Christian Vaca, left, and Jacob Pettit, 10, both evaluate the PUSD school boundaries in Pasadena on Thursday, November 10, 2011. (Photo by Alex Collins, Pasadena Sun)
By Joe Piasecki
Pasadena Sun
With dozens of options to choose from, Pasadena parents whose children will change schools next year are at their marks in a race to find the best fit.
Shopping for schools has evolved into a lengthy, complex and often anxiety-driven fall ritual in Pasadena, a city divided in its perceptions of public schools and one of Southern California’s more competitive marketplaces for private school operators.
“For parents who can afford at least some of the private schools, I think there’s a lot of pressure to get their children into the perfect school that is going to ensure them success the whole rest of their lives,” said Susan Savitt Schwartz, program director for the Pasadena Education Network. “They start to think like there’s one school I’m looking for that’s the best and I have to get into, and if I don’t, then my child is going to lose out in life.”
Shopping for schools has evolved into a lengthy, complex and often anxiety-driven fall ritual in Pasadena, a city divided in its perceptions of public schools and one of Southern California’s more competitive marketplaces for private school operators.
“For parents who can afford at least some of the private schools, I think there’s a lot of pressure to get their children into the perfect school that is going to ensure them success the whole rest of their lives,” said Susan Savitt Schwartz, program director for the Pasadena Education Network. “They start to think like there’s one school I’m looking for that’s the best and I have to get into, and if I don’t, then my child is going to lose out in life.”
