Charlotte area schools... not just about Elementary (Gorman: home, neighborhood)
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I've read so many posts concerning schools and I am right on board with choosing a home based largely on the quality of the district... The "mistake" (I say mistake because I honestly believe that people are being too short sighted) that seems to be repeating itself in post after post is that there appears to be decisions being made on the quality of the Elementary school alone.
Let's take Charlotte-Mecklenburg as an example... People post that they are buying in ABC sub in CMS and have concerns about "the schools". Post after post rave about the Elementary school and in general you get a "WOW, thanks for the info!" and the thread dies. Yet, if you browse greatschools.net, here's what you can learn about the CMS school district:
13 Public Elementary schools received a "10" rating
5 received a "9"
4 Public Middle schools received a "10" rating
3 received a "9"
At the High School level, the HIGHEST rated school is a "7" (there's only one)
One school is a "6"
One school is a "5"
....
So, you either make an assumption that the Middle and High levels are going to substantially improve or you look at Private schools after Elementary.
For me, the entire picture was the consideration in choosing an area. I just wonder why so many people leave the school discussion to just Elementary... I think that's a pretty big mistake.
You make a good point. For me, I looked at elementary schools because my kids are so young. School scores and performance can change so much that by the time my kids get to high school, it could be a completely different picture.
The best we could do was to look for schools that are currently doing well at the elementary level, since that's where our kids are now.
that is why we bought where we did for the Middle and HS which is more important to us than the elem...and yes Mike u do bring up a good point about and having a child in 7th grade I have to say this is also a very important age..
We looked at all three our daughter is in HS and it is a great school, teachers who care, safe environment and so on. The elem is new and so far excellent. Our middle school is also good. I think for people with little kids thinking of the older grades seems like something they won't have to do for a long time. For us we needed HS right away and middle school is 2 years away so we researched them all. Honestly for us it was the HS that was most important because we all know how hard those years are..thankfully DD loves it and won't hear of being any where else!!
This link will give you CMS data for any school and is very detailed - Greatschools.com is also a good link but the other is local and gives info that is local. Hope to help!
This link will give you CMS data for any school and is very detailed - Greatschools.com is also a good link but the other is local and gives info that is local. Hope to help!
wow, that's very cool... browsing through it you seem to get the same picture, though. There's a progressive decline from Elem to Middle, and once you get to High School in CMS there are some serious issues.
I wonder what they have planned to help the situation.
I would like to let the readers know that the new Superintendent is working on improving the schools- including even the High Schools - for parents and students.
The School Bond failed here two years ago, and they started paying attention to vast public mistrust and fear of the schools. The high schools are way too big, can be absolutely terrible for parents to work with, and often exhibit a "take it or leave it" attitude with students and parents. That said, the idea of opening offices in local areas for parents to go to when they have problems in their individual schools is a possible source of help. Before, especially in High School, if you had problems, and you could not work them out in your local school, you really had no one to help you solve your problem. Now, at least you have the area office, with an area superintendent present to at least discuss your problems.
There is theoretically "choice" for schools- and you can change schools without too much of a problem in elementary, and even middle school. But there is not really any choice to speak of in high school. You basically have a neighborhood school and an IB school, and in some cases they are the same! There is one high school countywide magnet that I know of, and it is a Math magnet that did not have nearly enough Math teachers last year, for many courses at least half the year!
Our elementary school and middle school were great- but our high school experience has been the most difficult years our family has ever had - and my children have no behavior or drug or disability issues. They are good kids, who are trying to get through a very difficult system.
I would plan on some other alternative to public high school in Charlotte.
Just my opinion- and everybody is hopeful Gorman can make it better. We will see.
This link will give you CMS data for any school and is very detailed - Greatschools.com is also a good link but the other is local and gives info that is local. Hope to help!
Great link, something that i have been searching for a long time now. Thank you very much.
I wonder if someone could comment on this. I have always heard that, in Charlotte, it's somehow "easier" to get your kids in the very competitive schools at the high school level. That there is a shift away from private schools and into the public schools at ninth grade. This has always confused me. If it's true, why do private school parents tend to take their kids out after middle school and put them in public high school? Any insight is appreciated.
Every household in Char-Meck has a neighborhood high school, and an IB alternative school. In addition there is at least one county-wide magnet- Harding High School. In the past, many, many people have used false addresses (addresses of relatives, commercial property addresses etc.) to get their children into a certain high school, in most cases, Myers Park High school. Now, it is not as easy. They are looking closer at that sort of thing, and you may be challenged by the system if you "cheat". Many people work for the school system just to get their children into Myers Park. It is interesting how many people on the School Board and in top positions in CMS have children that went to Myers Park- and they don't live in that zone. Private school parents have been sending their children to MP in high school in some cases, but the private high schools are still very, very full in high school. I know of one family that did that, but I know of more who moved their children out of public high school because it was not working. And those are the ones that, due to income, had that choice, and didn't just drop out.
"Competitiveness" is only part of the story... Myers Park is far from adequate for families, and it is probably the best high school in CMS. The outlying schools like Butler and the new Mallard Creek seem to be doing pretty well. Parents will tell you horror stories of teachers that that tell classes on the first day that they are retiring and don't care; of math teachers that almost don't speak english, etc. They are pretty supportive in the counseling office at MP for college choices etc., and that is one of the best things MP has to offer.
Real choices in high school in CMS are very very limited... although you theoretically can request any high school, none of them except maybe 2 are not "at capacity" or beyond, which means they cannot accept anyone from outside their zone.
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Charlotte Area Schools- Consider High School
