Are the middle school kids nice in Walnut Creek Area

[alohakat]

And give your child the gift of understanding human behavior and how to have long-lasting, winning friendships, how to ask questions and learn to let others speak about themselves, learn how to start conversations....perfect opportunity to give your child extra social skills. I highly recommend books like "How to Win Friends and Influence People" Amazon.com: How to Win Friends & Influence People: Dale Carnegie: Books -- learning the power of really getting fascinated with others, feeling it in your heart (the curious fascination with the hopeful new friend) so the new potential friend feels the authentic caring, hearing their stories, having a list of questions in mind for all that provoke long answers even from a kid, being a true gift to their lives, this is what your young one can learn from this move that will change their lives for the overwhelmingly better.

[bayarea-girl]

Schools are good in Walnut Creek and are excellent when you compare them to other schools in the state of CA and or any neighboring city. But if I were to compare schools in Walnut Creek and or any other top rated school in CA to that of a top rated school in another state like Virgina or elsewhere. Their top rates schools would be far superior to the top rated schools in CA, where people pay a lot to live.

Yes, people pay a lot of money to live in a nice area so that their children can have the best education. But the standards and quality of education is lacking here in CA and other places do it better and have a higher High School graduate pool then we do.

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Schools are good in Walnut Creek and are excellent when you compare them to other schools in the state of CA and or any neighboring city. But if I were to compare schools in Walnut Creek and or any other top rated school in CA to that of a top rated school in another state like Virgina or elsewhere. Their top rates schools would be far superior to the top rated schools in CA, where people pay a lot to live.

Good info about Walnut Creek. I wonder if your experience holds true in other good (or better) school districts in NorCal.

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

Yes, people pay a lot of money to live in a nice area so that their children can have the best education. But the standards and quality of education is lacking here in CA and other places do it better and have a higher High School graduate pool then we do.

Are you still referring to Walnut Creek with this statement, or do you have experiences with other school top rated districts in CA? Or is this more of a generalized blanket statement based on your Walnut Creek experience?

[bayarea-girl]

I meant other areas in CA as well. Please don't get me started on Private schools here too as I have experience with them as well. Berkeley schools as a parent is also disappointing. There is a lot of diversity but they just can't compare to East Coast schools. There are some schools that people rave about in the bay area, parents pay a lot for and the children still aren't able to read by 2nd grade.

There is a topic about this on this forum where it goes over CA schools and people's theories, likes, and dislikes about them.

[alohakat]

Originally Posted by bayarea-girl

I meant other areas in CA as well. Please don't get me started on Private schools here too as I have experience with them as well. Berkeley schools as a parent is also disappointing. There is a lot of diversity but they just can't compare to East Coast schools. There are some schools that people rave about in the bay area, parents pay a lot for and the children still aren't able to read by 2nd grade.

There is a topic about this on this forum where it goes over CA schools and people's theories, likes, and dislikes about them.

Wow, that's pretty harsh on CA schools. I admit I have no experience with schools outside CA, but I will say I have seen huge differences within the state on school levels of study. I have heard education is fantastic in the East, but I will also say there are some remarkable and highly intelligent, educated people in this state! Opportunity is to be had for those that wish to make it. Touring schools for my child for example I remember 5 year olds doing multiplication tables already at a private school, and certainly reading.

I did find it interesting to compare the various state reports on SAT results here: College-Bound Seniors 2008
Comparing Virginia to California for example I do see mostly a few points difference nearly everywhere, but these are means or averages as reported by category, and individuals can beat those means or averages with extra study and attention and drive. We have amazing science and museum opportunities for our children here. Those who love math can attend college-level public physics lectures, and so on. And although SAT is a major indicator of college acceptance, it is not an indicator of success in the real world. Bottom line, I don't see enough difference to warrant a change of scenery. I think a child could gain experience in California with an attentive parent that could compensate for those few points.

[bayarea-girl]

alohakat, first I was just stating my opinion regarding high performing schools in CA to that of other states. I didn't start the thread or the line of questioning. Nor did I detour anyone from moving here. CA is a great state. BUT, CA in many ways is not what it use to be. Education and its standards have been compromised as time goes by and is going down the hole. Unfortunately, that is a fact.

What is going on in our state, with the economy, and around the world we would and should demand better for our kids. If you don't have first hand experience with another state I am not sure why you are so astonished that I or others communicate that other states have better educational systems? In the future my kids aren't going to be competing for jobs with others in this state but with people out side of this country. My kids might have to compete with other Texas kids and or Virginia kids that had a better education then mine.

Again, no one said that there aren't good schools in CA. But the state schools are not the majority of nationally top ranked schools either.

Parents of kids outside of the state of CA often have one working parent and the other parent that stays at home. If the second parent is working it is usually a part time thing while the kids are in school. The parents (or parent) are able to participate on a greater scale than CA parents. CA parents are too busy working trying to just make it in this expensive place. That is why so many families that can't afford the expense and can't stand the quality of education in CA schools opt for a change outside of this state.

I'll try to find the link but the rate of HS drop outs is VERY high in the state of CA. In other states the HS graduation rate is in the 90th percentile. I think CA has a 45 percentage. They did an article about it a view years ago on SFgate.