Lets Discuss Education.. Fcat/Charter/Magnet/Private (Andrews: elementary schools, beach)

[belladee]

I needs lots of input here. All opinions welcome.

My son is starting kindergarten next year so I have under a year to get this all sorted out.

Public, From what I hear Fcat is horrible as far as teaching kids anything but "how to take a test" I know that people repeat when they hear so perhaps Fcat isnt that bad?

Do schools still have Art and music?

Charter schools, still teaches Fcat but why is it better?

Magnet, i guess this is special school... like if your kid is a science wiz they can focus on that?

Private, I hear these schools just have "better drugs" and are behind their education

Catholic private, opinions?

These are *not* my opinions just the stuff I have heard. Id love to hear some real discussion on these schools from personal experience to add to my research.

Thanks.

[StilltheSame]

My kids went to a nonreligious private school. I didnt want them wrapped up in FCAT or large class sizes or just the mess that is SFL schools. We liked it alot. I didnt want private religious as I heard from friends whose kids went that they were not as competitive academically and according to my husband a charter is a lottery. Good luck - a year is not a lot of time to start your research, but enough to find what works for you.

[bocamom]

Have you read the FCAT? There are sample tests and past tests available online. i got more insight from reading them than I thought I would. i thought they were poorly written. very. i have some experience with rhetoric, logic, and pedagogy and to think that the pedagogy here is wrapped around that particular test boggles my mind. but it is what it is. some charter schools do not have fcat based curriculums. they take the fcat but they don't teach to test.

if the teaching is going to center around a test it really ought to be a clearly written test. i wonder how many parents actually read that thing?

i also have my kid in a non religious private school. in my area there are some pretty good schools that are not non religious like St. Andrews, Unity School, and St. Joan of Arc. I know a bit about each of these and would use them, except my son's father is dead set against religious upbringing of any kind and St. Andrews is so expensive.

i find that taking to parents gets me either a cheerleader's version of the school their kids attend or a horror story! Not always, but generally. And principals so far have been very slippery and answer my questions in circles and aphorisms. Arrgh. I am still trying to figure out the cryptic &^*% the principal of palm beach public school said to me. I thin it came down to her not wanting to enroll my kid there plain and simple.

Please share any info you get. A lot of us are interested in this set of questions. After looking around all summer I am keeping my son where he is because I can walk in anytime and talk to the principal, because I am a paying customer and get respect, and because i have not yet gotten a read on the public schools. I think he needs a better school, but I am confused, still. I recommend going on person to watch the classes if you can. I should have done this a long time ago.

Good for you getting started now!

[bocamom]

schools still have art and music, but not much of it. Of all the A rated elementary schools in boca none of them have instrument programs, school plays, etc. Very sad. My son gets twice a week lessons on cello and violin in his school and is always getting to get on a stage and he loves that part of school best.