The School Thing: Part II

Henry was also offered a spot at the private school that I liked best.  I realize people have greater problems than choosing between two good educational options, but I'm fretting about it. 

I keep going around and around on this.  Too many variables.  Also, Karl is tired of listening to me.

We need a grid!

	Logan	River Park
Schedule	5 days, 8:45-3:15.  I love that our family calendar and schedule doesn’t revolve around school.  I would hate to give up doing all of our favorite activities together.  And the idea of getting Henry out the door by 8:15 every morning makes me want to cry.	3 days, 9:00-12:45 Seems like a reasonable amount of time for a 3 year old to be in school.  But I do wonder if the M-W-F schedule is confusing and doesn't allow the kids to get into a groove.  I think this was a problem for Henry last fall.
Program	Montessori.  Love the philosophy – mixed age classes, independent work, allowing students to proceed at their own pace, focus on methods and habits.  If we won the lottery, I would pay the $12K per year to send them to a private program – which is why it seems crazy to pass up a spot at a free program.	No particular educational philosophy.  Play-based.  They have circle time at the beginning of the day when all the kids focus on the same thing.  But they also have a large block of time to work independently, and the teacher likes to move around from child to child to guide them on whatever they’re working on.  The teacher is reportedly very good at figuring out what each child is interested in and getting them engaged in something.  She works very hard on social and communication skills.
Cost	Free.	About $4k per year.   Not too painful, but if we have Ingrid there next year too, it starts to add up.
Sibling Factors	Siblings get enrollment preference, and due to some peculiarities of the Logan policies, Ingrid would be almost guaranteed a spot.  However, my concerns about the schedule aren’t going to change, even if Henry ended up liking it.  Henry will be almost 4 when he starts school this fall, and I’m stressing about the full-day schedule.  Ingrid would have just turned three.  Am I really going to want her in full-day public school at that age?	Siblings get enrollment preference.  Because there is only one class, Henry and Ingrid would be in class together next year.
Teacher	It’s public school.  There are some very good teachers and a couple of pretty bad teachers and a couple of very new, untested teachers.  I have no problem harassing the principal in hopes of influencing which classroom Henry is assigned to, but there’s no guarantee.  And the students stay with the same teacher for three years (per the usual Montessori program), so it’s all or nothing.	One teacher.  Known quantity.  Ms. Bernadette is generally reported to be a child-whisperer, someone who really gets every kid who comes through her classroom.  I have two friends with boys who have been very happy with her after having a tough time in other programs.  Given that Henry had such a rough start with school last fall, this is very appealing.
Subsequent Years	Students stay in the same class for three years (the Montessori Primary cycle).  Henry responds very well to kids a year or two older, so I think the mixed-age class would be very good for him. The school goes up to 8th grade, but the upper grades aren’t as good – the principal apparently isn’t that well-versed in the Montessori elementary model, it’s harder to implement within the parameters of public schooling (with mandatory testing) at that stage, it’s harder to find good teachers.   So we would have a guaranteed spot for 12 years, but it’s only the first three that are really enticing.  Still, there’s at least the possibility of continuing at the same school for several years.	The program is only two years.  Henry’s birthday is right after the school year cutoff, so he’ll always be the oldest in his class.  In the Montessori class, he would have kids a couple years older in his class, but at River Park, he’ll start out in the middle of the age range.  He would be pretty old to keep him there for the second year.  The classroom materials were pretty typical preschool stuff, and I worry that he would be bored with them by the end of a year.  But Ms. Bernadette is apparently very good at engaging the older kids and giving them leadership roles.
Facilities	Nice building for a public school, but it’s a very big building that houses students up to 8th grade.   It does not have the intimate, homey feeling that I associate with other Montessori programs.  Good outdoor space with a new playground.	Just one sunny room in a neighborhood church.  Very warm, very clean, very orderly.  No outdoor space to speak of (they just play in the church’s yard).