Talk about a downer!

I've visited 3 public alternative schools this week, so far. The first school was an Open school and it scared the HELL out of me. The second school was another Open school that would definitely be high on my list if it were K-8. Unfortunately, it's only K-6 *AND* I just can't see past Montessori anymore no matter how good a school is. The third school was a fundamental school and I was more horrified of this school than the first Open school I saw. I wanted to visit a fundamental school to get a better idea of what their theory was and, well, now I know. YUK! One of their discipline techniques is to make a child go sit at a table and put their head down!! When I told Shaye's Montessori teacher that she had a look of horror on her face and said, "What exactly is that teaching the child other than how to be degraded?" I was so glad she said that. Right on the heels of that, a little boy in Shaye's class was laying down on the floor in circle and she simply distracted him by calling him over to help with snack. I am so in love with her teacher. :::sigh:::: I also visited a private montessori school yesterday that is PreK-8th grade and it was pretty damn amazing. The only bad thing I saw is that it is in a very ritzy, republican, rich neighborhood and I can't see myself or my children relating to the other mom's and kids in that school. Plus, to send all 3 of my kids there it would cost $15,000 a year! ACK! We could swing 1 kid, maybe 2, but not 3 of 'em. Then I also set out to find another Montessori charter school in the county next to ours, but my car's navigation system apparently had an old address. I gave up after 30 minutes of driving around aimlessly. I came home and looked at their website and it's not that much farther than where the kids go to school now, so I guess it's another option. My tour with the Montessori school that is our first choice is in January and I am counting down the days. I can't wait to see their program. I have heard so many good things about it that I hope I'm not let down. I have come to realize that I have pretty high standards in a school (it's amazing how many parents don't :( ).