school test scores in metro atlanta

[postprime]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

Why would compare APS to Marist? Wouldn't you compare Grady High to Marist? Or Druid Hills High or Lakeside?

Why would you compare an ENTIRE school system, with that whole affluent/poor variety, to ONE SINGLE affluent private school? Should you compare an affluent public school to an affluent private school?

Take a chance? Do you REALLY believe Virginia-Highland, Morningside, Inman Park, Candler Park, Lake Claire, or Decatur will go into a DECLINE? Only if the city gets firebombed and then who cares about this argument?

I mean, we're not talking about Stone Mountain here, we're talking city of Atlanta.

Believe me, there were people who once said the same thing about Stone Mountain, and then Gwinnett..they are probably saying the same thing about Alpharetta right now.
Point taken about comparing one private school to a public system . But any established private school is going to have a more proven track record than Grady, which is subject to the ever-changing politics of the system it belongs to, not just the efforts of local parents.

[nrgpill]

99% of Morningside residents send their kids to public school system? Do you have any numbers to back up this claim? I would like to believe you but I know several people in that neighborhood and they seem to paint a different picture.

I believe there is a disconnect in defining what an "excellent" school is. What may be an excellent school for you may be nothing more than a low hanging fruit for me, and vice versa. If your child is getting an excellent education right now, there is no reason to veer off course only to have your child re-adjust.

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

One last thing, we choose the school based on what we think is best for our kids, education being the first but we also want them to be well-rounded.

Let's say you live in an affluent area, like Morningside, where 99% of the parents send their kids to the excellent public schools. You send your kid to Marist. There's the potential for a big social disconnect between your kid and the neighbor kids. Potentially, his closest friends at school live 20 miles away.

Now, a real social person would likely easily overcome this, but a shier child might just hole-up in the house on the weekends. Or perhaps the school you chose is far away. How will all the weekend extracurricular activities work if the school is in Atlanta (where mom and/or dad work) and the kid lives in Alpharetta?

You might think this sounds off the wall but I am describing my childhood as a private school student living in a neighborhood where very few of the other kids went to private school. And I'm a social outgoing person....

It's just the other side of things to consider.

[kagmypts]

First, let me respond to the OP's question. As someone who has kids, we definitely looked at the school system/property taxes (usually highly correlated) when deciding where to live. However, we never plan to use our public school, and consequently, we made a very concerted effort to buy a home that was not in the best school district (we bought in Dekalb County as opposed to the Sarah Smith school district in the City of Atlanta). By buying a home in a very desirable school district, we would have ended up 1) paying almost $100,000 for a nearly identical piece of land (less than an 1/8 miles from where we bought), and 2) paying thousands more in property taxes each year. People constantly tell us that we are not going to make as much money (as the people in Sarah Smith district) when we sell our house, but 1) we are not paying nearly as much upfront, 2) the people who are currently zoned to Sarah Smith can be rezoned, and they have no control over that (and their property value would drop substantially), or/and 3) our school could improve (and consequently our property value). By buying into a bad school district, we have essentially protected ourselves from a decline in property value due to changes in our school system but have left ourselves exposure to an upswing if our school system ever improves. If our school system remains unchanged, of course, we will "make less" when we will sell, but we will have also paid less upfront. In other words, the market has already accounted for the fact that we have horrible schools. In short, I would let schools be a huge deciding factor if you know you are not going to use them. However, if you think that you may end up using them at some point, definitely take them in account (but proceed with caution because you always be redistricted).

As for the private school versus public school debate, there is no one best answer for every family. However, I agree with postprime when he/she says, "But any established private school is going to have a more proven track record than Grady, which is subject to the ever-changing politics of the system it belongs to, not just the efforts of local parents." For us, the two main draws of a private school are 1) control over who our kids go to school with and what kinds of things they are exposed to, and 2) an ability to be exposed to religious teaching. Before people jump on me and say that private schools have problems and the kids are not perfect, let me say that I agree. No school, whether public or private, is perfect. However, for the most part, like kids and families are drawn to the same private school (and I am not referring to wealthy kids - in fact, we ruled out any private school that emanated money). Unlike public schools, private schools are a self-selecting group (and even have an admissions process to aid in the "self-selection"). I understand that this type of selection process in not for everyone, and I respect that. In fact, I would imagine that die hard public school proponents loathe private schools for exactly this reason. However, I do resent when people categorically cast off all private schools as a "waste of money" - show me a public school where my children can get a religious education. For our family, that is part of a well rounded education. For others, a well rounded education will include others items available only at public schools, and for those people, public schools will be your best option. The school choice decision is a very personal one, and there is no one "right" answer. I ask people on both sides of this issue to refrain from categorically casting off the opposing viewpoint!

[Alphandari]

I cannot tell you how frustrated I am with the school system in Atlanta. I have lived here 10 years and am still trying to get my kids a decent education. I have been paying almost 14000 a year in taxes in Buckhead in a nice area to live. The elementary schools are excellent, you have Warrent T Jackson, Sarah Smith and Brandon, all good elementary schools. But the kids grow and now you are into Middle school. The only option in our neighborhood is Sutton Middle school which is mediocre at best. ( gang fights in the playground, girls not treated with respect and the school doing nothing) So, we put our eldest daughter into a private school 10 miles away because she was not accepted at Pace, Lovett or Westminster. Now fast forward three years and our eldest is going into high school and the youngest into middle. OK, so we put the youngest into the same private school as the eldest as even though she was a straight A student and in challenge all through elementary we still could not get her into Pace Westminster or Lovett. Meanwhile, my eldest has not been performing at all well in the private school and we have been spending a deal of money on tutoring. So we figure ok, instead of spending 16 thousand a year on the private school and then ALSO spending a heap on tutors how about we find an ok public school and then spend the money on tutors. So we look at the local high school, North Atlanta. This is the only high school available to the area we live in which is all million dollar homes. It wasn't always that way. We are not rich. We just bought there when homes were more affordable. North Atlanta is a classic example of the Atlanta school system. On the great schools website it rates a 3 out of 10. The test scores for the school are an average of 20% below the Georgia average, which as you know is one of the lowest in the nation. The total score for Reading Writing and Math in 2007 was 1380. Compare this with Riverwood High which is a few miles away at 1612 or Walton High school, one of the best in Atlanta in Cobb County at 1697 for the same three subjects!!! I also want my daughter to be educated in a school that represents the diversity of real life in America. But North Atlanta is 85% Black and Hispanic, which hardly represents real life experience.
So, what do we do now? Looks like the private school route for both daughters. Thats 35 thousand a year plus uniforms etc etc. Plus tutoring for my eldest because she is not getting what she needs at the private school. Oh well, what does it matter? 40 thousand a year in post-tax dollars. (50 + in pre) Oh, and I forgot, I just received a tax rate increase from Fulton County raising my taxes to 17 thousand a year! Even though property valuse have DECLINED in Atlanta by an average of 8% this past year. There is a movement afoot for Buckhead to secede from City of Atlanta and become a seperate city. Where do I vote?

[lastminutemom]

You can call Riverwood and see if it is to late to apply (they take students from outside of Fulton County for about 4-6K a year...

[Pcola110]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Now that's a bit of a black/white distinction isn't it? Those of us who bought in the burbs have to send our kids to Paideia, and we're not "smart, educated and involved"??? What about those of us who bought a "cheap house" in a burb with excellent schools, which will still create a financial return in 20 years, yet we don't have to spend every spare minute and dollar working on our homes, or having to deal with the inadequacies of a 100 y/o house? Are we "smart and educated" or "dumb and uneducated"? I'm so confused.......

OMG, another lollipop for you! Stop reading between the lines, and making it what it's not. They decide to buy in an area were the schools are popular and people are purchasing homes in that area and sending their kids to those schools. They're taking their chances with their investment. There is no way of looking into crystal ball and seeing if the schools in that area where they brought their home will be an outstanding school in 20-30 years down the road. There is no "smart and educated" or "dumb and uneducated", they're buying where they want too spend their money. Stop hating because they UPGRADED from the burbs.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Now that's a bit of a black/white distinction isn't it? Those of us who bought in the burbs have to send our kids to Paideia, and we're not "smart, educated and involved"??? What about those of us who bought a "cheap house" in a burb with excellent schools, which will still create a financial return in 20 years, yet we don't have to spend every spare minute and dollar working on our homes, or having to deal with the inadequacies of a 100 y/o house? Are we "smart and educated" or "dumb and uneducated"? I'm so confused.......

Can I get an Amern?

[tjonz]

private school aint what it cracked up to be, It is a very political game, the teachers cheat on grades the administrators are all hippocrites and the kids really are the ones who lose out, especially if you go to a so called christian school, what a joke !

[shairaj]

I need more information from parents about Grady high School. We are planing to move Atlanta this coming summer, I have son starting high School next fall. please if anybody kids attending this high School? let me know. its always good to get information. Thanks

[frances125]

I'd start a separate thread with this one to get more information - and put Grady High in the title. Or you could put it on the schools sticky thread at the top.

Historically, Grady has been top notch if you were in the magnet program (communications). If you were not in the magnet... it was not as good. They have restructured a good bit lately though, and I'm in a neighboring district so I don't have the details. I'm sure people with kids actually there now can give you more detailed information.