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I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, but you might want to check out the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. It's the best scoring public school system overall if you wanna go by those state tests. Chapel Hill and Carrboro have high taxes and we use it to fund the schools. Class size is not too bad and they are able to keep more specials and teacher assistants, but they are also feeling the bite from the legislature, too.
CHCCS is excellent academically. It can get competitive in high school, but I didn't notice much of that in elementary school.
I'm a local, but not usually a snowflake local, but sometimes...
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Reflect and carry on.
Not sure exactly what you're trying to say. If you were offended, my point wasn't that schools here are inferior - quite the opposite actually. My point was that the quality of some of the public schools here are up there with other parts of the country that are known for "the best" public schools. But what's the difference? Our taxes are 100-500% or so lower. Do you think that's sustainable?
the thing with specials & class size is an unintended consequence of a good idea. "
It's called an unfunded mandate.
Even the best school districts across the country, even the ones in the highly touted northeast and mid-Atlantic, class sizes have gone up and down - but usually up - over the years. In our old district, there used to be 21 kids in a 1st grade class, now they are up to 25 and my old district DOES NOT use TAs.
Aside from the obvious problem of cutting specials and the hit to education that that is (I believe they are part of a well rounded education), are the teachers really going to teach for 6 hours a day? REALLY? No break aside from lunch and recess? And little kids can do that? Nope, not happening. They are already pushed to their limit with so many schools having removed toys and playtime from kindergarten and first grade classrooms.
I don't mind my taxes going up a bit to fund what needs to be funded...what I object to (and one of the reasons we moved) was my tax money - about 66% of it - going to other unfunded mandates. Ridiculous pension and benefit packages for school employees. Superintendents of districts in towns that don't have the population of WCPSS making $500K a year, getting Arbor Day as a paid holiday (I'm not making this up) and getting "transportation allowance" because - you know - they have to get to work. Retiring from one position and collecting a pension worth half their pay with free medical for life only to turn around get hired for $250K a year in the neighboring school district. All the while UNTOUCHABLE for any wrongdoing, no matter how big or small. That all trickles down from that level too. Bus drivers in my old town made $30/hour - to drive about 2 square miles a day.
Anytime we talk about raising taxes here, people blame the transplants - and it's comparing apples and oranges when you're talking about what the taxes go for in each place.
I'm on the early end with a 1st grader but so far have been happy with the schools for the most part. I do find the interaction with other parents to be kind of limited and wish they'd publish a directory for phone numbers for play dates and such. Also it really depends on your teachers more than the school.
Publish a list of people's phone numbers for play date? That is rather odd to me and I would not want my phone number out to anyone unless I give it to them or give my children permission to give it to them.
Publish a list of people's phone numbers for play date? That is rather odd to me and I would not want my phone number out to anyone unless I give it to them or give my children permission to give it to them.
all of the elementary schools we've attended in WCPSS have had one you can opt into (and out of). Usually its complied by the PTA and if you don't want to participate then you just don't sign up.
When I was growing up, we had around 30 kids in the class and somehow managed to get good education. It's not the size, it's how you use it, so to say.
@OP - beware that Wake county is notorious for switching school assignments. When we bought our house, we were assigned to a good high school nearby but then next year got assigned to a worse school far away. Elementary school is still great and I can only hope high school changes again by the time we need it. But YMMV.
How is the school environment at Wake County and its magnet schools wrt kids and parents? Are the parents always on the "rat race," cliquish, rude, competitive, and cut throat, want to push their own kids at all cost? Or, are the parents friendly amongst each other, willing to help and receptive to one another?
The school my child current attends is annoyingly un-necessary competitive. Parents pushing their kids to squeeze every last point on their tests, cliquish among their own ethnicity, trampling over other kids and other parents to get in front of the line, and just plain nasty. I'm frankly sick of it.
My kids are in our base elementary and middle school in WCPSS and I am generally satisfied with their education. We've never had a bad teacher. We've had a few so-so, many good ones, and a few that were absolutely wonderful. My kindergartner has one of the wonderfuls right now.
There are things I would change, if it were all up to me - more recess, foreign language options in elementary, band/instrument in elementary, additional elective class period in middle school, earlier/better AIG services.
But still, overall, I've been pretty happy with the schools here.
FWIW, I think they traditionally wait to teach wind instruments until the jaw/mouth has developed enough. Hard to play a trumpet if you're missing your two front teeth!
Not sure exactly what you're trying to say. If you were offended, my point wasn't that schools here are inferior - quite the opposite actually. My point was that the quality of some of the public schools here are up there with other parts of the country that are known for "the best" public schools. But what's the difference? Our taxes are 100-500% or so lower. Do you think that's sustainable?
If we're either paying no taxes at all or if the county and state are paying me 4 times what I oweinstead of me paying them, of course that's unsustainable.
Sorry, had to.
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