How to Enroll Your Kid in Public School in San Francisco

Step 2 PICK YOUR TOP SEVEN SCHOOLS

Now that you've narrowed down your choices to, let's say, under ten schools, it's time to do some serious comparison shopping.

Here's a list of things to consider when looking at potential schools. It's essential to identify which of these qualities are most important to you and your child, and to then evaluate each school using those categories. Eventually, you will have a small collection of evaluations that are easy to compare. A detailed job will entail touring all of your potential schools and talking to someone in the administration there, ideally some teachers too. But you can also get a good feel for certain aspects of a school via word of mouth. Perhaps if you have friends going through the same process and you have overlapping schools you can divvy up the visits between you. You can contact each school separately for tour times, or check out Parents For Public Schools compilation of times.

Keep in mind THIS LIST IS NOT IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, as that order is different for each parent. And remember: the most POPULAR schools may NOT be the BEST schools for your child. Don't succumb to peer pressure! Stick to what you have identified as important to your family.

-LOCATION. Do you want the school to be close to your home? On the way to work? On a certain transit line? In a specific neighborhood?

-ADMINISTRATION. Principals can really make or break a school. Meet them! Do you get along? Do you like their vision for the school?

-TEACHERS. Meet some teachers. Especially the ones of the grade your child will be entering. Are these people you want your kid hanging out with every day? Also take a look at what the teacher retention rates are. If teachers are sticking around for a long time, that's probably a good sign.

-STUDENT BODY. Who are the students? What neighborhoods are they from? What ethnicities? What socioeconomic levels? Think about how important diversity is to you and if these schools have your desired mix.

-CLASS SIZE. Are there 75 kids or 10 kids in that kindergarten class? What is your preferred size range?

-MUSIC, ART, SCIENCE ETC. It's a sad, sad thing that classes in the arts and sciences are often treated as extracurricular activities, but in this age of No Child Left Behind, these subjects are often, well, left behind. Regardless of how they're labeled, are they offered? Are they particularly strong at certain schools?

-FACILITIES. Check out the general feel of the buildings. Is there a gym or a playground? A library? A computer lab? How are the classrooms set up?

-PTA. Is there a strong, active one? Is there even one at all? PTAs can really do a lot to supplement what the district provides. They can do everything from sponsor a sports team that might otherwise not exist, to organize parent-teacher conferences or lobby for any kind of classroom change.

-MULTILINGUAL PROGRAMS. Do you speak Spanish at home and want your child to learn in both their maternal language and English? Do you wish you were bilingual and want your kid to have the advantage of being exposed to more than just English from a young age? There are lots Spanish and Chinese programs that vary from nearly total immersion to a weekly class.

-BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE. Does it exist? In what form?

-SEATS PER APPLICATIONS. Some schools are harder to get into than others. Be realistic about your chances of getting into a place. And consider the exact order in which you list your schools; if your fifth choice is one of the top schools of San Francisco, imagine how many people put that school as their first choice. Guess what? They're getting in it before you do. It's best to put schools you will be satisfied with that offer a realistic chance of getting in as your top choices. Otherwise you might wind up as one of those families placed in a school that's not even on their list. Keep in mind that although it's not a guarantee, living in the same neighborhood as your desired school is positively factored in your assignment. Same goes for siblings, since priority is given to kids who have an older sibling already in that school.