GA Pre-K Bureaucracy

By on March 6th, 2009

I have spent an inordinate amount of time the past two weeks trying to find a pre-k program for my child.  The system, to the best of my understanding, works like this:

  • if there is room in a school system for pre-k, the kids (age 4 by August of that school year) go there.
  • if there isn’t room, only the kids with special needs go there for pre-k (age -2-4).
  • if the school system is full and only the special needs kids go to the public schools for pre-k, then the other kids go to privatized pre-k.  This means they attend at a certified daycare or private school, but the state pays for it, not the parents.
  • OR they don’t have to go to pre-k, it’s optional, can stay home with mom, be in daycare or whatever, and just start K at age 5.
  • if the school system is full, you have to find a slot for your child at a local private place, and in most of the metro counties there are more kids than open slots.  You call the various places and either get on a waiting list, or into a lottery system, and hang out until August wondering if your child will have a school or not.
  • OR if you want to circumvent this nonsense, and have money to burn, you can just skip it and enroll your kid in private school

Arrrgh!

I have heard quite a few parents say they would never use the state funded pre-K,which they consider to be inferior.  These are typically the same parents whose children are going to attend private school anyway.  Lucky them to have the funds.  I have also heard that the state system is too rigid, or that the naps are ill-timed, and that children have been removed.  But alas, it’s overflowing with children – so how bad can it be?

Blah, blah, blah.

After a frustrating period of research and phone calls, we’ll be visiting at least two schools next week and getting on at least two lists.

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One Response to “GA Pre-K Bureaucracy”

  1. Liz A. says:
    March 7, 2009 at 1:53 PM

    That does sound like quite a frustrating system. I didn’t go to Pre-K, but when I substituted at the Montessori school, it was all a bunch of nonsense.

    I really think any avenue is fine, as long as DD likes it.

    Liz A.’s last blog post..For Better or For Worse

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