s/o Public Schools

[bab]

Do you think the public schools in your area provide an appropriate learning environment for your child(ren)?  Are you happy with the public system or are you adamant about sending your child to private school? 

[Deleted]

No.


Sent from my cream of crap.

[RoxMonster]

In the city I actually live in-no, I am not happy with the public school system. I did some clinical teaching and observation in them, and while there are some good teachers, the school system itself is not great--laying off perfectly good teachers because of budget issues, cutting art/music programs, instituting ridiculous and unhelpful policies, etc. I wouldn't want to teach in the system either.

I actually teach in a town 45 min. away and do like our school system there. I'm not just biased because I work there either; they have never EVER had to cut teachers because of the budget since they've been opened, they offer good vocational ed classes and art/music programs, etc.

We're not planning on kids but if we did and did not want to move out of our city, we would most likely send to private school.

[joenali]

I'm biased, because I teach in a public school. We have some amazing tachers at the school I work at and a few not so amazing. I really like the schools in our neighborhood and really like the one SS attends as well. Our district as a whole could use an overhaul, but at the school level there are some great things going on.

[alzi]

eh, the schools here are not great - but i think that is because i grew up going to amazing schools. that said, i am adamantly against religious private school, and have not done research on private schools. financially, i don't know that i want to take that on.

[10outof9]

The city I live in - no. The public school system there is broken. Several of the other districts in our metro area are pretty good though.

[demelza]

We live in one of the top ten school districts in the state.

[EmilieMadison]

The public schools in my area are very good. Not all of them are, obviously, but there are a lot of great options available.

[textbookcase]

Nope, obviously not in our case. The school system around here (public and private) is terrible.

My kids are actually considered public school students. They attend a homeschooling charter school in the next district over. That district isn't very good, either, but our school is. We have a lot of freedom to do what we want in terms of curriculum, etc. but we still take state tests and meet required standards. We also have the amenities of the school district available to us (speech, band, clubs, tutoring, etc.)

[iheartvino]

The district where I currently live, probably.

The districts immediately surrounding our current district - absolutely. They are fantastic.

The city district - probably not, unless they could get into a charter school.

Districts are pretty small here, though. We could move 5 minutes in every direction and be in a different school district for each direction. I think that opens up more opportunity than county wide school districts.

[alzi]

Jan 20, 2013 17:20:52 GMT -5 frkls said:

we'll be doing public school. i have a hard time comparing public schools in tennessee with my school experience in connecticut. there is just so much more money for stuff in connecticut! that being said, i am MUUUUCH happier with our current school than i was with our last school. school is really the only thing that stresses me out about not being able to choose where we live or for how long.

this is me too. comparing a longstanding blue ribbon school system in NJ to FL. there is no comparison.

but i'm selfish and want to live in warm weather, not move back to good schools lol.

[bab]

Jan 20, 2013 17:24:09 GMT -5 frkls said:

Jan 20, 2013 17:22:44 GMT -5 textbookcase said:

Nope, obviously not in our case. The school system around here (public and private) is terrible.

My kids are actually considered public school students. They attend a homeschooling charter school in the next district over. That district isn't very good, either, but our school is. We have a lot of freedom to do what we want in terms of curriculum, etc. but we still take state tests and meet required standards. We also have the amenities of the school district available to us (speech, band, clubs, tutoring, etc.)

if this "arm the teachers" business passes in tennessee, we'll be right there with you

OMG frkls is that seriously up for a vote?

[rex]

Our kid will be going to public school. The schools in our town now are good, as well as neighboring towns.

We couldn't afford private school anyway.

[speckledfrog]

Our public schools are good, as were the districts where we grew up. I think that, for us, if you have a decent public school, a natural ability, and involved parents you can be quite successful.

[janegold]

We live in the city now and will probably leave by the time our (currently nonexistant) children are school-aged. There are some really great city schools and some really bad ones and you don't necessarily get a lot of choice about which one your child gets placed at. If we stayed in the city and couldn't get matched at one of the desirable schools, we'd do private or move to the 'burbs.

There are a ton of really good school districts in our surrounding suburbs so that is probably where we'll look to move when the time comes.

[grover]

I currently teach in our town's school district. Overall, it isn't bad, but when we eventually have kids, I would like to move (to the next town over in the same district, or to a completely different district) for high school. We have two high schools in our district, but "our" high school is not so great. The second high school in the district is better, less crowded but only open to the students that live in that town (district involves two neighboring towns).

[Jalapeñomel]

Odds are that our phantom child will go to Catholic school, preferably Jesuit.

[macmars45]

I am not a fan of the school district where we live now. We'll be moving to another city in 18 or so months and will be in the school district I'm employed by. It's pretty good. I have no issues sending our future kids there.

We will never have the money for private school if we also want to save money for their college funds. So private school isn't even on the table.

[circa1978]

Yes. The only reason we live in our house is for the schools. They're consistently named among the best public schools in the country. Even the Parents as Teachers program is amazing. I covered education for many years as a reporter, though, and I can honestly say there are entire states where I'd hesitate to put my child in public schools. The teach to the test problem is very real and I feel for the teachers in those places.

[joenali]

This is I going on right now in my school district. One high school had already boycotted the district mandated test and others are following or voicing out in support. The anti-testing movement is building in the district. There is a rally on Wednesday night that I might attend.

seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2020158085_jessehagopianopedxml.html

Matt Damon has even commented on this.
dianeravitch.net/2013/01/15/matt-damon-and-nancy-carlsson-paige-to-garfield-teachers/

[Deleted]

Probably. Everybody tells me I'm in a great school district and laments the fact we're child-free. LOL.

[dfl]

our public school system sucks! K is currently in a private school now. I cannot wait to move away from here.

[Deleted]

the quality of the public schools was of enormous importance to us in picking our house. not so much that we didn't move WAY out to the suburbs where the best schools in our metro area are located, but enough that we were willing to pay significantly more in taxes than the people do about 1/2 mile away and over the county line. there are neat enrichment programs that focus on learning outside of the teach for the test necessity that plagues all public schools, and good test scores overall too. a ton of local community involvement, an IB program, etc.

so, yes, we'll be fine if L goes there. we may opt into private school since overpriced daycare has already conditioned us to spend vast sums of money on her daily "schooling", but it's not a priority.

[penguingrrl]

We're in a very good school system. We chose where we are living because of the school system. If we have to move we will choose our new place for the same reason. Good public education is our primary motivator in choosing where we live.

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2013 17:33:19 GMT -5 frkls said:

Jan 20, 2013 17:27:31 GMT -5 bab said:

OMG frkls is that seriously up for a vote?

it's one of those super long-shot things that nobody is talking about because they assume it's not going to happen...but yeah.  it's been proposed

eta: i just looked it up because i wasn't exactly sure about the specifics.  it would be a state-funded program that would train and issue guns to teachers. the governor says that he would consider it  blarrrghhh.

The same governor that tried to get the maximum students per class law changed to allow MORE students in the classroom. blargh indeed!

While I am biased because I teach, I love our county middle schools and we have some amazing teachers who are fantastic in the classroom. We also have great principals. I can't say the same for the city schools, however. It's higher-poverty, little to no parental involvement that has led to a lot of behavioral issues.

[nk]

Jan 20, 2013 17:38:13 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Odds are that our phantom child will go to Catholic school, preferably Jesuit.

Same here....or private school.  I don't think public school is an option regardless of where we live.  I'd be fine with it - but my DH is not.

[sugarbear]

I teach at a private K-8, so my kids will go there (with discounted tuition, thank God) until high school, then they will go to public school.

I think the neighborhood elementary schools in Seattle can be awesome. From everything I've heard, I know that our two options are great. I would say the same about the two high schools the boys could go to, and I have no qualms sending them to either.

Middle schools here are a different story, though, and I would not send my kid to a public ms. Easy for me to say, thou, since I know that I don't have to.

But to answer your question, in general, no. If I didn't already work in a private school, I'd find a way to send them to one rough 8th grade.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Our public schools are horrible in Philadelphia. Really terrible. Lucy's going to catholic school, starting next year.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

I mean, she'd be going to catholic school even if the public schools were great. But they're not, which helps my decision

[sewf]

We'll probably go with a Catholic school, and then switch him to a Jesuit single sex school for high school. H and I actually met at our Jesuit university, and we both loved the education we got. Plus, the all boys Jesuit school here is really, really good.