Every day my kids are in public schools is a day I wish I could quit my job and homeschool. No lie.

I have twin boys in kindergarten in a school/ district that sounds a lot like yours. Half day kindergarten is the only option, though I would have definitely chosen full day, were it an option since I work and art/music are things I don’t do with the kids or myself so I’m counting on the school for that.

Even though our school has by far the lowest scores in the district (they are still above state averages), my sons’ teachers are awesome and we love the diversity. Overall, the school has been a really positive experience. The only thing I don’t really like is that it feels like almost all the extra resources are going to the low performing kids with nothing going to the higher performing kids. So, I feel like I am homeschooling my kids in math and reading and writing.

As to the daily homework requirement — for us the homework takes about 5-10 minutes and then we are supposed to read with the kids for 20 minutes. It’s Monday-Thursday, and we get the packet at the beginning of the month. So, it is really minimal and doesn’t interfere with anything.

Good luck on your choices.

I was hoping that homeschooling preschool was going to convince you to Go All The Way! Come on, join us homeschooling weirdos!

We can give you a pass on wearing the denim ankle-length skirt….at least at first. And I will personally bitch-slap you when you talk about raising chickens in your backyard, promise!

There are people out here who can help and encourage you. Think about it – it’s a real option.

(Please don’t ban me for being so preachy and bossy!)

Trying to write advice without making you feel worse is not so easy for me ;) I have erased multiple times, it is a difficult thing, I have fretted a LOT due to supposed ‘really good’ charter schools in our area. My youngest just started kindergarten oldest is in the 4th grade (SOB). Our schools are not top-rated, in the middle somewhere, and I have been immensely happy. It helps to know going in that nothing will be perfect or ideal, the key is having an environment where the kids are happy and they will work with you on any concerns. Every kid is different too, what may work for your oldest may not be ideal for your youngest. It will be a process, but I know you will figure out what is best for your boys. (Side note: the people who tell you that all that matters is what happens at home obviously do not have kids in school, the environment is VERY influential.)

Thankfully I work in education/education policy for a living so if you want to chat, shoot me an email. Obviously I don’t have a kid but I can at least give you the persepctive based on things like AYP, class size, etc.

I think the most important thing at that age is to help them be happy to go to school. If they aren’t happy, you won’t be happy. Be decisive about change. Maybe be open to alternative styles of learning. Every kid is different. My 11 year old son went to a Montessori school through 1st grade, but it didn’t seem to be a good fit. We put him in our (low/mid income, diverse)neighborhood school and he is thriving. My 7 year old, at the same neighborhood school, pretty much hated every single day of kindergarten, 1st, and half of 2nd grade-which is when we were finally able to get him into a great charter school. (Which, oddly enough, is more Montessori-ish)
Anyway, I think you are doing a fabulous job of instilling happiness, adventure, and appreciation for the outdoors already!

Are there any alternative or charter schools within your district? In ours there are charter schools that are strictly “lottery” schools so anyone can get in. They rank higher than the standard neighborhood schools and are sometimes a school within a school. Also how about immersion programs within the district (within the district=free public school)there are a few here like Russian, Japanese, Spanish and German. They also rank high.
I am also dealing (and fretting oh my!) about all this Kindergarten bidness for my son. Our neighborhood school isn’t very good so I’m hoping on getting his name drawn in some of the better lotto schools….I’ll feel better on March 25th so I know where he’s going! Good luck, I’ll hold your hand if you hold mine! Heh.

We are currently fretting about kindergarten for our oldest next year so I hear you on this. The responsibility of shepherding them through this crucial time is humbling and downright terrifying (well, maybe that’s just me. At 4 am.)

I just keep reminding myself what someone once told me: “Our job as parents is not to perfect the world for them – find them the very best class at the ultimate school with an incredible teacher – but to teach them how to get what they need when the world, their school, their teachers, aren’t perfect. Because that’s reality.”

Good luck! Your boys are so very luck to have you for a mama!

If your school is not meeting the standards set by No child left behind law and you can request to move them to a school that has better scores. My sons school is the same with bilingual students. This will affect the testing. Also, we got a letter home this past year telling us we could move him. What made us not move was the teachers care and he is thriving with the diversity. I’m a fan of this No Child Left Behind Act

Options/Questions to ask the Principal or Counsler
If Riley seems to be catching on quickly on the half days and could use more stimulantation can we change him to full days.

If you put him in full days and realize that this is not a good fit can I move him to half days. Also, does Riley still nap if not he might really do well with full days

Does the teacher have someone to help her/him if the students need more help catching on to basic language skills

Homework for us was pretty basic. Color four shapes or match the shape. Reading to your kids is big and they push it.

That’s funny, I always thought bilingual kids were smarter. You have to be pretty savvy to learn to read and write in two separate languages. Why would bilingual kids be bringing down test scores? In my experience, I have known some pretty mediocre, non-ethnic, academically challenged monolingual kids who are low-performing and even have learning disabilities. Could they be bringing down test scores too? Just a thought. I would be careful in making assumptions. Kids learn by example.

I say let go. I was in the same boat as you at the start of Kindergarten for my 5 yr old last year. I realized once the first weeks of anxiety passed that all would be well.
My boy is a good boy and he is smart with a loving and supportive family. THAT is what will make the difference no matter what school you send him too.

The school my son goes to is in the middle, just like yours, surrounded by richer/blue ribbon schools. But boy his teacher is awesome. He loves her. The kids in class provide diversity and show him that the world is not all white and rich, middle class. The school is lovely and the staff is sweet.

We thought about 1/2 day too. We let him make the choice after explaining it to him. The only reason we considered 1/2 day was it was free but at the end of the day when he said he wanted to do full day it seemed silly to hold back his experience because of money.

The biggest lesson I have learned is that kids are going to have trouble and stuggle no matter where they go. A boy was pushing my son down every day on the playground. It bothered him. I literally had to put my hands in my pocket and tell him how to deal with it. That is life. If he does not learn how to deal with a boy pushing him down, how will he operate in the world?! He did deal with it himself without myself or a teacher intervention. Of course, if he was being harmed, I would have stepped in. He was not, just his ego/feelings were getting hurt. Because he dealt with it, the boy does not push him down any more and all is well. He is learning and growing simply because of the experience of school.

As for homework every day (which is really Mon-Thurs), it is super easy, takes maybe 10 minutes TOPS.

Frankly, he has changed so much from the past year of school in a good way it is amazing. He can read now, he is learning to sit quietly and follow the rules of the school. He loves Math. He has made some neat friends that he would not know otherwise. Generally speaking it has been a fantastic experience.

At the end of the day, you know your child best and whatever you decide will be the best decision! Try not to fret, they sense that and it makes it harder. Just make the decision together and go forward!

This may be a dumb question, but is it possible for you to talk (or, even better, email) one-on-one with some of the teachers and administrators to get a better feel for the place? I know you had the orientation, but it sounds kind of general and impersonal. It might help to make this more concrete and less a yawning void of unknowns. Or maybe contact the head of the PTO and pepper them with questions? I bet a lot of parents have these same concerns and you’re not alone in your fretting, and they’ll be happy to help.

This stuff is big and scary (I fret about schools constantly and my child is not even ONE); it’s one of those pants-wettingly frightening parenting moments, to send your kid off to school for the first time. But at least Riley is excited about it, I guess!

I hate hate hate the thing that kindergarten has become.

If it helps, I firmly believe that a child’s success in school, given the very basic necessities of education on campus, is driven by his parents and by the attitudes he picks up toward education from them. I went to a small-town school district for 13 years, and it graduated people in the whole spectrum from “can’t actually read his diploma” (OK, so maybe I exaggerate… a little) to “full scholarship to Stanford, destined for a brilliant career as an oncologist”. Same teachers, same schools, same idyllic rural environment (if rusting yard-cars counts as idyllic). The difference is in the students themselves and in their home environment. And you’ve got that *nailed*. So, in my opinion, worry less about your school’s “scores” — the way they’re calculated is ridiculous anyway — and find a school that is a good fit for you.

And if you want him home at 11:30, bring him home at 11:30, unless he really really doesn’t want to come home then (assuming you can afford it; if you can’t, well, it’s good for kids to hear “we can’t afford it”). I think we force kids, especially boys, into rigorous full-day academic environments far earlier than is good for them.

But don’t listen to me; I’m one of those homeschooling freaks and my kids’ full-day academic environment consists of drinking hot chocolate while mom teaches them algebra and history on the couch. ;-)

My mom taught full day kindergarten for a couple of years (after teaching half day kindergarten for most of her career). She told me that after you cancelled out the additional recess and lunch, the difference in actual instructional time between half day and full day was not significant enough to make much of a difference to the kids actual learning and progress. She also said that many of the kids ended up exhausted and unteachable by the end of the day. She felt that they would have fared just as well in half-day kindergarten. Of course, this wasn’t a situation where some of the kids left and some didn’t – they all stayed.

I don’t think you need to worry either way. You work with your kids, you are involved, and they are obviously intelligent. A good or bad kindergarten experience is not going to be the determining factor in how they proceed educationally.

So this is a subject where I might be of some help as my job is in education research. All of the research shows that children from middle-class families, that are stable, with parents that are involved in their children’s education, do just fine no matter what school they go to. There are (some) negative effects that (can) appear as they get into middle and high school but for the elementary period the results are robust. Extremely robust. Some 70 to 80% of child educational outcomes are attributable to family factors and only around 10% is attributable to school and teacher quality. I personally believe your child will benefit more from being in a school with diversity than being in a school with high tests scores. Learning to work with people not entirely like yourself from an early age is much better preparation for the world than going to a school with high test scores.

But. I know you’ll worry about it nonetheless. I mean, I work in this field and have total confidence that where we send our kids to elementary school has little to do with their long-term outcomes and I STILL worry about it. My oldest is only three! And I still worry about it (for reference, our school gets a 1 on Great Schools). We’re lucky to live in an urban area with a robust set of options for public schooling so there is a good chance that we’ll be able to send our kids to a school with ok test scores but also with a diverse set of kids (something I value).

Riley will do just fine. He is smart and he has involved, loving parents. That really is just about the most important thing when it comes to schooling.

Do a web search for Miraloma Elementary in San Francisco. It is a model for how parents can turn a school around. Miraloma used to be the lowest rated school in San Francisco, now it is the top rated public elementary – all because of parent involvement.

Join the PTA, talk to other parents and the school’s administration, see what you can do to help. Get other parents involved as much as possible.

Effective fundraising is hard, but when you find something that works it can make all the difference. Car companies, cruise lines and resorts will donate products for raffling, you just have to hit them early in their fiscal year. Walk-a-thons can raise a lot of cash if they are high profile enough. Benefit concerts or boat parades can be lucrative and get the word out.

Get the kids involved too. Get them talking about why they think their own education is so important, then get them talking in the community. The media loves precoccious kids, get the kids asking big company execs or politicians for assistance and invite the press. It is extra hard to say no to a little kid in front of a camera.

I am a long time lurker, but this post is so similar to what I am going through. My oldest son will start K this coming fall as well and our district school’s test scores are much lower that many other schools in the county. But those numbers are just a part of the story. My school also has a large percentage of ESL students and it does effect the test scores (especially for the lower elementary school grades). For the earlier posted who comments that you shouldn’t judge – I can tell you that English not being a child’s first language, and especially if it is not the primary language spoken at home can have a negative effect on standardized test scores. I work in educational policy and hove worked on numerous studies to research this. Those children are every nit as smart, but the structure and environment of the test are difficult for that group of students.

We are looking forward to our son starting K this Fall because even though the test scores aren’t the greatest, I have met a number of parents who have children at the school and they have nothing but great things to say. Do you know any parents in the neighborhood that you could talk to about the school?

Our neighborhood school has a very large population of Vietnamese, Russian, and Hispanic families. Diversity has been great for my kids IN school. But that’s where it ends, sadly. My children don’t have any friends from their school that they see outside of school. Every single time we have attempted play dates we have failed. Most of the kids’ parents don’t speak English and are unwilling to branch out of their respective communities. That’s just been our experience, I’m sure there are more positive stories out there!

I was pretty shocked to read they charge for any part of kindergarten. Here in Texas you get full days of kindergarten for no charge.

I’m going through the same problem right now, my daughter has been in a Montessori program since she was 13 months and they offer another year. Our public schools are incredible, so I know she’ll either go now or 1st grade, it’s just a matter of when at this point. I’m so nervous about the adjustment and leaving her ‘comfort zone’. Good luck with your decision, I guess if half days don’t work out, maybe you can switch him to full?

Good Luck.

YUP. This is pretty much my exact situation, minus the half-day/full-day business. Daughter will start Kindergarten in the fall; I live in a (relatively) crappy neighborhood in a posh suburb. I have the OPPORTUNITY to transfer her to another school within Posh Suburb…but SHOULD I?

I never thought I’d be the kind of jackass who stood in line for hours just because I thought I was better than my neighbors…AND YET. I am considering it.

On the OTHER HAND, I also see the benefits of attending a neighborhood school instead of being a “transfer”, and (if I’m being totally honest) my daughter not being the “poorest” (relative obv since we’re middle class but not UPPER middle class) kid in a “rich” school.

The entire situation makes me uncomfortable and stessy and hate myself JUUUUST a little. As opposed to most of the comments here, which are really quite soothing.

Anyway, I feel you.

I knew what you mean by “transitional bilingual,” and wanted to tell you that, growing up in California, I was always in classes with kids new to the country who were just learning the language. I truly, truly believe it was one of the best experiences ever. I remember being asked to help tutor or even just work in pairs with ESL (English as a Second Language) students, and it helped me learn so much too; they helped me as much as I helped them. Best of all, I think that experience helped shaped my world view in a way that I gotta say I’m pretty happy with, in terms of empathy and understanding.

Oh, man, I worry about kindergarten and my child is less than 3 months old. (In my defense, if he goes to public school he would be going to one of the very schools that those parents in Waiting for Superman are trying to get out of, and in NYC the cutoff date for public kindergarten is Dec 31. My baby’s birthday is Dec 20, so we’re talking about sending him to kindergarten at 4 1/2. )

If we’re still in this neighborhood, which I love for many reasons other than the schools, we may have to go private for kindergarten at least–and then figure out how to manage 20K/year in tuition. Perhaps I’ll find a magic unicorn that craps gold.

anyway, I’m sure you’ll know pretty quickly once he starts whether it’s working for you. Could you start with full-day and then scale back if it seems like too much for him? I bet he won’t want to come home if his friends are all staying for music and art.

My kindergartener is in full day, his school is one of few that offers it free, and to be honest… I was ecstatic about it. A whole day of activities and learning and socializing and fun… that said, he also doesn’t have the luxury of a parent who is ready and willing to pick him up at the halfway mark everyday either. I might feel differently if that was the case (but honestly, I don’t think I could do it… I am so ENVIOUS of how you stay home with your boys and are not a complete mess. I wish I had it in me.) Anyway, he is thriving, he is busy… he does have daily homework, but it’s mostly practicing writing numbers, and sight words, a worksheet a day usually, drawing a specific picture etc. Sometimes the homework can be a real pain in the ass, but we try to make it a positive experience.

Anyway, thought I’d weigh in… we love all day kindergarten, though we also dearly love his teacher. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher for our first experience with school. Good Luck Linda!

Low test scores for the local schools? I think you just found out why you could not sell your house. ;-)

I recommend visiting the school (without your children in tow and NOT on a parent-visitation day) to get a feel for the teachers and the classes. In fact, visit several times. This is the best way of knowing what (if anything) to worry about.

I went to a good elementary school followed by an under performing (that’s being generous) junior high and high school. However, education was very important at home. We all read constantly. I was expected to watch the news and be able to discuss current events at dinner at a young age. I am one of the few from my class that has a Master’s degree and I really owe that to my folks. No doubt that school is influential, but I think your opinion and expectations have an even greater impact.

Ok we pay for pre-school right now but why do you have to pay for Kindergarten?! We pay registration, book, and activity fees and after that we are clear other than lunches and little stuff.

Could you start with half-day and if he loves bump him up to full-day? I so wish K was half day here. They may offer it but no one does it at ALL. I would be the first to sign up if more did it. I think a full day is to long and they have years of it ahead of them!

I feel you. I am SO not qualified to make these sort of decisions; I had a baby, I didn’t get a degree in elementary education, fer chrissakes.

Our neighborhood school has the lowest ranking possible, in part because it’s a transitional area and the nature of Bay Area demographics means that most parents who have anything more than a h.s. education are doing whatever it takes to put their kids anywhere other than public school. It would be nice to be champions of living urban on a reasonable budget, but I also don’t feel the need to martyr my kid and compromise his education (and safety) by going the public school route. And I definitely don’t have the constitution for homeschooling. Ugh.

Ghetto living NFTW.

My youngest son is entering kindergarten in the fall too, and I am sort of in the same boat. While his school is a great one (my older son goes there) there is serious talk of them switching to half day/full day with tuition kindergarten. We can’t afford to put him in all day so I worry about him getting behind other kids. But then I think, it’s just kindergarten! I’ve heard from people in the field that they all catch up by 1st-2nd grade…
When my older son was in kindergarten he had homework too. I thought it was ridiculous, but thankfully it was nothing too complex (although it was time consuming)–once a week he had to cut out pictures from magazines that started with the letter of the week and glue them onto the page. Occasionally there was an additional worksheet.
Anyway, good luck with your decision. It is tough to know what to do when all we want is the best for our kids!

I fretted big time over my spazz-case argumentative kid going into kindergarten. We are eligible to go to a GREAT school (as judged by test scores) and DECLINED to send him there because of the focus on performance. I don’t have any doubt my kid will learn to read and do arithmetic. What I want is for him to NOT HATE SCHOOL. So we put him in a “special focus option” school with a constructivist philosophy. There is no daily homework, no drilling of concepts or problem sets, no writing letters over and over and over. And it has turned out to be great for him. I know neighbor kids whose test scores would definitely suffer with this arrangement. But I’m ok with that.

So I guess my only point is to not worry about test scores. If you like the teachers and you like the work you see in the hallways during open house, than chances are you will be ok.

I’m sorry this is so stressful … if it were me those 2 factors (most kids stay full day, plus fun stuff is in afternoon) would influence me, but I’m already Full Day All The Way, so that’s my bias.

But what is UP with the Wednesday afternoons off? Our school district does that too. Is this a Thing now? If so it’s a Lame Thing. Pfft.

Hi Linda,

My daughter is starting Kindergarten next fall just like Riley. Her public school is in Issaquah. They have the lottery for full day Kindergarten. But we are not going to register her there because the preschool she has gone to since she was a baby doesn’t pick up in Issaquah – just Renton. So we are going to register her for school at our church.

I feel your pain. From what you have described of Riley through the years I think he would do well in full day. Go meet the teachers if you can. That makes a big difference. Do they have an orientation or open house?

It seems obvious (to me) that Riley is going to do awesome-ly whichever route you take. Because you care and are involved and concerned and involved and did I mention involved? Test scores are truly not a good measurement of actual educational quality. They are *a* measurement, but the No Child Left Behind Act has created too much emphasis on the wrong things. I am in education, my parents are both in education (my mom was a teacher for 32 years) and anyone I know in “the business” feels stifled and very limited by the NCLB act. It’s done a terrible disservice to our schools and our children.

Anyway, bottom line is that you and JB will certainly supplement and encourage and be involved with Riley’s education. And that’s what will help him thrive. The whole package–he’ll get great socialization and learning opportunities through school and watching your example and seeing you guys take an interest in him and his learning will enable him to soar.

So I did have one question and goodness, I hope I can ask it without sounding like a douche…is potential one on one time with Dylan playing any impact in your decision? I ask because, even though I only have a 20 month old and don’t even HAVE a second child yet, I ALREADY fret about theoretical second child getting less one on one time with parents. I’ll just be hanging out with my son and I’ll wonder if I’ll get to have the same one on one interactions and giggles and experiences with second child. Does that make sense at all? So when I was reading, I was thinking “hmm, what would I do?” and I thought “maybe I would want him to go to a full day so I could feel like I had some individual time with second child”. Again, EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT HAVE A SECOND CHILD.

(Sorry, I really hope that didn’t come across as anything other than genuine wonderment.)

Anyway, good luck. You guys will do great, all of you! And thanks for being so caring and engaged in your children. It warms the heart.

I’ve got 2 daughters who are bilingual (though French is their main language) and they’ve both been in “school” since they were 2. They’re now in 1st and 4th grade. I think the multicultural environment is a great thing (and almost certainly better than merely “high grades”, especially in kindergarten); my girls are in a private school (which is pretty cheap here in France – I pay about 300$ a month for both of them, all day) but have friends who are Spanish, Swedish, Italian, American, Ukranian, Kenyan… it opens them up to other cultures, languages, customs… Admittedly, if the non native English speakers really don’t speak English it can be a challenge, but kids usually don’t bother much about language barriers – playing is universal.
I think the whole day suited my girls perfectly, but for you that will really depend on Riley (my girls HATED, HATED, HATED napping but actually DID IT at school till they were 4 or so). And my picky eater (daughter n°2) has always eaten better at school than at home…
One more thing – here in France there is no school AT ALL on Wednesdays and yes, it is a HUGE pain in the butt; parents who work out of the house pay a fortune in childcare and the kid is usually MORE exhausted than after a normal day of school; for me (I work from home) it’s a day I spend ferrying the girls to and from activities, trying to work, getting their homework done and praying they don’t answer my professional phone in an inappropriate manner (it’s happened!).
I know it’s easy to say, but you really shouldn’t worry too much; Riley is a bright kid, he’ll be fine. Whole days or half days – depends on him, his “stamina” (my elder daughter is always the youngest in her class but she adapted right away; other kids need more “down time”) etc. For me, the advantage of whole days was a) the napping b) the social aspects and c) the fact that I could work (selfish, I know, but it really worked for us, my girls both love school, still, though not so much maths…).
I know it’s important, but really, if he has a teacher he likes, if he makes a couple of friends and enjoys going, you’ve won the battle!
Good luck with your choice!

Apologies, off topic but in reference to your current twitter status…. – do you recommend Mondo Beyondo if one isn’t exactly sure what their dreams are?

Well the good news is a low score in the Bellevue SD is probably higher than the highest score in some other school districts around. It is also my opinion that how well a student ultimately does is as much a function of the parent and their own abilities as it is a function of the school. I went to a super crappy school in a super crappy district, and turned out okay. Or at least I think I’m okay. Hmmm…..

As far as school ratings go, I would say don’t worry about it at all…yet. Maybe when kids get to middle or high school it makes more of a difference, but for little kids I think so much of what they learn is still due to parent involvement/effort that it doesn’t matter.
But eh, my son is only 2.5 so, grain of salt etc. Where I live (bay area) people were fretting about preschool before our babies turned 1. When I finally got around to choosing one it wasn’t because I was convinced that my toddler needs Schooling, but because I am pregnant and need a break a few mornings/week.
Anyway, my kid can count to 20, knows upper & lowercase letters, had a 1st grade education about space, & a knows bunch of other stuff. But it’s because he asks & I answer & we talk about it.
I don’t know, I feel like until the math is too hard for me to help him with, most of school is just practice at listening to your teachers because they are your teachers.

In my experience, homework for kindergartners is usually 20 minutes of reading each night.

We started my son at 3 in an all-day Montessori program at our neighborhood public school. We are ridiculously lucky in that it is one of THREE free Montessori schools in all of Chicago. Talk about winning the lottery. But all that to say, kids do better in all-day than you’d think and if all his friends are staying, he might want to stay, too. Maybe ask what he wants to do, at this age they’re old enough to have opinions.

We are right there with you. Our public schools here in New Hampshire are not national gems (when you don’t have an income tax to help fund education, well…), we are waitlisted at the local charter school with little hope of getting a spot, and we have a district wide vote next week on whether full day K will be offered or not starting next year. I rarely lose sleep over much since I’m not much of a worrier, but I have lost sleep over what our Kindergarten plans will be since there is so much unknown. This is such a parenting milestone – I was almost in tears the other night wondering who will help my little girl remember her lunch box and her coat on the bus? I know she’s almost a big kid, but she’s just so little!!!

Good luck, you are not alone by far on this one!!

Keep homeschooling! :)

But even if you don’t, the kids will be fine. Education is clearly a priority in your household, and that has a huge impact on how kids do in school. (I think.)

If the majority of other kids are in full day, that’s what I’d do for him. Not to be a lemming, but because the other kids won’t just be learning stuff while he’s not there, they’ll also be forming friendships and doing social things he’ll miss out on.

And this jumped out at me: “caught up in the bullshit of comparing yourself to others.” Isn’t that what you are doing by worrying about schools in your area that are “better” but that you can’t get him into because you can’t afford to live near them? Yes we all want what is “best” for our kids, but sometimes good is good enough.

I had a crappy elementary education and my parents could have made it better since the reason it was crappy was the result of choice they made (put me on an optional track that wasn’t right for me). When my son goes to K in two years, I hope to be able to be more in tune with what he needs and help him get it within our local public school.

My boys are currently Gr. 1 and 2. We chose the half-day kindergarten option for both of them, even though full-day was free (although the school would have received more funds for them from the district had they gone all day…)
They were part of only a hand-full of kids ‘missing’ the afternoon. I found that this did not stigmatize them in anyway – they still made plenty of friends, still learned the basics. Luckily, though, our school incorporated art, library, PE, and music into the mornings.
I guess the driving factor behind our decision was that once you “release” them to the school system, they are there for the next TWELVE years. We felt no need to rush them into that.
I personally feel that the reason full-day kindergarten was embraced by so many parents in our district(my older son was in the first class offered full-day) was that it WAS viewed as an opportunity for free day care. I feel so glad that we didn’t send our kids to full day – I loved that extra time with them.
I agree that you’ll want to determine whether the school will allow you to switch if the choice you initially make isn’t working for your family. Also, my final two cents, it’s not an entirely bad thing to get a homework routine down right from the start! My first grader has some every day and it’s just second nature to get it out of the way. My second grader, on the other, hand is rarely given homework, but when he has it, it is almost impossible to get him to do it :)
Good luck – looking forward to reading about how it goes!

We choose to send our children to private school b/c the public schools in our neighborhood just aren’t up to snuff. We are also looking into homeschooling b/c honestly the cost if very expensive and it’s a very big sacrifice. With that said…

Our 2 older kids had the option of doing preschool at the school (in our neck of the woods, everyone starts school at age 4 in preschool). We had the choice of 2 day, 3 day or 5 day. The 2 day and 3 day kids didn’t get a lot of the “extras” (art, library, music, foreign language). We chose to do 2 day for 1 kid and 3 day for the other for different reasons, but I have to say that missing the “extras” at that age DID NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT ALL. In fact, I think my kids benefited from getting to be at home and with each other for the extra days while they still could. We have 2 other kids and they will not attend full day preschool for the same reasons. Best of luck in your decision. Please don’t question your gut feelings on the matter. He will have plenty of time to meet kids and do all of the extras. He won’t have another opportunity to be with you and his brother after next year.

We live east of Bellevue, where half day kindergarten includes music, library, P.E., computer lab, and art, just like full day. Full day here just means added recess, extra crafts, etc. Homework, even now with my oldest in 4th grade, never means more than 5-10 minutes of actual homework plus 20-30 minutes of daily reading. Full day/half day, Riley will be fine because you are fretting, which just means that you care and are interested in his education. I think that’s the key to succes – parent involvement.

Our son is in 2nd grade now and was in full day K and loved it. Three things though: we didn’t have a choice, my husband and I both work FT so it’s not like we could get him at 11:30 anyway; he stopped napping completely at 4 and was 5.5 when he started K, so he wasn’t all worn out after 6 hours of school; and he is extremely extroverted – like my husband and I have no idea where the hell that came from extroverted, so more time with kids = awesome in his mind. His “homework” at that time was usually something small 1-2x per week uncollected and never checked plus reading with us 20 minutes a night, which we already did. All very manageable.

If we’d had a choice, I still probably would have put him in full day K so he could have done the extra activities (gym, music, art, etc) and because he was socially so geared towards all day kid contact.

As for the quality of the school test-score wise his is average. I often say we missed the top school in our city by about a mile and $100,000 (in the price of our home). It’s been fine.

I faced schooling dilemmas decades (yes that is plural) ago, and I’m not sure my situation and experiences put me in a position to give you any advice. However, I want you to know that I had the same level of angst, we made some mistakes, but we fixed those issues and I truly have two wonderful grown kids (adults, I guess.) You’ll feel terribly helpless, but you do the best you can and adjust along the way. I wish you the best!

Our early dismissal day is Thursday. It’s part of the teachers’ union bargaining agreement, along with all those extra holidays we never used to have when I was a kid. And it DOES play hell on working parents. They do have something called “Kids Club” parents can pay extra for (before and after school daycare). I have transportation (most don’t) built into the IEP, so I have Bear bused to his after school private school daycare, fondly referred to, lately, as The Mud Pit. I wish I could just put him there full-time, but he needs the special ed from the District. Good luck navigating the waters of public school. It’s not easy, even and maybe especially with neurotypical children.

It’s kindergarten. In the long run, it doesn’t matter.

Off the cuff, I’d say go for the half day unless you think it’s really going to make him feel weird or singled out. It’s unlikely to make a huge difference in his life either way, though. That comes later. :-(