How bad are columbus schools ? (Cleveland, Cincinnati: neighborhood, best schools, living)

[westfall82]

I dont thin k its fair to compair columbus public highschools with some other districts either in cleveland or any other "problem district" in the united states. There are many choices for students attending columbus public schools. I personally did not attend columbus public myself. I have had many friends in several of the schools and have spent time around several of the schools. Do some of the schools have some problems, sure however most school districts generally have some problems. Let me put it this way I will not have a problem sending my kids to columbus public schools.

[pinkpanther88]

Hi Hillside,

Are you saying that Columbus has poor test scores and graduation rates because Columbus teachers are in general, subpar? You didn’t say that outright, but that is what you are implying, no?

Does the school district have test score and graduation problems because the teachers are bad, or is it because the students are more likely to come from impoverished single parent households and all of the problems that come with that?

It's no accident that 99% of the schools in the entire country that are in impoverished areas don't do as well as schools in middle and upper class areas. Is that because all of the bad teachers are teaching in the impoverished areas? So all of the good teachers are in the suburbs, and all of the bad teachers go to the inner city or rural areas? What a remarkable coincidence!

Come on! I can't believe that people don't understand this. The children that are hungry, tired from not enough sleep, stressed because mom is stressed because she is trying to make do with not enough money, a terrible neighborhood, domestic violence, or for some, a drug/alcohol problem – school is low on their list of importance because their basic needs are not being met. The children are under a lot more stress than children from middle/upper class families. It's common sense.

And if someone thinks that this is not true, then I ask you to go to the schools and witness how much turmoil and stress these children and families are under. You can have 30 kids in the suburbs who in general have parents who are not under the constant pressure to simply buy food - or you can have 30 kids in the inner city whose parents are struggling day to day just to survive. Even among middle/upper class schools, the "upper class" schools outperform the middle class schools. Ok, so all of the good teachers are in the upper class schools, and all of the mediocre teachers are in the middle class schools?

I used to teach in Columbus and let me tell you, a large percentage of the children there go through more in their young lives than most adults living in the suburbs. There were literally gun shots in the middle of the day - not to mention regularly at night. Can you imagine trying to concentrate on learning about the radius of a circle when your family is literally - LITERALLY - surrounded by violence, drugs, and poverty? When you don't get enough sleep because of the parties that are going on late into the night (I had students regularly complain about this)? Or you don't get enough sleep because your house is sweltering hot in the summer, or freezing cold in the winter, plus you have to sleep on the floor because you have no bed? When you had no dinner the night before and no breakfast this morning (luckily we have the free breakfast and lunch program)? When your teeth are full of cavities or you are sick and your family can't afford to take you to the doctor/dentist - or for some, they just don't bother to? In the "better" Columbus schools these family issues afflict a smaller percentage of children than in the "bad" schools, of course. Those schools just happen to be in nicer (higher economic status) areas. And I can only think of a few.

And let’s see…which student is going to do better? The one who has lots of books at home to read and parents who graduated from high school? Or the one who maybe has 2 books, if that, and his parents didn’t graduate because their family didn’t see the value in education? There are students who come to kindergarten who cannot spell their name – some don’t even know what their middle name is, and who know nothing about the alphabet.

Now, were all 30 of my students from families in crisis? No, but 25 of them were. And the other 5 still live in that neighborhood where there is violence, drugs, and poverty all around. Plus 27 of my 30 students are raised by mom or grandma or auntie alone. This was true year after year after year.

I worked my tail off in my school, and I loved those children. I ended up having to quit to stay home with my young son who has serious health problems. When I go back to teaching, I will only teach in a low socioeconomic school. That is where I can make the most difference. This is just the reality of it.

So when someone asks "What are the good schools in Columbus?" what they are really asking is where can I send my kids to school where they will be surrounded by peers who are not in crisis, and/or whose families put a lot of emphasis on education? Not "where are all the bad teachers and principals so I can avoid those schools."

[Buckeye 89]

Originally Posted by Cle440

Columbus schools arent as bad as a lot of people say. Of course there not going to be as good as schools in the suburbs, because even though its Columbus its still a urban area and has problems and poverty just like all other urban areas. I will say that Cleveland and Cincinnati both have a lot worse school systems than Columbus does. So if its possible then send your kids somewhere else, but if they have to go there just know that its not that bad and they will get a good education, especially in the areas that you are talking about.

Why are they not as bad as they say,because you said so? Every post of yours i see " It's this and it's that...But in Cleveland ---" Speak on stuff you know about

Now on to Columbus Public Schools....Of course there are some good schools in the system, It's a pretty big district and they stretch it out to the suburbs. But overall let me be the first to tell you that Columbus Public Schools suck. Now streetcreed disagrees, But it's kinda funny to me that all the high schools he posted...You need some type of special requirements to even ENROLL.

streetcreed
When looking at High Schools I really recommend Columbus Alternative High School. The school is diverse and nearly even black and white and is ranked as one of the best high schools in the metro.

"The school is a magnet school for college-bound students in Columbus, with both AP and IB programs. The school fields no athletic teams, it does however field accomplished chess, In The Know and Robotics teams."

Don't sound much like a high school to me, And it sure wasint open to me or any of my peers from my "NORMAL" school or neighborhood. And the same thing goes to Fort Hayes "Education Center".

Streetcreed
Nearly all of the Columbus schools (due to open enrollment) have a diverse student body
Columbus has schools that rank on par with the suburbs.

Now you are correct about one thing...There are alot of schools in the city that are diverse. But don't get it confused, That's not because of their so called "open enrollment" policy...That's done hands on because of overcrowding schools and to cover up really bad test scores for inner city schools. They shipped my whole neighborhood out to a School nowhere near my house. I couldn't even switch my bus number, They'll be damned if they let you choose the school you want to. If you enroll to a School that's not your home school...You get put into a LOTTERY and randomly selected. That whole thing is a joke.

So the School system diversifying schools throughout the city...That may effect your child somewhat, Being that even though your child goes to a school that is in a decent neighborhood...The school system will probably ship out some of the hoods finest to learn ABC"s with him or her.

What are the graduation rates for the schools in Ohio and around the Nation??

Bad rap on high school graduation rates - Education - MSNBC.com

Columbus ranks at the bottom of the list. But somehow we find posts like these in threads.

I will say that Cleveland and Cincinnati both have a lot worse school systems than Columbus does

i agree about cinti and cleveland having worse districts

Everytime i read these forums im sure to get a laugh from somebody....especially hillside or Cle thinking they know what their talking about...Cincinnati has a 79% rate, But it's damn worse than Columbus right?

I could keep on going but i really don't feel like it....All in all, Despite what some MAY THINK...You may not want to send your child to a Public School...Even in a city "LIKE Columbus" Whatever that means

[charlessocccer]

Do NOT asume that you child will have a bus.

i lived near woodward middle school, but got into dominion middle school.

columbus would not give me a bus, and i had to walk over a mile to catch the city bus, and walk a little over a half mile after i got off the bus.

I go to canal winchester now, if the school that your child is suposed to go to is not doing very good (by state standards), you may be able to have you child placed into canal winchester because of open enrollment.

go talk to the principle of Canal Winchester high school, he should be able to answer any questions about geting your child into Canal Winchester through the loop holes

[BelieveInCleve]

Originally Posted by Buckeye 89

Why are they not as bad as they say,because you said so? Every post of yours i see " It's this and it's that...But in Cleveland ---" Speak on stuff you know about
Now on to Columbus Public Schools....Of course there are some good schools in the system, It's a pretty big district and they stretch it out to the suburbs.

I always speak on stuff I know about. Like I have said many other times, I know what I am talking about, believe me. Ive been studying urban areas along with everything that comes with them including demographics, poverty, crime, AND schools extensively for 5+ years, so dont start with that. If you are trying to imply that Columbus has a worse school system than Cleveland, than I have no reason to discuss any other issues with you on here. It would be obvious that you have no idea what you are talking about saying that. I know about Columbus, have been there many times and know people who went to school the whole time in Columbus. Even in your own link that you posted proved that Cleveland was worse than Columbus 03-04 (Cleveland 34%, Columbus 60%). Also the link said in 05-06 Columbus had improved to 73%, am I wrong. I rest my case. Columbus is not the "ghetto city" that you make it out to be.

Your purpose seems just like a couple other posters I saw on other threads in the past, especially "Is Columbus ghetto" thread. Let me guess, you live in Columbus and you are under 21, am I right? Your purpose is just to make Columbus look "harder" or tougher. I dont try to make Cleveland look bad, I bring up all facts and speak on stuff I know about. Cleveland is doing really bad right now, but I wish it was doing great. Think about is next time you try to attack somebody, especially somebody like me that knows what they are talking about.

Now that thats over with, move on and get back on topic.

[Buckeye 89]

That's the problem....You don't know what your talking about, Your hobby is studying "urban areas" on the computer...Every post i see of your's is about how rough and tough cleveland is....But you don't understand....Cleveland is like everyother city in America lol...And then when you speak on other cities you have some half ass input about something...And then go on and bring Cleveland into THAT conversation....And you have me mistaken for you, Why would i come to a "city data" website to try and show people how "tougher" a city is? Aren't YOU the one with a freaking HOMICIDE THREAD?...I didn't have one post about crime in Columbus untill seeing your dumb ass posts

And nobody is implying that columbus public schools are worse than Cleveland...But it's also not a good ol school district that you make it seem like...AND YOU never even went there lol...You know people that went there Your whole statement is comical

[BelieveInCleve]

Originally Posted by Buckeye 89

That's the problem....You don't know what your talking about, Your hobby is studying "urban areas" on the computer...Every post i see of your's is about how rough and tough cleveland is....But you don't understand....Cleveland is like everyother city in America lol...And then when you speak on other cities you have some half ass input about something...And then go on and bring Cleveland into THAT conversation....And you have me mistaken for you, Why would i come to a "city data" website to try and show people how "tougher" a city is? Aren't YOU the one with a freaking HOMICIDE THREAD?...I didn't have one post about crime in Columbus untill seeing your dumb ass posts

And nobody is implying that columbus public schools are worse than Cleveland...But it's also not a good ol school district that you make it seem like...AND YOU never even went there lol...You know people that went there Your whole statement is comical

My "hobby" is not studying urban areas, I started doing it in hopes of one day getting a career in city planning or urban studies or a like field, sadly that hasnt happened yet, for many reasons. Also, I know what Im talking about. All these places I talk about Ive been to, I have family and friends in a lot of places and I dont go to places just to go there. The reason I joined city-data in the first place is to inform people about Cleveland and the area and help people out moving here, there is a lot of misconceptions and people that dont know what theyre talking about, no offense. So obviously Im going to add Cleveland in a lot of posts, as I see other threads Im interested in, and the fact that I know what Im talking about.

I made a "Homicide Thread" to keep track of them as the city and the FBI has been known to lie about them and hide it from the public. If you dont believe me, compare the actual numbers to the ones the FBI published/City-data has posted. I feel the public and the people have the right to know the truth of crime in Cleveland, as we are lied to all the time. As I stated, I have no reason in the world to make Cleveland look "tougher", I wish it was a great and safe city, but it makes itself look bad. I know about Columbus schools and people who have went there through k-12. Obviously its not the best district in the country, but you made it sound so bad for no reason. I guess since I didnt go to school in Detroit I cant say they have bad schools even though I know people who went there also, have been there, and I see it has lower than a 30% graduation rate...Now, lets get back on topic.

[Buckeye 89]

for some reason you just don't get it....first of all your not doing Cleveland any good or debunking any false acquisitions about the city....if anything your adding to them, every single post i see of yours it's talking about how bad everything is...never anything good lol come on man...as far as columbus public schools, it's not even worth having a talking about....everytime i have a conversation with you about something....its "oh i looked it up" "i drove past there" " i know some people"...you need to get in tune with Cleveland which your not even from before you can honestly speak on other cities.

[HuskerDu]

If your kids have to go to Columbus schools it is not so good.. on the east side, they are doomed.

[mrspink]

Go to ode.com and you can look at school's report cards from all over the state...it gives you lots of info. You might want to check it out.