Kindergarten
I am feeling a mix of feelings right now…. I went out to lunch today with a good friend of mine; I wanted to interview her for a research project I'm doing. (I'm working on a project called "Trauma and Tradition" about healing trauma through traditional / tribal / ceremonial means and she is a non-Western trauma counselor who uses these types of modalities as part of her practice.) My cell phone rang twice, and both times it was a Cincinnati Public School number, so by the second call, I thought that I should answer it.
It was the school that M is interested in attending calling to say that she has been accepted for the fall for kindergarten. She was on a waiting list, but now if we would still like for her to attend, she's in.
I have such a mix of feelings about this…. I was planning to homeschool (and largely have been doing so, even though she's not technically of school age yet) but then she heard about the School for Creative and Performing Arts, which is combining with this primary school into one gigantic, gorgeous, state of the art building starting in the 2010 -11 school year. (They were hoping to have it open by this fall, but that's not going to happen.) She SO WANTS TO GO THERE -- she has been clear about that repeatedly ever since hearing about it. They offer a lot more art, music, and dance courses than other schools, and have a very high academic rating, way higher than Cincinnati Public Schools in general, but because it is a public school, it is free. They also offer *tons* of after school kinds of lessons in the arts at a very, very reduced price, and she is interested in several of these.
She and I went to visit the school a few weeks ago. It is a gorgeous building (though of course they'll be moving to the new facility after this year) with big, sunlit rooms, Rookwood pottery drinking fountains, hardwood floors, high ceilings, and lovely old-fashioned tile. As far as schools go, it's very nice.
But it's still a school, a state-funded institution, a place where young minds are homogenized into the cultural/industrial soup, where kids are taught to be "good citizens and workers," a place that I am not all that sure I want my kids socialized. There are so many aspects of *school* that I don't like -- having to raise your hand to speak, not being allowed free expression, lining up to go to the bathroom -- heck, even having to ASK to go to the bathroom -- being forced to perform whether you want to or not….. so many reasons that I don't like school, yet she really, really wants to go. I very much value her autonomy, which leads to me not wanting her to go to school (it seems that she will have to give up a lot of that) and also leads me to respect her wishes to go if that is what she wants to do.
I have done so much research in cognitive development, how children acquire knowledge, and various pedagogical styles that I have a hard time sending my kids to anything like a traditional school -- they are just not run the way that makes sense to me, especially not for minds that are somewhat out of the box. I fear that she will lose her intense curiosity and intellectual drive because she will be forced into particular directions. At the same time, it isn't like we can't and won't supplement her education at home -- we do all kinds of educational activities with the kids, and that won't stop just because she is in school.
I will also miss the flexibility of having the part of the week in this place, part of the week in that place, time with each grandma, gymnastics in Indiana (with grandma), trips in the middle of the week, etc. And I'm afraid of the socialization aspect -- very afraid. I don't want my child homogenized!!!!! Right now she's exposed to such a cross-section of society, all ages, all cultures, all sorts of diversity. In school, she's going to be exposed to media culture kids, commercialism, consumerism -- everything I can't stand about our society. Obviously, she would have to confront that stuff someday, but at FIVE I don't think that she has the skills to objectively and critically evaluate that stuff like she would at, say, fifteen.
I've also been looking at backup plans, one in case she didn't get in, and two in case she doesn't actually like it once she's there. (I have assured her that she doesn't have to stay in school if she finds she doesn't like it.) There is a really neat on-line K-12 program that is also considered "public school," which means that the state will totally pay for the whole program, including the computer, internet access, and all textbooks and supplies. I know someone who is using it and they *love* it. We could do that and then let her enroll in any music, dance, or art classes she would like to take -- I've been researching what is available and how much $$ we would have to come up with to accommodate that.
Sigh. It's PUBLIC SCHOOL, something I have spent my life swearing that no child of mine would *ever* attend. But, she wants to go, and I value her autonomy. She is also a kid who may do very well there -- she loves to do things like worksheets and math, she is very social and outgoing, and she gets along well with other kids and adults. She also has a very strong sense of self -- she is not easily led by others into doing something she doesn't want to do and has a strong sense of individuality. Maybe she'll be okay….. but I'm her mom, so I still worry.
It was the school that M is interested in attending calling to say that she has been accepted for the fall for kindergarten. She was on a waiting list, but now if we would still like for her to attend, she's in.
I have such a mix of feelings about this…. I was planning to homeschool (and largely have been doing so, even though she's not technically of school age yet) but then she heard about the School for Creative and Performing Arts, which is combining with this primary school into one gigantic, gorgeous, state of the art building starting in the 2010 -11 school year. (They were hoping to have it open by this fall, but that's not going to happen.) She SO WANTS TO GO THERE -- she has been clear about that repeatedly ever since hearing about it. They offer a lot more art, music, and dance courses than other schools, and have a very high academic rating, way higher than Cincinnati Public Schools in general, but because it is a public school, it is free. They also offer *tons* of after school kinds of lessons in the arts at a very, very reduced price, and she is interested in several of these.
She and I went to visit the school a few weeks ago. It is a gorgeous building (though of course they'll be moving to the new facility after this year) with big, sunlit rooms, Rookwood pottery drinking fountains, hardwood floors, high ceilings, and lovely old-fashioned tile. As far as schools go, it's very nice.
But it's still a school, a state-funded institution, a place where young minds are homogenized into the cultural/industrial soup, where kids are taught to be "good citizens and workers," a place that I am not all that sure I want my kids socialized. There are so many aspects of *school* that I don't like -- having to raise your hand to speak, not being allowed free expression, lining up to go to the bathroom -- heck, even having to ASK to go to the bathroom -- being forced to perform whether you want to or not….. so many reasons that I don't like school, yet she really, really wants to go. I very much value her autonomy, which leads to me not wanting her to go to school (it seems that she will have to give up a lot of that) and also leads me to respect her wishes to go if that is what she wants to do.
I have done so much research in cognitive development, how children acquire knowledge, and various pedagogical styles that I have a hard time sending my kids to anything like a traditional school -- they are just not run the way that makes sense to me, especially not for minds that are somewhat out of the box. I fear that she will lose her intense curiosity and intellectual drive because she will be forced into particular directions. At the same time, it isn't like we can't and won't supplement her education at home -- we do all kinds of educational activities with the kids, and that won't stop just because she is in school.
I will also miss the flexibility of having the part of the week in this place, part of the week in that place, time with each grandma, gymnastics in Indiana (with grandma), trips in the middle of the week, etc. And I'm afraid of the socialization aspect -- very afraid. I don't want my child homogenized!!!!! Right now she's exposed to such a cross-section of society, all ages, all cultures, all sorts of diversity. In school, she's going to be exposed to media culture kids, commercialism, consumerism -- everything I can't stand about our society. Obviously, she would have to confront that stuff someday, but at FIVE I don't think that she has the skills to objectively and critically evaluate that stuff like she would at, say, fifteen.
I've also been looking at backup plans, one in case she didn't get in, and two in case she doesn't actually like it once she's there. (I have assured her that she doesn't have to stay in school if she finds she doesn't like it.) There is a really neat on-line K-12 program that is also considered "public school," which means that the state will totally pay for the whole program, including the computer, internet access, and all textbooks and supplies. I know someone who is using it and they *love* it. We could do that and then let her enroll in any music, dance, or art classes she would like to take -- I've been researching what is available and how much $$ we would have to come up with to accommodate that.
Sigh. It's PUBLIC SCHOOL, something I have spent my life swearing that no child of mine would *ever* attend. But, she wants to go, and I value her autonomy. She is also a kid who may do very well there -- she loves to do things like worksheets and math, she is very social and outgoing, and she gets along well with other kids and adults. She also has a very strong sense of self -- she is not easily led by others into doing something she doesn't want to do and has a strong sense of individuality. Maybe she'll be okay….. but I'm her mom, so I still worry.