Much Ado About School.

I've got school on the brain lately, folks. And not just my own school (which started again yesterday-- boo), but Camden's school as well.

It feels odd to think of him as old enough to have school at the forefront of my mind right now, but we're getting to that point. For a long time, my focus was on Camden's speech (or lack thereof) and my primary goal was to get him talking. Once the words started to come and I could begin working with him on colors and numbers and ABCs, school suddenly became a much bigger focus.

Before becoming a parent, I always just assumed I would send my future kids to public school. Because, duh-- it's free. And it worked for me; I was a public school kid without any problems. I neglected to consider the fact that I was attending public school in one of the best counties in the nation (Fairfax County in Virginia) when I was making these decisions for my future children.

Then I met Camden and I knew from day one that I only wanted the best for this sweet child of mine. And that includes the best education possible. Unfortunately, the public school system in the county we currently live in is less than impressive, if I'm being kind. In reality, it's pretty downright bad.

I've met a lot of parents lately who are considering homeschooling their children. The thought has crossed my mind more than once since becoming a mom (prior to having children, I would've rolled my eyes at the thought of homeschooling). I think homeschooling has countless benefits. I think my Type A, organized self (who will eventually have my teaching certification) would make a decent homeschool teacher. But. It's not what I want for Camden, at least initially*. I want him to get out there and experience interacting with other students on a daily basis. I want him to hear diverse opinions and participate in classroom discussions. I want him to have these life experiences. Also? I will need to go back to work full time eventually.

So, I'm not crazy about our public school system (at all). I don't want to homeschool Camden (at least not intially). Where does that leave us?

Moving out of the county? Well, that sounds nice in theory, but did anyone hear about the recession and the housing market crash a few years back? Yes? Well, selling our house isn't something we want to do for many, many years.

Private schools? Sure, we can fork over the insanely high tuition rates, if we don't want Camden to go to college. (Bottom line? It's not happening.)

So, charter schools seem very attractive to me right now. There are a couple of local ones that I've had my eye on for a while. Unfortunately, we'll be at the mercy of the lottery system, along with thousands of other parents, and the uncertainty of that makes me more than a little nervous. But, it seems like our best bet.

What are other toddler parents thinking about school right now?


*If it comes down to sending Camden to the middle & high schools he's slated to attend right now or homeschooling him, you can bet he'll be homeschooled.