Cobb Resident Pines For Atlanta, But Fears School System (Decatur: middle-class, credit)

[lastminutemom]

I was with a group of young women at a baby shower recently and have struggled to reconcile what my perception of the future is vs theirs. Many of them live in the up and coming neighborhoods mentioned here and some live in places that really aren't even up and coming yet. Almost without fail, they all said that as their current (or future) children approached school age, they would move. They didn't think the schools were good enough and most believed that they wanted something (I think it is intangible) for their kids that their neighborhood schools don't quite have. And while the charter schools often present a viable option, many said the anxiety of worrying about whether their child would get in, weighed on them heavily. This was especially true of the couple of women from the greater Avondale Estates area and others where the traditional public school options left something to be desired.

I was at a meeting a few months ago when a parent from that area addressed the board about the inadequacies of the neighborhood school. It is true. The school has weak administration who must be connected with someone. He said they did private this year, but most likely would have to

Originally Posted by noah

By the way the state of Dekalb county schools really does not help considering the large portion of ITP that is in Dekalb.

I have a friend who regularly emails the governor and others about the best (and cheapest) way to alleviate transportation issues in the metro area is to find a way to make DCSS less dysfunctional.

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

But there ARE good schools in APS. You cam live intown AND send your kid to a good school. Look at Residinghere. She lives intown and sends her son to a great charter school. So you do not have to live in Buckhead or Inman Park for good public school options. Also, why does everyone say Grady is the only good high school? I am told that the math and science academy at Mays High School is one of the best in the city. Further, isn't the Carver Early College academy top of the line in terms of the program? I really don't see why everyone only mentions Grady as being a good high school.

Also, as lots of ppl have mentioned, just bc a school has low test scores does not mean that the school does not have the resources for a particular kid to excel. There may be children at every school that excel. All schools in APS have gifted programs and resources if a child qualifies - not just those in Buckhead and Inman Park.

Finally, I was just googling international baccalaureate schools in APS and there is anelementary school named Beecher or Beecher Hills and it is in APS but south of 20. It is an IB school. As such, there may be many more in a wide range of areas in APS outside of Buckhead that are IB schools. Just random thoughts.

I know this is going to be confusing, but IB at the elementary level doesn't necessarily indicate anything about quality and in fact, if implemented correctly, limits an elementary's school ability to do groupings based on ability. IB is an instructional model.

Originally Posted by demonta4

I hate how people always blame their problems on others. If you raised your kid right, they will do good no matter where they are? There are no bad schools, but there are bad parents.

There are absolutely bad schools. See it all the time in DeKalb. Good kids stuck in schools with poor quality administrators who hire poor quality teachers. Yes, there are many kids who need better parenting and schools can't address all the social ills, but school systems, like DCSS, can do better.

[LovelySummer]

LMM, I am intrigued about your comment about IB and grouping, esp since AIS is an IB school that indicates that they do grouping within the classroom. Will you elaborate?

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

I was with a group of young women at a baby shower recently and have struggled to reconcile what my perception of the future is vs theirs. Many of them live in the up and coming neighborhoods mentioned here and some live in places that really aren't even up and coming yet. Almost without fail, they all said that as their current (or future) children approached school age, they would move. They didn't think the schools were good enough and most believed that they wanted something (I think it is intangible) for their kids that their neighborhood schools don't quite have. And while the charter schools often present a viable option, many said the anxiety of worrying about whether their child would get in, weighed on them heavily. This was especially true of the couple of women from the greater Avondale Estates area and others where the traditional public school options left something to be desired.

I was at a meeting a few months ago when a parent from that area addressed the board about the inadequacies of the neighborhood school. It is true. The school has weak administration who must be connected with someone. He said they did private this year, but most likely would have to




I have a friend who regularly emails the governor and others about the best (and cheapest) way to alleviate transportation issues in the metro area is to find a way to make DCSS less dysfunctional.



I know this is going to be confusing, but IB at the elementary level doesn't necessarily indicate anything about quality and in fact, if implemented correctly, limits an elementary's school ability to do groupings based on ability. IB is an instructional model.



There are absolutely bad schools. See it all the time in DeKalb. Good kids stuck in schools with poor quality administrators who hire poor quality teachers. Yes, there are many kids who need better parenting and schools can't address all the social ills, but school systems, like DCSS, can do better.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

I was with a group of young women at a baby shower recently and have struggled to reconcile what my perception of the future is vs theirs. Many of them live in the up and coming neighborhoods mentioned here and some live in places that really aren't even up and coming yet. Almost without fail, they all said that as their current (or future) children approached school age, they would move. They didn't think the schools were good enough and most believed that they wanted something (I think it is intangible) for their kids that their neighborhood schools don't quite have. And while the charter schools often present a viable option, many said the anxiety of worrying about whether their child would get in, weighed on them heavily. This was especially true of the couple of women from the greater Avondale Estates area and others where the traditional public school options left something to be desired.

...

This is interesting. I remember a short while back you posted about talking with your niece that lived intown...and you said that her long-term plans (along with her peers) were to stay intown and go public (at least try).

How are you comparing your conversation with your niece with these other young ladies?



Also--based on what you've heard/observed from these women...it doesn't bode well for the "back to the city long-term with families movement."

[alpineprince]

We are considering a move to the Atlanta area (from Lima.Peru) in a few years and although the Wife and I love living in town, everything we have heard about schools has lead us to the suburbs.

[LovelySummer]

I'm curious. What are people saying? My husband works for APS so just interested.

Originally Posted by alpineprince

We are considering a move to the Atlanta area (from Lima.Peru) in a few years and although the Wife and I love living in town, everything we have heard about schools has lead us to the suburbs.

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

There are absolutely bad schools. See it all the time in DeKalb. Good kids stuck in schools with poor quality administrators who hire poor quality teachers. Yes, there are many kids who need better parenting and schools can't address all the social ills, but school systems, like DCSS, can do better.

This isn't a school problem, it's a district problem. The citizens should demand better. Though I've never seen a Dekalb school, I know someone that works at one. She said the district has problems, but the schools are good, except for some in South and East Dekalb.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by alpineprince

We are considering a move to the Atlanta area (from Lima.Peru) in a few years and although the Wife and I love living in town, everything we have heard about schools has lead us to the suburbs.

Many intown neighborhoods have schools that are as good or better than what you'll find in the suburbs.

You have to look at each area individually.

[JC84]

Maybe it's time to consider treating and paying our teachers better. You get what you pay for.

[lastminutemom]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

LMM, I am intrigued about your comment about IB and grouping, esp since AIS is an IB school that indicates that they do grouping within the classroom. Will you elaborate?

The way IB works in an elementary school is that content is taught across the curriculum. So, as I understand (stood?) it, an IB elementary school cannot have each teacher on a grade level teach a subject. Thus, if a school ability groups by class (as opposed to groups within the class)

With large elementary class sizes, differentiation within a class is not easy to do. When a school goes the specialization route in elementary school, it has the advantage of allowing teachers to teach to their strengths. It also may allow a school to choose to group classes by ability.

Groupings by ability are controversial for a host of reasons -- but I just wanted to point out that IB has a limitation in this area.

Originally Posted by aries4118

This is interesting. I remember a short while back you posted about talking with your niece that lived intown...and you said that her long-term plans (along with her peers) were to stay intown and go public (at least try).

How are you comparing your conversation with your niece with these other young ladies?


Also--based on what you've heard/observed from these women...it doesn't bode well for the "back to the city long-term with families movement."

It was two different groups from two different sides of the family. I have been thinking about your questions for several hours.

I think the two groups are economically different. My niece and her peers seem more affluent and able to afford choices if the local public school doesn't work out. Or to say, we will do public for elementary and private for everything else. They also seem like they will have the time and resources to be in the schools (if needed) to help and outside the schools to help raise money.

The group from the recent shower seem like public school will be their best financial option. They can spend a similar amount on a house further out (and not like exurbs further out), have less taxes and feel more confident in the public school options.

I also think that in my niece's group they can (or will be able to ) afford Buckhead type neighborhoods which don't feel quite so different from their (mostly) suburban upbringings. In the most recent group, East Atlanta, Kirkwood, , etc don't have the same feel.

Originally Posted by demonta4

This isn't a school problem, it's a district problem. The citizens should demand better. Though I've never seen a Dekalb school, I know someone that works at one. She said the district has problems, but the schools are good, except for some in South and East Dekalb.

District problems impact schools. And there are many DeKalb schools filled with parents who are unempowered and dismissed by the DeKalb power structure. (most of which is from S. DeKalb by the way). The strong desire of those who hold power in both the DeKalb school system and DeKalb county government to be primarily a jobs provider is killing the county, slowly but certainly surely.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by JC84

Maybe it's time to consider treating and paying our teachers better. You get what you pay for.

^^^^^