The Daily Blagica

When I was little, I lived 16 houses down from Carlson Elementary School. We had the option to go home for lunch, depending on whether or not you wanted to play on the jungle gym or eat first.  I remember seeing my mom waiting on the driveway for me. I would start walking, then run in a fast clip to greet her. I also used to roller skate with broom sticks down the driveway, acting like I was the 'Agony of Defeat Guy' from the Wide World of Sports.

Today, I'm a mom living in Chicago. My little one is about to turn two in December.  She technically won't enter kindergarten until 2015, but the conversations about schools are already popping up. It's not that I obsess over the school question, but it's a common occurrence in the city.  Whether I like it or not, I can't avoid the question.  It's not like parents pry - they seek out advice from other parents and see who's done what research.

What am I talking about? Private school.

I am a public school kid. Kindergarten through college. It served me well. I learned a lot. I loved it. I didn't miss out on a thing.  So here I am in the city of Chicago and parents of older children are sharing stories of how they moved into one of few neighborhoods where the public school was acceptable (and the homes were AFFORDABLE), how they began volunteering with the PTA before their child was born, how they agonized for years on ensuring their kid tested into one of the top public high schools and how some of them left Chicago because they couldn't deal with the stress. 

Here's another funny thing about me - I actually enjoy paying taxes. Paying taxes is my way of contributing, putting in my time to my neighborhood and supporting the services that my community needs. Here's the kicker: a majority of my property taxes go to the Chicago Public Schools. Awesome. So here is the question: in a city where fantastic startups are getting funded, where are a fraction of those funds for our public schools? Ok, before you blast me, hear me out.

If any of you know me, you know that I'm first in line to celebrate innovation in Chicagoland. It brings jobs, opportunities and keeps this region on the forefront of global leadership. Now, with so much money flowing into new companies and/or other companies, I find it ironic that we still have student to teacher ratios of 35:1 (South Loop School).

Just yesterday, I talked to a neighbor who has two kids.  She had terrific things to say about the Chicago Park District pre-K (age three) program for her older son, but began worrying about what to do for elementary school.  They have two full-time working parents, a nanny (I'm not advocating for hiring a nanny, different strokes for different folks) and can't fathom shelling out $7K a year for one child, let alone two, to attend a private program.  To boot, their 2 bedroom condo is getting too small for them. So they are stuck - real estate owners in a market that isn't ideal for selling. One elementary age child who may be sent  to private school, ensuring a quality student to teacher ratio and a curriculum that promises to be enriching.

By the time little L is of school age, we don't know where we'll be.  It may be Chicago, it may very well be the suburbs. I am so stubborn and believe in raising a kid in the city that we may end up staying here, however, at what cost? How many spreadsheets do I have to make? How many neighborhoods' real estate listings will I need to stalk? 

Some of the thought leaders and young families that the Aldermen and City Council want to stay in the city are actually moving out. As soon as I was engaged, everyone told me to have a plan to move out of Chicago by the time our first child was 3.  It was presented to me like a rite of passage: you move to the city as a single gal, start a career, find a mate, get hitched and leave. 

Mayor Emanuel, your move.