School Ratings Thread - Start One & Keep On Top? (Atlanta: environment, relocate)

[lastminutemom]

It should probably be its own thread.

If your child isn't in the magnet program at Chamblee (which they have to qualify for by grades and test scores and then get in through a lottery), the school isn't very good. About 5 years ago, the system split up the SAT scores and the non-magnet Chamblee students were among the lowest in DeKalb. If your child is very bright, they can take most of the same classes as the magnet kids after 9th and possibly 10th grade. Even the magnet parents aren't so happy at Chamblee Middle, but as a middle school educator I think you understand the challenges of middle school better than most.

Lakeside (have you checked great schools.net) is having a ton of internal strife, that unfortunately doesn't seem to be getting better. It is a peculiar community situation, where alumni and former parents seem to meddle an awful lot. Additionally, the building is absolutely falling apart.

I think DeKalb schools stink as a whole and there are many observers who worry that the whole system is falling apart. I think the system, even at the best schools, is having a really hard time attracting and keeping great administrators. Each year, Dekalb educates more poor children -- and the standards slip in my opinion.

If it were me, I would look in Decatur and City of Atlanta, and maybe even the Riverwood district in Fulton.

[Porter's Mom]

Any teachers out there have perspective on how is Grady as a teacher? I currently teach in a very mixed urban HS in Orlando (35% African American, 35% white, 30% other). Does Grady have parental support, admin support? Any info is helpful... Thanks

[mommanita]

We've experienced 4 incidents in as many years in so-called high ranking Gwinnett schools, both elementary and high school, where my children or a close friend of my children were dangerously bullied, but the school covered it up and it never went into "incident" reports. Beware - do not just go by rankings, reports, etc. Seems like the ill-behaved kids get free tickets to harass and endanger the focused children. BE WARNED.

[mommanita]

Perhaps part of the dumbing down of American Government schools?

[dvcgal]

Originally Posted by mommanita

We've experienced 4 incidents in as many years in so-called high ranking Gwinnett schools, both elementary and high school, where my children or a close friend of my children were dangerously bullied, but the school covered it up and it never went into "incident" reports. Beware - do not just go by rankings, reports, etc. Seems like the ill-behaved kids get free tickets to harass and endanger the focused children. BE WARNED.

This is so true! We live in an area that has a very good school rating in VA. One of the top ratings in our county. Yet, the bullying and racism is horrible!!! And trust me, if we had known about this stuff before we bought our house, we would have run the other direction. The principle and vice principle make all the difference in how well a school is really doing!!!

[maggie2008]

Hi,

We are considering moving to the Buckhead area for our daughter to attend either the Morris Brandon or Warren Jackson elementary school. Does anyone has opinions on which one suits us better? With the rezone we probably will have a chance of going to either one of the two. My husband and I are both teaching at Emory so after school program is a must. I know that Brandon doesn't have such program, so where do working moms send their children for after school? Also since we are foreigners (daughter is American born), which school is more international-friendly?

Thanks a lot for any inputs!

[plessthanpointohfive]

Why are restricting yourself to the northside? Have you looked into Fernbank, Morningside, or Mary Lin? Those areas are close to Emory and have good public schools? Many Emory/CDC people live there...

[maggie2008]

I've heard that those schools are not as good as Brandon and Jackson. I've toured two of the best DeKalb elementary schools and my personal feeling is that their facilities are not as good as those in the north APS and teachers are not that active. I have toured Brandon recently and like it a lot. The campus and building is beautiful and the whole school is full of energy. Their teachers and staffs are very nice and children are very polite. But you are right, we might feel more comfortable with the student body/family class in schools around Emory/CDC.

[lastminutemom]

Maggie

Can you afford private high school? Do you still plan to be in ATL when your kids reach that point? While Sutton Middle is improving, North Atlanta hasn't reached that point yet? Lakeside High and Druid HIlls are probably better, in terms of community support, than North Atlanta as of today, but I suspect that this will change in the next 5 to ten years.

DeKalb is in the middle of a big one size fits all set of requirements for schools -- so the lowest performing schools and the highest have similar requirements of teachers. (the lower performing schools have additional ones as well). This is very bad for teacher morale and I am guessing that is what you observed. Did you look at Fernbank and Oak Grove?

If it was me, I would locate in the city of Atlanta. DeKalb is a system that if not on the way down is stagnant while Atlanta is moving up.

I think your family will be fine at either school. Lots of international families in the area.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Well, I don't know about Brandon and Jackson but I send my son to Mary Lin, along with many other CDC/Emory parents, and my husband and I have been very happy - with the parental involvement (PTA), with the teachers, with the principal, with the curriculum, everything. I don't mean any disrespect but your personal feeling on things should not be very strong after a simple tour. To really get perspective on a school you should interview parents and inquire about the PTA.

It is probably true that Mary Lin, Fernbank, Mornside, etc, don't belong to communities as wealthy as Buckhead. This could possibly translate into less PTA funds. But it should in now way translate into quality of education. The parent-body of all these schools, including Brandon and Jackson, is highly educated. And that's probably the main predictor of a child's education - their parent's education. Any time you have a school body of educated parents you will find a school of bright kids and the school will be rated well.

And remember that some of the facilities in APS are historic to some extent - so they might not seem as nice (aka new) but they are beloved.

Mary Lin (as well as Morningside and Fernbank) is a very diverse school, racially, but not very diverse economically. It's solid middle to upper middle class in the economic demographic. This is no surprise since homes cost >350K.

It's also a laid back community only 3 miles from Emory - and the commute is through a quiet residential area (Druid Hills) and not traffic heavy.

If I were you I'd consider all these schools, the ones you've been looking into as well as the one's others have mentioned, as equal options. It will give you a broader option for choosing a home to buy.

Don't take this as a knock on Warren and Jackson. I just want you to know there are more options.

I will tell you this...when my husband and I were looking to move closer to Emory and CDC (he works at Emory, I work at CDC) we heard from so many people about Morningside, Fernbank, and Mary Lin...about how these were the best options, yada yada. I never heard of Brandon or Jackson until this thread. That's probably a sign...not that the schools aren't good (I don't doubt they are wonderful). But it's probably a sign that it's too far away...not part of the Emory/CDC community.

And let me tell you...Emory/CDC is definitely a community! Fascinating symbiotic synergistic relationship between the two...