Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I understand what they are trying to do by diversifying the school population, but if I had my choice, I would rather have my kids go to school in my neighborhood school.
That being said, it seems that it is a very small amount of the overall population that is complaining about where their kids are going. They are not shipping these kids from West Cary to Garner. They just may not end up at the school around the corner. From what I have read, MOST kids are ending up in the schools that they prefer and SOME kids get moved to a school "fairly" close by. And from what I have been reading, kids are "not" getting reassigned every year, but rather there was a lot of shifting around in the beginning to get it the way the school system wanted it.
In any event, I still would prefer to have my kids go to school in the one that is located in my neighborhood. That way I could choose to live where I wanted them to go to school. But anywhere in Western Wake County will provide a great education.
Hnmmmm... "anywhere in Western Wake County will provide a great education." Where does that leave the rest of us? In the cellar? Last time I looked, Cary and Western Wake County were still part of Wake County and subject to pupil assignment. Another big shakeup is coming as wake county as a whole becomes more diverse, more F& R students, etc. The folks in WWC may be surprised when the pot gets mixed up a bit, so to speak... and more kids are sent OUT or IN to help balance the F& R numbers.....
Hnmmmm... "anywhere in Western Wake County will provide a great education." Where does that leave the rest of us? In the cellar? Last time I looked, Cary and Western Wake County were still part of Wake County and subject to pupil assignment. Another big shakeup is coming as wake county as a whole becomes more diverse, more F& R students, etc. The folks in WWC may be surprised when the pot gets mixed up a bit, so to speak... and more kids are sent OUT or IN to help balance the F& R numbers.....
Some Wakefield folks got so angry at this a bit back, they sued WCPSS.
I'm not saying that there aren't any good schools in WCPSS. The comparison is meant to apply to the theme of this thread, the poster is considering moving down from Port Jeff.
She has concerns about WCPSS about reassignments,over crowding etc.. Some one made a statement that WCPSS were top in the country. That is a statement made quite often, how ever I've never seen it backed up by fact.
I never said there were no high performing schools in WCPSS. Your family is fortunate to be in Green Hope High, good for you. Is every one as fortunate?
I had no problems getting accepted to an out of state university with my NYS diploma, I don't understand why you had difficulty?
Longwood's graduation rate is 81%, 51% regents ( sorry I know your feelings on Regents, I'm just copying from the paper in front of me so don't blow a gasket),40% enrolling in a 4year and 39% in a 2-year whats your point?
Wyndanch is the lowest 68%, still whats your point?
To find all of LI's stats go to LI's largest newspapers website and look up school report card, it's all right there for you.
I never made the statement that Wake County schools were top in the Country, but I also don't put much stock in lists of the best of anything. The only way to get a accurate number is to have the exact same everything. I do feel(according to test scores) that Wake County as well as other counties in NC do have individual schools comparable to Port Jeff. The poster would need to do her reasearch and move into one of those areas.
Reassignment issues are another topic all together. Sorry, I don't have much experience with that. My daughter was reassigned once when a new elementary school opened CLOSER to my home and that was 4 years ago. Our Elementary went year round this year and we love it.
I also never said that I had difficulty getting into school with my NY diploma, I stated that out of NY state REGENTS diplomas mean nothing. When I was in school we had the option to take Regents (harder) or non Regents. I did get a Regents diploma.
Moving to this area has good and bad, just as LI has good and bad. The op has to weigh out what they are looking to gain or lose with a move to NC. For us the decision was easy, for others not so much.
Green Hope HS is some kind of school.. you can have nearly a 4.0 and be in the bottom half of your class (class rank). 'Nuff said.
Green Hope is a fine school, but let's be realistic. Bold claims or denial will not serve the student body as much as it will the parents ego's.
How did Green Hope score on the 2006 SAT's, 536 Math, 570 Reading and 528 writing for a total of 1634.
Compared to State scores on a national basis 1634 falls between #22 Montana @ 1603 and # 21 New Mexico @ 1641.
Of course some one reading this in Montana is screaming foul saying "it's not fair to compare a whole state to one school, my Montana school scored better than the state's avg and better than Green Hope"!
Fact remains it's a far cry from Iowa's state avg of 1807, which is the roof .
I wonder how things can ever improve when people are so willing to accept mediocre performance measures as superlative, are so quick to dismiss other view points.
This is not what I'd expect from the parents of a progressive district that is supposedly interested in the equality of education for all.
What lists are you referring to specifically that NY is not part of?
Yes 83% is great for large urban districts, I agree with that. Still the fact remains it is far from the best in the country.
I believe the relevant discussion for this particular board is, factors that should be considered before relocating to Wake County from Long Island.
Our original poster ponders quality of education issues, and is struggling with the possibilities of taking her kids away from their friends, family and neighborhood school. She wants what is best for her family, and wonders if WCPSS will provide stability and a quality of education equal to what she now has. She has looked at private schools and determined that the cost would not work for her.
Since you brought up paradigm (the way in which one views things) when you made the "funny how you hone in on the 17% etc...", statement.
The poster is from Port Jeff:
Let's look at Port Jeff High School's Stats ( I'm using 2005's numbers just because they happen to be handy, but you can go to Newsdays web site and look up all of LI's districts numbers if you like) Seniors have a 95% graduation rate, 81% Regents Diploma, 81% enrolling in 4 year colleges, and 14% enrolling in 2 year colleges.
Which district do you feel has better performance when it comes to graduation rates?
I find it interesting how you always seem to make things personal, "I guess the glass is really half empty for some people" was uncalled for and inappropriate.
If you would like to have a serious exchange of view points I would welcome that, but let's exercises some manners and show a little respect, facts and opinions are very different things!
I never made the statement that Wake County schools were top in the Country, but I also don't put much stock in lists of the best of anything. The only way to get a accurate number is to have the exact same everything. I do feel(according to test scores) that Wake County as well as other counties in NC do have individual schools comparable to Port Jeff. The poster would need to do her reasearch and move into one of those areas.
Reassignment issues are another topic all together. Sorry, I don't have much experience with that. My daughter was reassigned once when a new elementary school opened CLOSER to my home and that was 4 years ago. Our Elementary went year round this year and we love it.
I also never said that I had difficulty getting into school with my NY diploma, I stated that out of NY state REGENTS diplomas mean nothing. When I was in school we had the option to take Regents (harder) or non Regents. I did get a Regents diploma.
Moving to this area has good and bad, just as LI has good and bad. The op has to weigh out what they are looking to gain or lose with a move to NC. For us the decision was easy, for others not so much.
The best in the nation quote was from another poster who was responding to the op, and was why I chimed in this thread in the first place.
I found it annoying, how real estate agents kept throwing around statements that WCPSS were some of the best in the nation, but when I asked them to back it up they couldn't. As a Research Director I tend to like to see facts.
Comparing schools is a daunting task indeed, especially schools in differing states, all of which use differing testing methodology. No matter how imperfect SAT or ACT comparisons are they remain one of the best scientific measures of school performance.
Please do not misinterpret the whole regents thing, I only put it down because I was copying off of a source in hard copy form that was in front of me, I meant to assign no meaning to it.
I'm happy to hear about your success with your child's elementary school. I believe that WCPSS is doing a fine job on the elementary level especially considering the population growth issues they now face.
In your experience what areas do you feel face the biggest reassignment issues?
The board needs to be able to control assignments.
That same facility (dubois) is now used as a ninth grade center for WFRHS.
I don't think any parents tried to sue the school board over that - the folks in that base area must have some common sense.
Perhaps its the age group (high vs elementary). I don't know.
I couldn't stop laughing when a buddy from Wakefield told me how his property value had decreased 20,000 b/c his kids were temporarily zoned to Dubois while Forest Pines was under contruction.
Gimmee a break !!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) here are the best 1300 schools, Enloe HS in Raleigh ranks # 56. Earl L Vandermuelen (Port Jeff) ranks #113.
.
