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"Where's your daughter going to kindergarten next year?"

Few questions provoke as much anxiety in parents of 4-year-olds than this simple, innocent inquiry.

In these days of school choice the possibilities are endless: public school, private school, magnet, charter, religious.

This question further irks us parents who have already faced the stress of cobbling together child care for their infant or toddler in the form of baby-sitters, day care, coops, nanny-share, grandma, next door neighbor, etc. Not to mention getting your kid into a GOOD preschool.

And the college admissions process is looming ahead, what, just 10 years away, conjuring up nightmares of SAT prep-classes, college essay writing tutors, college visits, interviews and the endless application forms to fill out, etc., etc.

That's why at birthday parties and playdates, Chuck E Cheese and Gymboree, parents can't stop talking about getting their kid into a GOOD kindergarten. They compare API, AYP and frantically search greatschools.net for their own local public school's test scores, demographics, and teacher-student ratio.

And there I am joining in the discussions, fueling the fire, feeding off the anxiety like every other parent.

And yet I am not every other parent.

I'm a teacher. Well, WAS a teacher.

I have a Ph.D.

In Education.

That's right. I have a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from UCLA.

I'm supposed to have ALL the answers.

But I don't.