To begin the discussion, I asked each family to share something that has impressed them about Peabody and something that they are concerned about. And then asked them to put a percentage to their decision to send their child to Peabody. The first mom shared that she has been very impressed with the school, loves that it is a true neighborhood school which is very important to her, and even with the option to go to Campus school in first grade, she is leaning toward keeping her child at Peabody. She said her percentage was 98%.
The next family shared that they were all in, 100%. Peabody is a great school, the principal and teachers have been very impressive. The third family said the same thing. One by one, each family shared their extreme confidence that Peabody was, not only an excellent school, but the best choice for their child even when given other public school options like Richland, Snowden, Grahamwood, or Campus School.
One mom said that Peabody's presentation at Open House was better than Campus School's and she was able to have more teacher interaction at the Peabody Open House. She said she thought she was watching a documentary about great teaching when she dropped in the classrooms.
We heard from a current Snowden Elementary parent about how she struggled with their decision for a while, but have been so pleased with their child's education. I asked a dear friend, Paula Payne, to share her perspective as a Memphis City Schools teacher and parent. She inspired us with her passion for this movement. She shared her support for MCS and the educational opportunities they offer all the way through high school. She offered her opinion on Snowden Middle School and Central High School saying that those schools should be viable options for us when our children reach that age, that the Optional Programs were just as strong academically as the schools in East Memphis. They need more Midtown and Downtown families there.
Later in the evening, another parent made the comment that she has noticed that people with the most hesitation are deeply rooted in Memphis, most often with family in the suburbs. I've noticed that too and realized that most people in the room were not from Memphis. As an outsider to Memphis, this has concerned me over the last four years. I've also noticed that those from Memphis often form opinions about the school, and sometimes make their decisions, without doing any research. Seeing this happen three years ago is what inspired us to begin this research for ourselves and do what we can to see that everyone has the facts. Peabody won't be for everybody. There are so many educational philosophies out there and so many different ways to educate your child. But the people of our city and our neighborhood must stop making decisions based on fear and not on facts.
These seven families are excited about what lies ahead. We are excited to meet great Peabody families who have so easily made this decision before us. We are excited for the great education our children will receive from the teachers, other students, and the great programs the school offers. We are excited to be the minority. We are excited to continue to bridge the gap between the school and the community. We are excited about the future. Stay tuned!
