Haverhill's School Choice? (Andover: appointed, neighborhood, school district)

[flygirl9]

Hi there... I've lived in Haverhill for about 9 years now, and have a 3 year old. During my duration here, I've heard *everything* about Haverhill schools - the good, the bad, the ugly, the (pleasantly) surprising... From what I can gather from news reports, friends and observing MA's obsession with education in general, I've come to a couple conclusions:
(1) The Andovers are likely overrated and
(2) Haverhill isn't all that bad - you get out of it, what you put into it.

I'm also of the mindset that school test scores will always take a hit in towns where English may not be the first language of many of the children - that learning curve, and how to test it properly is a WHOLE 'nother discussion thread!

That said, I'm not willing to overextend myself by moving to one of the Andovers (while I believe they probably do have decent school systems - it 'feels' like the cost of living there far outweighs the benefits). My main concern with sending my child to any school (public and private) is safety while learning (not safety while being 'baby sat'). Yet I also don't necessarily want a 'cookie cutter' environment for my child. Growing up in a suburb in NJ, I'm used to diversity. My public school was considered 'only' decent enough, yet I (and others) went on to attend very well known, highly regarded 2 and 4 year colleges and universities. So as an outsider, MA perplexes me - it seems like public schools here are either "Outstanding!!! You *must* move to XYZ town for the sake of your child...." or "The worst of the worst - start looking at private...".

I know Haverhil has something called 'school choice'... how effective is this? And with having that choice, what would be good recommendations for elementary schools? I live on the Broadway side of town, around the Crystal Lake/Lake Street area. I LOVE my neighborhood, but we've been through the rollercoaster of school districting... first Tilton, then Silver Hill and now back to Tilton (as Silver Hill is a charter). I don't know what to think! Here are my questions:

(1) Is the Silver Hill Charter worth trying to get into? how difficult is kindergarten entry - I would assume there's a long list...?
(2) I'm not excited about Tilton (the cramped location and lack of playground bothers me)... what other nearby public schools may be good for a school choice?
(3) Do people generally get the schools they choose? Or are there crazy waiting lists to the more popular schools?

[agmsayuri]

I'm not sure about the choices available for the non-charter schools. I think they are based on where you live, but if the school has not made AYP, that means you can choose to go elsewhere. As for diversity, Silver Hill is very diverse.

It's neighbor, Hill View Montessori is the antithesis of diversity in Haverhill. It was opened by white parents who were looking for somewhere to send their white children. They do their best to try to appear diverse by showcasing non-white students on their website and in publicity photos, but it is NOT diverse at all. Especially the staff as the entire instructional staff and administration is white. In fact, they got rid of the two non-white instructional staff members this year. As a former insider at the school, I am sad to say that staff members regularly make disparaging remarks and make fun of parents and students of color.

[flygirl9]

Thanks agmsayuri! It's refreshing to get an honest, inside scoop So, as for Silver Hill - do you know how the odds are for Kindergartners getting in? I know if you already have siblings in the school, you're in... but not sure how long the wait list is or how the lottery works (is it really 'pick a name out of hat', or are there forms to fill out, etc). One of the things that concerned me about Silver Hill, is the close proximity to the middle school next door... have you heard anything positive or negative about that exposure? Just don't want my little one growing up too much before it's time!

Oh, and one last thing - what is AYP? Also, in doing school choice... is it basically a lottery for any school you apply to, or are kids actually selected from some sort of criteria?

Thanks again for your help!

[msong1]

ok, will try to answer all your questions. i am not an authority on this, but lottery is simply that, no criteria except boundaries and as you already know, sibling preference.

i checked silver hill's website a couple of months back and they do have the forms you need to fill out for the lottery in both spanish and english. it's always easier to get in starting from kindergarten because there's naturally a lot more spaces as the whole grade is filled through the lottery.

also, if your kids don't get in for K, keep trying each year and also talk to the office about a wait list. things happen in the middle of the year and although a mid-year transition is never ideal, families move and make other choices that leaves spots open. you have to access silver hill's website through haverhill district's website, but there is a lot of information there. i also researched a little bit of the staff info as it was available in their charter application. the principal and other key staff members are very experienced, not the case at Hill View.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[flygirl9]

Thanks msong1.... I'll check out the website again... I was disappointed when I checked it out previously (probably they were still getting the site in order, with new info.). Hopefully we'll get lucky in a couple years, and my kid will make it in! We'll see.... :-)

[BOSMike]

First off, I don't understand the appeal of Silver Hill at all. It was an underperforming school with consistently failing MCAS scores. The administrators decide it's in their best interest to change it to a Horace Mann Charter School.

Perhaps their MCAS scores will improve with the change. I do see the appeal of giving Charter Schools as an option though to parents.

I disagree that the other Charter, Hill View, is a bunch of racists as someone earlier tried to imply. Both charters are via the lottery system, so the overall school population will reflect who apply for the lottery.