Parents sharing the process of searching for a school in Greater Philadelphia. What kind of school are you looking for? Charter, public, private, city, suburban?
Ever since I started this blog, people see me as some sort of school expert and thus are keenly interested in my personal school choice. This blog was never about that. I have been trumpeting all along that school decisions are very personal. I am no expert. Many of you keep a diary or a personal journal. I’m just a dad, and I consider Philly School Search to be my journal, just not so personal. Just because I bought a web domain and made the site look pretty doesn’t make me qualified to choose a school for anyone other than my child (and at times I have felt barely qualified for that). The only thing that makes me slightly different than any other Philadelphia parent with a child entering kindergarten in the fall is that I have developed some great relationships with parents, educations, journalists, educational activists, other bloggers, and more because of this blogging endeavor. Those relationships have taught me a lot and have been a blessing, to be sure, but do not make me a guru by any stretch. Most of what I have learned from those folks I have shared with you all, including some of PSS’ most popular and useful posts, like this primer on Philadelphia school transfers, this set of articles about homeschooling, and this guide to financial aid for private schools.
My school choice process was an arduous one, complete with ups and downs, soul searching, heartbreak, and plenty of unexpected twists and turns. It was not a clear cut decision. There are a lot of great schools to choose from in Philadelphia, and the school choice itself is also about much more than the school itself. It is about preferred lifestyle, budget, community, family values, religious, beliefs, and so much more. I am as happy with my school decision as I can be before school has actually begun, but I could imagine being just as happy with about half a dozen other schools. The decision was greatly influenced by many personal factors separate from my child and the schools themselves. For example, the elimination of Lower Merion as an option had nothing to do with the schools, and everything to do with not wanting to move out of the city.
So that being said, yes, I can confirm the report in the Inquirer that my son will be attending Germantown Friends School this Fall. I am very excited about GFS, but I am equally excited for my friends and readers who have chosen a wide range of other great schools, public, private, and charter. This blog, for as long as I maintain it, will continue to remain impartial to individual schools or types of schools. Why? Because as I have said before, school choice is a deeply personal process. Don’t base your school choice on mine, because your family is much different from mine, like apples and oranges.
Len Lipkin
PSS Community
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