do I want to. It was merely a suggestion and one that I would like to be made to me if I was thinking of doing something similar. It was not my intention in any way whatsoever to offend you. It was a passing suggestion to ensure that your finances are in order in all aspects as we are all having to do. I in no way think that you are struggling just that in this climate things are uncertain and can quickly go wrong. That was it, I did not mean to offend you in any way. I see now that the way I put it was insensitive and wrong. Again I never expected you to tell me or anyone else about your personal life. I am tired and was not thinking clearly. I'm sorry. truely. Also, I did not mean anything negative about anyone receiving financial aid.
Spade- the safety of the charter school is actually something I'm still really unsure about. The main road that it faces is a road where prostitutes walk throughout the day and drug deals take place. It's in the historical district of the inner city, but nevertheless it is still in the inner city. I worry about a drive-by shooting when the kids are out playing (the playground is literally facing the road). I worry about someone just walking into the school and gunning classrooms down. The school itself is very NICE, but I worry about what is surrounding the school.
Maybe I'm just overly paranoid. Or maybe I have just cause to worry. I am hoping that the charter school has orientation coming up for the next school year but I have yet to hear back from anyone on that (though my daughter was accepted and got a packet in the mail with all the paperwork). I really need and want to sit down and talk about it with the principal, to get some reassurance from her.
Maybe I'm just overly paranoid. Or maybe I have just cause to worry. I am hoping that the charter school has orientation coming up for the next school year but I have yet to hear back from anyone on that (though my daughter was accepted and got a packet in the mail with all the paperwork). I really need and want to sit down and talk about it with the principal, to get some reassurance from her.
.... " "column b" in which you multiply "column b" by 10 -"
should read " "column b" in which you multiply "column A" by 10 -"..............
should read " "column b" in which you multiply "column A" by 10 -"..............
I'm just hormonal and cranky! I'm not opposed to asking for help. The financial assistance program is completely and strictly for Christian schools in the US so the people who donate money are donating money so that kids who cannot afford the high tuition fees can still go to a GOOD, Christian school instead of being stuck in the inner city slumps that the educators dare call institutions for education. There's no way I'd send my kids to the public schools here and I DO pay for those schools (via taxes). So that's why I'm getting testy. We do so much for our community and for this city and I hate being judged because I mention needing to ask for assistance. Heaven forbid that for once we have to ask for help.
I have two more things for you to consider:
1) if you send your eldest daughter to private school, will this also mean you will also send (or feel obliged) to send your two youngest (I know its in the future)? 4k/year/child will add up
2) how unsafe is the public school in reality? I understand its by a main road. Do teachers man the playground? Is it fenced adequately? Have there been any accidents as a result of location?
That being said, I have a friend who is very methodical and he taught me a renowned method (cant remember its name) that can help in making a decision. Make a column with ALL the things you want in the school. In "column a", rank the priority from 1-10, 10 being essential, and then make "column b" in which you multiply "column b" by 10 - this is for scoring purposes. Make "column c" and score the school on that requirement on a scale of 1-10 - again, 10 being meets that requirement perfectly so the higher the number the better. make "column d" which is the result of multiplying a) by c) which will tell you how well that school rates on your importance scale. You can then create 2 more columns for the 2nd school.
Ok. That is confusing but since im heavily caffeinated and Jazmine is in bed I will run though an example for you because its fun, I have nothing better to do, and it may help you. Here goes (of course YOUR numbers will be different but Im putting in some guess numbers based on what you've said for illustrative purposes)
a) b) c) d) e) f)
Priority Priority Actual Actual Actual Actual
Requirement Ranking Score Ranking Score Ranking Ranking
a) x 10 Private Sc. Private Sc Public Sc Public Sc
a) x c) a) x e)
Safety 10 100 9 90 3 30
Cost 4 40 3 12 1 4
Extra circular 8 80 8 64 6 48
Commute 7 70 2 14 9 63
Class size 7 70 4 28 6 42
Religion 8 80 10 80 1 8
SUM SUM SUM
440 288 195
The nice thing about this method is you arent just listing pros and cons but you are actually able to rank and then quantify them. So even though money and safety are both concerns you can weigh safety much more heavily since that is more important to you. This way, you can get an overall picture of how a school meets YOUR set of requirements. In the case above, the private school is the winner.
1) if you send your eldest daughter to private school, will this also mean you will also send (or feel obliged) to send your two youngest (I know its in the future)? 4k/year/child will add up
2) how unsafe is the public school in reality? I understand its by a main road. Do teachers man the playground? Is it fenced adequately? Have there been any accidents as a result of location?
That being said, I have a friend who is very methodical and he taught me a renowned method (cant remember its name) that can help in making a decision. Make a column with ALL the things you want in the school. In "column a", rank the priority from 1-10, 10 being essential, and then make "column b" in which you multiply "column b" by 10 - this is for scoring purposes. Make "column c" and score the school on that requirement on a scale of 1-10 - again, 10 being meets that requirement perfectly so the higher the number the better. make "column d" which is the result of multiplying a) by c) which will tell you how well that school rates on your importance scale. You can then create 2 more columns for the 2nd school.
Ok. That is confusing but since im heavily caffeinated and Jazmine is in bed I will run though an example for you because its fun, I have nothing better to do, and it may help you. Here goes (of course YOUR numbers will be different but Im putting in some guess numbers based on what you've said for illustrative purposes)
a) b) c) d) e) f)
Priority Priority Actual Actual Actual Actual
Requirement Ranking Score Ranking Score Ranking Ranking
a) x 10 Private Sc. Private Sc Public Sc Public Sc
a) x c) a) x e)
Safety 10 100 9 90 3 30
Cost 4 40 3 12 1 4
Extra circular 8 80 8 64 6 48
Commute 7 70 2 14 9 63
Class size 7 70 4 28 6 42
Religion 8 80 10 80 1 8
SUM SUM SUM
440 288 195
The nice thing about this method is you arent just listing pros and cons but you are actually able to rank and then quantify them. So even though money and safety are both concerns you can weigh safety much more heavily since that is more important to you. This way, you can get an overall picture of how a school meets YOUR set of requirements. In the case above, the private school is the winner.
Joy - You're totally right to get defensive over that, it was a very personal question. And it sounds to me like you'd rather have your daughter at the private school, and for good reason. It may take some little sacrifices now, but in the future you'll be very happy you did it. PLUS gas prices have dropped a lot, so driving out of the way isn't that big of a deal anymore (at least they've dropped here, I don't know if they have where you are). I think you're debating like any good mom would do, and you know the right decision in your mind, so go with what you feel will best benefit your daughter in the future!
Charter schools = public schools that are in their own district; not affiliated with whatever district they reside in
And the financial assistance for private schooling is done by *donations* not by taxpayers' dollars.
And the financial assistance for private schooling is done by *donations* not by taxpayers' dollars.
Okay now I'm feeling super defensive.
Our taxes pay for public schools in this district. This ENTIRE district lost its accreditation and they are all considered Title 1 schools. They rate 1-3 on a 10 point scale in education. They are run down, have no A/C, gangs are prevalent, etc., etc.
So my only two options if I want my children to have a decent education in a safe environment is this private Christian school (which my taxes do NOT pay for and is almost $4000 per child, per year) or a charter school that doesn't exactly meet our standards for safety.
Youth pastors in the inner city don't make a lot of money (less than 30K per year). Yet we have a 6 bedroom, 3 [full] bath house with a fenced in yard (because we bought it foreclosed and have done work on it). We have everything we need and then some and money has nothing to do with it.
So while we are not struggling, we will be if we have to pay for education that *should* be free (aka public schooling that our taxes pay for). It's just a huge mess.
We make a LOT of sacrifices to live here already, because of my husband's ministry, but I put my foot down when it comes to my kids' safety and education.
Our taxes pay for public schools in this district. This ENTIRE district lost its accreditation and they are all considered Title 1 schools. They rate 1-3 on a 10 point scale in education. They are run down, have no A/C, gangs are prevalent, etc., etc.
So my only two options if I want my children to have a decent education in a safe environment is this private Christian school (which my taxes do NOT pay for and is almost $4000 per child, per year) or a charter school that doesn't exactly meet our standards for safety.
Youth pastors in the inner city don't make a lot of money (less than 30K per year). Yet we have a 6 bedroom, 3 [full] bath house with a fenced in yard (because we bought it foreclosed and have done work on it). We have everything we need and then some and money has nothing to do with it.
So while we are not struggling, we will be if we have to pay for education that *should* be free (aka public schooling that our taxes pay for). It's just a huge mess.
We make a LOT of sacrifices to live here already, because of my husband's ministry, but I put my foot down when it comes to my kids' safety and education.
You're right, that was a personal question. One in which I don't plan to answer except to say we're not struggling. We live well below our means and I'm incredibly frugal.
It sounds like a tough decision. I think what I would do in your situation, as you suggest is let your daughter go to the charter school and see if she likes it, if more problems arise or if it is in fact not as bad as you thought. Based on this, you can then make your decision. I don't want to get too personal and offend you but with a new baby on the way, are you sure that financial assistance for the private school will be enough to keep your family from struggling particularly in this climate? You do not have to answer obviously but it is something to seriously research. I also agree about public school over homeschooling. I think that the social interaction is invaluable and she will learn how to be more independent etc. I wish you the best in your decision:)
Linzola- early enrollment begins January 1st so I definitely have a few months to think about it. This will give Elaina a chance to at least TRY the charter school. I kind of made the charter school out to not sound very good but it's got some really great points to it, too. Their curriculum is good and the kids learn Spanish and ballet and piano.
ginhut- definitely! Hubby is not all that thrilled about the charter school. He didn't have a chance to go on a tour with me earlier this month. He was homeschooled and wants me to homeschool (not in the cards for me, at least not now) because that's all he's known. But I went to public school and LOVED it. I love school.
ginhut- definitely! Hubby is not all that thrilled about the charter school. He didn't have a chance to go on a tour with me earlier this month. He was homeschooled and wants me to homeschool (not in the cards for me, at least not now) because that's all he's known. But I went to public school and LOVED it. I love school.
I agree with Linzola1--pray, pray, pray!!! I'm sure you have been though!!! I went to a private christian school from 8th grade on and although I know my mom made alot of sacrifices to let me go--i'm so glad she did!! I learned so much more!!! She also had to drive me 30 min to school every morning!! But it was something that like you she felt would be better in the end!! But like I said in the beginning--pray!!! :) Good luck!!
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