“Settling” for Public School

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educate debateIt started when my daughter was about 18 months old. She was already articulate and showing signs of potty training readiness, but her daycare wasn’t set up for a toddler on the potty. I knew she was ready, though. That was the first of several times I knew in my gut that she needed something different. We moved her to a fabulous Montessori preschool that was ready to accommodate her somewhat advanced-ness (shout-out to our MSCB family!).

When it came time for her to start kindergarten, we had several things that factored into the decision. She’s a quick learner that thrives in applied learning situations. I was actually concerned about her going to kindergarten because I knew that, in any traditional environment, she’d hastily swoosh through her assignment and then become a distraction to the other kids.

Fortunately, we live in a city with a plethora of choices that accommodate her needs. We looked at an applied learning school, a couple other Montessori schools, and the last choice was the public school by our house. Unfortunately, for the schools we were considering that weren’t on a waiting list, we didn’t make the lottery. There were other schools, but because my husband and I both work outside the home, proximity to both were limiting factors. So, we “settled” for public school.

It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. We thought we’d keep her at the public school until there was an opening at one of our other choices. After a conversation with another public schooling friend at our church, I realized I needed to change my perspective. My friend made a comment that, no matter where you go to school, you only get out of it what you put in. She and I talked about the perception that public school has more “bad-influence” kids, but she also reminded me that we can’t shelter our kids from the real world. I was reminded of one of my favorite soap-box topics from before I had kids of how people have come to expect the institution to raise our kids and teach them manners and morals instead of it being the parent’s responsibility anymore. I harped on that topic before I had kids of my own, so it became time for me to practice what I preached.

My husband and I both went to public school. One thing I really loved about my high school was the fact that we were naturally mixed. I lived on a small island and my school was 30 percent white, 30 percent black, and 30 percent Cuban and nobody ever thought about diversity initiatives because it happened organically. I cherish my old basketball teammates who brought different rituals and culture to our games. We were also socio-economically stratified; I had some pretty wealthy friends who didn’t care that I lived down the street from the housing projects.

public school_MichelleThe conversation with my friend at church made me realize that, in my attempt to give my daughter “the best” learning environment, I was potentially robbing her of the chance to learn some important life lessons about people. Real life has all kinds. Some people will enrich her life; some people will teach her what NOT to do. She needs to be exposed to the realness of it all so she can learn to lead herself (and possibly others) in the future. And I need to do my job as a parent and give her the manners and morals that we value in our home. We kept her in the public school, soon to be followed by her little brother after he graduated from the same Montessori preschool.

In 1st grade, she was put in the gifted/talented program and thrived. When she was in 3rd grade, my daughter had an amazing intuitive teacher that suspected she was dyslexic. This surprised everyone because she never showed any signs of trouble in her schoolwork. That’s because she is “twice exceptional” and somehow managed to muscle through her assignments until that point.

Now that she’s entering 5th grade, we aren’t even considering any other kind of school. She qualifies for Section 504 accommodations, and I have to do very little advocating for her because the staff at her school is already very supportive. She’ll continue to receive those services through college that wouldn’t be available to her at other schools. For our lifestyle and her needs, and for the things we value, public school is the best option.

What do you want to ask Michelle about her public education choice?  Do you have a child that has special needs that a public school meets?

Screen Shot 2014-08-13 at 10.34.13 PMMichelle and her husband moved to Fort Worth from Florida in 2001. She holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science and is working toward a master of science in management, both from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She has had an interesting career path, but currently works in program management at a large aircraft manufacturing company. She has three children, aged 10, 8, and 2, who will each be in different schools this fall. Michelle is the leader of a mixed-age troop of Girl Scouts, assists her husband with Little League coaching, and was a Texas Rangers fan even before moving to Texas. 

 

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