Monday, February 1, 2010
The Kindergarten Blitz
It seems like every two years or so, some New York media outlet does a story on standardized testing for 4-year-olds and how crazy New Yorkers get about the whole thing. The latest article is in New York magazine and it suggests that the unpredictability of the tests as well as the prevalence of testing prep could make these tests obsolete -- or nearly so -- in the school admissions process, particularly with private schools. But even if it makes sense to do away with the tests, and I think it does, I think they won't be going anywhere anytime soon. In any case, here's the article.
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4 comments:
but what did you do? ;) i'm infinitely curious. especially since your kids are in different schools! we just entered the kindergarten fray here, complicated by my husband going back to school this fall. i'm relieved at least that state school is well regarded and i don't have to feel guilty about reaping the benefits of (convenience) a school one block away.
well, after much hand-wringing and back and forth and deciding to move back to philadelphia, where the kindergarten cut off is different from here,and then deciding to stay, we decided to send helen to private school - or an "independent" school as they say. we really wanted the kids to be in the same grade, and if she went to public school here, they wouldn't be (they would be in public or private in philadelphia.) She took the hunter test and the ERB and i don't think i was particularly invested in either. i certainly didn't do any prep for her. i didn't have her take the NYC public school gifted & talented test b/c (1) i heard the results REALLY depended on the teacher; (2) the G&T thing kind of bugs me b/c i feel like there are some really good non-G&T public options in our district even if the school we're zoned for two blocks away isn't so good (even if i did try for hunter, which i know makes me a hypocrite); and (3) i can't remember 3. we'll know in a few weeks where she got in. there's no perfect solution here--it sounds like a good, convenient school a lock away is nothing to feel guilty about! and david is going back to school? in what?
hey that really does sound complicated; but like you are navigating it just fine. my sister is a personal assistant for a sahm of four in manhattan (?!), and has told me about the trials and travails her boss had to get her five year old into school. in the end - after the tests, stress and interviews - she wound up with only one choice and it really devastated the mother (what about harvard?). aside from the fact that this kid is surely super bright, the mentality behind the whole thing is sort of sick...on the otherhand, my dad always says that if he had it to do over again, he would have sent us to private school, and in some ways i can see his point. but i wish public schools would improve enough to make that moot...David is going back to school for sustainable development ;)
ithink getting into one school is not AT ALL unusual...b/c schools are very careful giving spots to people who they really think -- or know -- will take them....
good luck to david!
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