WFR Middle v. Franklin Academy (Wake Forest) (Welcome: neighborhood, middle school)

[StellaKillian]

Anyone have 2 cents on preference with these two schools?

Wups...actually I should say WFR High v. Franklin Academy

[dansdrive]

My 2cents is to stay clear of WF-R Middle. I'd use the other 98 cents to get into Franklin Academy! Check into Heritage Middle too!

[weluvwakeforest]

We pulled one year at WFRMS... it was OK.. we like WFRHS a lot better.
Mrs. Hanzer (principal at WFRMS) runs a tight ship and enforces the rules !
Heritage Middle has problems.. Wakefield Middle has problems.. some just more/less than others.
I've known several people who decided to pull their kids out of Franklin Academy when it came time for middle school. Guess its not for everybody.

[capt chill]

Welcome to the wake county NC public schools. They ain't as good as the suburban New Jersy schools!! Nope.. Not even close. Just look at what they pay the teachers down here!!!

[Zoya]

Originally Posted by StellaKillian

Anyone have 2 cents on preference with these two schools?

Wups...actually I should say WFR High v. Franklin Academy

Franklin Academy is not for every student....they use different teaching methods that...well....if you have a creative kid that can think for themselves...well...it's not set up for them.

We have a few kids in our neighborhood that go there (middle and high, they started in elementary)....their parents love it for the control...I've not heard the kids say anything good about it.

I've not heard anything bad about WFR however - many of my daughter's friends go there or will be going there next year as 9th graders and in speaking to their parents they haven't expressed concerns and the kids themselves (most who actually like school) are excited.

[Zoya]

Originally Posted by capt chill

Welcome to the wake county NC public schools. They ain't as good as the suburban New Jersy schools!! Nope.. Not even close. Just look at what they pay the teachers down here!!!

Teacher pay has nothing to do wtih what the OP asked.

Oh, and in many cases, our schools in the Triangle are BETTER then some schools up north.....and I noticed you only included suburban NJ schools in your crud about North Carolina.

[lunadesign]

I'm sure you already know this, but Franklin teaches by Direct instruction. It's very different to the way the WCPSS teaches. Although for MS and HS kids maybe not such a bad thing. But you should learn about DI if you are considering applying and then see it in action. Franklin seems to have a reputation for being one of the best charter schools in the country. But as I'm sure you also know, it's a lottery and they get something like 2000 applications a year for a handful of openings.

[totalcheerleader]

I am a High Schooler at Franklin Academy and I love it. Our teachers and our staff do all they can to ensure that we are understanding and succeeding. The teacher-student ratio is much smaller and allows for more direct attention. All the teachers are very helpful in helping anyone in need. Also we have a smaller amount of violence and bullying. Don't diss FA until you've experienced it. It is also a College Prep School so that way students are more prepared for college, but that comes with a tough work load. We have an excellent basketball team, and our baseball and soccer teams are getting better every year.