Best School District in Mat Su Valley? Palmer? Wasilla? (Anchorage: rent, condo)

[tazook]

I'm moving to the Mat Su Valley this summer and am looking for information on the School Districts. Do schools in the area have a reputation? From looking online it seems like Pioneer Peak Elementary is excellent. Are the Wasilla or Palmer schools generally better? My child will be in kindergarden so I'm more concerned with Elementary Schools. How about Private Schools? Are there any excellent non-religious private schools? Thanks for your help.

[Alaska Deb]

Hi,

It is just different here. Some schools are rated 'low test scores' but the teachers rock and the kids really, really learn and are happy.

Some schools have high test scores...but parents pull their kids out.

BUT, within the schools you can have situations such as: you have 3 4th grade teachers. One teaches on the Pre-K level...and apparently that's cool. Then the one next door is challenging the kids and teaching some material at 5th grade level.

Just depends.

I have heard great things about Meadow Lakes and Butte.

I have 2 grandchildren. One got the shaft so badly we are homeschooling him for the rest of the year. The other is in 1st grade and is getting a wonderful education.

It is great that you are doing research now. If you can meet some parents...they will tell you. I wondered if it were just us with that school, and I met up with his b-ball coach in Freddy's. We talked a long time...she gave me about 15 names of parents who had already removed their children.

I think there are many great schools here, and in all schools there are wonderful teachers...but you might have to work a bit to find them.


ALSO, we just found out that for kindergarten, you have to transport your child one of the 2 ways...either to or from school. I'm a little confused over that as it is the law they attend...but the borough does not provide transportation. We'll be driving about 100 miles per day next school year. But, my heart goes out to the parent who just can't do this.

Ok, sorry for the long thing, but...this is a very important topic.

Good luck, and just ask, ask, ask around.

Deb

[helars]

I think Butte Elementary is the best kept secret in the district.

[M98Ranger]

I haven't been in Alaska since '97, but I did live in Palmer and Wasilla. I went to Palmer middle-school/high school. The quality of teachers there were good. They get paid quite a bit more than teachers in the lower 48 so my thought is that they attract higher quality instruction. So overall I would say that the school system has the money to get good teachers. My brothers and sisters attended Pioneer Peak back in the day and seemed to do quite well. I know in Palmer there used to be a Catholic Private school just down the street from the High School, but I don't think there are any non-religious private schools. I thought I remember reading recently that there were plans for charter schools in Wasilla and Anchorage, but I could be mistaken....sorry for not giving you much, but I thought I might as well try. I hope they start getting some private and charter schools up and running as I am going to be moving back to the Matsu valley here in less than 4 months (after I graduate from my University) and want to get my kids some good education

[Marty Van Diest]

Schools...

The schools are what you make of them. If you put your child in school and expect the child to be educated you are just gambling. You need to know what is going on. I think you can do well in almost any school here, but you can also do poorly in any school.

You need to personally take and interest in what your child is learning every day. You need to know what is going on in that classroom.

We have actually given up on the education system and homeschool our kids. Our oldest is 22 and our youngest is 14. So far we have been homeschooling for 18 years because we started when the oldest was 4. It's not easy but I believe it has worked out best for our family.

Although we don't send our own children to school, I do have friends whose children have been well educated in the local schools. But they were very interested in their child's education. One walked into the school and insisted that her child be put in a different classroom. In Alaska you always have the option of home schooling and if you threaten that it usually works to get the school to do what you want them to do.

[Jonotastic]

I'd highly recommend Cottonwood Creek Elementary, Colony Middle School and Colony High School.

I would NOT recommend Wasilla Middle School or Wasilla High School.

The Palmer schools are probably the best public schools in the Mat-Su.

I'd go for Pioneer Peak Elementary if you buy a house in Palmer.

---

I don't want to cause a debate, but please do not home school your children. I'm in college now and I see it all the time, students who have over the top strict parents and ones who aren't used to a big social environment. I have seen so many of them become pregnant, be obsessed over their bf or gf, get into all sorts of **** because they've never had the opportunity before, or go crazy at their first drinking party, the list goes on...it's not by chance, definitely from my experience these are the students who get into deep trouble because they were not prepared and were sheltered their whole lives. If they haven't broken your trust, give them your trust.

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

I don't want to cause a debate, but please do not home school your children. I'm in college now and I see it all the time, students who have over the top strict parents and ones who aren't used to a big social environment. I have seen so many of them become pregnant, be obsessed over their bf or gf, get into all sorts of **** because they've never had the opportunity before, or go crazy at their first drinking party, the list goes on...it's not by chance, definitely from my experience these are the students who get into deep trouble because they were not prepared and were sheltered their whole lives. If they haven't broken your trust, give them your trust.

Not wanting to cause a debate either...but will just say that our oldest did not attend one day of public or private school but was a National Merit Scholar. The Mat-Su public schools only produced 2 that year while 2 were home schooled so there were 4 total from the district but only 2 from all the High Schools. There are about 40 per year in Alaska.

She was offered a full ride scholarship, (all expenses paid, room, board, and tuition), to about 6 universities and many other scholarships to other schools. Two sent her airline tickets to come and visit their school which she did. She chose the University of Arizona because it has a good astronomy program and it was in a warm place...

The other 3 are not as accomplished but I'll put them up against the average student in any of the schools and am confident that they will come out on top. Not only that, an employer would choose them over the average student because they obviously have better character.

After all that, I will say that home schooling is not for everyone and should not be done just to shelter a child. Although some sheltering in the early grades wouldn't hurt sometimes. A parent must pay attention to the education no matter which school the child attends...including home school.

[Alaska Deb]

Jonotastic and Marty both have a point...so...not to cause a debate or anything

Marty was right on the money about being involved with your child's education. I am a teacher (not here...but before I came) and the things I have had to adjust myself to are horrific. I love to teach, and would like to go back...but...it is a cesspool. 7th graders having sex in the restroom, kids telling teachers to F*** off with no repercussions...14 year olds shooting up. And I taught in a 'decent' area.

Watch your kids...and watch their peers and teachers closer. And...keep the sharpest eye on the principal.

When I went in for my grandson (about the SIXTH time) the teacher just looked at me and said "I just go with the flow and if giving them FREE time makes it easier...I give them free time). Huh.

He is now being home schooled. He could read the comics once a day and get more than he was getting. However, I know that is not representative of this school system here...he just got the luck of the draw. But, it does say something for that particular school that the principal was aware (multiple parent complaints) and chose to do nothing about it.

Look around and talk to people. And, if you get into a school and the principal is clueless...home school is wonderful.

Deb

[Jonotastic]

I understand the argument of home schooling and I agree it does have its benefits. The negative parts I'm talking about have nothing to do with the quality of the education. You can be home schooled and go to Harvard. My point deals strictly with social issues. I will be a senior in the Fall and I see it every semester and it's almost always students who were sheltered growing up. Think of it as...the steps before buying your own house. You first live with your parents, then live in the dorms or shared apt with room mates, then rent your own place, then buy a small house or condo, and then buy your family house. If you were to just move out at 18 years old into a mansion 4000 miles away, you wouldn't know how to handle everything. It's the same thing as if you have been giving your child $20 week allowance and when he or she turns 18, you give them $50,000 a year live. It's the same thing in college. Especially with women I've noticed. When a guy hits on them or tries to take advantage of them at a party, they don't understand what the guy's intentions truly are, they don't know how to deal with it, they will accept a drink from a random guy. They don't know know their limits with liquor, they don't know how they act when they are drunk. If they are in a group of people and they start to pass a joint, they almost always never refuse because they think from watching movies they will be considered nerds. I've attended two universities so far one being a small (5000 students) private university charging $50,000 and currently a large public university charging $5000. I've noticed the same things in both schools. Everything is EASILY available... sex, drugs, liquor. If the student isn't used to being around these types of things, many feel pressured into doing it, some go crazy and are like "I'M FREE, GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT!" If you do home school, please make sure they are on a sports team or in multiple clubs...where they will meet and interact with new people their age every year besides family and family friends. Growing up, I've attended public and private schools in...Alaska, Washington, Florida and Australia. It doesn't matter how good the school's ratings are, it doesn't matter their rankings, it doesn't matter what economic background the average student is from...drugs, sex, and liquor are found in all of them. Yes, you should look into the things I mentioned above, but be aware you can't hide your children from them and eventually they will get it all pushed in their face in college...make sure that is not the first time it happens. The chances of them doing those things are much higher if that is the case. Times have changed as I'm sure they will be once I'm a father. Teach your kids at a right age about safe sex because I've seen in high school, people using balloons as condoms, some think if they just pull out before it happens, there's no risk...anyways getting off tangent lol. It just scares me some of the students I run into, don't think if students at a certain school get into bad things, yours will because they go to the same school. In MOST cases, it's due to bad parenting and in college it's due to lack of experience (ignorance).

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by Jonotastic

I understand the argument of home schooling and I agree it does have its benefits. The negative parts I'm talking about have nothing to do with the quality of the education.

Lets find where we agree.

You can be well educated at home or at school.

A parent is responsible to see that the child is educated, no matter where they go to school.

How a person handles social issues including booze, drugs, and sex is part of education. If they don't handle it well after they leave home, they weren't well educated.

Back to Mat-Su Schools.

Lots of people like Colony but others are just as focused on Wasilla or Palmer. The good elementary schools that people mention are : Pioneer Peak, Finger Lake, Butte, Larson, Cottonwood, and Snowshoe. I'm sure there are good and bad situations in all those schools but you should be able to get a good classroom for you child in any of them. But you have to pay attention.