best Middle Schools Washoe County?? (Las Vegas, Reno: to rent, credit, safe area)

[acashell]

Hello I am entertaining the idea of moving to Reno. I am wondering which middle schools tend to rank higher in scores and lower in crime. A smaller school is preferred.

I am also wondering of reasonable and safe areas to rent a home. Somewhat close to the schools becasue not only do I have a middle schooler but I am a high school teacher.

Thank you,

[greatbasinguide]

First point, my wife and I have taught for about 20 years each in Washoe County and we would not have a child in a middle school in Washoe County.

Second, the best middle school in the area is Alder Creek Middle School in Truckee.

Third, Sageridge private school is worth a look.

Fourth, the best in Reno are Billinghurst, Swope and probably Damonte, Clayton, Mendive aren't bad.

[bigdave01]

According to Schooldigger.com here are the top middle schools score wise in the region, along with the neigborhood, and enrollment. They are ranked by their statewide rank out of 77 middle schools in Nevada:

4. Swope Middle School, SW Reno, 867 students
6. Billinghurst Middle School, NW Reno, 801 students
8. Mendive Middle School, Sparks, 1029 students
9. Pine Middle School, South Reno, 868 students
21. Clayton Middle School, NW Reno, 730 students
41. O'Brien Middle School, North Reno, 1258 students
50. Dilworth Middle School, Sparks, 633 students
51. Sparks Middle School, Sparks, 720 students
54. Vaughn Middle School, SE Reno, 740 students
60. Traner Middle School, North Reno, 533 students

After doing my miniature study, It appears that the best schools are in the South, Northwest, and Southwest. Also Eastern Sparks.

[greatbasinguide]

Also, if there is one thing that drives me berserk, it is "Scores" life is not a multiple choice exam and your child's education should not be based on achieving a high score on the "big test".

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

Also, if there is one thing that drives me berserk, it is "Scores" life is not a multiple choice exam and your child's education should not be based on achieving a high score on the "big test".

So True...but it may be a requrement for any number of desirable paths.

Had a discussion with a highly successful Grade School Principal this week..He says the single biggest factor in a successful school (at least in Las Vegas) is the level of transiency. He says nobody does good teaching if you lose half your class each year.

I might argue that this simply correlates with wealth...but he did point out that is only partially true.

Gonna run a little regression. Kind of curious. Of course there is that awful problem of what to use as a metric.

[greatbasinguide]

Metric, there is the problem. The metric exists, it is success 10-20 years down the road. The problem with that, is those who wish to rank teachers and schools for punitive action, as the No Child Left Behind folks desire, cannot abide the long term.

A metric, many folks will agree that both Picasso and Rembrandt are great painters, yet, it is tough to find a common metric to measure that.

Teaching is more and art than a science and as such is tough to measure in the short run.
If I have a student that scores well on the Cbest, but is not curious about the world they live in, is that student successful. If I have a student who is curious about everything and studies what interests them and does not care much about the big test, or doing homework, am I successful or not? Children with IQs over 130 usually fit the second category, they are not the best students, but are often the greatest innovators as adults.

The down side of the current metric is the reason my wife and I have both left teaching. There is no benefit to a teacher whose students do well, however there are punitive actions if they don't. In the need to do well on the big test, both my wife's and my elementary schools have dropped art, PE, recess, science and social studies, it is all language and math. The kids may do well on multiple choice tests, but they have little interest in their own education, the more work they do, the more work they must do.

That is a national tragedy.

Your Principal is right, transiency is a serious problem. Add to that, no breakfast, no healthy food, no exercise, latch key, not always because the parents are working, in our school's neighborhood the parents are likely to be down at the bar in the afternoon.

The "successful" parents are often so busy with jobs, tennis club, social life, that their kids too are left to raise themselves, the parents out of guilt spoil the kids with material possessions.

Parents should remember too, that teachers have your kids for 6 hours, you have them for 18, their success or failure is up to you, not the teacher.

[waqt]

We just recently moved FROM Reno, mainly due to the lack of education in Washoe County Schools. Between the No Child Left Behind (Washoe Counties answer was to ensure that no one learned at a faster rate than the slowest learner) and being worried about offending the local illegals, their schools are horrible. The School District, I think, is so worried about not offending anyone, that everyone suffers. Washoe County needs to really consider building a school where they teach only in the foreign languages, because those that are coming to Washoe aren't interested in assimilating and learning Americas language and culture, they want to take over.
Washoe County has dumbed down the education these kids are getting to the point that my high school sophomore (received Presidential Academic Achievement Award) wanted to finish high school online, so that she wasn't held back from learning at her own pace. She was bored to tears. She now, in our new school district (not in Nevada) is taking college level math, science and english classes, taught by college professors and receiving both high school and college credit for them. These are NOT IB or AP classes, these are offered for those that are smarter, so that they maintain there focus on learning. Washoe county could really get some good pointers from the 'Conservative South'. They are not worried about offending anyone...everyone has the ability to succeed, it is up to the individual as to how far they are willing to go, BUT they give the kids the tools to succeed without coddling those that don't care. It is pretty awesome. By the time my daughter graduates, she will have almost all of her core 1st year college credits under her belt....bet Washoe County can't say that!!

[schizrade]

WCSD is so focused on being "progressive" they have lost sight of their purpose.