Best and worst schools in Orange County/Osceola County? (Orlando: best schools, live)

[CooksWife]

Hi all,

Me and my husband are going to be moving to Orlando next year. I am a teacher and will be applying for jobs in both Osceola and Orange Counties. I wanted to know which schools are inner city so I can avoid them. I am working in an inner city environment this year and it is not for me. I am looking for schools with strong parental involvement/support, strong administration (as in, they run a tight ship with keeping kids disciplined) and strong academic programs. I know that is a tall order, but I was hoping for some insight, because I don't want to take a job that is going to stress me out again.

Thank you!

(I apologize for this being my first post. I used to have another username on here but couldn't remember what it is and lost access to the old email account it was registered under)

[otown native]

Originally Posted by CooksWife

Hi all,

Me and my husband are going to be moving to Orlando next year. I am a teacher and will be applying for jobs in both Osceola and Orange Counties. I wanted to know which schools are inner city so I can avoid them. I am working in an inner city environment this year and it is not for me. I am looking for schools with strong parental involvement/support, strong administration (as in, they run a tight ship with keeping kids disciplined) and strong academic programs. I know that is a tall order, but I was hoping for some insight, because I don't want to take a job that is going to stress me out again.

Thank you!

(I apologize for this being my first post. I used to have another username on here but couldn't remember what it is and lost access to the old email account it was registered under)

Are you from somewhere else in Florida? Because if so, you'd know that there is no school in the entire state that has strong administration (as in, they run a tight ship with keeping kids disciplined) and strong academic programs. Can I get an amen out there?? So you're clearly from out of state.

No in all seriousness though, stay away from Osceola County if you can. Harmony would probably be the only decent school out of the bunch in that county. What level are you planning to teach at..elementary, middle, or high school? There's way too many elementary & middle schools out there to cipher between each one, but as for high schools (if we're talking solely public) your best bet would be Winter Park, Dr Phillips, Olympia, or Edgewater. The flip side of those to stay away from would be Jones, Oak Ridge, & Evans.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by otown native

Are you from somewhere else in Florida? Because if so, you'd know that there is no school in the entire state that has strong administration (as in, they run a tight ship with keeping kids disciplined) and strong academic programs. Can I get an amen out there?? So you're clearly from out of state.

No in all seriousness though, stay away from Osceola County if you can. Harmony would probably be the only decent school out of the bunch in that county. What level are you planning to teach at..elementary, middle, or high school? There's way too many elementary & middle schools out there to cipher between each one, but as for high schools (if we're talking solely public) your best bet would be Winter Park, Dr Phillips, Olympia, or Edgewater. The flip side of those to stay away from would be Jones, Oak Ridge, & Evans.

Good summary. I've heard Celebration used to be ok in Osceola, but that's gotten worse in the last few years?

[Natasha_DrPhillips]

I second Otown's post on high school reviews. It would be easier if you could specify the level you would be teaching.

[CooksWife]

I can teach any grade level K-12. My certifications will be ESE (special ed) K-12, and probably reading K-12. However most of my teaching experience is with middle school.

We will be coming from NC, so compared to here anywhere has to be stronger, lol. I am excited for a 5 figure pay raise when we get there. I have been frozen at $30,000/year for 6 years now, and I will be on step 8 by the start of next school year, which in Osceola is $40,300. Plus for ESE I would get around a $800 supplement. Osceola will accept documented experience up to 10 years.

I was interested in Celebration/Hunters Creek since I have friends who live near there but one works in a charter and can't really give any advice on the county schools (other than she said that Osceola has a better system in place for ESE teachers and IEPs), and the other works at Disney corporate which is no help.

[FloridaNative35]

I can only speak to the downtown area. Hillcrest, Blankner, and Princeton are some of the better elementary schools with high parent involvement. Howard is a good middle school, and Boone is a good high school (but lower parent involvement than I'd like, personally). All but Blankner are magnet schools (Blankner is a K-8). Fern Creek and Kaley Elementary stand out as struggling schools that might not seem so based on location. Generally speaking, Jones, Oak Ridge, and Evans (as mentioned by otown native) are some of the dodgier, "inner city" schools that I'd avoid).

Dr. Phillips High is a good school, but I don't know anything about parent involvement. Ditto for *most* of the schools in Winter Park.

[FloridaNative35]

BTW, I know one parent with a son in Celebration. She is not happy with the school and complains about it frequently, but I don't know the level of parental involvement. It is certainly not "inner city." I believe it is an IB school, but I could be wrong.

[FL2MT]

While not an exact proxy for parental involvement and strong academic programs, the school ratings (at least for the particular schools I'm familiar with) seem to have a very strong correlation to those aspects.

Here's one list in map form for Orange County. Might give you some specific areas or specific schools to look for when you're applying.
Orange's Best Schools: Ratings, Reviews, and Grades - Zillow

[CooksWife]

Thank you! Sorry for not replying sooner. I kept forgetting to check all weekend.

[Natasha_DrPhillips]

My kid is in Bay Meadows Elementary in Dr Phillips, and we have one of the strongest PTA with outstanding parental involvement. Nearly every parent in our classroom is volunteering, and I feel very good as a parent that my child is here.