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MDR_25 t1_izj6lel wrote

My kids all went to the same CPD elementary and had vastly different experiences based on the teacher as well as the kids in their respective cohort. So it is a leap of faith...your kid's experience is even less in your control than it appears!

All CPD elementaries are good, especially the ones in your proximity. So I'd just go with the one that is easiest to get to, especially if one is walkable. Walking your young elementary kid to school is a great start to the day, and when they're older, they can get back & forth on their own. Both are surprisingly wonderful quality-of-life perks.

Also getting one of your 3 picks is far from a sure thing, so have a sense of your backups. When we didn't get a top choice, we were given 48 hours to pick from one of 3 other schools that we knew nothing about. That was super stressful. You don't need to preemptively tour them, but at least have an idea of where they all are and what makes each school distinct.

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markedsneakyinsect OP t1_izjd1r2 wrote

That is so stressful that you didn’t get one of your top three. Did you have lottery bonuses for them? Peabody is in walking distance for us which would be so massive, even though bussing exists. It’s just so nice to not waste hours a day in transportation.

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MDR_25 t1_izjgwl3 wrote

Yes, for our oldest, we had proximity preference for our first choice and ended up not getting any of our top 3. It happens. He ended up all the way across town, which was a massive inconvenience, especially because we didn't want to subject a 5 year old to a 45+ minute bus ride. Other than that, he had a fine experience. (In a lot of ways, that school turned out to be a better environment for him, and we've always wondered if we should have left him there. So no matter how much research you do, you really won't ever be sure.)

He was high on the waitlist and he moved to our 1st choice early in his 2nd year. Waitlist slots always open up, because families (esp in West Cambridge) frequently leave CPS at mid-elementary age, either because 1) they feel like they need a bigger house and move to the 'burbs, or 2) they are rich and move their kids to private school to keep them away from the poors. :(

OP, I know this feels really stressful, because I've lived through it. But, again, all the CPS elementaries are good environments for learning and social development, so try not to sweat it too much.

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