We might be too cool for school

So anyone in San Francisco knows that there is BIG preschool drama.  Swearing I wouldn't get swept up into it, I applied to a bunch of preschools when T was about 13 months old.  Paying the $50-$75 application fees, writing essays, printing family photos, and mailing them off with cute anecdotes about how TT loves to play train.

Then we got our Au Pair and our needs changed dramatically.  One, we had WAY less money to spend on childcare.  Two, we didn't NEED full time child care.  Most of the places I had applied were for full-time slots.

I got a call back in May that one of my favorite schools had a spot open.  I took it immediately.  It would be a bit more pricy than where he is now, but he could stay there for two years, it was in a BEAUTIFUL park, there were nature walks, it was Reggio Emilia, and all was good.  It was full time, but since it was a public preschool, the cost was about the same as part-time.

Then we went on a tour (I had already done one, but I wanted to bring Bubbs and my mom).  A little boy was crying in the class, hysterically, and the teachers were not being particularly loving.  In fact, they seemed annoyed and told the director he was just sick.

Then, when I asked about the chance of the school lunches getting a makeover like the rest of the district, the director seemed annoyed and told me that it wasn't AS bad for the kids as the other lunches so, no, it would not get fixed.  There were bologna sandwiches, pancakes, and chocolate cookies on the menu - how is that not bad?  Did she not see the same research I have on health of children and behavior linked to diet?

We left though, and I thought, you know, I'll just get involved and change things.

Then TT and I went to visit the school and drop off his paperwork.

I took him to see the playground through the fence.  Two girls walked up to us and talked to us for about 20 minutes.  They were adorable.  Then they started talking about the mean teacher who yelled when you didn't sleep (the school claims that non-nappers can read books with a teacher quietly), and that their parents had told them that she just wasn't that good with kids.  Also, in this entire time I'm talking to these kids, not ONE teacher or adult comes to see who I am and why I'm talking to them!

I got a bad feeling.  So, I called the director.  Twice.  My husband called once.  And we NEVER got a call back.

So...I started my hunt for other options...We had already told his current school that he was going to be ending his time there on the start date of this preschool.  I didn't want to get his poor teacher involved in my personal preschool crisis, so I didn't tell her things would be changing...