Comparing Public Schools in Dallas area ... (Plano, Carrollton: transplants, best schools, universities)

[tulip66]

Im looking for some information from "transplants" to the Dallas area over the
past few years. What are your feelings with the public schools in this area
compared to say the East, Midwest or West. Do you find the schools in TX to be easier, harder or about the same. I know district to district is different but just looking for your overall general opinion.

Thanks.

[aeh]

As I just said on another post, as a former Dallasite, and a former teacher, who has now lived all over the U.S. and outside of it, the Dallas area does have really good schools. The last place we were in Texas was in West Plano which has many other Texas schools ranked above it but I would still consider it EXCELLENT. I continue to say that if my kids could receive EVEN HALF the education they could be getting in Plano, I would be thrilled. There are many good options for public education in the Dallas area so I think people there are quite fortunate.You will be surprised though that the competitiveness of the students, class rank, GPA, etc.is to get into state colleges and not Ivy-league schools.

[settledindfw]

Originally Posted by aeh

You will be surprised though that the competitiveness of the students, class rank, GPA, etc.is to get into state colleges and not Ivy-league schools.

This is how I understand it also which I find bewildering.

[seconddessert]

Originally Posted by settledindfw

This is how I understand it also which I find bewildering.

State universities often have the most amazing funding for their research programs, especially in the sciences. This funding attracts top professors, some of whom were educated at Ivy League schools. I know someone who picked the University of North Carolina over Duke University (she was accepted to both programs) because UNC's undergraduate engineering program was, for her, far superior. She got an amazing job out of college because of her experience with research and her work reputation, not because of some Ivy League cachet bs. And it did not cost her parents anything near what they would have paid to send her to Duke.

[ShiningStar]

I moved from California to Texas in 1999 (I lived two years in Carrollton CFBISD and six years in Flower Mound LISD) and have recently relocated to Nashville so I have a couple of thoughts to share:

Compared to California where I grew up (Southern California, Wiseburn School District): my nephew came to live in Flower Mound half-way through first grade from Calif. and was already significantly behind. My nieces who are the same age as my girls (in San Bernardino) are significantly behind my girls (same ages) AND have not had any of the extracurricular in-school opportunities (music, art, drama, Spanish) that my girls had in Texas. My nieces in Laguna Niguel (younger than my girls) go to better schools academically, but still without the extracurriculars that are standard in Texas.

Compared to Tennessee: (Franklin, Williamson County School District), Academically comparable to our schools in Texas, but extracurriculars are not as strong and not provided as often (band and art are alternated, not concurrent).

For more information, check the Texas Education Agency's website but also talk to the principals. My daughters attended three different elementary schools in Flower Mound (all excellent) but the school with the highest scores is not always the place you want to be within the top range (which is exemplary in Texas) ... the top-scoring schools are more competitive TAKS testers, not necessarily the best schools.