High School Question.

[pinklynn]

I have lived in Collierville for 10 years and from what most people say Collierville is the preferred school. My daughter is a junior at the school and has done well. She makes all A's and made a 32 on her ACT. There are a lot of AP classes. Houston may be getting better since the Southwind High School was built and they are slowly transitioning the kids out of Houston. There were some "gangs" type kids who intimidated the students and helped kids with money find drugs. I spoke to a student who went there and they said the teachers were intimidated by some of the bad element and did nothing to correct the situation. It may be getting better though. Collierville is tops in my book since I have a child that goes there.

[in2myworld]

Originally Posted by hockeymom1

I don't recommend Germantown High School. It's gone downhill and is now considered to be not the "good high school," in Germantown. Houston or Collierville would be the right choice. Visit both schools, perhaps.

The school has gone "downhill...", I can definitely understand that statement, but I also realize that Newbies that move to a new area usually have very little to no personal knowledge, experience, to have observed that trend, if you know what I mean. I was on a business trip recently to Jacksonville, Florida where I had lived for 10 years in the mid 80's to early 1990's. Now when I go back to my former neighborhood, it makes me queasy (sp?) to see it now. It still LOOKS fairly good today, but I have "better" memories of a nicer, quieter, less congested, more prosperous looking neighborhood when I lived there years ago. When people say "Memphis [areas] have gone down hill, yadayada,", I know that it looks
"fresh, new" in my eyes because I didn't know it 10/20 years ago....

Also, people want to see people like them, soccer moms like themselves, at the school, or kids that look like their kids. And then the other factor is the looks of the school facilities. What else can you really go on? Statistics can be and sometimes are not truly accurate or revealing of actuality...

[tigergal]

Originally Posted by in2myworld

The school has gone "downhill...", I can definitely understand that statement, but I also realize that Newbies that move to a new area usually have very little to no personal knowledge, experience, to have observed that trend, if you know what I mean. I was on a business trip recently to Jacksonville, Florida where I had lived for 10 years in the mid 80's to early 1990's. Now when I go back to my former neighborhood, it makes me queasy (sp?) to see it now. It still LOOKS fairly good today, but I have "better" memories of a nicer, quieter, less congested, more prosperous looking neighborhood when I lived there years ago. When people say "Memphis [areas] have gone down hill, yadayada,", I know that it looks
"fresh, new" in my eyes because I didn't know it 10/20 years ago....

Also, people want to see people like them, soccer moms like themselves, at the school, or kids that look like their kids. And then the other factor is the looks of the school facilities. What else can you really go on? Statistics can be and sometimes are not truly accurate or revealing of actuality...

Germantown is now a participant in the International Baaclaureate program. This is an honor reserved for only the best, most advanced public schools. Here's a news article discussing the importance and prestige of a school earning an IB credential.

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[ColliervilleMom]

Not everyone agrees that this is so important, a head of a high school english department that I talked to recently said it's really not that different from a school who offers a very strong AP track.

I am curious why Germantown did not make Newsweek's top high schools list, when Collierville did....any ideas?

[mzloolue]

Truthfully, all the SCS high schools have the same curriculum.
They are all part of the same system.

You can make claims that one is better than another, but in reality they are all fine.

There are differences in neighborhoods that have positive and less positive influences.

Some are in more affluent areas and that can be both good and not so good.

And some are in slightly less affluent areas and that also has good and not so good effects.

Basically, at any SCS high school a kid can find what he is looking for.
If they are looking for a good education, it is available.

If they are looking for booze or drugs or gangs or whatever it is available everywhere.

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by considering-amovetomephis

Not everyone agrees that this is so important, a head of a high school english department that I talked to recently said it's really not that different from a school who offers a very strong AP track.

I am curious why Germantown did not make Newsweek's top high schools list, when Collierville did....any ideas?

Rankings from national organizations for something as micro-level as a public school are typically junk. Newsweek simply reviewed a list of test scores and community statistics to determine the 'top' high schools. It's not a realistic list. No lists like that are. How can a national magazine with a staff of 500 people possibly fairly evaluate some 20,000 schools? Short answer: They can't.