CAUGHT IN THE WEB
Savvysource.com
When it came time to find a preschool for her children, Preston Hollow mom Angie Brackbill did like many parents and relied on word of mouth. "The only problem with that, though, is that everybody knows about the same schools, so you get limited information," Brackbill says. So when she heard that savvysource.com, a website devoted to parent reviews of preschools, would be launching in Dallas , she got on board to help head up the project. Most parents find themselves constantly hitting up playgroup friends or fellow music class families for preschool recommendations, but Savvy Source gives them a one-stop clearinghouse of information, she says. The idea began in San Francisco and has since spread to 16 other cities across the country. Dallas coordinators began collecting parent surveys in June, and the site has now gathered more than 500 surveys of about 150 schools. "My kids are past the preschool age now, but I wish I had this website available to me when I was looking," Brackbill says. "You can get the nuts and bolts information from some guides, but Savvy Source really takes it a step further by including meaningful feedback from parents and directors, so that parents can make an informed decision." Savvy Source is not a "top 10 preschools in Dallas" approach; most parents who fill out the surveys want to brag on their schools, so the point is to sort through the information – school philosophy, teacher tenure, a typical day – and find the best fit for your child, Brackbill says. Preschool directors also can submit information, so the site should have updated information about new playground equipment or recently introduced classes. An annual subscription costs $35, but any parents in the know can visit the site and freely give his or her two cents.
