Getting schooled

Last Friday we learned that our youngest, Quinn, had "won" a coveted magnet school slot for kindergarten in September. You see, there's a lottery that the city school district uses to place children in four of their twelve elementary buildings. These four schools have either unified themes (Arts and Humanities, Science & Technology) or particular instructional philosophies or techniques (Montesorri or Dual-Language). I think that the opportunity for students to be taught in a public bilingual setting, or using an established, but innovative method such as Montessori, is an option available in this area only in the Albany City School District. That being said, what I wanted for Quinn was the chance to attend the school which is literally at the end of our street. And, while I'd like to think that he has a talent for Arts and Humanities, his 5 years on the planet have not yet revealed that to be the case. Although, I do have some very fine examples of coloring from his "rainbow" period which I'd be happy to share upon request.

Our older boys were bussed across town to a school with which we've generally been happy, however, our ability to be closely involved with the school and its events, has been impacted by the distance. We initially chose this particular school, Eagle Point, because the kindergarten teachers were very highly regarded and the class size was amazingly small. School choice and small class size - try finding either of those things in a suburban district.

I am frequently asked where our children go to school, and when I respond "Albany City" the reaction is almost uniformly one of surprise. It seems that many (most?) people don't have confidence in urban school districts and elect to move to the suburbs rather than subject their children to an "inferior" educational experience. The district where I work is filled with students who attended Albany's schools until the-oh-so-dangerous-middle school days, at which point the families fled the city for a suburban, homogeneous educational experience. I've talked to these kids and, you know what, they were comfortable and challenged and happy in the city. I've never had a single one of them express fear or anxiety to me about attending a school with a diverse population. And, parents, FYI - middle school sucks everywhere, it is not just an urban issue. When you take a bunch of hormonal kids from various elementary buildings scattered around a geographic area and then throw them into a building together, please don't be surprised that things might be combustible.

Our kids go to public schools in the city in which we reside. Homes are less expensive in Albany than in many of the outlying areas, and this savings has provided us the opportunity to travel fairly frequently with our children. At this point, everyone in my home has a passport and is not afraid to use it. As a parent, I believe it is my job to expose my children to as many experiences as possible and I feel that placing my children in an environment in which they are surrounded almost exclusively by faces that directly match their own in skin tone, would be contrary to what I want for them. If we discover that our children are not able to be successful with our involvement and support, or if there is an opportunity that they are seeking which is not available in their respective schools, we will seek out options. Until that day, however, I will continue to believe in my family and in the city school district.