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?
My son is doing fantastic. He is well above his grade level in math and reading, but far from bored and really exploring things and issues I never thought about in kindergarten! 
'Choice' is a term that makes my blood boil when you have a special son like mine, cause it only existent to the extent you want to play roulette with your child's education. I played. 
Despite the official rules surrounding the Volunteer Transfer Program (VTP) working like a lottery, the process itself is somewhat arbitrary and haphazard, putting the power to accept students in the hands of individual schools. 
I named this blog "Search" instead of "Choice" for a reason. To many, probably most Philadelphia families out there, school choice is an illusion. 
I've heard the anecdotes left and right, including a few first hand accounts. In my optimistic outlook on this process, I assumed that this didn't happen often. Well, boom goes the dynamite! 
It seems only appropriate, having written REJECTED and ACCEPTED, that I complete the trifecta of admissions articles. What happens if you are not rejected outright, but also not offered a seat? 
My ICS lottery draw. ![Independence Charter Lottery Experience [Video]](http://phillyschoolsearch.com/wp-content/uploads/et_temp/independencelogo-12543_200x60.png)
Heavy rain outside foreshadowed the mood inside. The room was filled with hard uncomfortable seats designed for much smaller bodies. 100 nervous parents filled the school multipurpose room. 
Len Lipkin
PSS Community