Kathy Cahill writes in about finding the right school:
Hi, my husband and I have two sons (15 and 11) in the Boston Public Schools. We made a decision to stay in Boston and enroll them in the public schools system. There are a lot of very good elementary schools near us in Roslindale. We chose the Haley Elementary in Roslindale because of the community, the quality of the teaching, the bright and open school, the large playground and a strong principal. We were not disappointed.
What is disappointing is how Boston Public Schools are not equally funded so one school may have music and art, while another does not. Some schools have partnerships with non-profits or universities which adds a lot of services to the school. And some schools are really good at fundraising if they have organized parents who can do it and supplement the school budget with things that BPS can't/won't pay for.
Our sons both had the opportunity to attend Advanced Work Classes (AWC) in 4th grade which were offered at a different elementary school near us, the Bates. We chose the Bates because it is a school we felt good about and due to the strength of the teacher, Mr. Joel Clark, who has been wonderful for both of our sons. He has helped them both grow and gain skills, and taught all the kids in his class about service and getting along together. I can't say enough about him.
Now, our 11 year old will be going to middle school next year, most likely at the Washington Irving Middle School in Roslindale. There are also good teachers there as well. He will take the ISEE exam in 6th grade to gain admittance to one of Boston's exam schools (Boston Latin, Boston Latin Academy or O'Bryant School of Math and Science). I wish that both my sons did not have to attend so many different schools before 7th grade (for our older one, by 7th grade he was in his fourth school). It's too much jumping around, but we are glad to have had the choices we did. I just wish there were as many opportunities for all kids in the city and different kinds of middle and high school choices for those who do not attend exam schools. And more vocational education in high school.
