The 2010 school year has started for some schools and will begin soon for others. My son, James, is now a rising Kindergartener. Some mothers are apprehensive when they have to face the first day their first child goes to school. I have seen sweat, tears, joy, pain, anxiousness, sorrow, and regret. What the children feel, I am not sure. My James has been in full time daycare since he was 16 weeks old. This is not a blog for the virtues of the working mother, the regrets, or either side of that particular fence. The point of this is that I am used to James being away from me.
My husband and I talk of that day, one year from now, when James steps onto that bus (or out of the car, if we have to drop him off). We are not worried about the little bird flying the nest. School is a part of life, a rite of passage. I remember the first time I stepped onto a yellow school bus. The year was 1982, and I was just four years old, turning five in 10 days. In my time and place, we only had to go to Kindergarten for half a day, and I had the second half of the day so I didn't even have my older sister with me on the bus. James is looking forward to it so much that he comments every time he sees a school bus "MOM! I get to ride that bus next year!" No, we are more concerned because we live in Durham, and our son will be attending Durham Public Schools.
I have heard lots of things about DPS. Mostly bad (from outsiders) but some good (from parents of actual students). I have a mother-in-law who DEMANDS that we move to Chapel Hill so James can go to school there, because they are the BEST schools. Truthfully, she subs there and probably just wants to harass him while he is in class. She refuses to sub in Durham schools because she might "get knifed." This attitude seems prevalent in the Triangle. You are putting your son in DURHAM schools? Why not move to Cary? Chapel Hill? Anywhere but there!
My husband and I are in a unique position. He will be a graduate student at Duke in two weeks and I work at Duke. We rent, therefore we are quite mobile. Our lease is up in June 2011. That means that we can move anywhere, to ANY school district in Durham. We currently live in the Forest View, Githens, Jordan High school zone. Pearsontown would be our year-round option. There are many magnets and charters to choose or not to choose, as well. We have heard of something called "lotteries" like gambling with your child's education is a good idea. What does that all mean? I came from a school district where you went to school based on where you lived. End of story. Thankfully, it was a good school. Durham gives you choices, but according to some, ALL of those choices will either get my kid "knifed" or he will somehow suffer academically just from being in a DP school.
This blog will, I hope, chronicle my journey through the DPS system as I decide what school is best for James. I want to flush out each school: rumors, truths, the good, the bad, the ugly. I want to interview teachers from each school and parents who send their children to these schools. What is REALLY going on in the DPS school district? I intend to find out. Durham has a lot of things to offer.
Here are some of the things I have heard:
Get into Easley, all other schools are bad.
Creekside has horrible overcrowding issues.
Charter schools are impossible to get in to.
Are these things true? False? Rumors? I am uncertain.
One thing is certain: We WILL be staying in Durham.
