Choosing a School: 27 More Days

Amazingly, it is February already, and therefore there are only 27 more days until the on-time open enrollment period ends for Seattle Public Schools.

I took a school tour myself this morning at Pathfinder K-8. It was unnecessary, since I have already decided to enroll my youngest daughter in kindergarten there next year and I have two children at Pathfinder already. But my 4 year-old wanted to see more of the two Kindergarten classrooms. Spending two hours on the tour with the school principal, a couple of Pathfinder parents, and a group of prospective parents turned out to be very interesting and enjoyable. David Dockendorf, the Pathfinder principal, spoke passionately about his commitment to the Pathfinder educational vision and his admiration for the teachers and other staff. Current parents and random people in the hallway shared their enthusiasm for the school. And, in general, I was reminded why I love Pathfinder so much, and my daughter is now even more excited about starting school there next year.

I hope all parents and children can find as good a match for their children's educational, social and emotional needs during the enrollment process. Below are links to previous threads on this blog and other resources to help you learn more about Seattle Public Schools.

The tie-breaker system which determines how children are assigned to schools continues to confuse people. So below is a short explanation (copied from a comment I made on an earlier thread) I hope will help:

Regarding the question about the chances of getting into Salmon Bay (or any school), the probability varies every year. But, it is important to remember it doesn't matter what the chances are. Why? Well, it's convoluted and difficult to understand the enrollment system, but if you just list all the schools you would like your child to attend in your true order of preference, it works out.

You are not penalized in any way by listing many schools. And, if you don't get into your top choices, you still have just as good a chance of getting into the other schools on your list. For example, if you really want Salmon Bay first and Adams second and Loyal Heights third, then list them that way. If your child doesn't get into Salmon Bay, then you have the same priority for Adams as if you put that one first. If your child doesn't get into Adams, then you have the same priority for Loyal Heights as if you had put that one first, and so on. See pages 40 & 41 of the Elementary Enrollment Guide, for details on assignment tiebreakers.

Comments

Anonymous said…
We attended Pathfinder's middle school grades tour yesterday and were also impressed by the principal, teachers, and students. It is truly a unique and special learning community.
Anonymous said…
Another thing to remember should a school be overenrolled and you are put on a waitlist; those lists do move. If you really want that school, then call, every week, in August and September and see where you are. It can be amazing in some cases how far the list moves. Why this happens is that some people move, change schools for a program reason and many people will unwilling to move their child after a couple of weeks in school. If you are willing to move your child two or three weeks after school starts, you may have a chance to get into the school you want.

Of course, this does not generally apply to hugely popular places like TOPS or the John Stanford school but it never hurts to ask.
Anonymous said…
My partner and I are looking for an elementary school for your daughter who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. We live in the Northwest cluster and we have vistited all the alternative schools. We were wondering if anyone had information on B.F. Day and Adams elementary school. We are looking or a school with a strong academic and arts program. We also want a school that has a strong community that is welcoming to all families. Thank you!
Anonymous said…
For the parent who asked about schools in the NW cluster.... Adams has a well-established arts-rich program, and strong academics. BF Day also has strong academics, and is an open and welcoming community. The only way to get a sense of whether either school is a fit for your daughter, and for your family, is to visit and tour. Best wishes in your choice.
Anonymous said…
And one other thing to keep in mind as you tour a school; it's not just your child's school. It's the family's school. You won't (hopefully) be just dropping your child off at the door. You'll be at this school for 6 years so as you walk through it, how does it make you feel?

So look for what family activities they have. You mentioned arts so ask about their participation in the PTA Reflections program. That might be an indicator for arts. Do they have activities that foster community? Do they have a family movie night? Math Night?

Also, check with the PTA to see if they have any upcoming family nights you could attend before the enrollment period is up.
Anonymous said…
We also were at the PF middle-school tour. Unfortunately it is not going to be the right choice for our child, who has been in Spectrum elementary. Some of the work that we encountered in the sixth-grade curriculum was covered in our child's fourth-grade classes, for example, and a few other answers to our questions led us to realize that while it does indeed seem to be a unique place, it's not going to be right for us. We are sad about this because K-8 in general as age-clustering makes more sense to us than breaking kids away at 6th grade; oh well. Good luck to everyone who has found the right place already; we're nervous that time is running out, but our search continues!
Kady said…
We're moving to Seattle this summer, so we're not able to enroll our 5 year old in kindergarten until we buy a house in July. Any advice on if/how we get into one of our preferred schools (Salmon Bay, Loyal Heights) at that point? Or do we just need to make do with the leftover spots then? I'd appreciate any insight/advice. Thanks!
Beth Bakeman said…
kadyd, as I understand it, there is, unfortunately, nothing you can do to improve your chances of getting into one of your preferred schools if you are unable to enroll your daughter until July.

I believe Salmon Bay always has a wait list for Kindergarten, so the chances of getting in there with July enrollment are quite slim. I don't know the odds for Loyal Heights.

However, as I explained elsewhere, it doesn't really matter what the odds are. Just put the schools down in the order you want them (i.e. Salmon Bay first, Loyal Heights second, etc.). That way you can get on the wait list for Salmon Bay (if that is your first choice), and you never know what could happen.

I'd encourage you to put least 5 schools on your list. If no spots are available at any of the schools you list, you will be assigned to a school.
Kady said…
Thanks Beth. I appreciate the help!

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