My Homeschool

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this at all yet. It must be a symptom of denial. Between the ephemeral last days of summer, and our lengthy (vacation) absence from home, my mind is elsewhere. But, ready or not, it's coming. Next week brings the annual back to school ritual in Boston.

For the first time this year, I will have three boys in school. I find myself strangely, and uncharacteristically sad about Mattie starting school. I feel like a first time mom all over again. He is set to attend the same pre-school that Jack and Elliot went to, which I wholeheartedly adore. But, for some reason, I am dreading our first day separation. We have been away from the school for the last year, with Jack and Elliot both in elementary school. Mattie does not have the same familiarity with the school that Elliot did, having dropped off and picked up Jack countless times during the year before he started there. Mattie's first day will be next Wednesday, the day before elementary school starts. I will be doing the drop off with everyone in tow. Perhaps that will make it easier.

Jack and Elliot will also be attending a new school this year. We decided to give the Boston Public Schools a chance for the first time. We selected a school just 2 blocks from our house, which offers a bilingual Spanish English immersion program. But, this switch is not without a set of hurdles still to conquer. Jack will be starting third grade. The other kids in the immersion program have had 3 years of Spanish already. Jack has had none. So, the school wants to start Jack out in an English only classroom. On the surface that doesn't sound problematic, except that the English only program has been eliminated in the school. Jack's grade is the last one that still offers it. The program, having been phased out, has no future in the school. It has no one with an interest in promoting, improving or pouring energy into it. For reasons owing to the workings of the BPS lottery system, the English only classroom is also purported to be full of kids whose parents have little interest in their children's education. It is also rumoured to have more discipline problems. So, we told the school that we are only interested in the bilingual program for Jack. The principal was out last semester on family leave, so we have not gotten any assurances from the school concerning his placement. If Jack isn't offered a spot in the bilingual program, we're not sure whether we'll send him to the school. We also don't have anywhere else to send him. Elliot is in an entirely different, but worse, situation. Elliot was not offered a spot at any of the schools (4) that we listed on our lottery form last year. Instead, he was assigned to another public school, farther away from our home, that we had never heard of. We opted to decline his spot at that school, and instead placed him on the waiting list at Jack's school. He is currently second on that list. So, right now, he does not have a spot at any school. Jack's school has assured me that they typically see lots of movement on the waiting list, but not until after the school year starts (and they figure out who is a no show.) So, what will we do next Thursday? The current plan for Elliot is homeschooling.

Given my personality (obsessive compulsive, type A, etc.) it's even hard for me to believe that we're in this situation. But, I'm surprisingly ok with it. I guess the truth is that, on some inner level, I feel like everything will work out fine. And if it doesn't, I'm confident that we'll be able to pull something else together quickly. After all of my frustrations with Jack and Elliot's old school, and my fears about their new school, the idea of temporary homeschooling doesn't actually sound that scary. And maybe, if things don't work out, this will be the final push for us to move. Whatever it is, I'm actually looking forward to letting fate take me for a ride.