When we still thought we would live out a good chunk of our lives in Pittsburgh, I had done a lot of research on school options for the kids. Now I find a lot of my friends going through the same process of doubts, questions and research as their kids grow older. So, here's a post summarizing the various options, my opinions and some facts about school education in the Burgh.
At age 3 (preschool):
a) Daycare/Preschool combination option: Places like Kindercare, Tendercare, Brightside, Rodef Shalom, JCC, etc (pretty much any daycare that caters to the 3-5 year old population) integrate a preschool within their daycare. The great advantage is that the kids are taken care of till about 6 or 7pm, for a price that varies by the center. On average, one can anticipate about a $1000/ month in expenses.
b) Public preschool: Pittsburgh Public Schools offers free preschool for 3-5 year old kids. Advantages: it's free; it's a great way of finding out about the school for kindergarten and above (after 5 years of age). Major disadvantage: school runs only till about noon or so, forcing one to find other options for after-school care.
For nearly all these preschools, admission is by application to the assigned school (based on postal address) or by lottery (eg. Montessori). Don't assume that just because you got in to a great school via the preschool lottery, that you're all set for kindergarten. Many schools require you to re-participate in the lottery system after the child turns 5 for a kindergarten admit.
At age 5 (kindergarten and at 6, elementary):
a) Pittsburgh Public Schools (assigned school): Based on one's postal address, one falls into different school districts, meaning that there's an assigned school where one's kids automatically are ensured admission. Pittsburgh inner city school districts get a lot of flak from those living in the suburbs, but in general, I have found that the schools in Squirrel Hill and Shadyside are pretty well-regarded. Many parents I have spoken to assure me that schools like Colfax or Minadeo (both in Squirrel Hill) are certainly comparable to any in the suburbs.
Nothing much needs to be done by the parents to ensure admission to their kids: You take the kid's birth certificate and some proofs of residence (a detailed document list is found on the PPS website) over to the school before some particular date in summer (the academic term starts in Aug) and they will register the kid. Before school starts, there'll be open houses and meet-and-greets where the prospective parents and students can meet the teachers and other school families.
This is the simplest and most stress-free method.
However, you may not be happy with your assigned school. In which case, you could find a close relative who does live in a school district that you like, and that can enable you to put your kid in the new school, after assigning the close relative as guardian. Or you could try the following other options:
b) Pittsburgh Public Schools (Magnet school): Magnet schools are those that emphasize a certain aspect of education, such as languages, science & tech, arts, music, you name it. There are many elementary schools that are Magnet, such as Dilworth (special emphasis on arts and music), Linden(special emphasis on a foreign language, such as German or Mandarin), Montessori (a special teaching type) and so on. There is no geographical restriction for application to these schools. To apply, wait for the application forms to come online on the PPS website by October of the previous year, browse through their offerings (each school describes its philosophy, special points etc), pick three that you like, submit the completed form and your list of top-3 favorite schools to the PPS office by December. Lottery to these schools take place in Jan and you will know where your child will be placed by February end. Magnet schools, being part of PPS, are also free.
c) Charter schools: these are not part of the PPS, yet they are not exactly separate from them, either. They follow their own curricula, but are still considered enough a part of PPS that their graduating high-school students will be eligible for the Pittsburgh Promise. The curriculum depends on the school. For instance, the Frick Environmental Charter School (my favorite of all) stresses on the importance of nature and environmental consciousness in the development of kids. Entrance is by lottery. Competition can be fierce. For instance, the ECS admission rate is 7%, lower than that of Yale University.Parents pay a nominal fee for tuition and food.
For both magnet and charter schools, preference is given to applicants with siblings already in the school ("sibling preference") and city of Pittsburgh residents.
d) Private schools: pay and learn. School fees can vary widely. But nearly all cost more than $10,000/ year. Scholarships are available for those in need of financial assistance.
My opinions:
I am a big fan of the PPS. So my plan for my kids was to send them to either their assigned school (Minadeo) or apply for Magnet schools (Montessori and Dilworth were the first two on my list). I felt that the money saved during elementary school education would be better used either for private schooling at the high school stage or even college. Some of my friends also advocated private schooling in a girls-only school for their daughters during the middle school years and this is certainly a point that should be considered.
