PSU Magazine Spring 2000

y children go to a magnet school for arts," one mom said proudly. "So do mine," the other mom said. We chatted politely one afternoon while our kids took swimming lessons. We'd never spoken before, so our talk consisted mainly of attempts to "place" each other-probing interests, politics, shopping spots, and, eventually, schools. My heart sank when I saw the direction of the conversation. The two moms turned to me and asked the question on the lips of all my parenting neighbors: "Where do your kids go?" My own children attend a Title I school in inner northeast Portland. That means our fellow families are predominantly low-income and minor– ity, the children's achievement test scores are relatively low, and most parents who can have already trans– ferred their kids to other schools with higher test scores and better programs such as those found in magnet facilities. But we love our little school. The teachers are good, the parent-teacher group is active, and most importantly, our kids like it. They do well in class. Yet we sometimes feel guilty about keeping them there. Shouldn't we push them toward the most enriched educational programs? If the school test scores are low, does that mean our kids aren't learning enough? These days many parents feel caught in the middle of the nation's great debate about educational quality. Public school spending is curtailed while government leaders demand higher levels of achievement. The PHOTO BY CLAIR ALASKA/ARTVILLE