OneofOne
Silver Baronet of the Realm
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Vandyn
Blackwing Lair Raider
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Yes it's called truancy and I think the age varies by state. But like most things it's needs to be reported I think.
Every time my husband and I think "damn, cost of living in Fairfax county is retarded we should just move somewhere and keep our jobs which are conducive to remotely working...."
We always come full circle to 'Fairfax County has the best public school system in the nation.'
Quaid
Trump's Staff
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I have 4 years before my boy starts school. The 3rd ranked elementary school in the country is on the North End of my town... I'm deeply considering finding a place within the district, but housing prices are like 20% higher there. Then there's the fact that even at that school I probably still won't be happy with the curriculum.
I'm gonna have to take it on myself to supplement his education (heavily) at home.... How is technological studies not taught starting in grade 1? The day my son brings home a political map of Europe to label, or a test on Shakespeare, I'm gonna have a fucking meltdown.
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My kids go to public schools. They're not even the greatest schools. However, a public school plus ACTIVE PARENTING to provide them with additional educational opportunities, such as music lessons, sports teams, required reading, monitoring their internet usage, keeping them away from tv/screens and active, and so forth, has me not at all worried about their futures.
I have smart kids. I'm sure yours are equally smart. Be a good, engaged parent, and their education will be fine. If it isn't, as you're an engaged parent, you'll know it, and you'll be able to make the necessary changes. The key is to be an engaged parent. Parents who are enraged because their second grader can't read and they're finding out about it on a report card should be slapped, IMO. They should have know, because they had been reading with their child. That's not a failing of the school system. That's a failure on the part of the parents. They didn't address whatever issue their child was having with learning to read - be that a classroom situation or whatever. It's the parent's responsibility to monitor these things.
I have smart kids. I'm sure yours are equally smart. Be a good, engaged parent, and their education will be fine. If it isn't, as you're an engaged parent, you'll know it, and you'll be able to make the necessary changes. The key is to be an engaged parent. Parents who are enraged because their second grader can't read and they're finding out about it on a report card should be slapped, IMO. They should have know, because they had been reading with their child. That's not a failing of the school system. That's a failure on the part of the parents. They didn't address whatever issue their child was having with learning to read - be that a classroom situation or whatever. It's the parent's responsibility to monitor these things.
Quaid
Trump's Staff
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Oh ya, absolutely. I take it upon myself to be constantly learning, and I intend to instil the same value in my children. He has been read to almost every day since the day he was born, we don't have cable, etc etc.
I'm just worried about the current educational climate. About 4 years ago the school board decided it would no longer teach cursive writing. Thank goodness, right? Well there was a local parental UPROAR, and now it is 'up to the school's discretion'. Great. Now if my child ever finds himself a working Delorian time machine he can effectively communicate with the inhabitants of 1985.
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Everything is different in different school districts. My youngest is at a "Magnet" school. That means it's a public school with a specialised curriculum. This one has a what's called a "traditional" curriculum. Lots of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The specific curriculum isn't all that important to me. What's more important is if they're teaching the kids how to learn. Not just making them memorise things, but to plunge the depth of any given topic, to read effectively, and retain as you read so that debate through discussion is possible.
My wife used to teach at one of the finest private high schools in the country. Not all the students made it through that school's curriculum, and it was a lot about preparation. If your children can read, retain, discuss, and write, they are ready for anything college has to offer.
Gravy
Bronze Squire
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I dunno. Nothing could prepare me for Helga the Red-headed Beastwoman who could shotgun beers almost as fast as me. And definitely nothing to prepare me for how to get rid of her afterwards.
Sorry for the digression, carry on with your conversation.
Anyone have success with websites like Care.com to find babysitters? I recently moved into a new area, previously my parents or in laws would watch the kids on date night.
Cad
scientia potentia est
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School districts are a tough question, for a number of reasons. There's a lot of variability between kids for one thing; even in the same family. One kid might thrive being taught one way, and another might crash. The schools try to find a common denominator for this reason because they are in the business of ensuring the maximum average success, not the particular maximum success of YOUR child. If you want that, pony up for a private tutor and have them spend a few hours each day after school with your kid. Or do it yourself.
The second thing is, the particulars of the curriculum are most likely far less important than the kids your kid will be around; are they all transient apartment kids whose parents shoot up in the evening? Or do they have chinese tiger moms or PTA-loving helicopter parents? Affluence isn't everything either, there's an army of stay at home moms in my neighborhood who drop the kids off at school in their SL's and Bentleys then go get drunk off their asses over lunch and tennis. The nannies raise the kids 80%. If you are an active, involved parent who actually monitors what your kids do and *gasp* talks to them about things (and your viewpoints aren't retarded) then you're going to be way ahead of the curve almost whatever school you go to. That said, "good" school districts are full of good kids and your kid will probably be good by osmosis.
There are premium school districts in almost every big city these days and the real estate prices reflect it. Just follow the money to the good schools. It used to be the "white" schools were the good ones, now its the school in affluent areas that keep the riff raff out. Racial segregation: old and busted. Economic segregation: the new hotness.
The second thing is, the particulars of the curriculum are most likely far less important than the kids your kid will be around; are they all transient apartment kids whose parents shoot up in the evening? Or do they have chinese tiger moms or PTA-loving helicopter parents? Affluence isn't everything either, there's an army of stay at home moms in my neighborhood who drop the kids off at school in their SL's and Bentleys then go get drunk off their asses over lunch and tennis. The nannies raise the kids 80%. If you are an active, involved parent who actually monitors what your kids do and *gasp* talks to them about things (and your viewpoints aren't retarded) then you're going to be way ahead of the curve almost whatever school you go to. That said, "good" school districts are full of good kids and your kid will probably be good by osmosis.
There are premium school districts in almost every big city these days and the real estate prices reflect it. Just follow the money to the good schools. It used to be the "white" schools were the good ones, now its the school in affluent areas that keep the riff raff out. Racial segregation: old and busted. Economic segregation: the new hotness.
Yeah I mean no one is suggesting good school district=lol I get to do nothing at home.
But what Cad said is true about osmosis - also (college) recruiters do know the schools here. Its just how things work.
I coach High school baseball in a suburban school district, but it is a very commercial area with a ton of apartments so can be a rough school. Point I am attempting to make is, I am surprised every year when we do our senior game (Players brings flowers to mom and we announce college plans, etc to the fans, pictures). Well I can count on my hand in the 6 years I have coaching how many of my kids do not just go to the local community college, but when we go to others teams senior days every single players is off to some nice university. I know this a generalization and likely based on ability to pay as well but it is striking to me.
I am not a parent yet but me and my wife are trying now and just bought a new house in a good suburban area with good school districts. My thought on school districts is I want may child to have at least access to every opportunity they could think of (sports, languages, field trips, clubs, theater, etc) and I will attempt to fill in the gabs in their education.
I am not a parent yet but me and my wife are trying now and just bought a new house in a good suburban area with good school districts. My thought on school districts is I want may child to have at least access to every opportunity they could think of (sports, languages, field trips, clubs, theater, etc) and I will attempt to fill in the gabs in their education.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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It's really hard to purchase a home based on a school district when your kid is still a baby(or not even born yet). Just the elementary schools alone, you're trying to project their quality 5-12 years down the road, and good luck with having any clue what your local high school will be like in 15 years. A whole lot can change in that amount of time. While a district as a whole might be really good, the individual schools within it can still vary greatly in quality.
The district that we live in was one of the top highschools in the state about 10-15 years ago, but 10 years ago a 2nd highschool was built, and 5 years ago a 3rd highschool was built, and both of those are in the new, wealthier parts of town that then pulled all those upper middle-class kids out of the older, original school. This left the original highschool now with a student base that is mostly from the older part of town, with cheaper apartments, lots of old rental properties, etc. It's been steadily declining for the past decade while the 2 new schools are now some of the best in the state.
We actually have a really good elementary school and middle school right in our neighborhood(hope they stay that way), but we'll need to move before our kid gets to highschool. who knows where that will be in 15 years.
The district that we live in was one of the top highschools in the state about 10-15 years ago, but 10 years ago a 2nd highschool was built, and 5 years ago a 3rd highschool was built, and both of those are in the new, wealthier parts of town that then pulled all those upper middle-class kids out of the older, original school. This left the original highschool now with a student base that is mostly from the older part of town, with cheaper apartments, lots of old rental properties, etc. It's been steadily declining for the past decade while the 2 new schools are now some of the best in the state.
We actually have a really good elementary school and middle school right in our neighborhood(hope they stay that way), but we'll need to move before our kid gets to highschool. who knows where that will be in 15 years.
Cad
scientia potentia est
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Or live in a small town/enclave of a big city with its own school district with only 1 high school and a stable population.
Joeboo
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I can't imagine that working out well, how does 1 highschool keep from being the "popular" one and everybody going there? One in particular is bound to be better at certain sports than others, all the athletes would want to go to that 1 highschool. My suburb has 3 highschools right now, and one of them has multiple recent state titles in Football. Every football player in the city would go there if they could choose.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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It seems like most major cities that I'm familiar with, if you go far enough out to find a town small enough to only have 1 highschool, you're looking at a LONG commute into the city. You'd need to be a good 45-60 minutes outside of KC to get to towns small enough to only have 1 highschool, for instance. ST Louis is the same way(other large city I'm very familiar with, I have lots of family there)
Cad
scientia potentia est
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I know these don't exist in every big city, but:
Highland Park, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia