Creative Schools (Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville: oceanfront, house, school rankings)

[OhioPilot]

I may be relocating my family to Charleston this summer and looks like we may be going to Mt. Pleasant. I will be visiting schools this week but you know - never get true answers in one day from the school tour guide.

I like the school my kids are in now. Right now they are in kindergarten and 2nd grade. (2 days of swimming, 2 days of Spanish, 2 days of Mandarin Chinese, Two days of PE on top of all the reading, writing, arithmetic each 6 day rotating schedule) Top education, lots of extra curriculars, and most importantly, independent thinking and creativity are strongly encouraged while leading the region (and country) in ivy league and top college admissions. Kids don't stay in lines as well as "jail schools" and that is a challenge for teachers, but the results seem to be highly innovative smart minds.

My question here is how do the schools in the area compare to this standard? Not just comparing how high up on the SC scale a school is.

Weather may be fantastic, compared to Northeast Ohio, but schools for my kids is my top priority.

[OleTomCat]

Best all around schools are located in Dorchester District 2, MtP schools come in a close second. Private schools are better then either one....

[OhioPilot]

Had not heard anything about Dorchester. Where is it in relation to downtown? All I have heard about is MtP based on the kind of homes we want and proximity to oceanfront. But as I said, schools are top priority. Tell me more about D2 schools and what makes them better. Same kind of free thinking I noted earlier or regimented studies?

[wildwoodflower]

i would also recommend looking into private schools if you want to keep the same pace your kids at at now, especially with the diverse curriculum you mention. we looked at the public schools, but decided not to use them. but we do not use a private school either, so perhaps someone can help yo uout there. but i hear porter guard mentioned alot. and ashley hall...but i know nothing baout them. most public schools do not even come close to the schools you may be used to. but some are still good schools. just entirely different. i think mount p has a creative art school for grade school aged kids too.

[OleTomCat]

Originally Posted by OhioPilot

Had not heard anything about Dorchester. Where is it in relation to downtown? All I have heard about is MtP based on the kind of homes we want and proximity to oceanfront. But as I said, schools are top priority. Tell me more about D2 schools and what makes them better. Same kind of free thinking I noted earlier or regimented studies?

Dorchester SD 2 - admin>homepage

There is the link to the district webpage, Summerville is the largest city in the district, which also includes some small parts of N. Charleston.

[RelocatingMother]

According to South Carolina State Elementary Schools - SC School Rankings Mount Pleasant schools rank top in the state. I encourage you to look at school digger results. It ranks all elementary schools in the state. I am a teacher in the Upstate of South Carolina and I clicked on the schools in my area and they had the schools ranked just like I would rank them.

[SCBeaches]

Mt. Pleasant schools, Porter Gaud, and Ashley Hall would not meet the criteria the OP is looking for. They too have structured classrooms and teaching styles. The closest thing you will find in this area to the learning environment you are seeking is either one of the creative arts schools (ie. Ashley River or Charleston County School of the Arts) or a Montessori School.

[kallistix]

Charleston County does have a lot of public magnet schools that would be acceptable, but the competition to get them in fierce & can often involve waiting lists. Schools like Buist, Charleston School of the Arts, etc. would be comparable.

Charleston County also has a law that will allow you to transport your child to a school with better PACT scores/ratings if you choose to do so, but they will not provide transportation for your child if such is the case.

Dorchester District 2 schools are rated higher as a whole than Charleston County Schools. There are fewer DD2 schools & the area they serve is less socio-ecomonically diverse than all of Charleston County.

I am recently pregnant & bought a house specifically to have my child go to DD2 schools: Fort Dorchester Elementary, Oakbrook Middle (or Rollings School of the Arts, if he is so interested), and then Fort Dorchester High School. I know the area & bought the house with this primarily in mind.

The private schools listed - Porter Gaud & Ashley Hall specifically - are not going to be any more creative or individual-focused than the public schools. If anything, they are going to be more structured.

I would check out East Cooper Montessori and Montessori School of Mt. Pleasant before putting your child into public or traditionally private schools.

[OhioPilot]

Kallistix, what is this law you mention? I am in Charleston now and just getting a feel for the location of everything.

[ohioaninsc]

Originally Posted by OhioPilot

I may be relocating my family to Charleston this summer and looks like we may be going to Mt. Pleasant. I will be visiting schools this week but you know - never get true answers in one day from the school tour guide.

I like the school my kids are in now. Right now they are in kindergarten and 2nd grade. (2 days of swimming, 2 days of Spanish, 2 days of Mandarin Chinese, Two days of PE on top of all the reading, writing, arithmetic each 6 day rotating schedule) Top education, lots of extra curriculars, and most importantly, independent thinking and creativity are strongly encouraged while leading the region (and country) in ivy league and top college admissions. Kids don't stay in lines as well as "jail schools" and that is a challenge for teachers, but the results seem to be highly innovative smart minds.

My question here is how do the schools in the area compare to this standard? Not just comparing how high up on the SC scale a school is.

Weather may be fantastic, compared to Northeast Ohio, but schools for my kids is my top priority.

Are your kids enrolled in University School? Sounds like some stuff that I went through during school there...if so, I doubt any school in SC will meet the education a student receives there. I'm a 1997 graduate of University School.

High School wise, not sure, but Acadamic Magnet School may be the closet to University School at that level.