great school district advice needed (Cleveland, Lakewood: cul-de-sac, low income, crime rate)

[mmccool719]

We are in very early stages of relocating to Cleveland area. First order of business since we have school age kiddos is to hone in on the better school districts. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[Cleverfield]

Originally Posted by mmccool719

We are in very early stages of relocating to Cleveland area. First order of business since we have school age kiddos is to hone in on the better school districts. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Shaker Heights. You'll hear people screaming about Beachwood and Solon, but their accolades are mostly from the largely meaningless test scores. If you want a public school that has the top academic programs in the region, go with Shaker. It is the only public school in the area that is well-known by top colleges and universities, and regularly sends a slew of students to Ivy league and other top schools. Shaker may seem to come up short in test scores, but that's only because of the larger population of low income students in the district, which doesn't really have a negative effect on the learning environment, and actually ties into one of the things Shaker Heights is famous for, and a core value that is emphasized throughout the district - diversity.

[deskjockey]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

You'll hear people screaming about Beachwood and Solon, but their accolades are mostly from the largely meaningless test scores.

Agree with Cleverfield. Don't make your decision based on test scores, availability of advanced classes etc. Determine what will make sense for YOUR CHILD and your family overall. The same corporate education from the same plant, delivered by similar union workers, is available at several good school districts in Northeast Ohio

Don't fall for the marketing hype of Beachwood, Solon etc. Don't follow the sheep. Often, the grass is greener over the septic tank!

[jmv]

Well said, Cleverfield and deskjockey! I couldn't agree more. In order to really understand a school, it is essential to look beyond the test scores. Shaker's academic offerings and teaching are top notch, and the value of being in a school with so many students whose life experiences and opportunities may be more limited than your own cannot be measured. Shaker students graduate with immense intellectual capacity, a multitude of opportunities at elite colleges and universities, and an understanding that they have an obligation to something larger than themselves.

[ehfp]

You'll have lots of great options in Cleveland, as you can probably tell from the above comments. It might be easier for us if you start by describing the kind of town you'd like to live in (city, inner-ring suburb, outer-ring suburb, semi-rural) and where you'd be working and then start refining from there. What do you like about your current school district and the area you live now?

[ECBeastor]

Maybe help us narrow this down. In what part of Cleveland will you be working, if you will be at all? What are your commute expectations? What is your housing budget? Do you want a new build or a century home? A cul-de-sac community with lots of land between the houses or homes with front porches and very close to their neighbors? Is being close to the Lake or a Beach important? How about Metroparks access? All your preferences will help narrow down a city or even a certain area of a city.

Shaker may not be good if you must commute to Avon or Medina everyday which can be an hour commute each way in rush hour.

With that in mind, I agree Shaker would be a good bet on the East side. Less diverse but also good are Chagrin Falls, Orange, Solon and Beachwood. You must choose what you prefer, but the underlying sentiment stated by the previous posters is something I also hold true to. You as a parent will be the single biggest influence and a school like Shaker has probably the most experience dealing with varying income level students and has one of the widest curriculum offerings of the public schools in NE Ohio. Real life exposure to diversity (economically, racially, culturally and ethnically) is something that should be viewed as very important, in my opinion as well.

On the west side, Lakewood is the most similar to Shaker, with wide ranging income level of residents; from million dollar mansions along the Lake in Clifton Park to low income residents living in the multi-unit houses on the tightly packed streets of Birdtown. That high school has the widest offerings and the most diversity on the west side. Thousands of new immigrants from all over eastern europe, SE Asia, the middle east and Africa have come to Lakewood. The city has more community events than any on the west side and it is a very socially conscious community. Other very good areas are Westlake, Bay Village, Rocky River, Avon Lake etc.

[maxmodder]

I haven't looked at the crime rate in shaker but what's up with this?

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-n...nderson-norfus

"Boo man"

OP, if you want an unbiased opinion on the matter, PM reretarff.

[deskjockey]

Originally Posted by maxmodder

I haven't looked at the crime rate in shaker but what's up with this?

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-n...nderson-norfus

"Boo man"

OP, if you want an unbiased opinion on the matter, PM reretarff.

Whats up with this?

- -

Solon is a larger eastern suburb -- about four times bigger than Pepper Pike -- with a population that is about 80 percent white.

Deangelo Mattox, 17, and his 13-year-old sister Nechia were on their way home on June 21 when they were stopped by Solon police. Officers were look for a black man wearing a baseball cap leaving the scene of a burglary on Elm Hill Drive.

A policeman driving toward the scene saw Deangelo Mattox and his sister running or jogging on Cannon Road and ordered them to stop. Deangelo Mattox was wearing a baseball cap.

Three police officers approached the teenagers, ordered them to stop, and drew their guns. The teens said the police officers pushed Deangelo's head into the pavement and told them to "shut up" during the incident.

When told about the incident, the teenagers' mother, Marcella Mattox, was angry. She complained to the solon police department and the NAACP and demanded an investigation.

Solon Police Chief Wayne Godzich ordered a full investigation that concluded that police violated no rules or laws in the incident, though he could understand the family's concern. Investigators said officers acted appropriately by pulling a gun during the initial part of the stop, but said there was no evidence that police told the teenagers to "shut up."

The report notes that Nechia was crying and that the police officers tried to comfort her.
"Hindsight being what it is, it is apparent that no Solon police employee, knowing what they know now, would have put the complainants through the incident," the report said. "The officers were doing only what residents should expect of their police department. Unfortunately, the complainants happened to be in the middle of a reported felony."

Police arrested a suspect in the burglary not far from the scene.

Source: Incidents in which suburban police stop teens at gunpoint raise troubling racial issues | cleveland.com

[tribecavsbrowns]

Originally Posted by Cleverfield

Shaker Heights. You'll hear people screaming about Beachwood and Solon, but their accolades are mostly from the largely meaningless test scores. If you want a public school that has the top academic programs in the region, go with Shaker. It is the only public school in the area that is well-known by top colleges and universities, and regularly sends a slew of students to Ivy league and other top schools. Shaker may seem to come up short in test scores, but that's only because of the larger population of low income students in the district, which doesn't really have a negative effect on the learning environment, and actually ties into one of the things Shaker Heights is famous for, and a core value that is emphasized throughout the district - diversity.

Hahaha. No. It isn't. This is laughable.

Shaker is a great option, but it's hilarious that you're saying that Ivy League recruiters are very familiar with it and not Beachwood, Solon, Orange, Hudson, to name a few. Obviously you have some warm and fuzzy feelings for Shaker, but don't misrepresent reality, please.

[citymama]

Rocky River isn't diverse and it has this curious yacht club scene that is new to me and not my thing, but it has excellent schools and a really safe, walkable community with an older housing stock and tree-lined streets. We're right in the lake and have a lot of ammentities. Super close commute into Cleveland.

Good luck! I'm not as familiar with the east side, but love University Circle!