[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by LushTrees

But it really is one of the more "silly states" in which to raise children. Education takes a huge back-seat; travel is frowned upon (because Florida is a DESTINATION for so many, what's the need for natives to travel?).

I think it's great that you are raising your children outside of Florida. Bring them to Florida on vacation! ... It really is *not* the best place to raise children, though ...

As far as education goes, FL is pretty much in the middle of the pack if you look at things like test scores or graduation rates.

Being a destination state means that you have a lot to do as a native, and a good airport in case you want to fly out, so I really would have to disagree with everything you've said.

[ra1007]

Having grown up in Florida,vlove and miss it every day, I agree with chopchopo.

And having been around the block a few times now, Floridians don't know how lucky they are!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

As far as education goes, FL is pretty much in the middle of the pack if you look at things like test scores or graduation rates.

Test scores and graduation rates are often tinkered with across the country. The real test is having your children move into the state and see where they place them. Parents often complain that their children are one or two grades ahead when they arrive in Florida.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Test scores and graduation rates are often tinkered with across the country. The real test is having your children move into the state and see where they place them. Parents often complain that their children are one or two grades ahead when they arrive in Florida.

Went to a public IB high school in FL and ended up getting college credit after I graduated, so again, I think that it's a misconception that FL public schools are inferior. There are good and bad school districts everywhere. FL is no exception.

The graduation rates for FL are middle of the road:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...pg3.html?cat=4

State Education Rankings: Florida Graduation Rates

High School Graduate or Higher: 84.9% (Ranking 33)

Ditto on test scores:

http://www.ppinys.org/reports/jtf/satscoregradrates.htm

FL and NY have similar SAT averages.

Originally Posted by ra1007

Having grown up in Florida,vlove and miss it every day, I agree with chopchopo.

And having been around the block a few times now, Floridians don't know how lucky they are!

Absolutely. I spent a few years in upstate NY, and it really made me realize how nice it is down here, both from a weather and COL standpoint. I'd rather have a hot and humid summers than cold, dreary and cloudy winters, personally.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

Went to a public IB high school in FL and ended up getting college credit after I graduated, so again, I think that it's a misconception that FL public schools are inferior. There are good and bad school districts everywhere. FL is no exception.

The graduation rates for FL are middle of the road:

State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School, Page 3 of 13 - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com



Ditto on test scores:

Mean 2008 SAT Scores of Graduating High School Seniors

FL and NY have similar SAT averages.



Absolutely. I spent a few years in upstate NY, and it really made me realize how nice it is down here, both from a weather and COL standpoint. I'd rather have a hot and humid summers than cold, dreary and cloudy winters, personally.

Once again, I don't trust scores and graduation rates from anywhere, not just Florida. There are so many that were caught tweaking the bottom line. And those were just the ones we know about.

However, I really like IB schools and there are certainly many in Florida. In fact, there are many good schools in Florida, period. That's absolutely true. Florida is a big state and you can't really make a blanket statement about it. And like anywhere else, there can be good and bad schools in the same system. Even in a top "rated" state there are plenty of bad schools. Best bet is to research a specific school that you are interested in. I don't doubt that you received a great education, chopchop. I should have been more specific.

[LushTrees]

I don't disagree at all that the differences are picayune among the states! It's painfully true that all of our states are far behind in educating our youth. But when a nation is this far behind, it needs every shred of help it can get. Florida is not.helping.

[Sunny-Days-in-Florida]

I know many people all over Florida and most of them business owners and all I ever heard was how their kids were able to do well and get many college scholarships etc.

It is not just schools people, parents have to help, push and be a partner with your kid to make them successful.

School is just one part of parenting and when the school is not doing your child justice it is YOUR job to do something about it.

Come to Columbus, Ohio. We have kids in the 6th grade who cannot even catch onto percentages, do any graphs, cannot calculate multiple numbers, cannot do fractions etc. Totally insane for a kid 11 years old not to be able to do simple math. If you are in the classroom as much as I am and got to know all of these kids from the start you could tell most of them have horrible none existent help from the parents.

I hear, I worked all day and do not want to sit for an hour helping do homework. BS. Then you should not have been a parent.

Many kids come to Ohio State from Florida public schools and do very well, so stop blaming the schools in Florida 100%.

[ChrisA70]

Florida schools teach what is on the FCAT and nothing else. I have had teachers tell me that. Up in MA when my daughter was in 3rd grade, they took the kids out and taught them nature, they had a butterfly farm in their classroom. The grade before they had tadpoles, frogs, etc. They took them on field trips to a farm in the area to teach them agriculture. Here?, no, it's all about what is on that test, PERIOD. The farthest outside they go is gym class, or recess. When i was in school up there we went to the courthouse, learned the judicial system, even went to the county jail that same day to see the full process of what happens after sentencing. We had a field trip to the UN building in NYC.

There is a reason why certain states are higher than others.

I know when my daughter went from MA schools to the one in FL, she was ahead of where they were at that time, months ahead! The math they were into was what she told us was "what we did 4 months ago". When she went from FL to MA on the other hand, she struggled a bit, until we, and her teacher caught her up.

So, first hand experience tells me FL is behind, sorry to make arguement on this topic, but.... it is what it is... Southern schools are not known for being so great. Pumping FL for having good schools as good as the rest of the USA is ridiculous.

[seeriously]

The thread asks, "Does anyone else miss Florida?" For us, the answer is no. We've been gone a mere 3 weeks, and we're in MA for the worse winter in a long time. Sure we wish it were warmer here, but that's the thing... We wish it were warmer HERE! There is so much to do here, wonderful scenic trips only a half hour or less from our house, the food is always good, there's just no bad food here, and the people are genuine. Changing the scenery on the east coast of FL meant a long drive on I-95, the food was always of tourist quality, and though the people in FL are from everywhere, there's an attitude. It's either, "Don't get in the way of my fun with real life," or it's paranoid political talk or bible blather. How many times can a Florida transplant keep telling him/herself, "At least I don't have to shovel it," to convince himself that he's happy there?

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by ipoetry

The thread asks, "Does anyone else miss Florida?" For us, the answer is no. We've been gone a mere 3 weeks, and we're in MA for the worse winter in a long time. Sure we wish it were warmer here, but that's the thing... We wish it were warmer HERE! There is so much to do here, wonderful scenic trips only a half hour or less from our house, the food is always good, there's just no bad food here, and the people are genuine. Changing the scenery on the east coast of FL meant a long drive on I-95, the food was always of tourist quality, and though the people in FL are from everywhere, there's an attitude. It's either, "Don't get in the way of my fun with real life," or it's paranoid political talk or bible blather. How many times can a Florida transplant keep telling him/herself, "At least I don't have to shovel it," to convince himself that he's happy there?

LOL.... I hear this all the time down here. You DO have to shovel stuff down here, but it is not snow you have to shovel...

4 months and I will be back up there.