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

[plessthanpointohfive]

Oh, I should qualify my post a bit more...I was working at Emory (before I went to CDC) for >2 years before we moved into Atlanta. We lived in the suburbs of Atlanta because my husband was finishing his PhD in Athens. Then, he was at Emory a year before we moved. So, we'd had ample time to explore. Once people knew we were looking to move intown that's when we really started hearing about the three schools I mentioned.


I also heard about Oak Grove ES and Lakeside High.

In the end...my husband and I wanted my son to go to Grady High. So, it came down to Fernbank and Mary Lin...especially since they're so closely situated to where we both work.

Good luck and welcome to Atlanta and Emory/CDC!

[lastminutemom]

Fernbank is in DeKalb and therefore would go to Druid Hills not Grady.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Yes, sorry, I know that and didn't mean to imply otherwise. In fact, one main reason we chose Mary Lin over Fernbank was because we preferred Grady over Druid Hills, thought Druid Hills is by no means a bad school. Grady just has so many exciting programs!

[maggie2008]

Thanks very much both lastminutemom and plessthanpointohfive. You are right about many things. Here is our situation and I wonder how would you think if you were us. Both me and my husband have no idea about the education system in the US; we cannot afford private schools (at least in the near future) and we are sort of scared about it as we heard kids get bad influence on comparing families. Traffic is a big problem to concern. And furthermore, we plan to stay in ATL for no more than 5 years because of the nature of my husband's work (it's relatively easy for him to switch to other universities after tenure), so that we plan to rent and will not worry about middle/high school yet. Currently the renting price for a 3br house or condo is in similar range in area around Oak Grove, Fernbank, Brandon and Jackson. (I didn't check for Mary Lin). Although renting may make us flexible, we don't plan to move again after making a final decision, as I feel kids need a stable and familiar environment/friends.

With a friend, I got to visit Vanderlyn and Livsey (both are platinum schools in DeKalb), but will not consider them as they are too far or not convenient. My feeling that schools in Dekalb are not in good condition mainly came from those two visits. The buildings/fields/playground are very old, the girl's restrooms are very dirty and trailers are everywhere. The teachers are nice, but you don’t feel that they enjoy teaching.

I haven't visited Oak Grove and Fernbank yet, but I do have many friends who sent their children to both schools. Strangely, I did not hear very positive comments from parents who have sent their children there, but heard a lot willingness of parents who want to send their children there. Two families who have sent their kids to Oak Grove are very similar to us: Emory people, foreigners. Their kids ended up went to Kittridge (one of the magnet school of Dekalb with a lottery system for enrollment) at 4th grade. They liked Oak Grove but would not recommend it, as it seems declined comparing with it in it's late 90's~2002. Some of the kindergarten classes even don't have paraprofessionals and not much info can be found from their web. Fernbank, on the other hand, with many apartment complexes around it, has many children of graduate students/postdocs from Emory. They are mostly first-child parents and I doubt it if they have strong parent-involvement as I know how busy the parents are. I’m not against university employees as myself is one of them, but isn’t it strange that not many children whose parents are professors do well in school and when grow up? Maybe their parents are too busy or maybe they get used to the relatively relaxing and free environment in camps so are not so competitive. I might be wrong, but I feel we have had enough interactions and influences from academia so maybe we need more fresh encounters from other classes, as long as we don’t feel uncomfortable.

Anyway, my personal idea is that I want my child to stay in public school system, so that she knows she needs to work hard and she won’t learn to waste. However, I also wish she can stay in a relatively “rich” public school so that she can get exposed to all kind of activities and can broaden her vision. A good habit taught by a responsible teacher is more important than sole high scores. And a polite and knowledgeable friend can have the biggest influence on a small child. I guess these are the reasons why I prefer Atlanta city schools more than Dekalb schools. But I probably do not have enough information and could be biased.

Thanks a lot for your time and help!!!

[plessthanpointohfive]

I can't speak for Dekalb schools other than what I've heard about Fernbank and a little about Oak Grove. I've heard many very positive things about Fernbank and thought I don't know as many people who are associated with Oak Grove what I have heard is also positive.

Mary Lin (and probably Morningside) has parapros in the kindergarten classes. Also, Mary Lin has a sparkling new playground that the parents raised money for. And Mary Lin has recess every day...not all schools have that.

I would say that renting a house/townhouse/condo in the Mary Lin and Morningside districts is comparable to where you've already been looking.

I understand where you are coming from since my husband and I are both researches who work for a living. We want our son to go to public school for the same reasons you listed - both because I believe it would be better for our child and because it would really tighten our budget to send to private.

You say you don't plan to be in Atlanta more than about 5 years? Do you mind if I ask why? If your husband attains tenure at Emory I would think it would lucrative for you both to stay. Or is it that you want to move back to your country? I am just curious...

Welcome to Atlanta!

[maggie2008]

Oh, I might made it a bit confused for plessthanpointohfive. We've been in Emory for couple of years already. We currently live to the near north and send my child to a GA pre-K in a Marietta neighborhood. Both me and my child like it - the teachers are good and the parents are very active. But it is too far away to think about staying there for couple of more years plus there are not very much choices for renting.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Yes, that's a good clarification. Living in Marietta gives you more opportunity to explore on the weekends.

I am like you - that's too far away from work!

[maggie2008]

Hi plessthanpointohfive, sorry I just saw your post after I wrote the last one. My husband has become a faculty in the medical school for couple of years, and he is pretty confident of getting tenured within 5 years (maybe over confident). Due to the nature of doing research, he feels he could not recruit satisfied students and postdocs at Emory, so he hopes to relocate to other universities which have better locations. I'm also facing a career change and feel that Atlanta is not so technology-oriented, although I like the city very much. I went to grad school in mid-west and he was in the mid-east, both were smaller cities with slow pace. Atlanta makes us feel it's an active city.

I might visit Mary Lin as it sounds attractive. Thanks for the info.

[lastminutemom]

Maggie


Rent a house in either Atlanta school district, once you clarify the after school situation. But be prepared to contribute both time and financially at either school. Both those schools are very dependent on parents to provide for the extras.

I mean no offense with this, but my children attend very diverse schools, including children in families with similar situations to yours, and frankly, the foreign born parents aren't as involved (ie the situation at Fernbank perhaps, but Fernbank has no lack of parental involvement at all, the work just isn't shared by all hands) often because the culture of the home country and schools is very different than here. Most public schools are dependent on parents, both financially and time wise, to add extras.

I also find that foreign born parents, especially those that are educated, only rely on test scores to make a decision about schools. This is not a good idea. It is essential to visit American schools. (which you have started doing) Schools have personalities and some are "happier" places than others. I am surprised that Livsey and Vanderlyn felt so much alike... I would have guessed that they would have been seen different, though I don't know about the Livsey principal and the atmosphere of the school.

[plessthanpointohfive]

I should have known that your husband is already at Emory because I know they have a 7-year tenure period, rather than 5 or 3, like other schools.

As you know, Emory is relies heavily on soft-money to pay for it's faculty (for those who don't know that means grant money - meaning faculty have to pay their own salaries through grants. Tuition money at Emory is used for other things....) and right now with the war NIH funding is at a historic low - so it's demoralizing for researchers.

This is also true at CDC. Just got a 450million dollar cut.

So, in general, your husband might just have to wait out the economy to get the ideal research environment.

My husband is a professor at a state school here while also being a research scholar at Emory...he does neuromuscular research. He's having to be very creative to get funding.

Good luck!