Experiences with Skyline & Issaquah High Schools? (Bellevue, Sammamish: cliquey, renting)

[Calvin&Hobbes]

We are looking at houses that may either feed into Skyline or Issaquah High Schools. I've been hearing that both schools have different strengths/weaknesses and cultures. Any reason to prefer one or the other?

[tigger865]

Skyline is notoriously cliquey. It is best for over achiever students. Issaquah is less so with a wider socioeconomic student population. Both schools have thier issues with drinking/drugs as in general they are both in affluent areas. We transfered out of Skyline into Issaquah.

[tigger865]

And by cliquey I mean parents and students...

[AddyLaddy]

My son has done 2 years at Skyline and he seems to enjoy it. He really wants to take the IB so we had to choose a house that would feed in there.

Not had any issues with drink/drugs, but he's a sensible kid and doesn't want to get deported ;-)

Never met any other Skyline parents, so perhaps they are cliquey!

[texastrigirl]

Our kids will matriculate to Skyline in a few years. Have heard great things about both schools academically. Skyline rates a little higher in this report but I don't think it's a substantial difference. It's a pretty good problem to have if you are choosing between two high quality schools.

Compare academic rankings and ratings of Washington schools

I think one upside is that you can transfer out of one into the other without moving if you want to/need to. Some of it will be finding a house you want. They are going fast up here and not a lot on the market.

[spotlesseden]

in this new report
Search Washington High Schools | US News
Issaquah ranked higher. I have to agree with texas, it doesn't matter matter that much since both school are good. It's up to the kids to make their school better in the ranking.

[texastrigirl]

Originally Posted by spotlesseden

in this new report
Search Washington High Schools | US News
Issaquah ranked higher. I have to agree with texas, it doesn't matter matter that much since both school are good. It's up to the kids to make their school better in the ranking.

The difference is that most of the schools in the Top 20 are AP schools and Skyline is IB so it's hard to compare scores in that category because they are pretty different approaches to learning. If you isolate the two Reading/Math scores other than the AP/IB category, Skyline does pretty well...Top 5 or so consistent with the Fraser Report. But what is probably the better question to ask is do you think AP or IB is better. It is a pretty hotly debated topic. I think the answer is...it depends And that's where it is nice to be able to change high schools if you feel one approach fits your child better than the other. Both are great high schools.

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/d...s/ap-vs-ib.htm

[BellevueNative]

I have a number of friends that live in Sammamish, and I can already tell just from listening to their stories that their kids' schools there are filled with helicopter moms. Mob mentality, cliquish PTSA, parents who baby and coddle their kids as elementary and middle schoolers...which will likely translate to the same behavior in high school.

That's one thing I will say for the Bellevue schools...the parents have high expectations, but so do the kids and from my experience the parents back off enough to let the kids make the most of their school experience. I don't know if it's because the parents seem to be a little older, have more experience and perspective, or what. The helicopter parenting to me represents parents that don't trust their kids - don't even try to trust them - and treat their kids' lives as a competition. The one upmanship I see in Sammamish would drive me nuts, and it's not really something I'd be dying to be a part of.

There is another high school in Sammamish - Eastlake - that I would think is also a great school. It's almost literally right next door to Skyline.

[texastrigirl]

Originally Posted by BellevueNative

I have a number of friends that live in Sammamish, and I can already tell just from listening to their stories that their kids' schools there are filled with helicopter moms. Mob mentality, cliquish PTSA, parents who baby and coddle their kids as elementary and middle schoolers...which will likely translate to the same behavior in high school.

That's one thing I will say for the Bellevue schools...the parents have high expectations, but so do the kids and from my experience the parents back off enough to let the kids make the most of their school experience. I don't know if it's because the parents seem to be a little older, have more experience and perspective, or what. The helicopter parenting to me represents parents that don't trust their kids - don't even try to trust them - and treat their kids' lives as a competition. The one upmanship I see in Sammamish would drive me nuts, and it's not really something I'd be dying to be a part of.

There is another high school in Sammamish - Eastlake - that I would think is also a great school. It's almost literally right next door to Skyline.

Anecdotally, every school in an affluent area is filled with helicopter parents. Bellevue is no different than Sammamish. Eastlake no different than Skyline. You can find kids and families of all types and all parenting philosophies. Talk to a few teachers that have taught in both districts...they will tell you that.

[texastrigirl]

And I might add...as much as people bemoan the "kids of today" I have been quite impressed with several of my high school neighbors and other teens I have come across lately. Several kids I recently met had been on a mission trip to Africa. Their perspective was definitely bigger than the Plateau they are being raised on so someone up here is doing something right!