• Seasonal_Peace [he/him]
    ·
    2 months ago

    In about a year, my son will be starting school, and the decision about where to send him is stressing me out. We've already ruled out the nearest school—it looks more like a modern prison than a place for children. The building is completely gray, with bare concrete walls inside, huge windows everywhere, and the classroom setup seems geared towards old-fashioned, frontal teaching. Even though the neighbors seem happy with it, I just can’t imagine my son spending his days there for years.

    On the other hand, there's a newer school about a 15-minute walk away that opened three years ago. It looks much greener and more inviting. They also offer mixed-age classes, which I attended when I was younger and loved—no endless hours of boring, traditional teaching. I’m really hoping this school is as great as I think it is. I plan to visit in a month to see it firsthand, but I’m still not completely sure if it will be the right fit for him.

    • Kestrel [comrade/them]
      ·
      2 months ago

      The home we moved to is about a 12-15 minute walk from the elementary school and was a huge selling point for me. My kid walks with my partner 5 days a week and even though the school may not be the best, I can tell they are both very happy with that little ritual. Good luck with your effort.

      • Seasonal_Peace [he/him]
        ·
        2 months ago

        Most parents Here are too car-dependent. I only know two who walk their kids to school. One parent, in particular, drives even though the school is just a 10-minute walk away, then drives to work, which is only one subway stop away—a trip that would take just 15 minutes without the car. Ironically, they say that once their kids are older, they’ll let them walk to school, but you know they’ll still keep using the car for themselves.

    • BashfulBob [none/use name]
      ·
      2 months ago

      my son will be starting school, and the decision about where to send him is stressing me out. We've already ruled out the nearest school—it looks more like a modern prison than a place for children. The building is completely gray, with bare concrete walls inside, huge windows everywhere, and the classroom setup seems geared towards old-fashioned, frontal teaching. Even though the neighbors seem happy with it, I just can’t imagine my son spending his days there for years.

      Feel you. I'm in Texas and with the way the local system has been deliberately degraded, I'm genuinely torn about what to do with my kid when he's school age.

      Other than throwing my checkbook at the problem, there doesn't seem like a lot of good options.

      On the other hand, there's a newer school about a 15-minute walk away that opened three years ago. It looks much greener and more inviting. They also offer mixed-age classes, which I attended when I was younger and loved—no endless hours of boring, traditional teaching.

      Sounds fantastic. Hope it holds up.