We had discovered that our kids would be placed in the worst school in Paris. We were aware that much of what we read could be the normal rumors and speculation that often surround parental discussions of schools. However, the ranking of the third worst school in France was not a parent’s subjective measure. Action was needed, and quick.
When we were at CASNAV on testing day, I had asked several questions, including where the kids might be placed, whether we could find a place for them closer to home in one of our neighborhood schools, when the letter would come telling us where they would be placed, whether it would come before the first day of school. The helpful woman kindly told me that we could request a different placement in a more distant arrondissement of Paris if we wanted to. Being naïve and trusting and wanting the kids as close to home as possible, it never occurred to me that she might be sending me a covert message that I might want to make such a request. I responded “no thank you” and we went on our way.
Well now I was ready to make such a request -- but I didn’t expect it to be easy or successful. One of the articles we had read was about a family who lived near us in the 14th whose daughter had been assigned to Francois Villon. They appealed the decision to no avail. They pursued their efforts to have their daughter moved to another school, started a website, rallied other parents and eventually sued the City of Paris. So, despite that fact that I could make a “request” I wasn’t expecting the going to be easy.
Not really knowing what I would encounter at CASNAV, not sure I could communicate all of my needs in French, and dreading that the boys had already been assigned to a school and the letters gone out, I set out for the long, long metro ride to CASNAV. I had timed my arrival for 12:30, after most of the testing was done for the day, but before the staff left for lunch.
Entering the office, I was greeted by the kindly security guard, explained (almost completely honestly) that “Je dois ajouter quelque chose aux dossiers de mes enfants” (that is, that I needed to add “add something to the dossiers of my children”). I was directed down to the Salle de Test where I miraculously found the same Madame from the day before. She immediately remembered us and gave me her full attention. I explained as best I could that yesterday after the testing she had told me that my boys would be at Lycee-College Villon and that I strongly wanted them to be placed in another school. I had several moments of panic when she started her response by saying that she hears this from lots of parents but, in fact, many parents and children are very satisfied at Francoise Villon. I feared the next thing would be, “I’m sorry but we have already made the allocation and there is nothing I can do.” But, au contraire, she said to follow her upstairs and she would see what she could do.
The search for the dossiers and testing results involved riffling through several deserted and scorching offices (no air conditioning at CASNAV). Finally they were all found. Apparently, the boys tests had been scored but they had not yet been assigned to a school. What luck! She then explained that if they were going to be placed someplace else, they could not be placed in the same school. We spent about 10 minutes discussing the options, estimating which of the possible schools would be the easiest commute on the metro (with the aid of a large map of Paris and the metro posted on the wall.) She went far beyond the call of duty in telling me which of the schools were good choices, something I’m sure she should not have done and helped me make the best selections I could given my ignorance of everything having to do with the Paris schools. She then took her own lunch time to type up the coveted letters and handed them to me so that the boys could start school immediately upon la rentree (the first day of school).
I felt so confident of my French after all of this communication that I wanted to tell her let her know how relieved I was. I looked her in the eye, thanked her profusely and told her that, “C’est un grand soulevement!” She gave me a little smile, told me she understood me and wished me a “Bonne journee.” (A good day). As I was walking out of the CASNAV building I realized that soulagement is the word for “relief.” Hmm, what had I said to her? When I got home to my dictionary, I found out that rather than saying “It’s a great relief!” I had said “It’s a great uprising!” [Editor's note: Possibly there would have been a great uprising had Suzie not been successful.]
The irony of all this is that Will has ended up at one of the most sought after schools in Paris. In the 7th arrondissement, across the street from the magnificent Dome Church and the Invalides, and immediately adjacent to the Musee Rodin, Lycee-College Duruy has massive grounds, well tended gardens, elegant old buildings, an enormous gym and new science building, not to mention a very good reputation. [Editor's note: If anything, this understates it. The place looks like a Hollywood set designer's vision of an elegant French school, as these pictures evidence (the first and the last were taken of and from the garden in the middle of the school:]
Andrew is also well situated at College Francois Couperin in the Marais very near the Hotel de Ville. He is thrilled about the neighborhood and already has already started to scope out his skateboard route from the metro stop to school. [Editor's note: His school is less picturesque but in a very cool area, right across the Seine from the Ile St. Louis:]
[For Google Map fans, the locations of both are shown below.]
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&s=AARTsJoJtqyVWQpUu-YVHf561KGEuV9lzA&msa=0&msid=104194220758797817610.000455876aaaae8ac012c&ll=48.855962,2.334852&spn=0.027107,0.054932&z=14&output=embed&w=640&h=480]
It is now time to go out and find all of the school supplies we need. La rentree is Tuesday!
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