School Daze

My son is very bright and easily knew all he needed to enter kindergarten this past year but since his birthday is in December he can't start until next fall.

We are in a big decision mode right now. We have to decide which kindergarten to send our son to. Now I am not really complaining. There was a time when I thought I would never have to make such decisions so really having the privilege of making the decision is making me kind of happy.

Actually the decision isn't really ours to make. The school that we are most interested in is a public charter (magnet) school; free, but a bit exclusive. There are like 35 slots and usually like 70 applicants. The drawing is tomorrow. To say that I feel nervous is quite an understatement. I want so much that he get in this school. It is close to home; not walking distance, but we literally drive past it every day on the way to work. It is either first or second in reading and math for every grade. The one negative it has is it has a high student-teacher ratio.

The next 2 schools are also charter schools. Not as close as the first choice, but both really good schools.

The kindergarten that he would be automatically assigned to has math & reading scores near the bottom (24th out of 30 schools).

I am afraid that he will be stuck with his auto-assigned school.