55/365 School Choice

I often use the quote, "In Sweden, there are only 4 kinds of soap." I don't know where I read it and I don't even know if it's true, or if maybe it just isn't true anymore. I say it when I want to demonstrate how much easier life is with fewer choices. It helps if the choices are good ones, or at least if there's one good choice in a small group, but as Americans we often define freedom as choice (I'm not talking about abortion here when I use the word "choice"; I'm talking about purchasing things, where we live, where we go, what jobs we have, and so forth). Some choices do make us free--not being tied to the land like a serf in the middle ages is certainly better. But I continue to maintain the view that consumer choice does not increase our freedom at all, and in fact it often steals time and, therefor, it could be argued that it makes us less free.

I usually say this when I'm talking about the cereal aisle at the store. But it also applies to schools in my neighborhood. Every family on my block has agonized over where to send their children. Ok, maybe not agonized (a few have), but we all have really thought and considered and weighed our options. In a smaller town, it might limited to:

a. public school
b. the one religious-based school in driving distance
c. homeschooling

Here between the sycamores, our choices are dizzying. Public or private or home, but amidst public are standard public schools, all the magnet schools, and the newer charter schools. Private: Catholic, Lutheran, Christian, avant garde, ritzy, cheap, community based, how many grade levels, and so on. There are a lot of choices and as it turns out, no two families on our block have chosen the same one--well, one exception to that, but that's still pretty impressive.

We attend Oak Grove Montessori, which is a grass-roots charter school. Nate across the street is just starting at a new arts-focused charter school in the fall. Casey, Adam, and Kenna are at a magnet school nearby, Hannigan. Anton is starting high school at Rogers, also a magnet school. His sisters are at (magnet schools) Larchmont and Reynolds.

Several families go to Catholic schools. The Wymans are at Holy Trinity, as are the Sullivans. The McAllisters drive a little further to St. Jude the Apostle. At this point no one attends the Catholic school that is geographically, technically, the parish we live in (where we go to church as well). Nate is leaving there; Anton attended for a time. We might in the future, depending on what Oak Grove decides about middle school.

Bree and Noah go to a small independent school nearby, Arch Street, where Zelda works; Eliza attends Hopkins. Up the street, Jen thinks she'll homeschool and Cicely, who also works at Arch Street, will most likely send her kids there.

What's so nice is that nobody has a bad day at school and then comes home to more bad day. If kids are bickering on the block, they can focus their energies on school friends and have an after school playdate (I hate that word). They learn different things and in fact do share their knowledge. It's been lovely.

But more school choice is coming: Arch Street ends at 6th grade, as does Hopkins. It's a toss up whether Oak Grove will decide to add on a middle school or not. We're all looking and thinking hard. And I'm trying to breathe--Oak Grove landed in my lap without stress or worry (I was going to homeschool). I need to let a few years play out.

And then there's high school.