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School Shopping

I spent the morning touring a new school for my kids. Currently the kids are in a K-8 school and it’s a good one. My son has been there since Kindergarten and my daughter joined in third grade. Right now they’re having some changes, and I’m not sure that the school will continue being a match for both my kids.

The school that I toured this morning is stunning. There are views of the city, the pacific ocean and the San Fernando Valley. This is a school for royalty. The academics are solid, and don’t appear to be whimsical or overly progressive. It’s a very good school.

I felt like I was having an affair. I felt like a bad mom just for looking at another school. I know my children love the school that they are at, and that it’s very good.

I’m looking for a small school for my children that has progressive moments without being a rudderless ship. I’m looking for a school that teaches character, responsibility, doing good for no external reward and how to work hard.

The school I saw today has all those things, but I can’t get over the very bad feeling that I don’t want my children to leave where they are.

9 thoughts on “School Shopping”

  1. If they are at a point where it would be a more traditional school change if it were not a K-8 (6th/7th/8th grade?), maybe look into moving them. Additionally because your girl is getting toward HS transition, are you taking into consideration where she will go? Public? Private continued? With a Jr Hi/HS transition, will she maintain some friendships from her current school potentially? Is there a big difference between moving one child and not the other? We only have one so it was easy – we changed her school from a 1-8 to the middle school in the district where we lived because this is where she would go to HS. We wanted her to get to know who her peers would be rather than have her move into a school where she would know no one. It was hard because she had built up some great friendships but we also had issues with her teacher. With the internet, texting, etc. she still talks to and occasionally sees friends from her old school in addition to gaining new friends.

  2. I have a relative whose child is going to be enrolled at a school that I am guessing is the same as the one you are talking about. The grandparents are going to foot the bill. While I am confident that the education will be outstanding I am worried about the social side.

    The child’s parents are going to find it to be very difficult there because the parents at that school run in very different economic circles than they do. Not only that, but I am worried about playdates.

    Apartment life is very different from living in a 5000 square foot home and two nannies. I guess what I am saying is that sometimes a good education can come with a price that isn’t paid solely by mom and dad.

    Sometimes I miss the world I grew up in. We went to the local public schools and still got into great universities.

  3. This is obviously a very personal decision, so all I can say is that you’ll know. There will be a moment where a decision will be apparent. Trust your instincts. That’s the best we can ever do.

  4. I know this feeling well. Not only are we shopping for a middle school for our soon-to-be-6th grader, but I would really like my soon-to-be-second grader to have a new school experience next year. I haven’t told too many people because it does feel like cheating. But with our school, it’s going to be rats leaving the sinking ship before too long. So depressing.

    And I completely agree that it’s my decision, not my kids’.

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