School Beat: Schools Are What We Make ThemLisa Schiffbyline‚ Apr. 10‚ 2008When my children first started at their elementary school five years ago, no one had heard of it. Or if they had, they were surprised that it was our dream school. “McKinley?” they would respond, “Where is that?” Or even better, would just raise an eyebrow in surprise. As a recently retired sign on the school said, we were the best kept secret in San Francisco. McKinley in those days was truly a “hidden gem,” a school that people passed over because it had a lingering reputation from years past with few parents willing to take the time to step into the school and discover for themselves what a fantastic place it was for children. Since that first year, through tremendous outreach efforts by parents and the Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco’s ongoing campaign to encourage prospective parents to look beyond the well-known schools, requests for McKinley have steadily increased, bringing us to this year, when we have a waiting list. |