Southern Blood with Yankee wife heading for the area (yes another need info thread)

[faithchick]

Originally Posted by Greenville

Since generalizations accomplish nothing, and make you look shortsighted, why don't you give us more info? Where in New York/New Jersey did you live? How are schools ranked there? How were they supportive of your child? How is your child a special needs student? Where are you in South Carolina right now? Which schools, in particular, did you feel were not helpful? Can you give us examples of how they treated your son like crap?

These are all important details, because all schools in NY/NJ are not great and all schools in SC are not bad. Painting an area with such a broad brush is wrong, and helps no one. I understand that you had a bad experience, but if you have an axe to grind with a specific school or school district in SC, it's not fair to generalize the whole state's education system based on that.

You are absolutely right and I do apologize for making it sound that way, I am still emotional about it all. Specifically thought, I live in Cheraw, SC and just to be brief, there are no options here... all the schools are Title 1 schools giving me the option to put my children somewhere else but there is only one school so there is no where else to put him besides private of course.

A brief history, in the second grade I got called up to school to get lectured by my son teacher telling me that I should stopping make him sound things out when he reads. They don't teach that way anymore that is the OLD way and I SHOULD NEVER EVER MAKE HIM SIT THERE AND SOUND HIS WORDS OUT... I was absolutely horrified... I grew up sounding things out and learning phonics and can read just fine...and after really watching my son closely after that I found that in the second grade MY SON COULD NOT READ! You wonder how I could not have known that earlier... but he was great and remembering words and remembering word for word what the books say - being an auditory learner he learns mainly by what he hears that is what he retains...so when they would read a book in school he would come home and read it to us almost completely word for word from MEMORY!! Yes amazed at the awesome memory he had, but if he saw a word that he didn't know he couldn't sound it out or know where to begin and if it was out of the context of the page that he could remember he didn't recognize the words anymore...AND I GOT A LECTURE FOR TEACHING IN PHONETICALLY AT HOME!!

The prinicpal actually congratulated me for taking him out! Now it is a long saga here with the cheraw schools since then - my son was very bored and lonely and not being from here an outcast to begin with he wanted to go to school hopefully to meet kids and make friends... but unfortunately he is not very popular and the kids make fun of him he is really having a hard time...so bad that he would get so nervous and upset and vomit before school and cry... when i went up to the school to take to the guidance counselor i wanted to see if they can find out what was going on.. maybe little boy's dont tell mom everything... kids were hitting him in class... throwing things at him, taking his stuff.. you know kid stuff... but all in his classroom with the teacher right there... I feel awful for him I never had that problem when i was in school but i know may children had... my hubby being one wasn't a popular kid and got picked on and all...

But i explained to them how i was concerned that he was so upset... he started getting sick in school got such a nervous stomach and have to come home... so they said "don't worry we will just put a trash can next to his seat and that will fix him, he can get sick and throw up right in the can, and there will be no more calling and going home..he is probably jsut trying to get out of school!!!" -

I kind of lost it at that point... being so up set and picked on by the other kids... ya all he needed was a trash can to vomit in...real nice that will help alot...thanks...

sorry getting emotional again...you asked for the details. I will stop there because i can't be non emotional that's my little boy...and there was alot more to follow... I hope others have a better experience...but I can't change my answer to make my opinion better after mine.

Not all NYC schools are good I can tell you that... I grew up in Brooklyn there are some great schools and some horrible ones...but you have choices...some schools on Long Island are awesome - taxes are horrendous though... north jersey specifically east rutherford had been great with my best friends son who needed to be in special ed classes they were great.

I actually requested my son be tested for learning problems - since they were complaining about his academics as well, and for ADD as well because I take medication for it as an adult and do see alot of it in him, they said they will get back to me and nothing, don't; return my calls etc. Put him in an afterschool tutoring program at the school offered by the county by he got dropped because they (the school) kept putting him on the bus and sendng him home by mistake instead of keeping for the tutoring that took place in his room. He would supposed to be at tutoring where I would pick him up from the school at 5pm, and here comes the bus at 3:30 and he is on it...???? So they send him home one too many times and he got dropped from the program...

It is things like this why I made the comments I did, not to be bias or short sighted I do apologize for that, but because we really had some serious issues here and the school still will not address.... oh and by the way... it is July I STILL HAVE NO FINAL REPORT CARD, NO STATE TEST SCORES AND DO NOT KNOW IF HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE FIFTH GRADE OR NOT, apparently it should be in the mail?????

OK way way too long post... again my apologizes i truely don't mean to offend anyone, but if you were me and he was your son, i hope you can understand my being maybe even a little too emotional about it and probably a little less objective than someone else.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by faithchick

...Specifically though, I live in Cheraw, SC and just to be brief, there are no options here...

Therein lies the source of your problem, I regret to announce. SC's education has its overall bad reputation because of places like that, despite the schools that do perform well in other places.