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Not starting a debate but here is some information and photos to give you a little bit of the flavor of Long:
Long Time Coming - Lakewood, Dallas, TX (http://lakewood-dallas.blackwhiteread.com/view/articles/9508?print=true - broken link)
Danielle Drury Peters, principal, grew up in the neighborhood (with seven siblings) and graduated from Woodrow (she also taught there). In the photos you will notice a second-generation eighth grader.
I live in Lakewood and have a neighbor who is with AT&T. He comes home almost every day for lunch. Hubby couldn't do that if you lived in FlowerMound, etc. We even have a 4br-3000sf home next door to us for sale. Not a ranch, but a nice house! (DM me if you want the info)
BTW, jennifw I told your neighbor to say hello to you (such is the nature of Lakewood - jennifw and I figured out we are friends of friends). There are several of us on here from the area who have met 'in real life' and discovered we were posters on city-data. I was talking to someone at a neighborhood meeting a couple of years ago and after about five minutes he asked, "are you Lakewooder?". You know who you are!
Most people would consider sitting in traffic for 10 hours a week (10 precious hours away from spouse/kids/ extra sleep in the AM) "unpleasant".
What is this "general unpleasantness" you think we who live in the city of Dallas endure? Contrary to your beliefs, there isn't much traffic when you live in Dallas. The major traffic is isolated to highways during rush hour. After work and on the weekends, you never get stuck in traffic jams while running errands, going to kids soccer games, or out to dinner at night. In fact, I think there is much more sitting in traffic in Southlake, Frisco and other suburbs whose infrastructure wasn't built for the populations those areas now have.
I love how those who never spend any time in the city other than working love to "subtly" bash city life.....
I lived in Dallas for many years (including Lakewood for over 10 years), and I drive there every day. It's unpleasant.
My only point was that Lakewood is a great suggestion - if you have a lot of money to spend on a house and then taxes and such. If you don't have a huge housing budget, then you can get a lot more house for a lot less money outside of Dallas.
Heath is definitely a good choice. There are some houses in Heath that look like mansions for well under $500k, and even some for under $300k. The schools are awesome, the people are friendly, you are close to Rockwall (lots of nice places to eat & lots of things to do), you are near the lake and the community is 90% upscale. Plus your commute to Dallas via 80 or 30 won't be that bad, vs say from Flowermound.
Heath and Flower Mound are nice, too, but realize with either, your hubby is signing up for a MAJOR, stresful commute. Approx 45-75 minutes each way. I-35 (from Flower Mound) is notorious for near-daily wrecks and back-ups.
Going 2499/114/183/35 makes this easier
I spent my high school years in Flower Mound and now live in a duplex in the M Streets (very near Lakewood) with my husband. We like both areas. You are getting great answers, but keep in mind this is a very biased crowd. (Large percentage of those who have posted live in Dallas proper)
Based on what you've mentioned, you'd probably be happy in Lakewood if you can afford it. It's not cheap--one of the most expensive areas of Dallas, in fact. I believe those on this forum who mention the awesome elementary and high schools...never hear anything about the middle schools though.
Heath wouldn't suit you at all.
Flower Mound offers excellent schools and much more house for your money, but the commute is a factor. It is a better commute than coming straight down 75 from McKinney, Allen, etc.
FWIW, my parents chose Flower Mound for the schools and possibility of acreage back in 2002--the commute has never been that big of an issue. My father works at Love Field.
I don't know why no one has mentioned Coppell--excellent schools, and a pretty easy commute to downtown. You have easy access to 3 major highways.
I'm sure the "snob factor" will come up at some point in this thread, if it hasn't already. It's about equal in Flower Mound, Coppell, and Lakewood.
So...I spend last week in Dallas (Jan 9-14) but was 'locked in' on Monday because of the freezing rain and ice on the most of the roads.
On Sunday, we drove around Flower Mound and was as I expected - a duplicate of Roswell/Alpharetta in GA. Great community center/ball fields/lots-o-shopping and large houses on itty-bitty lots and a few larger houses on a bigger lots further out west. On Sunday AM we drove from downtown on 35E to 114 to 121 to FM2499 and it was 25 minutes to Lakeside Pkwy (maybe we're not speedy drivers). Thankfully, hubby didn't like the little lots/big house and felt that living further west off of Cross Timbers Rd would only make the commute worse during the actual morning.
Monday AM - the idea was to drive out to Heath really early and then do the commute comming back into town. The streets downtown were fine, but as soon as we hit I-30, there were sooo many cars stuck on I-30 coming into the city that we decided to head back to the hotel. Lots of ice on the overpasses, so hubby worked and I drove to Lakewood. (I also drove Lakewood and Lake Highlands again on Thursday)
I wanted to cry. I did not realize that Lakewood is going through a gentrification phase (I believe that is the term). Inititially, I was hoping that the "10-foot" signs people had on their front yards were in response to 10-foot set-backs on new construction, but I asked a women walking her dog and she told me it was in regard to the utility company cutting older trees for the power lines. I saw some lovely older homes and some that had been updated. I admit the new construction is very nice - it's just really big and uses up every bit of the property. Hubby and I can't afford a historic home (max is $700k), so we were worried that if we bought an older, smaller home, eventually, many of the smaller homes on the street would be replaced. It gives me a weird vibe (haves-have-nots???) and isn't really our value system - Reduce, Reuse (additions can be nice), THEN Recycle. But, the access to the trails around the lake, the old trees, and the winding streets were lovely. We had dinner near the theater and liked the vibe of the shops and restaurants. It is a great walking community (even during a very chilly week). We just know that we wouldn't fit, but we're kind of quirky. I think it would be a great area if the new/old house combination wasn't an issue. I was not able to visit the school during the week because of testing, but I did get some information from the principal that I'll put in the next post. Also, they typically only give tours during the 1st week of the month, but we're more than willing to work with people from out of state.
So, drove over to Lake Highlands and thought - "January just isn't a good time to look a homes - anywhere (maybe Florida)." The area seemed very hit or miss. Access to the lake could be more difficult depending on the area, lots were fine, smaller homes, fewer updated, nice sized yards. (Maybe I was still upset about Lakewood.)
Then out to Heath (and Sunnyvale). Completely different. Country homes, developments (but most with either 1/3 acre OR 1 acre lots), and you're not walking anywhere. (Except within a few developments that have walking paths.) Hubby liked the larger lots, but we kept wondering "where are the 1/2 to 3/4 acre lots?" what's up with the itty-bitty lots and the big lots - I guess there's just no money in the happy medium? Heath was a windy, slow road from Hwy80 and we didn't want to get too close to Rockwall (heard coming into town on I-30 is a bad commute and experienced it a bit). So, on to Sunnyvale (north and east of Mesquite). They just finished (in the past 2-3 years) building a new MS and HS to go along with their ES. They're a 2A school right now and with the development plans in the area will likely be a 3A within 5 or so years. Since they're small, I was able to meet with the Superintendent of the district (it's only the 3 schools) and get a nice tour of all the schools and facilities. The are planning on building another elementary school set to open in 2013. While it's small, it's diverse enough for me 55%W, 25%A, 20%AA/H (12% ED). So, now we're leaning toward a 1985, 4000sf house on 1 acre.
Lakewood ES - Q&As
My questions and Principal Thompson's responses.
1. How many classes are in each grade? Are there paraeducators?
We do not have paraprofessionals in the classrooms. The number of sections will vary by grade
level each year. Typically we will have between 5 – 7 sections.
2. How does the school handle Above Grade Level reading and math? Do children switch classes for math instruction or reading groups? At what grade does this start? (This may be the departmentalized instruction that starts at 2nd grade?) Departmentalization of content areas begins in 2nd grade. Differentiated instruction occurs in all
classes to meet individual student needs.
3. How offen are progress reports sent home and in-person conferences with the teachers.
Report cards are issued each six weeks. If students have the potential to fail a notice is sent
every third week.
4. What kinds of after-school programs are offered? PTA organized or district organized? There two after-care programs sponsored by the YMCA and a nonprofit organization.
Extracurricular programs for enrichment vary each year.
5. Do the classes offer "Inclusion" for students with IEPs? Students with disabilities have individual education plans which detail the level and type of
services they receive. Students may be fully or partially included in the general education
setting.
6. How involved are parents in assisting in the classroom? (I understand there may be more involvement at the K and 1st grade levels, and less involvement above 3rd grade.)
Parent volunteers are coordinated through our PTA. There are many volunteer opportunities
including classroom support.
7. Could I have a copy of the weekly schedule for Kindergarten and 2nd Grade? (how often do they have 'specials' like Art, Music, PE, Technology, Media/Library?
Weekly schedules for K, 1st, and 2nd grades vary each year depending on lunch schedule
and “specials” times. Students currently attend computers, art, and music one day a week and
physical education two days a week.
8. Are there any special parent education nights (i.e., strategies to help you child with sight words, math skills)?
There is a Family Education and Supper night for parents and students. Individual strategies and
specific assistance for home are discussed during parent conferences throughout the year.
9. Do the children of teachers and staff attend the school? Are they allowed to? If the staff member lives within the boundaries their child may attend Lakewood. If staff do not
live in the school boundaries then staff may apply for a transfer to Lakewood.
10. Does the school have band, orchestra, choir? At what grade do these start? Is there a drama club? Choir begins in 3rd grade, Orchestra begins in 4th grade. There is not a drama club.
11. What is the design capacity of the school? The DISD website notes 730 students enrolled. Does redistricting happen in the area? How offen and when was the last time?
The school’s original building has a capacity of 400 students. Our three modular and three
portable building add classrooms for approximately 750 students. Redistricting has not been indicated. [Note: DISD website indicated Spring 2010 Lakewood ES was at 111% utilization. I couldn't find anything noting future projections or at what point redistricting would be proposed (i.e., 115% where I live now, 120% other places), but I see that there are DISD schools over 150%.]
Lakewood ES SCHOOL TOURS Frequently Asked Questions
Student Population Statistics:
¨ Approximately 720 students
¨ Kindergarten – 5th Grade
¨ 76% White, 18% Hispanic, 3% African American, and 3% Asian/Islander
¨ Average class size is 22:1 (Kindergarten – 4th) and 25:1 (5th grade)
The ratios are set by the State and class size varies in actuality year by year
¨ Number of classrooms per grade level are based yearly on number of student enrolled and the state mandated class size
¨ Students receive busing services if they live 2+ miles from the school -OR- must travel along a hazardous route to get to school
Faculty & Staff:
¨ 64 total staff members
¨ 47 certified professional staff members
¨ 4 teaching assistants
o 2 - Special Education (provides instructional assistance in the classroom or as a pull-out program out of the classroom)
o Bilingual/ESL (provides assistance in classrooms with Bilingual/ESL students and assists in the lunchroom)
o Duty Free (provides assistance as needed in the classroom and assists in the lunchroom)
¨ 1 full time nurse
¨ 1 full time counselor
¨ 1 full time librarian
¨ 1 full time speech pathologist
¨ Average years of teaching experience = 16 years
Instructional Programs/Curriculum:
¨ What is taught is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
¨ Scope & Sequence of instruction for all areas is developed by instructional specialists & directors and master teachers within DISD (including some of Lakewood’s teaching staff)
¨ Textbooks are considered tools used for the implementation of the curriculum. Many other sources including, novels, trade books, and lab experiences are also used for instruction
¨ Curriculum taught includes:
o Reading
o Language Arts
o Mathematics
o Science
o Social Studies
o Fine Arts
§ Computer – once a week
§ Visual Arts – once a week and daily in the classroom
§ Vocal Music – once a week
o Physical Education – twice a week
o Technology – once a week and within the classroom
¨ Instructional formats will vary throughout the day and is dependent on the lesson taught, the level of mastery of concepts, and individual student needs. Instructional formats include:
o Whole group
o Small teacher-guided groups
o Small student-guided groups
o Individual
o Paired student-student
¨ Special Education services are provided for students with identified needs.
Assessment:
¨ ITBS: a nationally norm referenced test given in the late spring and used for diagnostic information for the next school year and includes reading, language arts, and math (K – 2nd, 6th, 9th)
¨ TAKS: criterion referenced tests to assess knowledge and skills of specific academic content areas. The TAKS test will be replaced by the STAARS test in spring of 2012
o 3rd: Reading, Math
o 4th: Writing, Reading, and Math
o 5th: Reading, Math, and Science
o 6th: Reading, Math
o 7th: Writing, Reading, and Math
o 8th: Reading, Math, Social Studies
o 9th: Reading, Math
o 10th: Writing, Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies
o 11th: Writing, Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies (must pass all tests to graduate)
¨ Benchmarks: Given approximately every nine weeks to assess mastery of the four core content areas. Used by teachers and students for diagnostic purposes to plan for instruction and needed remediation
¨ TPRI: criterion reference test to determine reading ability as it relates to fluency, phonics, and comprehension (individually administered 3 times a year to determine growth) (K – 2nd)
¨ RPTE: assessment to measure growth of second language learners in English acquisition in the areas of reading and writing (All grades)
Extra-Curricular Activities:
(All activities are sponsored by staff members & parent volunteers. Activities may vary year to year dependent on sponsorship)
¨ Art Contest Club (open to all)
¨ Choir (3rd – 5th)
¨ Green Team – environmental awareness
¨ Math Maniacs – math enrichment/tutoring (open to all 1st – 5th)
¨ Science-Garden Club (1st – 2nd)
¨ Science/Math Competition Team (4th – 5th)
¨ Student Leadership Team(4th & 5th)
After School Care:
¨ Lakewood After School Program (limited openings each year)
¨ YMCA – run by the YMCA but housed here at Lakewood. Program components and space eligibility determined by the YMCA
Dress Code:
¨ COLLARED – SOLID white or navy blue tops (no embroidery, stripes, patterns)
¨ SOLID khaki, navy blue, or black bottoms (no stripes, patterns, or detailing)
o Pants
o Shorts (must be knee length)
o Capris
o Skirts (must be knee length)
§ Leggings worn under skirts must be in uniform color
¨ SOLID khaki, white, navy blue, or black jackets, sweatshirts (any clothing wore during the school day that covers the uniform shirt
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