Theo ended up getting off of the lottery wait list for one of the best public charter schools in the state and it has been absolutely amazing. Intellectually and morally, I understand the educational problems inherent in the charter school movement and its impact on public education, but, for what it's worth, this charter is not a rocketship, or other corporate-backed entity. It's more like a small, alternative elementary school that is year-round. It is also almost completely run by parent volunteer hours, which is evidence of the real power in community organizing to make things better, and also a sad reminder that in our current economic system, those in most need of a strong community-run school can't have it because they don't have the time necessary to build it.
There was a star party last weekend which had crafting booths, hot chocolate, and expensive telescopes. Last week, Theo had one of the most amazing 3-day lessons I've ever heard of (would be John Dewey approved). He went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch, followed by a day of "pumpkin science" where the kids tested out each of their pumpkins in a tank of water to see if they would sink or float (all floated). Then they counted the lines on the pumpkins (Theo's had 19) and measured its diameter (14 inches, a fact he was able to recall a week later). The next day, they took the seeds out of a small and big one in order to see which one had the most seeds (small). It was totally engaging for all of the kids and I only know about it because he told me about it (unlike some days, when he can't tell me anything he did in school). Also, I've seen parents wear kilts at the school, and I had to attend 9 hours of positive discipline training. AWESOME!
Here's his K picture:
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