Can Anyone Tell Me About The Philadelphia School System - Middle School And High School (best neighborhood, real estate)

[deeds]

Looking at real estate in Philadelphia and was wondering how the middle schools and high schools are. thanks

[Bwads31]

In the city itself? The public schools are not recommended.

[newmarlig]

There are some very good charter schools.

[Tone509]

The Philadelphia School District has a long way to go to meet the standards and successes of its suburban counterparts. However, there are more than a few diamonds in the rough.

I can't really speak to middle schools but there are some good options out there for high schools. Arguably the two best schools are Masterman for gifted students (this one actually goes from grade 7-12) and Central (for high achievers and the occasional political offspring). There are also a number of magnet schools that focus on areas like Performing Arts (CAPA), Engineering and Science (Carver) and International Affairs (Bodine). As you can imagine, these schools are very competitive to get into.

Beyond that, I agree that charter schools may be your best option on the middle-to-high school level.

[thesixth]

Many also choose the Catholic school system to educate their children if they live in Phila.

[juniperbleu]

For middle school, good Philly public schools are Masterman and Hill Freedman. I don't know Masterman well, but HF students tend to go on to Central, Masterman, Girl's High, Bodine, and other magnate schools. That said, most private or parochial schools in the area are much better than the Philadelphia School District.

One big difference between Philly high schools and other school districts (in my experience) is the ability to apply and choose your high school and program. Like Tone509 said, many of the high schools have a standard track and then a specialized track (i.e. International Affairs, Government, Technology, Engineering, Agricultural Studies, Sciences, Arts). So, if you have a particular interest you can gear yourself towards that early. It's competitive to get in, but if you get into a good middle school (or at least have good grades), it's not too bad.

[blah12]

Your best bets for middle school are probably Masterman (which actually has grades 5-12), GAMP, and Greenfield. For high school, Masterman and Central are tops. Contrary to what others have said, a majority of the charter schools are average, at best. The parochial schools aren't all that great, either (well, some are "good"; others, not so much). Let it be known, however, that the city's top public high schools outperform/are ranked higher than their public, suburban counterparts (just food for thought). However, prestige isn't everything-sometimes it's to a student's advantage to attend a "lower-performing" school. Thats just my $0.02, though.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by blah12

Contrary to what others have said, a majority of the charter schools are average, at best. The parochial schools aren't all that great, either (well, some are "good"; others, not so much).

That is true, it depends on the school. I went a Catholic private school and had a fantastic education, but I know of many others that were just bad (both in and out of the city). You'd just have to do your research if you were to go that route.

[MichelleLynn]

There are good Charter Schools here
Independence Charter goes up to 7th grade
Conwell is not in the best neighborhood but is a good magnet schools
Girls High
Central
Bodine
All good schools

Some Specialized Schools, CHADD, Charter High for Architecture design and Drafting, there are some great diamonds here

[Margel]

If you can afford it, Catholic school is the best choice. If not go with Charter Schools. If there is a wait list for the charter school in your area, look for another area to live. You will not be happy with the public schools.