[Strel]

You should take the generalizations about Florida with a big grain of salt.

Schools, for instance, are bad in some parts of the state, while excellent in others. Florida is a very large, very diverse state -- much more so than the average tourist comprehends. Anything that can be said to be true about one part of the state can be said to be not true somewhere else.

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by Strel

You should take the generalizations about Florida with a big grain of salt.

Schools, for instance, are bad in some parts of the state, while excellent in others. Florida is a very large, very diverse state -- much more so than the average tourist comprehends. Anything that can be said to be true about one part of the state can be said to be not true somewhere else.

Please show us areas in Fl where the schools are excellent. I know there are occasional magnet schools that are good - but a whole area...I'd like to know where that is.

[Strel]

It really is a matter of the individual schools and school districts themselves, and I probably shouldn't have made it sound like entire areas are one way or the other.

I live in Tallahassee and we have several "blue ribbon" schools that rate very well nationally. The inner-city school I went to in Tampa was famous for riots as well as its advanced mathematics programs (LOL).

Generally, schools in economically depressed areas are not going to be as good. The money just isn't there. Also, schools where most of the local voting population are elderly retirees (like most of urban and coastal south Florida), tend to have worse schools, because schools are not a political priority for people in the 60's and up.

In smaller towns with a higher concentration of parents with children, the schools tend to be better, because people actually give a damn about them and vote accordingly. That is the situation I live in. I'm expecting my first child early next year, and I am glad I live where I do, because the schools here are pretty good. The community is very much family oriented and everyone here has school-age kids. More people wanting better schools = better schools.

More people wanting more golf courses and shuffleboard courts = crappy schools.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by Strel

It really is a matter of the individual schools and school districts themselves, and I probably shouldn't have made it sound like entire areas are one way or the other.

I live in Tallahassee and we have several "blue ribbon" schools that rate very well nationally. The inner-city school I went to in Tampa was famous for riots as well as its advanced mathematics programs (LOL).

Right - it's district by district, school by school. But by no means has Florida ever been regarding as a state with 'a great school system' - it just hasn't. People do not move to Florida for our great schools.

I can say the same about Jacksonville. We have great schools, some of them nationally recognized, and we have some lousy schools. It's pretty typical of Florida.

As for small towns, I do not believe they have the monopoly on good schools. I live in a dense, central part of the city with all the amenties and I have A-rated schools. Like many things, it's a personal preference and both small towns and cities come with their own sets of challenges.

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by riveree

As for small towns, I do not believe they have the monopoly on good schools. I live in a dense, central part of the city with all the amenties and I have A-rated schools. Like many things, it's a personal preference and both small towns and cities come with their own sets of challenges.

From what I've seen and read, even "A" rated schools are lacking when you compare to other states. There are "A" rated high schools in Sarasota and they have a 43% reading proficiency rating at grade 10. Terrible. I don't think the "A" rating means much.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by UKOK

From what I've seen and read, even "A" rated schools are lacking when you compare to other states. There are "A" rated high schools in Sarasota and they have a 43% reading proficiency rating at grade 10. Terrible. I don't think the "A" rating means much.

It doesn't. Those are grades given out relative to other Florida schools.
That being said, there are a lot of schools in Florida that rank very well nationally. There are also a lot more that don't, and some that are just horrible.

But painting all school districts with the same brush is not very logical. Most of us that have lived here for some time know that the generalizations so often seen on this message board just do not hold true.

Like "Florida is a crime-ridden state". Well parts of it are. And lots of it ain't. Many people are simply too willing to assume their anecdotal experience is representative of the whole.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by UKOK

From what I've seen and read, even "A" rated schools are lacking when you compare to other states. There are "A" rated high schools in Sarasota and they have a 43% reading proficiency rating at grade 10. Terrible. I don't think the "A" rating means much.

When given the choices, you'd rather have an A-rated one than a C-rated one. So if you're going to use the public school system, you use the FCAT ratings as a gauge.

Like Strel said, it has nothing to do with schools outside of Florida - this is a Florida rating system.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by UKOK

From what I've seen and read, even "A" rated schools are lacking when you compare to other states. There are "A" rated high schools in Sarasota and they have a 43% reading proficiency rating at grade 10. Terrible. I don't think the "A" rating means much.

I know B rated schools where a majority pass the test. Take the "Grade" rating with a grain of salt. If you want good high schools in metropolitan Florida you can find them at

Seminole County- Oviedo High is a leader, but most are good.
Palm Beach County- Spanish River Community High, Jupiter High, Wellington High, West Boca Raton Community high
Broward County- Cypress Bay High, Cooper City High ("B" school, but over 50 percent pass the test), Stoneman-Douglas High(Same applies)
St. Johns county- all very good

thats off the top of my head.All of those schools have graduation rates of at least 85 percent and a majority of students passing their 10th grade exams.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by Strel

But painting all school districts with the same brush is not very logical. Most of us that have lived here for some time know that the generalizations so often seen on this message board just do not hold true.

Like "Florida is a crime-ridden state". Well parts of it are. And lots of it ain't. Many people are simply too willing to assume their anecdotal experience is representative of the whole.

The crime issue is something different - I agree, there are some very frightened people continually posting about crime on this forum and it send a very skewed message.

In the end, it is what it is. If you're going to move to Florida and use the public school system, you'll need to find a location where they are decent enough.

People always ask this same question that the OP posed here 'where are the good schools'? I still haven't seen an answer.

I've never seen anyone on this forum be able to point out a county in Florida and say "this county's school system is good". Not 'the school for my neighborhood is good' (even I can do that), but county-wide, 'this is a top-notch district'. Does one exist? Where all the schools in the entire system are A or B rated?

[riveree]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

St. Johns county- all very good

No, they're not. That's a myth. There are 4 high schools in St. John's county and only 2 have A ratings. The other two are rated C & D.