The charter school is GOOD!!

We went to the charter school today to turn in all of Erin's documents and her registration packet. It wasn't the campus she will be going to. It was the westside campus of the same school, though, so we can expect the eastside one to be very similar when it's finished. It was NICE!

The school itself looks awesome. It's not falling down and nasty like the other schools around here. The office staff was really nice, and treated us wonderfully. They answered all our questions, and again, we were told that Erin has an excellent chance of getting in. They said that since we had all our ducks in a row, and all the necessary documents ready for them, they're putting her into the system right away. We will find out in mid-June if we were accepted or not (again, we probably will be), and she will undergo placement testing later in the summer. I explained that she would be out of town for the entire month of June, and asked if that would create a problem as far as her testing was concerned, and they were very cool about it. They said that it would not penalize her in any way, nor hurt her chances of admission at all. They said they understand that a lot of kids go on vacation in the summer, and are totally prepared to work around us as far as that goes. She will be tested after she comes home in July.

The other cool thing was that that the student population of the school seemed very diverse. That's a priority for us, especially here, where the population of the area is pretty much one race. We strongly prefer our kids to be in very diverse schools. That way, not only do they have friends of all races and cultures, but there is not the bullying problem that there was in the public school here when Erin was one of only three non-Hispanic kids in the entire school. I really was happy to see a lot of diversity in this school's student body.

This school is outstanding. I can't even tell you what a relief it was to walk in, ask questions, get answers, and not have anyone treat us like idiots. It was nice to not be automatically expected to be destitute and ignorant. I think this school has a far better crowd as far as the families go. It would kind of have to, wouldn't it? It's not something you hear about unless you specifically go and search for better academic opportunities for your kids, and really, any family who's going to do that is going to be a little more "on the ball", so to speak, than the average Juan or Juanita of this area, who just wants to throw their kids on a bus and forget about it until the bus drops them off again. It takes effort to get your kid into a charter school, and it takes a family effort to continue to be there. There are volunteer hour requirements of every family, and mandatory parent/teacher meetings, especially for those students who have an individual educational plan, which Erin probably will. Sending the kids to this school is a commitment for the entire family, and any family who's willing and able to make that commitment is bound to be a more conscientious sort than the average parents in this area.

I hope it works out. We'll all be very happy if they take her. Erin LOVED the school. I think she's going to be happy there. In a last-ditch effort to hedge our bets, I looked for other charter schools in this area, and found only two other Elementary schools. They were magnet schools for the gifted, so they weren't for us. This is the only option for us. We have all our eggs in one basket, because that's all there is. I'm glad our one option is a good one. I REALLY hope it pans out.