Operation: Register For School

It is almost time to register Monk for school.

In NC we had so many choices of different schools he would be eligible to attend...Traditional, Year Round, Charter, Magnet and "regular" school. It actually was pretty straight forward and if you got turned down for your particular selection you could always appeal.

Since moving here to VA, where the schools in our county are supposedly some of the top in the country, this is going to be a daunting task. From what we have figured out, we pretty much don't have any options but our assigned "pyramid" school unless we want to pay for public schools. We do not have the option of placement into a Charter or Magnet school until he is in the second grade and at that it isn't our choice to place him there. We have the option to decline, but that is all. Even at that, from my understanding, if we do not like his placement then, we have to pay. Quite ironic for public schools.

We have looked into private schooling here and well even at the preschool level, most of them cost more per year than I paid for out-of-state college tuition! So what is our family supposed to do? This is why we are starting Operation: Register for School. Incoming Kindergartener registration and open house schedules actually won't be out until March/April, but apparently we need to be ahead of this, especially IF we have to opt for private school.

As far as private schools go. Mr. BBH is a strong activist, I on the other hand, abhor the thought. We have different backgrounds on the subject. He went to private school, the same school for all of his primary education until college. I, however went to public school for grade school and then was thrust into private school for grades 6-12. Those formidable 6 years are why IF we have to place him into a private institution, it will be non-secular and he will not attend mid-education. Parochial school was just not for me. Plus raising anti-consumerist children, will be an uphill battle placing him in an environment where private entitlement supersedes humility and humanity. There are a lot of issues that I had and still harbor...you think!

There is a lot of work ahead of us and well, any helpful suggestions are welcome!