Fire all the LI school admin and teachers and start fresh (Florida: mortgage, houses)

[okaydorothy]

Regular kids are being shafted. The special ed kids are getting the attention they need, the ap kids are capable of pushing themselves, but it leaves the regular kids to fall thru the cracks. I have seen this personally not with my kids but with my friends kids.
Kids should not be afraid to go to school because of fights in hallways. This happens daily in South country and Longwood.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

Regular kids are being shafted. The special ed kids are getting the attention they need, the ap kids are capable of pushing themselves, but it leaves the regular kids to fall thru the cracks. I have seen this personally not with my kids but with my friends kids.
Kids should not be afraid to go to school because of fights in hallways. This happens daily in South country and Longwood.

Remember how I said bottom of the barrel? South Country and Longwood are 2 districts I would not recommend anyone move to.

[okaydorothy]

Originally Posted by dman72

Remember how I said bottom of the barrel? South Country and Longwood are 2 districts I would not recommend anyone move to.

Thats why my kids go to parochial. The biggest population in their school is from South Country.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

The schools are failing the kids in my opinion because there are too many kids in the buildings (1400 for two grades in Longwood), fights, too much emphasis on special education, too many distractions in the classrooms (lets mainstream), too many rights for kids and teachers. The run around is horrendous ; I deal with both Longwood and Patchogue Medford. And I also deal with parochial school.

If you go to any of the school report sites (education.com and greatschools.net) both schools above rate a 6/7 ; some are 4/5. If you go to the same sites for other states and districts outside this area ; they rate a 9/10. For the amount of taxes we pay here on the island, we should be rating an 11.

Gov. Cuomo has an ad running also saying the same thing.

Longwood is already sunk and Pat-Med is going down hill.

Your problem is that you are dealing in districts that have problems and problems that are only going to get worse, not better.

If you deal in the top 2/3rds to top half of schools in Suffolk, you are dealing with very good schools. By national standards, LI schools are way above average. Again, we're talking PUBLIC mainstream schools, not charter schools that only take the best and brightest. Anyone who tries to make that comparison has an axe to grind anyway but it happens every few months here without fail_.

[okaydorothy]

Not talking about charters at all ; although I like the thought of them. But as someone who is moving out of district soon, it is a disgrace that for $11,500 a year, we have lousy schools. If you add in the tuition ; I pay over $18,000 a year.

Taxes on new place are $6000.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

Not talking about charters at all ; although I like the thought of them. But as someone who is moving out of district soon, it is a disgrace that for $11,500 a year, we have lousy schools. If you add in the tuition ; I pay over $18,000 a year.

Taxes on new place are $6000.

It is a shame, but we've come a long way in a few pages of posts from your "the schools are failing our kids" broad stroke, haven't we?

It would have been far more accurate to say "South Country SD stinks, and Patchogue Medford is sinking fast, so we moved", which you have every right to.

[okaydorothy]

Originally Posted by dman72

It is a shame, but we've come a long way in a few pages of posts from your "the schools are failing our kids" broad stroke, haven't we?

It would have been far more accurate to say "South Country SD stinks, and Patchogue Medford is sinking fast, so we moved", which you have every right to.

But not everyone can afford to live in areas that have great schools. Also remember the herion problem with many schools last year?? Even if we did live say in the Harborfields or smithtown (just saying) school districts it doesnt mean that the kids wouldnt be left behind.
For the amount of taxes we pay on Long Island, all the schools should be fantastic. Also as I was educated in a different country and have lived in other countries, I see what the education is elsewhere.

[VA Yankee]

You know I was curious so I looked at the "Great School Ratings" for my district, what a crock of s...!
If the school is predominetly white, upper middle class and has little to no minority/lower income students it is well ranked. Schools with more diversity even though they are rated 5 stars by reviewers are ranked lower.

I would find a different standard to determine which is the right school for your child and not put so much emphasis on the 5 reviews that whoever wrote about their school....

[RegalSin]

I think it is the improvement of technologies, that is forcing the taxes to rise. Like wireless phones, flat-screens, high-speed internet, cable, and electric cars. The schools have to redo the whole place, year round, and those costs soar like eagle. LI is basically a hot spot, for these changes. Why not vote on dropping school tax rates, in exchange to increase cell phone, and internet service rates. This way people can keep a regular home phone, and regular phone wire internet. If you have the pocket change you can pay $200 for high-speed internet, and cell phone service.

Great school ratings, hire more teachers, who are escaping diverse, city schools, and want to work near home.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

But not everyone can afford to live in areas that have great schools. Also remember the herion problem with many schools last year?? Even if we did live say in the Harborfields or smithtown (just saying) school districts it doesnt mean that the kids wouldnt be left behind.
For the amount of taxes we pay on Long Island, all the schools should be fantastic. Also as I was educated in a different country and have lived in other countries, I see what the education is elsewhere.

If you live in low incomes areas in North Carolina or Virginia your schools will be bad.

Drugs are something that can get to any kid in any socioeconomic range and are part of the subculture of suburbia and have been for many decades.

The only difference now is that heroin is the cheap drug and not pot. Kids realize that it doesn't have to be injected and the Mexican cartels are flooding the country with it.

Things like that you have to hope that your parenting will keep kids away from this stuff.