From one part to the other, the city seems to continue, in perspective, multiplying its repertory of images: but instaed it has no thickness, it consists only of a face and an obverse, like a sheet of paper, with a figure on either side, which can neither be separated nor look at each other.

Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities (via inthenoosphere)

from the website of one of my district’s public schools (we are in-district but are not zoned for):

We are extremely conscientious and strict about address verification. Your zoned school is where your child’s primary residence is. It is not an apartment you own or rent but do not reside in at the time of application/registration or your place of employment. It is not a temporary apartment you have rented for a few months with the intention of registering your child at PS xx. These are all prohibited by Chancellor’s Regulations. We are scrupulous in address verification due to the fact that over the last few years we have had many more applicants than seats available and we must retain the integrity of the process for legitimately zoned families. We retain the right to do address investigations and abide by the results of those investigations.

another thing I learned today: pre-k classes in public schools near here only appear to have a lot available space for the next-year newcomers. In reality, all that space is already spoken for by the kids with siblings who already go to those schools. This is what happens when you live in a place where everyone else but you has a large family.

The city guarantees everyone a spot in a pre-k; but they do not guarantee that it would be anywhere remotely close to where you live, or anywhere you might want to send your child to.