The schools in Colorado are bad? (Denver, Arvada: magnet school, taxes, live)

[Minier]

Someone I met who recently lived in Golden/Arvada for a few years just told me that the schools in Colorado are "pretty bad", including those in Golden (and even Denver and Boulder). She said apparently, Colorado is one of the worst states in education funding, so there are few resources in the schools and they are overcrowded. She also said for higher grades (hs?) there's little respect for education b/c the kids just want to go skiing.

As for the people, she noted that there was a lot of superficiality in that area (broader Boulder/Denver area and nearby suburbs) and that people were into designer stuff and were unfriendly toward those who don't drive the right car or wear the right clothes.

........ I'm so confused. I've heard only good things about that area (as far as people friendliness, down-to-eathness and schools) in this forum, but now this. Is there any veracity to this? Mostly, I'm concerned about the schools .... I would be moving from a top-notch school district in the lower Hudson Valley. We can't compromise on school quality.

Talk to me.

Disclaimer: What I said below is using as much of the phrasing of the person that said it to me. I have never been in CO - so please understand that I'm not trying to offend anyone and have no personal ideas, knowledge or misconceptions about the area nor about the people.

[tfox]

There's certainly some truth to the complaint that we underfund education here in Colorado, particularly higher education. We unfortunately have a series of limitations on government spending and taxes that make it tricky to balance all of the competing mandates, and education is unfortunately not as high as a priority as it should be (why education isn't the TOP priority I have no earthly idea). K-12 is a lot less affected by constraints than higher education, which really has a raw deal in the current system.

Whether education is bad as a result is debatable. Clearly, if budgetary constraints weren't as much of an issue, things would be easier for the districts, and probably better as well. However, that's not a guarantee. Sometimes, a good school or district can excel even with budgetary issues always in the background.

One thing is clear: Colorado is far from the worst state in student performance, rankings, or even school funding, as difficult as our situation may be.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Minier

Someone I met who recently lived in Golden/Arvada for a few years just told me that the schools in Colorado are "pretty bad", including those in Golden (and even Denver and Boulder). She said apparently, Colorado is one of the worst states in education funding, so there are few resources in the schools and they are overcrowded. She also said for higher grades (hs?) there's little respect for education b/c the kids just want to go skiing.

As for the people, she noted that there was a lot of superficiality in that area (broader Boulder/Denver area and nearby suburbs) and that people were into designer stuff and were unfriendly toward those who don't drive the right car or wear the right clothes.

........ I'm so confused. I've heard only good things about that area (as far as people friendliness, down-to-eathness and schools) in this forum, but now this. Is there any veracity to this? Mostly, I'm concerned about the schools .... I would be moving from a top-notch school district in the lower Hudson Valley. We can't compromise on school quality.

Talk to me.

Disclaimer: What I said below is using as much of the phrasing of the person that said it to me. I have never been in CO - so please understand that I'm not trying to offend anyone and have no personal ideas, knowledge or misconceptions about the area nor about the people.

Colorado schools have funding problems, yes, as others noted especially in higher education. Yes, there is a lot of "superficiality," especially in the Front Range 'burbs. Worse than other places? Maybe not. Remember, though, that Columbine happened in one of those middle/upper class suburban Front Range high schools (I have a business acquaintance whose son was shot during that tragedy). Colorado also has its share of little "mall rats"--youth whose only concern in life is what is materially "cool" at the moment. Again, any more than many other suburban areas? Probably not.

Personally, I wouldn't raise a kid in the Front Range suburbs--but I don't happen to think the 'burbs are especially healthy places anywhere in this country. I believe in small towns--but not the "resort ghettos" that masquerade as small towns in much of rural Colorado. I mean the real deal--good, stable, family-oriented small towns. There are a few left in Colorado, and those can be nice places with decent schools--but you have to look for them. And, in most of 'em, you won't get rich.

[Jonna]

We are moving to Greenwood village. thats' in the Cherry Creek school dist. Cherry Creek highschool is in the top 10 in the United States.

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by Minier

As for the people, she noted that there was a lot of superficiality in that area (broader Boulder/Denver area and nearby suburbs) and that people were into designer stuff and were unfriendly toward those who don't drive the right car or wear the right clothes.

I wouldn't say EVERYone in the area is superficial and I've never encountered any attitude in Boulder about what kind of car I drive or how I dress. People drive all sorts of vehicles here, from hybrids to classic sports cars to convertibles to gas-guzzling SUVs to pickups held together by rust. You can run into people with dreadlocks, clothes so baggy you can't tell what sex they are, wearing only tie-dye or hemp products; or jeans, flannel shirt and cowboy boots; or someone who just ransacked Nieman Marcus! Sometimes you'll see someone wearing all of the above .

That's not to say there is NO superficiality or snobbishness -- after all cats and dogs in Boulder have "pet guardians" not owners . But I think you'd encounter that just about anywhere. I am an "immigrant" to CO, I drive an SUV now, I am not a vegetarian, I don't shop in the designer stores but I also don't wear tie-dye. Wherever I go in the world, I take the attitude that I've just as much right to be there and if someone really cares how I dress or what designer bag I do or don't carry, then they have waaaay too much time on their hands.

[jazzlover]

Jonna,

I don't share that widely held opinion of Cherry Creek schools and I have firsthand knowledge about them. Years ago (Cherry Creek had the same high rankings then), I had a friend who attended the Cherry Creek schools. He was a good kid and a good student. When he was a sophomore at Cherry Creek, his family moved to a small town in rural Colorado. My friend was amazed to find that he was having to work hard to CATCH UP with his new classmates. The other benefit he found from moving to the smaller school was that he actually could participate in sports and scholastic activities--unlike Cherry Creek where, because of the large student body, he couldn't make the teams. From that "little" high school in rural Colorado, he went on to earn a degree at Colorado School of Mines (an honor student) and has led a very successful career. Is Cherry Creek a good school? Probably, but I think it also lives high on its reputation and name. There are a lot of other schools in Colorado as good or better that just don't get the recognition.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Cherry Creek school district has earned its high ranking and reputation. My husband teaches at the Challenge School, which is a K-8 magnet school for higher ranking students, and they consistently score #1 or #2 in the CSAPs. They compete in statewide math competitions and usually are competing for the top three or four spots along with some other Cherry Creek schools.

Yes there is a lot of snobiness (is that a word?) at Cherry Creek High School. You can drive through the parking lot for the students and see BMWs and Lexus's. But with a student popluation of over 3500, there is diversity. And a lot of opportunity both academically and extra-curricular.

[rebagirl]

Why anyone would want to send their kids to a school of 3500 is beyond me. I don't care what kind of extra-curricular activities there are. If you want your child to be more than "just a number", and have the opportunity to develop some rapport with the teachers, I'd look elsewhere. Kids also have enough peer pressure to deal with without having to look at BMW and Lexus vehicles in the school parking lot. Geez! Give me a school with real people and real values.

[Jonna]

Originally Posted by rebagirl

Why anyone would want to send their kids to a school of 3500 is beyond me. I don't care what kind of extra-curricular activities there are. If you want your child to be more than "just a number", and have the opportunity to develop some rapport with the teachers, I'd look elsewhere. Kids also have enough peer pressure to deal with without having to look at BMW and Lexus vehicles in the school parking lot. Geez! Give me a school with real people and real values.

Sorry have to disagree with you here. I went to Cherry Creek. If you are in the school dist, you most likely come from money.

It's a campus school and it's huge. All my classes had no more than 15 students per class. Cherry Creek kids may have a little of an attitude, but it is a school to be proud of. As a matter of fact I read this morning that John Elway will be the new coach for Cherry Creek high School.

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by Jonna

Sorry have to disagree with you here. I went to Cherry Creek. If you are in the school dist, you most likely come from money.

It's a campus school and it's huge. All my classes had no more than 15 students per class. Cherry Creek kids may have a little of an attitude, but it is a school to be proud of. As a matter of fact I read this morning that John Elway will be the new coach for Cherry Creek high School.

John Elway is to be a Quarter back coach not replacing the coach. An assistant. Great for the kids. Something they will remember all their lives, a hall of famer passing to them. His son is a QB and a senior in Cherry Creek. Now some of the other kids can get his expertise also. Remember John Elway's father coached him too. Runs in the family, I guess.