What's the real story for finding the good schools? (Tampa: HOA, homes)

[Keeper]

San72 check the website mquinta posted. It explains what a magnet school is and what they teach. There is also a school choice program on the website.

[San72]

Thank you, Keeper. I found it in the link mquinta mentioned and I also Googled it as well.

[Aconite]

Originally Posted by sandandwater

We have also heard that Safety Harbor, Dunedin and Westchase may have the best options for us. As well as Riverview.

Westchase Elementary (Hillsborough Schools) is a pretty good school. The parents are active, the PTA has an obscenely huge budget, and everything's all shiny and pretty. However, the boundaries have been known to change, and parents who've been moved to a different school recently (I think it was Egypt Lake?) are screaming bloody blue murder-- so make sure you're well within the district. And a high tolerance for Desperate Housewives and Stepford Wives will probably help, too.

Dunedin and Safety Harbor are in Pinellas Schools, and the school boundaries are in a constant state of flux as well. Downtown Dunedin is terribly charming and is likely assigned to Dunedin Elementary, which is in a spiffy new school building with a good administration and the usual assortment of teachers. OTOH, their classmates will include a lot of kids carrying way more baggage than any kid needs to (with the accompanying bahavior problems), because it draws from the north Clearwater ghettos as well. Same story for Safety Harbor Elementary. The superintendent's kids go to Garrison-Jones, so it's probably safe to assume they have all their ducks in a row; Leila G Davis and McMullen-Booth are also supposed to be pretty decent. There are also charter schools (Academie da Vinci and Athenian Academy) in Dunedin, and private schools (mostly some variation on Christian, but not all) all over the county.

Pinellas and Hillsborough counties are also both pretty homeschool friendly, if that becomes an option.

[Keeper]

If the past is any indication of the future, it wouldn't surprise me if Westchase gets their way. The school board listens to the areas that have money.

[FLACOP]

Here's my take on schools...get an education up north (PA, NY, NJ, CT, NH, etc) b/c everyone I've encountered who was educated down here are lacking proper grammatical skills.

[jackacc]

I am worried about raising kids in FL after all of the things I have seen and heard about the public school system there. I worked at a private school in FL years ago and it was very similar to the regular old FREE public school I attended in NJ growing up.

The public schools in my district in FL bred trouble from what I saw, always things in the news about kids and teachers alike doing awful things (teachers sleeping with students, drugs, sex, theft, fights, etc...) Now I am not that oblivious to think these things don't happen in a private school setting as well, but it seems to happen alot less since the kids have more to lose and they receive more attention. Public schools in FL have such a huge mix of students from so many ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, it is almost inevitable that trouble would ensue. This is true in almost any setting.

And I hate to say it but most of the people I have met that worked their way throught the ranks of the FL public education system have not been the brightest bulbs. I am not saying that in an arrogant way because I am no rocket scientist, it was just in the way these individuals carry themselves, the grammar they use and the interests (or lack of interests) they had. Of course not everyone is going to turn out that way and parenting has alot to do with it. However, you are entrusting your child and their future to strangers for the majority of the day... wouldn't you want the very best? Not just "ok"...

The thing that bothers me the most is that an "A" rated school in FL is equivalent to a "D" of "F" rated school in NJ or PA. No getting around it. So I feel I will be forced to send my children to private schools in FL to give them half a chance.

Another thing that drives me CRAZY about public schools in FL are the trailers that they call classrooms (otherwise known as portables). I know it is due to the overcrowding but come on, really? Class in a trailer? I think little house on the prarie had a nicer clasroom

[clevelandguy]

We just moved to Safety Harbor about 2 weeks ago.

My 6 year old son was assigned a school that is near downtown Clearwater about 9 miles away! Don't assume that by moving to any particular city or area, your child will be attending a nearby school. Unless your definition of NEARBY matches the School Boards!

This will change somewhat next school year with the START of the ending of School Choice.

They will be transitioning back to neighborhood schools starting next year. How long this transition will take is anyone's guess. My wife has been talking to people at the school board and the response from them is, "We've never done this before. I'm sure there will be problems needing to be ironed out at the start of next year."

[Aconite]

Hi Cleveland Guy.

I assume you're waitlisted for a different (closer) school. If not, you can do that, and people often come off the waiting lists pretty quickly since Pinellas County is incredibly transient. If you're in Safety Harbor, I would personally try waiting lists for Leila G Davis and/or McMullen Booth.
Good luck to you.

[spainbrit]

Originally Posted by San72

Hi everyone,

I'm not familiar with the schoolsystem in USA yet, can anyone explain me what "charter" or "magnet" schools mean?
Thx

try this link
Pinellas County Schools - School Choice Plan Home Page (http://www.pinellas.k12.fl.us/choice/ - broken link)

I have a child in a magnet (SPHS IB) and one in a regular high school, both are doing pretty well and working towards a good college.

[kbear1125]

Originally Posted by jackacc

The thing that bothers me the most is that an "A" rated school in FL is equivalent to a "D" of "F" rated school in NJ or PA. No getting around it.

Depends on where. And Camden, Newark, Jersey City schools? On par with St. Pete High?

Another thing that drives me CRAZY about public schools in FL are the trailers that they call classrooms (otherwise known as portables). I know it is due to the overcrowding but come on, really? Class in a trailer? I think little house on the prarie had a nicer clasroom

Portables are everywhere. I attended class in portables all over the South and have seen them elsewhere, too, though not so much in the NE. Some really great schools use them, and facility appearance is not the best indicator of school performance, classroom behavior, etc. I've made that mistake a few times subbing.