Question for families in the Smyrna area (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: buying a home, neighborhoods)

[UGABK]

I've got a question for new families or families soon to have children in the Smyrna area. My main concern is the public schools in the area. My wife and I like the area, and we are thinking about buying a home here (soon to have kids). But I wanted to ask what the current or future families in the area will do when it comes time for their kids to attend school. Will you put them in a public school, a private school, or move to another area for schools? I feel the area is starting to turn around, but wanted to know if this progress will continue. Also, any timeframe on how the public schools will progress in the area. It feels as if the area could turn into something similiar to Sandy Springs with enough time.

Thanks,
B

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by UGABK

I've got a question for new families or families soon to have children in the Smyrna area. My main concern is the public schools in the area. My wife and I like the area, and we are thinking about buying a home here (soon to have kids). But I wanted to ask what the current or future families in the area will do when it comes time for their kids to attend school. Will you put them in a public school, a private school, or move to another area for schools? I feel the area is starting to turn around, but wanted to know if this progress will continue. Also, any timeframe on how the public schools will progress in the area. It feels as if the area could turn into something similiar to Sandy Springs with enough time.

Thanks,
B

The Smyrna-Mableton-Vinings areas already has many great schools and many are on the up and up. Bottom line: you can move to Smyrna, you can raise your family there, and you can send your kids to the public schools.

Don't waste your money on private schools or the hassle of moving.

I'm going to give you a breakdown on the jewels of the Smyrna-Mableton-Vinings area:

Elementary:

1. Teasley-great school, active PTA, strong community. Small! (feeds into Campbell High...wonderful!)

2. King Springs-active PTA, strong community support, lots of young families...feeds into powerhouses Griffin Middle and Campbell High! (more info on these schools below).

3. Brown-small, close-knit school, strong community...near the Smyrna Village Green area. Feeds into Campbell High!

4. Nickajack-top, innovative school. Dynamic faculty and staff. Active PTA. Feeds into powerhouses Griffin Middle and Campbell High.

5. Mableton-small, close-knit school. Strong PTA...great community support. Feeds into South Cobb High--which is great.

Middle:

*Griffin-great school, strong connection to feeder elementary schools. Dynamic curriculum.

High:

1. Campbell High-top notch International Baccalaurate (IB) Program. Dynamic faculty. Excellent community support. Great extracurricular/sports opportunites. Many successful students that go on to Ivy League and "Public Ivy League" schools. (Plus, the alma mater of Julia Roberts!)

2. South Cobb High-top math/science magnet program. Broad community support. Great extracurricular/sports opportunities.

3. Pebblebrook High-highly regarded Performing Arts magnet...graduates of the performing arts program are sought after. Fierce loyalty to performing arts program from alumni. All performing arts graduates have a specialty, but all also graduate as "triple threats."


**All of the Smyrna-Mableton-Vinings schools listed above have wonderful diversity (ethnic, racial, economic) that really enrich the educational environment. (I'm a teacher so I know the value of diversity in the classroom!)

**I know you said Smyrna, but by saying Smyrna-Mableton-Vinings it shows how the communities in the area actually blend together.

**Another public school option are two charter schools...I think they are called the International Academy of Smyrna and the International Academy of Mableton. I've briefly read about both...they are good as well. Another poster can tell you more about these options.

**Whether you choose the high-flying traditional public schools in the Smyrna-Mableton-Vinings area or choose to start with the public charters schools, the reality is that there is no need to send your children to private schools or move!

Let me know if you have further questions.

I recommend researching the schools further on the Cobb County schools website...Cobb County School District Home Page

I hope this helps.

Good Luck.

[casualobserver]

Thanks for that Aries......quite fullsome. What would be your response to the AYP "no's" for Campbell on the website?

[kagmypts]

We currently live in Smyrna and are planning to move when our kids hit school age (we are currently in the Nickajack, Griffin, and Campbell district). We will be putting our kids into private school after the move though... we are moving for a closer commute to some of the better private schools. Just as an FYI, almost everyone we know around here has moved when their kids have hit school age or have gone to private schools. Just another opinion.

[aries4118]

AYP relates to NCLB...any educator worth anything knows that you do not judge a school on measurements like AYP.

Example....

I school will receive a "no" if one subgroup, no matter how small, does not meet the arbitrary standard. Say two high schools with 2000 students...one has 45 African-Americans (School A) and the other 35 (School B). To be counted as subgroup, the group must have a minimum number...for this example let's say 40. Let's say the passing standard is 75%...School B can have all 35 students fail the standard and receive a yes (because the subgroup is just under the minimum number) while School A can have 33 students pass the standard and still receive a no.

Schools with more subgroups are at a serious disadvantage! This is what happened to Campbell High...a fantastic high school with a dynamic program and faculty that is doing things that Walton, Harrison, Northview, Brookwood, McIntosh, etc. could never do.

Parents of Smyrna...with Campbell High, you are very lucky!


Does this answer your question?

[lastminutemom]

For many people, one of the benefits or expectations of public education is shared community experiences. At schools, where whole neighborhoods have no children enrolled in the neighborhood public school -- you lose this sense of community.

The two charter schools that opened in Mableton and Smyrna were overwhelmed with applications -- I believe 3 applications for every 1 spot. This is unheard of for a start up charter school in Georgia. Most new charter schools struggle for the first few years with enrollment as they get the kinks out. This really indicates to me that things may not be as rosy as aries illustrates.

I believe that the Cobb school system so easily passed these charters -- they proceeded unbelievably quickly -- because the school system could not (did not want to) meet the community expectations of what they wanted in a school. This was an easy fix for Cobb.

What will be interesting is what happens when these parents finish at these two schools -- where do they go? Will it have an impact on the high school?

Finally, in the City of ATlanta, there are examples, including Drew Charter School, of charter schools forcing change at the surrounding schools. The schools around Drew have become very popular and have been really embraced by the community because some families didn't like some of the policies at Drew -- they started working to improve the other schools.

[casualobserver]

This whole Cobb County "school thing" leaves me perplexed. An impartial observer quickly notes in reading this forum on this topic is that there is a palpable rivalry it seems between East Cobb and I guess what is called South Cobb. It seems the only posts are either emphatically pro-East and anti-South or vice versa.....no in-between. I have yet to see someone who actually compares both geographies simultaneously nor do I see someone who does it with objective data, but rather always essentially anecdote and subjectivity.

Something doesn't add up here. But I do know what the reputation of good schools does for resale value. I once lived in Wilmette, IL in the relatively famous New Trier Township school system. Comparable houses my side of the street sold for at least $100K more because of the KINDERGARTEN my side of the street went to!

[SmyrnaVinings]

There are clearly a variety of issues in the Atlanta area, namely schools, traffic and water (or the lack thereof). Clearly, the schools in Smyrna are not the best in Cobb County, but the Cobb County curriculum is top notch. It's really a matter of continuing to forge ahead to improve the schools. Certainly the Cobb School Board realizes that it's not really good for the county to have the good schools isolated in one area of the county.

Smyrna has been working diligently over the last several years to redevelop the area and without quality schools, there will certainly be a limit on the upside for Smyrna. But the area has changed immensely over the last few years and will continue to improve. Certainly a lot of people choose Smyrna for the amenities and convenient location and look for alternatives in terms of education. There are lots of options in terms of private schools including Walker, Whitefield, Trinity, Lovett, Westminster and Pace which are all convenient to the Smyrna area.

My family is currently going through the decision process right now and are currently looking at many of the private schools noted above. We really hate to leave the Smyrna area. I feel that there are so many positives about our community that would be hard to replace elsewhere and that the public schools will continue to improve.

The charter schools also came along as an alternative. They probably tried to start the schools up to quickly, but as with all charter schools, there will be bumps in the road. I do like their curriculum and interest in adopting an international program including total immersion in middle school. What the charter schools here felt was an issue with the local public schools was a lack of parent involvement in their children's education, so they mandated parent involvement in the charter school as part of their agreement. I think the charter school in Smyrna will be successful as they have a fresh start compared to the other public schools and hopefully this will show the other public schools that we can have good schools in this area.

I wish you luck in your decision.

[casualobserver]

Thanks, SV, for your explanation.......however, may I ask a follow-up?

You make this statement........"Clearly, the schools in Smyrna are not the best in Cobb County,"...........well, unfortunately, I have no basis to understand what is so clear to you.

You go on to imply later that "lack of parental involvement" is the reason. OK, I could undertand why that would yield non-performing students..........but, that circumstance does not at all correlate to any other relatively affluent sub-community in the US. Affluent and/or higher achieving parents are typically "all over" the school system......from the teacher to the Superintendent to the School Board.

Maybe Atlanta has some reason to be an exception, but despite your valiant attempt, I'm still not sure I understand what is going on there.

[DoveDiva]

I wouldn't send my kid to school in Smyrna unless he went to:
King Springs or Teasley for Elementary....or Campbell HS's IB program. The rest of those schools...I'm not impressed with the academics and the behavioral issues @ the schools.

Culturally and economically speaking, they are a great mix.