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brettsinger — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:00:00 GMT

New York Magazine has an item about a change in how children are accepted into the gifted and talented programs in the Big Apple (G&T, in the parlance). In addition to a gigantic increase in the number of applicants, the notification letters for these special public schools now come at the end of March. Why does this matter? Because by then all the private schools will have sent their letters and demanded that you turn over your ATM password - er, I mean ask for a deposit - to hold a spot. Of course, that's assuming that your child got in to private school and you have that choice to make.

If you're unfamiliar with the kindergarten application process in Manhattan, let me break it down for you. IT SUCKS. If, for whatever reason, you don't want to send your little one to the local public school, you need to start requesting applications several months in advance from the various alternative learning venues: the independent (private) schools, and also the public schools that are either above average (G&T programs) or are public and free yet exist outside of the influence of the city bureaucracy (Hunter). No matter what route you choose, there are tests, a different one for independent schools than for the others. Then you have to spend many hours going to tours and interviews. If you forgo the independent schools, you don't have to spend as much time interviewing and touring but you are also putting all your eggs in one basket.

That basket has gotten much, much smaller while the number of eggs has grown by - wait for it - more than 25 percent since the year 2000, according to the article. (An official at a local child services organization at a meeting I went to recently backed up this frightening stat. And I apologize for working the egg/basket metaphor so hard, but Easter was this week.) Why are there so many kids in NYC? Mostly it's the economy, stupid, or at least, it was. The economy was doing well, so people had more kids and rather than move those kids to the suburbs, they stayed in town and bought bigger apartments. So when the economy declines they'll move, right? Not really. Think about it: you spent a fortune on a huge apartment, and now the value of that apartment isn't as high because of a sagging economy. You can't sell, so you stay. (That particular line of reasoning I can't back up with outside opinions; it's just my speculation.)

At the moment, we have one kid who is already attending an independent school and another who we deeply hope will be accepted to the same place when the time comes, which isn't for another couple of years. The idea of the application process being more frustrating than it was when we did it a couple of years ago is hard to fathom. Everything worked out for the best for us, and therefore all the time we spent was worth it (cough, cough). Maybe by the time we need to do it again everyone will have moved to Scarsdale. But I kinda doubt it.

image: AlbertMohler.com

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