Do kids in Davidson county HAVE to go to private school? How are the public schools in say, Green Hills? (Brentwood: section 8, renting)

[2martins]

My cousin went to JT moore years ago and did work that was a full two grades below the work I was doing at the really good private school not far from there and we were in the same grade. That's one of the reasons he sent his children to private school. Things may have changed since then, but I doubt they have changed much. He lives in other states, too, so it's not just OUR public schools. His wife is a teacher at the private Christian school their children attend.

I homeschool, although I had planned to send my child to private school. I visited the public schools and while there are diverse children ATTENDING the school, at Percy Priest for example I asked some of the other parents how that actually worked. I asked for example, how do I invite all the children to my son's birthday party when I know that some of the them (the ones from the projects) won't have transportation or be able to afford to bring a gift. I was wondering, "How do I make them feel comfortable and make it so they can participate, etc?" The other parents told me "don't worry, they won't come" as if that were a positive thing! So while they are physically together on the playground, that doesn't mean they are really mixing. Same with the parents, apparently.

Also, I visited on more than one occasion and saw that they were doing the "pull out" work in the hallways with everyone walking by. Other children could walk by and see that certain children were working on things like 1+2. I was horrified by this. All the children I saw doing this were either black or developmentally delayed. My child could easily get the wrong impression from seeing that!!

The only "diversity" there is bussed in from the projects and those projects happen to be black. I did not want my son to get mistaken impressions about black people having only met black people from the projects. My parents used to live in the projects, so i am well aware that SOME people that live in the projects are great. I was not comfortable at all though with the ideas that he might get from being in an environment like that.

I want my child to experience TRUE diversity of his PEERS. True diversity would be a mix of races and economic backgrounds, not a bunch of rich white kids and a few black kids from the projects that are bussed in. I have friends of a variety of races that are all really smart, well educated, have good jobs, and mostly well off. To me, THAT is real life. THere are other people of a variety of races in my life that are not well educated and do not have particularly good jobs and they are not well off. THAT is real life.

I TREAT all of them with respect. They are all equal in the eyes of God and the ones that are better off aren't "better" in any REAL sense of the word. It's important to me that my son understand that. He also sees that a hardworking hispanic man with a 2nd grade education can come here and start a small business and do a good job and have a good life, own a home and a truck, etc. We go out and TALK to the man and his family that work with him and have a cold drink with them and learn from them. I want my son to see that good people come in all colors and that hard work and education both lead to good things.

On the plus side, the public school Spanish teacher there actually spoke Spanish, but lots of the other Spanish teachers I met didn't actually speak Spanish whether they taught at public or private schools. It's also cheaper (free! versus private school $7500-12,500/K per year) and easier because of the bus. The MAGNET lottery schools are also very good. If you get in, go for it!

My parents moved to williamson county right before school started when they were not sure I was going to get in to the good private school. That was a long time ago, but in many ways, not much has changed since then. I considered moving to williamson countyalso when i realized the private school my son went to one year was not going work. I did not consider public school, having visited shortly before then.

Elementary is not nearly as bad as middle for public. There are a fair number of people that send their kids to public for elementary and then pay for private later. Williamson county schools lack diversity especially at the elementary level. You can't have everything.

[CMartel2]

I want my child to experience TRUE diversity of his PEERS. True diversity would be a mix of races and economic backgrounds, not a bunch of rich white kids and a few black kids from the projects that are bussed in.

I would think true diversity if we're looking at it from more than a superficial angle would entail people of many different interests and personalities, wouldn't it? Granted, I have a very tainted view of the way most people look at diversity, particularly after having "the value of diversity" shoved down my throat for four years at a university, all the while noticing that the races and social classes (which is all people really seem to imply when they talk about "diversity"--or perhaps religion, but only if it includes more than mere branches of Christianity and perhaps Judaism) were far less integrated and far more in conflict at my university than at my "homogenous" high school.

So I've not really ever bought into the whole "value of diversity" thing. It seems to me to just be a source of conflict, at least as far as most people define diversity.

I'm not really disagreeing with your post. I've definitely seen the same thing going in schools like JT Moore and Hillsboro High. The test scores speak plainly enough about what is going on.

I'll cut myself off here. This won't be the only buzz word you could get me to rant over, I promise.

[Paul Speer]

Public schools in Davidson County are a nightmare!

[naomisday]

I read an article about Hume-Fogg Academic High School....it said it is one of the highly rated
schools there...

I don't know though...I don't live in TN.....

[gbone]

Originally Posted by naomisday

I read an article about Hume-Fogg Academic High School....it said it is one of the highly rated
schools there...

I don't know though...I don't live in TN.....

Hume-Fogg is a Magnet school and is rated highly. Just make sure you know and understand what criteria is being used to rate the school. However, one must be chosen by lottery to go there and certain minimum standards must be met to qualify for the lottery. With that, there's no guarantee that a student can go to Hume-Fogg no matter where they live in Nashville.

[VolDude]

Hume-Fogg and MLK are the national equivilant of a pulic Ivy League. Literally they're 2 of the best schools in America.

[Greenciti]

Originally Posted by VolDude

Hume-Fogg and MLK are the national equivilant of a pulic Ivy League. Literally they're 2 of the best schools in America.

Yes they are...Hume-Fogg is #24 and MLK is # 23 out of the top 1,300 public high schools in the nation for 2008. If you don't believe me check out the link.

America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com

[BP300]

Originally Posted by psugirl2000

your child will be surrounded by children of millionares and kids from the projects-it is just like real life.

Call me crazy, but I would never want my children surrounded by "kids from the projects."

[bluesky42day]

Okay, BP, you're crazy :-)

You should ask yourself why you feel this way. Surely you don't truly believe the "haves" are better people than the "have nots".

[Pimpy]

Originally Posted by BP300

Call me crazy, but I would never want my children surrounded by "kids from the projects."

Have to agree with this. My hometown of 30,000, Oak Ridge, had one "project" area known as "The Valley." Every time I had kids from there in my class, the teacher probably spent half of his or her time dealing with them. That is time that could and should have been spent teaching.

I don't think I am a "better person" than anyone, but the sad reality is that most of those kids have NO discipline, and that carries over into school. When I have kids, they will have discipline and I don't want their educations interfered with by kids who don't.