tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12554338.post114852090491847938..comments2023-12-12T10:06:20.255-08:00Comments on Stonehill News - Blog: A penchant for PUSDUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12554338.post-1148595119895238272006-05-25T15:11:00.000-07:002006-05-25T15:11:00.000-07:00Re: "word of mouth should not be underestimated". ...Re: "word of mouth should not be <BR/>underestimated". I could not agree more, and have been wanting to say for some time, that PEN will never be able to measure the impact they are having.<BR/>Without ever going to a PEN meeting, I was encouraged just knowing that PEN exists.<BR/>My son will start McKinley in Sep. and like many, I began<BR/>'freaking out" (as I now like to call it), about Kindergarten almost two years ago.<BR/>I started with the assumption that the public schools would be overcrowded, understaffed, and did not have enough parental involvement, etc.<BR/>As I said, I myself, have not yet made it to a PEN meetings, but I talked to many PEN members and current PUSD moms through my MOMS club. Seeing the growing enthusiasm for public school from other moms first hand, was so <BR/>encouraging! I saw that public school was a very attractive option, and I was grateful for the readily available PUSD tours (facilitated by PEN) I <BR/>went to 3 tours this year, and I'm very happy with our choice.<BR/>I then also passed the enthusiasm on to my sister -who as far as I know <BR/>doesn't even know that PEN exists. Last year when their private school closed without warning, they enrolled their 1st grader at McKinley. Trust me, they were in the category that would NEVER even consider public school, <BR/>but out of desperation, and with my encouragement, they took a tour. Like so many others, they were pleasantly surprised, and have been very happy there. <BR/>They will be enrolling my niece in Kindergarten at McKinley next year as well.<BR/>I just wanted to use these personal examples to say that PEN may never get a quantitative measure of their success, but I feel it, and I have seen it.<BR/>As more parents feel that they are not alone in wanting a great public school, and believe that they can collectively make a difference in their own schools, the open enrolment process will also improve. There will be <BR/>more and more "first choice" schools. Keep up the good work PEN!<BR/><BR/>Ann WebbAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com