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Hi everyone,
I have a 9 year old and a 5 year that I am considering enrolling in public school. We have been using MAVA - the Mass virtual academy through the Greenfield District this past school year for my older son. This is our first year here so we aren't registered at BPS at all. I realize that 2 lotteries have gone by already and there is only about one week to sign up for the last one. I am hoping we could still get into better schools. Can anyone give me feedback on the area elementary schools. Also I hear talk that the Irvin Middle School is not so great, is this true?
I appreciate any insight you can give me, we have been homeschooling for 2 years and I'm thinking a break is in order.
Thanks!
Hi everyone,
I have a 9 year old and a 5 year that I am considering enrolling in public school. We have been using MAVA - the Mass virtual academy through the Greenfield District this past school year for my older son. This is our first year here so we aren't registered at BPS at all. I realize that 2 lotteries have gone by already and there is only about one week to sign up for the last one. I am hoping we could still get into better schools. Can anyone give me feedback on the area elementary schools. Also I hear talk that the Irvin Middle School is not so great, is this true?
I appreciate any insight you can give me, we have been homeschooling for 2 years and I'm thinking a break is in order.
Thanks!
The "Lottery" is make believe. It's supposed to make you feel like you have a chance at getting a good school, to bad there's no such thing (in Boston at least). I went to BPS my whole life, Include the Irving. Like all Boston Schools it's crap. My cousin also lived in Rozzie and went to the Irving years after me and it was even worse. Your not going to get killed in one or anything, but no good education comes out of it either. My GF is from Natick, went to public school her whole life and she was learning stuff in Middle School we didn't even learn in high school!
The "Lottery" is make believe. It's supposed to make you feel like you have a chance at getting a good school, to bad there's no such thing (in Boston at least). I went to BPS my whole life, Include the Irving. Like all Boston Schools it's crap. My cousin also lived in Rozzie and went to the Irving years after me and it was even worse. Your not going to get killed in one or anything, but no good education comes out of it either. My GF is from Natick, went to public school her whole life and she was learning stuff in Middle School we didn't even learn in high school!
Thanks for your very honest review
how long ago were you and your cousin in the school system?
Hi everyone,
I have a 9 year old and a 5 year that I am considering enrolling in public school. We have been using MAVA - the Mass virtual academy through the Greenfield District this past school year for my older son. This is our first year here so we aren't registered at BPS at all. I realize that 2 lotteries have gone by already and there is only about one week to sign up for the last one. I am hoping we could still get into better schools. Can anyone give me feedback on the area elementary schools. Also I hear talk that the Irvin Middle School is not so great, is this true?
I appreciate any insight you can give me, we have been homeschooling for 2 years and I'm thinking a break is in order.
Thanks!
Snatale1 and I disagree quite significantly on this issue, which unfortunately means you won't necessarily know the correct answer, although I think your question about when they attended could prove useful, depending on the response.
I have an 11 year old, 9 year old, and 6 year old, all attending BPS schools in Roslindale. The two younger children go to the Conley, my oldest goes to the Bates for the Advanced Work Class. I have nothing but good things to say about both schools and the overall experience that my children are having. The key to educational opportunity is a staff and administration that know the children well, who look at ways to engage them, and who are able to bring the family in to participate in ensuring that the child does well.
The elementary schools in Roslindale are all small, and all follow the whole school philosophy, which means that the entire school is responsible for each child. Children who are above grade level in a subject, for example, will spend some time in the higher grade classroom. Each school also has numerous resource specialists who will work one on one with children needing a different program. The schools are safe, well maintained, and the faculty is dedicated. If I had it to do over, I'd make the same choices.
Regarding the lottery, I don't have a sense of how much of a problem it creates. We did not get our first choices when we initially did this 7 years ago. Nevertheless, we ended up with a school that we really like. There is some weighting for things like distance to the school, but by the third round, there is no way to know what you'll get. I wish I could give you some advice on this, but it's really just a crap shoot.
Finally, about the Irving. It does have a fairly bad reputation, and with some justification. A few years ago, it was really bad, even dangerous, and nobody with means was willing to put their kids in that school. But a lot has changed since then. The previous principle, and much of the staff were fired/replaced. The new team is very good and has made big changes both to inter-student behavioral norms, and curriculum. We attended the new family orientation last night, as my oldest will be going there in September. I was thoroughly impressed by what the principle and teachers we met had to say, and by the multitude of program options. Something else that's important to note -- the Irving recently received a major grant that will fund extending the day to 4:30. The extended learning program will involve completing homework, tutoring, and added enrichment. All students are going to participate, and I believe the result will be an Irving that becomes known as a jewel among the middle schools.
You'd probably get one, yes. There are six in Roslindale, all good. There are also good schools elsewhere in the West Zone, but I'm not as familiar with them. They do give some effort to placing siblings in the same school, though usually that means both end up at the school selected for the lower lottery number.
Thanks for your very honest review
how long ago were you and your cousin in the school system?
I would have been in the Irving from 90-93
My cousin was there probably in the 2003-2006
Obviously check the numbers for yourself. Per School Digger which seems to be one of the popular sites these days for School Ratings Roslindale ranked 271 on a scale of 1-331. Boston (which is most likely downtown only) was 280.
With all due respect, HenryAlan, I think your experience is the exception rather than coming close to the rule.
How familiar are you with the schools? Do you have children in them right now? Does the majority of your peer group have children in them? I know these schools very well, and I know lots of families with kids in them. They are good schools with good results. The way to understand a school is to spend time getting to know it, not by looking at test results and website rankings. These are misleading when it comes to urban school systems, because they make no allowance for the higher percentage of resource challenged students. Kids who don't speak English at home, who are poor and under nourished, they aren't going to do well, no matter how good or bad the school is. Kids with a supportive, education focused background do very well at these schools. I've seen too many examples of this for my family to make the exception.
I can't speak to schools in other parts of the city, but I know with high confidence that the schools in Roslindale (and West Roxbury) are excellent.
I would have been in the Irving from 90-93
My cousin was there probably in the 2003-2006
Obviously check the numbers for yourself. Per School Digger which seems to be one of the popular sites these days for School Ratings Roslindale ranked 271 on a scale of 1-331. Boston (which is most likely downtown only) was 280.
I suggest that your experience there was too long ago to be relevant. This is even true of your cousin's more recent time at the Irving. There is a whole new team and system in place. The school was definitely a poor performer and dangerous place when your cousin was there, but a lot has changed in the past 6 years.
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