Elementary Schools that offer more than testing and academic focus (Sacramento: renting, neighborhood)

[kmyanda]

Hi, we are moving to Sacramento. My children who will start 1st and 3rd grade this year have previously attended Waldorf schools but we may not want to continue on this path. Are there any highly regarded elementary schools in Sacramento that offer alternative approaches to education with emphasis on arts, science or language? Perhaps something with an environmental or community focus? I can't find any websites that give more than the typical testing and parent ratings.

We will be renting in Gold River for our first year but are open to other areas.

Thanks!
Kathy

[campfamily5]

Hi Kathy,

Good luck. We are moving with our family to the Arden Park area in 2 weeks and the school issue is weighing heavily on my right now. My children are in preschool and going into 1st grade. I've decided to go the route of enrolling my daughter into our neighborhood school, Mariemont Elementary. However I did look to see what the options are;

There's the Charter Montessori schools.. California Montessori Project - Homepage I hear there are some great campuses that you basically lottery into. Did you see the Sacramento Waldorf school? I know there are progressive charters as well in the area. Good luck!

[xeney]

I think we talked about this in an earlier thread you started? Maybe I am thinking of someone else. Anyway, schools to look at in Sacramento City Unified:

Leonardo da Vinci, a school with an arts focus
Alice Birney, a Waldorf-inspired public charter

Both of those have a lottery and are very popular.

Many of the neighborhood schools offer quite a bit more than just academics and testing, too, though. My kid is at Theodore Judah, which is mostly known for its Science Alive garden/science curriculum (which includes an extensive garden plus butterfly pavilion and chickens), but also has theater, art, and an amazing music program.

[NikkiK]

This is a little further out but Sierra Elementary in Rocklin Unified is an International Baccaloriate school. My daughter will be starting kindergarten in fall. We have several friends that have their children there and love it.

[Tex555]

With the Common Core coming to California it will be harder and harder to find schools that aren't doing year-round test prep.

Thanks so much to all who are contributing to this discussion, I will need to find good schools in a few years when my baby is ready for school!

[xeney]

Common Core doesn't really increase the testing -- we've been in a test-test-test environment for years and years now -- but it does mean that some areas, mainly math, are going to require a lot of in-class time. That is already reality: the math my first grader did this year included things I did not see until about seventh grade, back in the 70's/80's. The kids seem less bothered by the math changes than their parents do ... this does seem to be a much better way to teach math, even if it leaves us old folks a little mystified.

So yes, testing is a concern at any public school, as it has been for many years. But my kid, at a regular neighborhood school in Sac Unified, had more art, music, science, and other enrichment in first grade than I had in my entire K-6 experience. It's out there. It requires a lot of parental fund-raising and volunteerism, which sucks because this is supposed to be why we pay taxes, but the reality these days is that schools are what we make of them.

[NinaN]

Originally Posted by xeney

. But my kid, at a regular neighborhood school in Sac Unified, had more art, music, science, and other enrichment in first grade than I had in my entire K-6 experience. It's out there. It requires a lot of parental fund-raising and volunteerism, which sucks because this is supposed to be why we pay taxes, but the reality these days is that schools are what we make of them.

I agree. We have parent volunteers running art and science programs in the elementary schools. PTA fundraising seems to be a year round activity but pays for music, running clubs, extra reading and math resources for kids that aren't quite up to speed, school supplies, and lots of other stuff. If all the school taxes collected actually went to the schools, this wouldn't be so necessary.