Worried (Lincolnton, Pumpkin Center: tornadoes, budget, work)

[Denny1968]

Can anyone give me advise regarding the schools in Lincolnton Noth Carolina, I have a child in the Elementary Grades considering leaving me and going to live with her Dad. I'm concerned about the quailty of education she will receive. I have heard that the levels of education is considerably lower in southern schools only because of space and lack of materials. I would value any feedback I'm given. I am really torn about her desicion however I know she is unhappy were she is in school and only want whats best for my child. HELP

[hymnsinger]

Yeah . . . Watch out for tornadoes! LOL

I'd like to know where you heard that one! Southern schools are no different from "Northern" schools. We have the same amount of "space" and the same materials that every other school system has. There are good and there are bad and many in between. Contact the county school board and check out this schools scores.


Personally, I would never submit a child to the public school system. But that's just me.

If all you're worried about is education, then let her try living with Dad for awhile. It's hard, but she'll soon realize that she needs her mommy. That said, make her stick it out a whole school year. Moving mid-term will hurt her worse than anything you could do. It will be a learning and growing experience for all of you, Dad too!

Blessings,
Tracey

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by hymnsinger

Yeah . . . Watch out for tornadoes! LOL

I'd like to know where you heard that one! Southern schools are no different from "Northern" schools. We have the same amount of "space" and the same materials that every other school system has. There are good and there are bad and many in between. Contact the county school board and check out this schools scores.


Personally, I would never submit a child to the public school system. But that's just me.

If all you're worried about is education, then let her try living with Dad for awhile. It's hard, but she'll soon realize that she needs her mommy. That said, make her stick it out a whole school year. Moving mid-term will hurt her worse than anything you could do. It will be a learning and growing experience for all of you, Dad too!

Blessings,
Tracey

I don't know if that is all true about Southern schools being the same as northern schools. For instance, our taxes in the north were WAYYYYYYYYYYYY more then they are here and there was more money for textbooks, budgets, teachers, materials, etc then there seems to be in the South. Also much smaller class sizes up north. But then again, it does depend on the school. There are some good ones and some in the ghetto that I wouldn't send my child to.

But yes, I too would not put a child in the public school system here, again my preference. We tried it and it wasn't for us. The trailers, the large class sizes (29 kids in a trailer with no running water) all contributed to a slower class in my opinion.

[SunnyKayak]

Lincolnton elementary school ranking and performance levels for students and teachers vs the district and state.
Pumpkin Center Primary
G E Massey Elementary
Battleground Elementary

You will see on the elementary level and other levels most of the schools rank way higher than the state averages

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

Lincolnton elementary school ranking and performance levels for students and teachers vs the district and state.
Pumpkin Center Primary
G E Massey Elementary
Battleground Elementary

Those stats look good and the class sizes are great too. Like I said there are good schools.

[zwally]

I just want to add that I have taught in Michigan and now I am teaching in NC. I wouldn't say that the quality of education is better or worse in either place. It really depends on the school. Where I am teaching now, we have wonderful teachers who really care about the students and ensure a quality education. I have seen terrible schools in MI, as I am sure there are "terrible" schools here.

I do teach in a trailer, and no, we don't have running water. But, I never had running water IN the classroom where I was teaching before either. We are just as far from the bathroom/drinking fountain as the classrooms at the end of the hall in the building. We are the furthest trailer from the grade hall and it really is only a few feet. I don't think that having trailers at the schools makes them "worse". It is just different.

As for the quality of education- we use the same resources as we did in the North. The teachers have to be "Highly Qualified" to Federal Standards. We do test more here, and the test has a LOT more at stake than in the North. I have several co-workers from NY, and they feel the same way. Things are different here, but not necessarily lower in quality.

The MAJOR difference is how teachers are treated. The pay here is thousands to tens of thousands of dollars less than in the North. Benefits are very poor here in comparison. And, we have a LOT more duties to do during the day. However, that isn't the schools' fault- that's the state.

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents!

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by zwally

I just want to add that I have taught in Michigan and now I am teaching in NC. I wouldn't say that the quality of education is better or worse in either place. It really depends on the school. Where I am teaching now, we have wonderful teachers who really care about the students and ensure a quality education. I have seen terrible schools in MI, as I am sure there are "terrible" schools here.

I do teach in a trailer, and no, we don't have running water. But, I never had running water IN the classroom where I was teaching before either. We are just as far from the bathroom/drinking fountain as the classrooms at the end of the hall in the building. We are the furthest trailer from the grade hall and it really is only a few feet. I don't think that having trailers at the schools makes them "worse". It is just different.

As for the quality of education- we use the same resources as we did in the North. The teachers have to be "Highly Qualified" to Federal Standards. We do test more here, and the test has a LOT more at stake than in the North. I have several co-workers from NY, and they feel the same way. Things are different here, but not necessarily lower in quality.

The MAJOR difference is how teachers are treated. The pay here is thousands to tens of thousands of dollars less than in the North. Benefits are very poor here in comparison. And, we have a LOT more duties to do during the day. However, that isn't the schools' fault- that's the state.

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents!

While I don't think that having classes in trailers can always be a bad thing, I do not find not having running water in a classroom desirable especially during cold/flu season. Whereas in the CMS schools the inside classrooms (atleast in my daughters old elementary school) had sinks and a bathroom in the classroom. That is what I consider desirable and really wonder who decided not to have running water in a classroom???

Maybe I'm spoiled, I don't know. Coming originally from the north where trialers did not exist, and then living in the midwest where trailers also did not exist, coming here to trailers was a big shock for me, especially for the second grade. There were things in the midwest that I became to recognize as the norm within the school district, locked doors, security cameras, security, and then to come here and not have any of those things, was really hard for us to adapt and ultimately we didn't as we no longer have children attending public schools here.

But, if you can find the right school, with lower class sizes and hopefully no trailers, and good scores; I think that is acceptable.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by nkjaws

While I don't think that having classes in trailers can always be a bad thing, I do not find not having running water in a classroom desirable especially during cold/flu season. Whereas in the CMS schools the inside classrooms (atleast in my daughters old elementary school) had sinks and a bathroom in the classroom. That is what I consider desirable and really wonder who decided not to have running water in a classroom???

Maybe I'm spoiled, I don't know. Coming originally from the north where trialers did not exist, and then living in the midwest where trailers also did not exist, coming here to trailers was a big shock for me, especially for the second grade. There were things in the midwest that I became to recognize as the norm within the school district, locked doors, security cameras, security, and then to come here and not have any of those things, was really hard for us to adapt and ultimately we didn't as we no longer have children attending public schools here.

But, if you can find the right school, with lower class sizes and hopefully no trailers, and good scores; I think that is acceptable.

Just thought I'd point out, the reason you don't have trailer classrooms in schools up north is because the populations there aren't growing at such tremendous rates as to need them, like has been happening here. I would be willing to bet if the trend were reversed and NJ, NY, etc suddenly became as desirable to live in as places in the south are, you'd see trailers all over the place.

Again, I know this is a personal pet peeve of yours, and I'm NOT trying to pick on you, but honestly, I don't know anybody as upset about the trailers as you seem to be. Most of us have just accepted them, like we have accepted with pretty open arms the folks like you that have caused the need for them in the first place

To the op, Lincoln County has some really good schools. I bet your child will be fine, but contact the school system for more detailed info on things to set your mind at ease.

[trishlee]

We had trailers in NW Ohio. Perrysburg Ohio has one of the highest ratings in Ohio but we had trailers for several years until the levy passed. You might want to check out Lincoln Charter Schools. They are hard to get into I guess at the lower level but we moved here in December and got our 11th grade daughter into LCHS and she loves it. She loves the smaller size of this type school. But I hear it is harder to get into the elementary school.