Originally published as the introduction to Beacon Media’s Education Guide which appeared in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly on 27 October 2016

Having children is a lifelong commitment that brings with it tremendous joy as it begets vast responsibilities. One of every parent’s primary concerns when raising kids is ensuring them an education that not only teaches reading, writing, math, and science but also prepares them for life beyond school.

My husband and I decided to give our daughter a private school education and that journey began when she was only two years old. I enrolled her in a co-op where parents are expected to work alongside a teacher and an assistant teacher in class.

It turned out to be a really fun experience for both of us. My daughter and I enjoyed being at school two mornings during the week. She learned to draw and sing; I handed out snacks and drinks, cleaned after the little kids and took them to the potty.

My daughter stayed at the co-op for only one year. The following school year, she attended a Montessori school. It was there that she learned reading, writing, and math. Having helped out in the classroom the previous year, I had become adept at assisting so I helped the teacher and her aide. 

By the time my daughter was four years old, she had outgrown the Montessori system. She was ready for traditional education and our quest for the right independent school commenced.  

Pasadena has several outstanding private schools but the competition to get accepted to one of them is fierce. We went on countless campus tours and applied to six schools; she was waitlisted on all but one, and it was in La Canada. Like in her previous two schools, she did extremely well in class, was adored by teachers, and was well-liked by her classmates.  

Private schools are completely funded by parents and tuition only covers a portion of what’s needed to run them; it falls on the parents’ association to raise funds for enrichment programs.  To fill the library or add books to its current offering, for instance, the association holds book fairs. So in addition to driving kids on field trips, I also volunteered for the book fair. I got braver and chaired the spring auction the following year. This benefit gala is usually a school’s largest fundraiser and proceeds from it are used for field trips, or to buy computers for the classrooms.  

Image taken from Pasadena Now

The drive from Pasadena to La Canada, though, got too tiring for both of us after two years.  Fortunately, I had kept in touch with the admissions director at one of the private schools where she had been waitlisted. My daughter reapplied and got accepted when a family had to relocate and leave the school. I was ecstatic – the school is a mile away from our house! 

My daughter excelled in class, even played the piano for the entire school during morning assembly. I was again involved in the parent association. One year I managed the school store which carried snacks and drinks for after-school sports, provided pizza and drinks for dances, and even sold school uniforms, sports clothing and gym bags. 

I was immersed in school activities, found friends, and felt comfortable there. I had found a community where I belonged. My daughter, however, felt quite the opposite so we decided to find another school. 

    

St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews, Scotland (UK) | Photo by May S. Ruiz

In the first ten years of my daughter’s life, she had attended four different schools. In all of them students were expected to excel in academics, have a passion for artistic expression, and possess an athletic ability.  Besides raising funds, parents were counted on to be partners in their children’s education – making certain that the kids came to school prepared to do the work.      

In middle and high school, my daughter attended THE school of all schools in Pasadena. Every student and parent for miles around want to be there, and applying to it is sport. I found out that its culture is vastly different from all the ones she previously attended when I signed up for the book fair. I was very excited to sit in the very first meeting and had a lot of ideas, only to be told it wasn’t a fund-raising event. In fact, this school had no other fund-raising activity besides the annual fund and parents weren’t needed on campus

My daughter was there for seven years, the longest she had ever stayed in one school, and had the best time. She found like-minded friends, was challenged by the vigorous curriculum, and earned the admiration of teachers. 

While my experience hadn’t been pleasant, my daughter spent several happy years there and received an outstanding education. And, at end of the day, that was what mattered.    

Two years ago, my daughter graduated from high school. Today she is a third-year student at the third-ranked university in the United Kingdom. She’s thriving in a very active campus life and enjoying being self-reliant – skills she has successfully learned. Her private school education is certainly serving her well.