I regret moving to Fulton County (Sandy Springs: elementary schools, college, living)
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We were at Palmer for one year. We were lucky that Dr. Giles was our principal while we were there. He left this year for another school. The kids loved and respected him, and he was there all the time. There was never a time that I was at the school where I didn't see him.
I love living in this area where we are now. We were spending every weekend driving to dine out, shop at Asian markets and for cultural events. I mentioned the commute earlier. Everything is great except that I wish more affluent people around here would support their public schools.
It helps everyone in the area to improve education for those who need it most. It helps people pull themselves out of the vicious cycle of poverty when they are educated. As being discussed in the other thread about the new Gwinnett high school, it's hard to watch certain schools get overlooked because there aren't enough people with education and money to advocate the needs of that school. That's why I am frustrated with the entire district.
Just wanted to note that a school's greatschool rating cannot determine the type of environment that the school has.
My main priorities for schools my kid attends are 1 - Professionalism/friendliness/and organization of the front office and its staff. 2 - Reputation of the teacher(s) at the school based on my own interviews and other parents opinions. 3 - Books/curriculum used at the school. 4 - Test scores, which only need to be average IMO. (4-6 on greatschools).
So sorry to the OP that you have been having such issues at your daughter's school especially. I'm sure the electric issues are horrible an I agree GP is much worse than Cobb EMC (IMO in every way they are worse).
But the school situation would be a huge issue for me from what you describe. I, too feel that office staff should be responsive and that emails should be returned within 24 hours. It doesn't take all that long to return an email or have a secretary review the emails to see which need responses.
Also, if it is something as easy as getting her in orchestra, I don't even see why I would have to send an email about that.
I don't think I'm "that mom" but I honestly don't care if people think I am. I like having the crazy mom reputation because they know I mean business and will be all up in that school if necessary. My son is around the same age as your daughter and at her age he moved to a new school and we had quite a few issues there in the beginning but luckily, I had been to that school and they fit my criteria above and they have a VERY responsive front office who got all my needs met and thanked me for being an "involved parent."
I would definately look for a new school environment and be more picky about it. Middle school is tough by itself and I feel sorry for your girl having to experience such extreme segregation as well. Unfortunately, I agree that this is common in schools and especially so as kids get older but just based on the office staff and lack of administrative concern, I would look for a new school just in case.
Good luck and I hope things calm down for you and get better.
Thank you for being supportive! I hope I didn't offend you with the "that mom" comment. I really mean the moms that attack everyone in school instead of working with them. Sounds like you're a lot like me.
The front office at our school is my major issue. Maybe it's because they are understaffed. I've only seen the one rude woman every time I've had to go, except open house, which is five times now. The first time I saw her, I took my daughter. It was during a week that was listed as a registration week on their website. We showed up during the time frame listed, as well. The office lady said she wasn't ready for registration yet, grabbed a folder and started grabbing some forms that she thought I would need, and told us to come back next week. This is where she forgot the scheduling and electives sheet. It wasn't like we showed up the first minute on the first day. Open registration was all week, and we went on a Wednesday around 11am. The second time I saw her was the next week, with the few papers mostly filled out (I had a question about one section and waited to fill it out there. There was another woman there that I assumed was a mom, who showed up after me. I asked her to go ahead in front of me, because I was filling out that last section. She was quite irate and had no patience for the office lady. She wasn't a mom, but someone who was trying to speak to a principal about a job. The office lady chastised her for showing up without an appointment. The woman said that she had been emailing, calling and leaving voicemails, with no response. The office lady said, "Well, you're not going to see anyone today, either." When the woman left, the office lady started going off on that woman to me! I seriously doubt she shared her resume with anyone. It probably ended up in the trash, but I'm speculating.
She told me that she would need my daughter's transcripts, and so I asked for her fax number. She told me it would be best to have me bring them. So the next day is when I drove to my kid's old school. They were happy to see me there, but said they could have sent it for me. I immediately went and dropped off the documents at the new school. None of these times was the woman pleasant. I saw her at open house, because I needed my daughter's new student ID to be able to pay for her stuff. She was nicer than usual that time, but it was the first and only time she wasn't alone. She was surrounded by administration. Then on the first day of school, I go to the school to get my daughter's classes adjusted correctly, and she was alone again at first. That is when she questioned why I didn't fill out a sheet that I never got, and then said, "Are you suuuuuuure?" That moment was the first time I responded in a similar rude fashion back to her. About that time, someone else who works for the school walked up. Her tag said "assistant". She spoke Spanish to the office lady, and then looked at me to see if maybe I understood what she had said. I'm familiar with this look. I'm half-Korean, and I get mistaken about my ethnicity. Many times, people who speak Spanish think that might be my language, as well. When I'm in Asian restaurants or nail salons, I get the same treatment when people start speaking in their native language. They say a few words, check to see if I understand, and then continue with their conversation. Oddly enough, I don't know Korean, but I minored in Spanish in college. I don't speak Spanish fluently, but I can make do. I let them speak for a minute, acting like I didn't understand, which mostly is true. Fast conversation between fluent speakers is harder to understand. I was able to get enough to know they were bad-mouthing someone. So when they ended their short, whispered conversation, I snickered at just the right time and they both quickly looked at me a little panicked. I just kept the "well, my my" look on my face, even though I don't know what all was said. That is when she wrote two email addresses down and said that would result in the quickest response. Mind you, it's Thursday, and I still haven't received an email back.
So maybe I'm crazy, but I think my ire is valid. I would actually volunteer to help the front office, but there is no way I'd ever work with that woman.
So Sandwoody, are you saying that you moved to the Sandy Springs panhandle with school aged kids and no private school plan? That was probably ill advised; few do that. You would have been much better off school-wise if you hadn't moved. And you could have moved across the street into Austin/Peachtree/Dunwoody for a much better experience. I know several people who bought in that area and they all considered private school tuition as "part of their mortgage". With that said, North Springs High is well regarded, it's just the elementary and middle schools that are not.
Talk to your neighbors in the panhandle and ask around about private schools. I would estimate the vast majority of families in that area use private schools. Many are very diverse, so don't automatically assume it will be an all white experience.
Few people would argue that Fulton county has the best public schools in the state.
It's unfortunate that you aren't living in any of their clusters. But Johns Creek, Milton, Alpharetta, and Northview High Schools are pretty much always all ranked in the top 10. I live near the Northview cluster and am continually ultra impressed by the quality of the high school kids I meet just when I'm out and about in the community.
I'm not doubting that the problems the OP are experiencing are real, but they are not endemic to Fulton county, they are endemic to her specific area.
My advice would be to either locate a school cluster that is better suited to her needs, which would more than likely mean moving up at least as far as Roswell, or enrolling the kids into private schools.
It's too bad this board wasn't sought for advice prior to the move. We probably could have helped avoid this situation.
Sandy Springs schools, for whatever reason, tend to have pretty low scores relative to the overall demographics of the city.
Thank you for being supportive! I hope I didn't offend you with the "that mom" comment. I really mean the moms that attack everyone in school instead of working with them. Sounds like you're a lot like me.
You did not offend me. I completely understand what you mean. And FWIW, it does bother me that at many schools they complain about not having "involved parents," I am black and many times at predominantly black schools in APS they complain about this yet when you are proactive and are involved in many schools, they will label you negatively as a "crazy" parent.
I don't care about being "that mom" or a "crazy parent" and honestly, when I dealt with APS with my own son, both my husband and I let them know that we were crazy parents and it would be best if they just did the (simple) things we asked so we would stop harrassing them. My husband is much more of "that" parent than I am lol.
We moved to a highly rated charter after APS and I still miss our school. Everyone was overly responsive and they were just as busy as a regular public school but they just didn't have bad attitudes and if there was something simple, like a form, they had a big grid of forms that they would refer us to instead of them putting together everything for us. We could fill out everything there on the spot and everything would be set.
Again, sorry you are having to deal with that. I sooooo hate it when a front office is rude at a school. IMO, that sets the tone for the entire school and is a poor reflection on that building.
I'm hoping that your daughter is settling in and if you must keep her there for the time being that she will be okay but I know I would be worrying about it in your shoes.
So Sandwoody, are you saying that you moved to the Sandy Springs panhandle with school aged kids and no private school plan? That was probably ill advised; few do that. You would have been much better off school-wise if you hadn't moved. And you could have moved across the street into Austin/Peachtree/Dunwoody for a much better experience. I know several people who bought in that area and they all considered private school tuition as "part of their mortgage". With that said, North Springs High is well regarded, it's just the elementary and middle schools that are not.
Talk to your neighbors in the panhandle and ask around about private schools. I would estimate the vast majority of families in that area use private schools. Many are very diverse, so don't automatically assume it will be an all white experience.
I researched private schools. We can afford it, if need be. I want public schools to be better, because it benefits the community and entire area when our children, both rich and poor, are educated. Filling up private schools in certain areas makes public schools worse, creating more impoverished people in our community.
I researched private schools. We can afford it, if need be. I want public schools to be better, because it benefits the community and entire area when our children, both rich and poor, are educated. Filling up private schools in certain areas makes public schools worse, creating more impoverished people in our community.
I agree with you on public schools. But, as I learned with my own kids, in particular situations you have to choose whether they will be the ones to "go first" to public hoping others will follow. Tough call.
Sandy Springs schools, for whatever reason, tend to have pretty low scores relative to the overall demographics of the city.
There are 372887363 apartment complexes along Roswell Rd between Sandy Springs and Roswell. This creates a big transient community, many who don't speak English.
On the first day of school, we went to the bus stop. There was one other mom and her two sons that were entering public schools for the first time. She said that she was also nervous because they have had big discipline issues at that school. But she did say that she's lived in this area for a long time, and she has good friends who have their kids there, and that if the kid is in advanced classes, they are receiving a top-notch education. I had read this before about this school. The principal who just left apparently was a rock star. I wish she had stayed on one more year, at least, but maybe she went on to another troubled school. It /is/ a charter school, and I chose Sandy Springs over Dunwoody because I want my daughter to go to North Springs and be part of their arts/theater program. They had their moment of decline, as well, but have strived to succeed again. Both schools becoming charters was the best thing that could have happened to them.
@ResidingHere, if we don't advocate for our own kids, who will? I will always work with someone first unless I see they are working against the best interests of everyone. I can imagine working at a school's front office is difficult at any school, but you are absolutely right... That is who sets the tone with parents who are actively trying to be good parents. I mean, look at me... I have always volunteered, but that woman makes me apprehensive. She won't stop me from volunteering, but I certainly wouldn't help her out and she needs it the most. I refuse to subject my free time to being in her atmosphere.
I agree with you on public schools. But, as I learned with my own kids, in particular situations you have to choose whether they will be the ones to "go first" to public hoping others will follow. Tough call.
And you just hit the spot that sent me into meltdown mode yesterday when I posted this thread. Nothing will cause me to meltdown more than feeling like I've failed my child, and I sadly posted during that moment. It did help, though, so I'm glad I did. I feel better today. My kid has been fine at the school. Now that she is attending the correct classes, I'm good.
Do I allow my kid to be the guinea pig in the change I seek? Does possibly hurting my own kid's education for the greater good benefit her future as a citizen in this country? Do I grant her a possible better education as I create a bigger divide between the haves and have-nots? Will I be, in fact, creating a worse world for her to grow old? Yes, I am only one person, but this is a huge dilemma for me. I, personally, want to be someone who walks the walk. I want her to grow up being that, too.
I weighed out the fact that she is taught well and supported at home, she is naturally gifted and talented, performs well academically at school, isn't a troublemaker, and will most-likely be successful regardless of where she goes to school. That is why we chose the school where we did, and chose it over private school.
First, and this is not just for you, transferring into secondary school is far harder than moving elementary schools. A tremendous amount of scheduling, etc, is done with the existing student body in the late Winter and Spring. So for the kids that are already in the school or coming from the feeder school, the work is done by May.
So new kids have to be slotted in. And then things change etc.
Not excusing, but trying to explain the reality of middle and high school. No excuse for rude staff, though. And she likely survives because the school doesn't have a lot of advocate parents.
What grade is she in? And is she identified gifted?
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