When we moved here nearly 3 years ago, I was in a tizzy to get my then 18-month-old daughter into a decent preschool (never mind that she wasn't going to attend for two full years!). Our real estate agent drove us past Crestwood Hills Coop, the nursery school around the corner from our house, and we were sold. Little did I know at the time that it was harder to get into than Harvard. Coming from New York City I knew I would have to wage a campaign to get my little angel into school, and so that's just what I did. Both my husband and I attended a weekly toddler class put on by the school. We sent letters and e-mails and made the occasional call. We had other families at the school write letters on our behalf, and in the end went so far as to join the local housing association (which owns the land our school happens to be on, so you get an edge...doing this was no easy feat, and I don't recommend it). The point is getting in to private school is not to be taken lightly. You need to do your homework and decide which school is right for you, then go whole hog. We were "lucky" with preschool. I knew Crestwood was the perfect fit for our family right off the bat, and we love it there. I'm now in the throes of finding an elementary school, and the challenge seems greater. My first question was public or private? Given who our current president is, and the no child left behind policy, I think we're opting for private right now... But that only narrows the field a bit. To get to the next step, I'm using all my resources: books, friends, education consultants. And doing a lot of legwork: going on tours, tours and more tours. So far I have not identified my first choice, and therefore have not begun my next campaign. What I do know is that I'm thrilled that all the schools seem to honor legacy, and that includes siblings! I also know I don't really want to go through all this again until college (or at the very least junior high school...)!
