What really cemented my decision to send my child to a private school was a visit to Alcott Elementary where the principal told me that before they could raise the roof (raise academic expectations), they first had to level the floor. In other words, my child would be forced to tread water academically while other children, who came to school with less preparation, built their foundation. I didn't think that was fair. I remember being bored in school A LOT (at least, until I took my first AP course in high school) and I just didn't want that for my child. Her school now allows her to achieve academically in the fields she likes best, and she's not forced to wait for anyone to catch up. From an instructional point of view, she's also not held captive to the CST test, pacing chart, two-part standards and all of the rest of the rigamarole that is part and parcel of public education today.
In my daughter's school, I found a small, loving community of wonderful parents, teachers and students. We became fast friends with a group of UCR religious studies professors whose kids were in kindergarten with our child. We went to the movies together and had BBQs in backyards. My child's class of 18 students doubled the size of the school. Now that I think about it, those were the halcyon days. I wish I had appreciated them. For, while it was a lovely time, it was not financially sustainable. Now the time has come to pay the piper, and for me to face some uncomfortable truths.
There is a waiting list for my child's school. From what I gathered, although we may indeed lose some families with next year's tuition increase, they will be easily replaced. What is not so easily replaced, I fear, is the economic diversity that those families provided. I am quite conflicted about this. I feel like I occupy a tenous middle-ground between the Junior League parents who thankfully patronize what we like to call "Babbo's House" and my fellow teachers, well-paid to be sure, but constantly asked to do more and more, for less and less money, every year. I fear how tuition increases will be received in their houses. Will they find the money? Will they "make it a priority" as one person put it? From what I understand, many are on the edge in terms of being able to afford tuition as it is.
But what I find especially troubling, and something that I only discussed with someone after the meeting, is that no one seemed especially concerned with preserving what little diversity the school currently has. I understand that in the market, a scarce commodity will demand higher prices. Those less able to pay, are unfortunately, pretty much SOL. No one mentioned maybe trying to come up with a scholarship program. Nobody was concerned that as our school becomes more and more the school of lawyers and doctors (God bless them all, we sure do need them), that it becomes less and less a school of teachers, office workers and clerks. In my opinion, this is not a good thing. When I made a comment that with every tuition increase, our school is looking less and less like its community, someone in the room responded with a scathing attack on the moral and ethical standards of our community. Given that I teach these very same students every day, I found it to be quite insulting. What was more troubling, however, is that no one stood up to contradict the statement. When no one speaks up, I think it's safe to say that people are either shocked into silence, or that they agree with the speaker. I went to the meeting and said my peace. I felt I had to say something. If I was the lone dissenting vote, then so be it.
I suppose I assumed that the rest of the people in the room were similarly troubled and concerned about the implications of making our school more elite, more expensive and more selective. I have spoken to other parents of color in the school and we feel similarly conflicted. We want to do what is best for our children, but we also realize that they must live in the broader, more diverse world. Are we doing them a disservice by insulating them from that reality? In my ideal world, any discussion of tuition increases would've included a drive to have a scholarship endowment. It would've included a plan to increase racial and ethnic diversity. It would've included a plan to go out and talk to, for example, the Hispanic chamber of commerce. There are Mexican lawyers out there, and they do have children! Unfortunately, I didn't hear any such conversation. The feeling I got from the room was that we have to do this. If people value this, they will pay for it. and if they can't, oh well, we have other people that will fill their spots. It's the cold hard economic reality of America. They are all probably right. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it.
I never intended to keep my child in private school forever. I found a school that I love, with teachers that I respect and admire that has provided a warm and friendly educational environment. I suppose that this week's events have taken the wool from my eyes. It's still a great school, the teachers are still fantastic, and the parents and kids are still top-notch. However, long-term, I'm realizing that it's not where I want my kids to be. I'd like my child to take classes with the smartest kids, whatever their socioeconomic status or color. It would make me particularly happy if that classroom was economically, racially and ethnically diverse. Because whether you like it or not, that's Riverside, California and that's America.
