[Dalarnas]

I keep reading Westside schools are the best on other threads. Any reasons Westside schools are better than Millard?

[Raphael07]

It really just depends on what you want. Schools are complex and nuanced things.

[Busguy2010]

Have we not gone over this a million times, or am I missing something? To my knowledge, Raphael and I are the only grads of either school that can provide an up-to-date personal experience. I've pretty much spilled my heart out about my school. I really don't have much more to add.

[Dalarnas]

Fair enough Busguy.

I'm from a very small town, think one high school that served surrounding farming communities within 20 miles or so. There were 90 kids in my graduating class. The sheer amount of choices available here is overwhelming.

So in regard to Westside from your post I've gathered the teachers were excellent, you loved the modular scheduling, the sense of community, and the food. Anything else? The modular scheduling is a new concept to me -- how do students do that are not organized or struggle with time management skills? The concept of getting students adjusted to college life by exposing them to variety of class sizes and formats is interesting to me -- but at this point I'm not sure if it is a pro or a con. On the District 66 website there is a statement to the effect of Westside is a nationally-acclaimed public school district -- one of the very best in the nation. Thoughts on this or on how this is measured or in what way are they nationally acclaimed? I can't find any information to back the statement up -- and again, I'm not doubting that it is but curious what makes it so.

Raphael -- as far as knowing what I want in a school -- I don't. I am trying to understand the biggest differences between the districts and have not had much luck. A well rounded education is the most important thing to me but I am not sure how to compare this. Everyone goes back to standardized test scores which Millard clearly has the advantage. However, as Westside is more diverse than Millard it isn't fair or accurate to use that. If my kids go to Millard I would opt them into the IB program. Maybe this helps as a basis of comparison between the districts? Also, Millard schools are consistently ranked nationally -- and were a major reason a recent report rated Omaha as the #1 small city to raise kids in. I am not sure how much the high standardized test scores figured into that though. So while I like things Westside offers (smaller classes, emphasis on teacher education, and more diversity) part of me doesn't feel right choosing a district that on paper isn't as good as Millard. I guess the comment from a neighbor about sending my kids to a "lesser performing school" kind of got to me. So I'm trying to find out more information on how to compare these schools besides standardized test scores. Another thing that concerns me is the money issue -- we are solidly middle class -- I know there are very rich neighborhoods in Millard but there seems to be more well to do families in Westside... is that a correct assumption? I wonder how that dynamic is between the very wealthy students and the ones that are not -- going back to my own high school experience the 30% of students or so whose families were wealthy really made things challenging. I realize that is the case at any school but I am wondering if the schools are about equal in this regard.

At this point here's where I'm at in the decision-making process

Millard -- Pros: choices (IB, Montessori, Core), all 3 high schools blue ribbon school winners, consistent high standardized test scores. Cons: lack of diversity, large class sizes, possibly less options for classes in high school?

Westside -- Pros: Small classes, more diversity, emphasis on teacher education, only one middle and high school, have heard repeatedly students are more prepared for college. Cons: is it as good of a school district?, opting in the district leaves little choice on what grade school they would go to, minor inconvenience of driving farther to take kids to school.

[Busguy2010]

Originally Posted by Dalarnas

So in regard to Westside from your post I've gathered the teachers were excellent, you loved the modular scheduling, the sense of community, and the food. Anything else? The modular scheduling is a new concept to me -- how do students do that are not organized or struggle with time management skills? The concept of getting students adjusted to college life by exposing them to variety of class sizes and formats is interesting to me -- but at this point I'm not sure if it is a pro or a con. On the District 66 website there is a statement to the effect of Westside is a nationally-acclaimed public school district -- one of the very best in the nation. Thoughts on this or on how this is measured or in what way are they nationally acclaimed? I can't find any information to back the statement up -- and again, I'm not doubting that it is but curious what makes it so.

However, as Westside is more diverse than Millard it isn't fair or accurate to use that. If my kids go to Millard I would opt them into the IB program. Maybe this helps as a basis of comparison between the districts? Also, Millard schools are consistently ranked nationally -- and were a major reason a recent report rated Omaha as the #1 small city to raise kids in. I am not sure how much the high standardized test scores figured into that though. So while I like things Westside offers (smaller classes, emphasis on teacher education, and more diversity) part of me doesn't feel right choosing a district that on paper isn't as good as Millard. I guess the comment from a neighbor about sending my kids to a "lesser performing school" kind of got to me. So I'm trying to find out more information on how to compare these schools besides standardized test scores. Another thing that concerns me is the money issue -- we are solidly middle class -- I know there are very rich neighborhoods in Millard but there seems to be more well to do families in Westside... is that a correct assumption? I wonder how that dynamic is between the very wealthy students and the ones that are not -- going back to my own high school experience the 30% of students or so whose families were wealthy really made things challenging. I realize that is the case at any school but I am wondering if the schools are about equal in this regard.

At this point here's where I'm at in the decision-making process

Millard -- Pros: choices (IB, Montessori, Core), all 3 high schools blue ribbon school winners, consistent high standardized test scores. Cons: lack of diversity, large class sizes, possibly less options for classes in high school?

Westside -- Pros: Small classes, more diversity, emphasis on teacher education, only one middle and high school, have heard repeatedly students are more prepared for college. Cons: is it as good of a school district?, opting in the district leaves little choice on what grade school they would go to, minor inconvenience of driving farther to take kids to school.

I'm glad you've asked those questions. I shouldn't have been so unkind to deem that one post as adequate without asking.

Modular Scheduling: I was in no way a good manager of my time. There were many many times when I should have been studying or visiting teachers, but I decided to socialize instead. I could have earned much better grades. But, looking back on it, I am glad it was the way it was. Now that I'm in college I earn much better marks, and that's probably because I learned how 100% responsible I am for managing my time for my own good. The scheduling also gave me a good sense of what I can and can't get done in a given time period, so I feel like I can work efficiently and use that extra time to stay sane. I'm not going to say if your child will be able to manage time well, but that will have a lot to do with the way you guide them through life. I have an old friend that goes to Yale, and I always did envy his dedication to school/activities. He must have gotten a ton of work done with that extra time. He was a straight, and I mean STRAIGHT A+ student. Still amazes me.

Class sizes: For history, english and science, there were large and small group classes. The large group class was always 40 to 60 minutes long once a week, and held all the students that took that class. It was a lecture, you took notes and listened. Then for three other days in the week, there was small group, which was 40 minutes with about 15 students. That's where we went over what was said in large group, and that's where all the tests, homework and groupwork was done. Small group had your teacher and your classmates, while large group allowed you to gain the perspectives of the other teachers and students of the class. I recall a couple times where I preferred large group because the teachers that lectured in large group taught in a style I could more easily relate to than my small group teacher. But the feeling of being in small group was very comfortable and cozy because It was very easy to ask questions and state my thoughts, and it was very personable.

Quality: I personally never looked into the statistics behind Westside's claim to fame. All I can tell you is that it seems they held the students to a higher standard. I say this because grades are different there than most other schools from what I understand. I'll give you a chart from my memory

A-93-100
B-85-92
C-78-84
D-70-77
F-below70

Now, I can only assume most other schools go with this grade system.

A-90-100
B-80-90
C-70-80
D-60-70
F-below 60

This is how it is for me in college now, and I can't believe how much less work it requires to get a certain grade now than in high school.

Compared to Millard, Westside gets more kids that are brought up in a less than perfect situation. Even though Westside has the richest neighborhoods in the city, it also has a better portion middle class and to a lesser extent lower-middle class. I had friends throughout school who, now I can tell, had parents who werent particularly motivated to preach about the importance of education. And this probably effects the marks of the school as a whole. The majority of Westside families are comfortable financially. From what I could tell from a social stand-point, I'm gonna make a guess and say about 30% were well off. And I'm also going to say, from my observations, that the different class levels didn't mix a lot. I was in band and that gave me an opportunity to mix with some of the better off kids, so it's not like there's a solid line.

If you live in Millard, I will go ahead and guess that they will be compensating, and send you to Prairie Hills, which is the farthest southwest elementary school at approximately 114th and West Center.

I hope I gave you some insight, and feel free to ask some more questions. It's good for me to reflect

[Dalarnas]

Thanks... that helps a lot. We have been looking at the paperwork to opt in and we get to list our top 3 choices for schools. Prairie Lane is the closest to us so that would be great if they could go there. I am leaning more toward Westside although, I have gone back and forth several times. The more I have considered things I really like there is only one middle school and one high school. The elementary school my kids would go to if we didn't opt in to a special program like the IB would have kids go on to one of two middle schools depending on what subdivision they live in. I think that could be hard to deal with if suddenly one of the friends you've gone to K-5th grade isn't in your school anymore. I never had to deal with that growing up so perhaps it isn't that big of a deal. I also like middle schools is for 7th and 8th grade only. Are there any big differences between the elementary schools? At this point for the paperwork I am listing the 3 schools closest to us but am wondering if I need to find out more information on each school. In Millard, there are different programs available at certain schools but it is my (limited) understanding that in Westside the same opportunities are available at each school. Would you agree with that?

[Raphael07]

I'll now try to address some of your Millard concerns. At Millard North, there are actually a huge variety of classes offered thanks to its large size. There are 5 foreign languages, ( Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Latin ), countless AP Classes of all sorts. As for what Busguy said about the Westside grading scale, Millard has the same one. Also, from what I gather, school rankings are normally based on ACT, SAT, AP and IB test participation, along with poverty rate. Going with poverty rate there, Millard North and South tend to have people from every single socio-economic background, ranging from refugees to children of executives. Millard West tends to be more upper-middle class to upper class. However, even with the wide range of wealth levels, people usually just socialize with who they like, not their money. If I didn't know who was rich and who was poor, I would have no real way of telling by the way most people act.

Now then, I know you have a huge concern about Diversity. Although it doesn't have more of a traditional racial diversity, there is a huge cultural diversity thanks to IB. In my time at Millard North, I knew countless immigrants from around the world with different cultures, languages and traditions. Heck, at our variety show just this past Friday there was Bollywood dancing and carnatic singing.

[Busguy2010]

That's right, it's Prairie LANE, oops. I don't know that any of the elementrary schools have different programs. I always thought that the elementary schools taught the same things, and I haven't heard anything to the contrary in my life.

I can give you some insight as to the demographics of the elementary schools. I know that the rich kids were mostly from Swanson and loveland,. These schools weren't made up of only well off families, but a better portion. The so called "ghetto" schools are Hillside, Westgate, and Westbrook. They really aren't ghetto, but I can confidently say they are all made up of 0% upper middle class or higher. And the schools that have the best mix are Prairie Lane, Rockbrook, Sunset, Oakdale and Paddock Road. These schools are solidly majority middle-class. I'm going based off my esperience only, but I'm confident that it's a good enough measure to steer you in the right direction. It's telling enough to visit the neighborhoods that are served by each of the schools, and that too will give you a good idea of kind of experience you're looking at. If I had to give my advice, I'd say seriously look into Prairie Lane, Rockbrook, and Oakdale. They are the closest schools to you in that order, and all of them are just off of West Center.

[CCJ]

Not that it applies at this point, but incase anyone else looking at this thread wanted to know..... Elkhorn's grading system is:

A = 92-100
B = 84-91
C = 76-83
D = 66-75
F = 65 or lower

(but an A actually is a called 1, B is a 2 and on down to F being called a 5)

We moved here from out of state and I thought it was a Nebraska thing to have an 8 point spread on grades as opposed to the 10 point spread. Interesting to know it varies in each district.

[Dalarnas]

Thanks for all the help. Raphael -- it is nice to hear you couldn't tell by the way people acted who had money... I suppose that makes sense given the huge number of students. Thinking back to my experiences, perhaps 10 or 12 students in each grade of 90 to 100 came from very wealthy families... I can see where the dynamics would be different in a class of 600. While both districts are great, the smaller size of Westside wins out for us. However, since we are trying to opt in the district, there is no guarantee we will be able to. If not, I am really happy to hear about all the positive experiences from Millard North.