[FertilityDoc]

Here is a link to a list of the top 1000 high schools in the US. There are a number of them in Florida. You can scan through the list to see them.

America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com

[dmccauley]

I can only compare the education that my children were receiving up north to Sarasota Florida. The school itself is a very nice school, very family oriented (sometimes to much). The cirriculum was behind from what they were learning when we first moved here. Now that its been a couple of years of course I have nothing to compare it to. I feel they are getting a decent education. Although, I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on handwriting and vocabulary skills rather then so much concern about a science fair project. I have a few gripes with the teachers and some school policies but over all I can't say my kids are suffering.

[Swimmom32]

well West Boca High School which I know from the website and when I called and spoke to them, made "Honor of Excellence" our schools here in NC where we live are also the same...W Boca HS made the list at 675 out of 1000....and yes there quiet alot of schools from Florida...granted I dont harp on these things, however its still nice too see...

[Aconite]

Originally Posted by Sunny-Days90

Nope, Florida schools are terrible, kids are stupid, never learn anything and all the high ranking colleges that Florida has are kids from other states.

Florida has 4 of the top 25 colleges in the entire country and if you look around to see most of those kids are from all those real bad Florida schools.

There are plenty of places to raise kids in Florida, just read some of these post, you really need to sort and separate what your expectations are.

All states have good and bad schools, look at Chicago, Detroit, St Louis, Cleveland, Philadelphia etc they have drop out rates higher then grad rates in some schools.

So yes, we have friends with kids in Florida and they are all doing well in schools and have raised them just fine in Florida. Of course they did their homework before they purchase homes and were involved with their kids.

What you will find in most towns and schools is if the kids are doing poorly all you have to do is look at the parents.

Well, of course you'd know more about Florida schools than the people who actually live here and have gone to school or had kids in school, then.

Florida schools, by and large, are not particularly good. There are some which are excellent-- a couple in Jacksonville and Sarasota routinely make the top 100 in the nation. OTOH, those schools are all magnet schools, and attract teachers and students who fit a certain profile-- they self-select for excellence. On a day-to-day basis, regular school, typical population, not so much. You'll have some kids who would do well anywhere, some who need a lot of extra help, and a lot who get lost in the system.

As for specifics-- Florida has a great new anti-bullying statute passed in 2008. It's being held up as a model law for the rest of the nation. Of course, the staff of a school which shall remain nameless in Polk County were totally unaware of its existence until last week, when it was brought to their attention.
Two years after federal case law defining criteria for IEP accommodations, schools in Pinellas County are denying IEPs to eligible kids.
Florida State instructors have been complaining recently that incoming freshmen are often incapable of writing a five-paragraph paper. (Which is particularly astonishing because FSU's freshman class is skewed toward kids ranking in the top 20% of their class, and with >3.6 GPA.) Across the board, more than half of Florida high school graduates who attend college require remediation.
Gifted education varies, but in general is limited to either one-day-a-week pullout enrichment sessions. There is the odd self-contained gifted center in larger counties. In my county, it translates into more homework (workbooks, some papers, lots of math repetition, a few projects) and teaching half a grade to a grade above level.

Is it possible to get a decent education in Florida? Sure. But it's not an automatic done deal, and iot's not just a case of "send your kid to an A-ranked school and all will be well". Even A ranked schools can have their dark side-- and with constant rezoning, they might not be A-ranked two years after you buy, either. And bear in mind that just because you raise your children right, doesn't mean the other parents will, even in "nice" neighborhoods.

Short answer-- do your homework, and make plans, by all means. But keep an open mind about options like private, homeschool, magnets, charters...and have a plan B in mind, as well.

[Swimmom32]

your child will do as well as you the parent allows them too....I know this 1st hand, as my child coming to NC was extremely behind from NJ, with this in mind she is playing catch up and had to be Retained back to 3rd grade, However with my assistance with the school and the teacher we are as a team, helping her and let me say she is doing awesome.....Basically your child is your responisbilty especially in learning, and if your not there for them they wont excel anywhere....Trust me thre are worst schools than Florida, in this country and plenty of kids going to college and trying to be sucessful...and who's to say that certain children will do extremely well in "an Excellent School" u cant just send your kids to school and expect to doing else to help them...

[Strel]

Originally Posted by wacahootaman

Try Keystone Heights for good schools and family values.

I don't think so man.

I could tell you some first-hand accounts of the morals of some of the young women of that town....

[Shoegal1075]

Guys - you will notice that those parents who have a problem with the education here probably had an issue in NY or where ever they were from too. That good be 2 types of parents. Those who are basing the information about the schools on everything someone else says and those who actually make their own decisions. I will say this, I have 2 friends whose kids were struggling in NY and went to Florida and still had to be held back a year. I think the pace NY or the NE schools teach at is great IF the child can keep up. There are still plenty of kids here who are left behind! My boys are in classes of about 40 kids. I'm very fortunate that they both have no issues, but I do my part. I go over homework, I study with them. Damn, I read the book for the book reports so I know he is doing the right thing. Parents have to take responsibility for their children and help in the education process and I think we would se a lot less complaining about the schools. Problem is these kids are learning so damn fast. My son is 10 and doing Algebra, I think I did Algebra in like the 7th or 8th grade what the heck man.

[TXRyan23]

I was raised in Eastern Hillsborough County. I hated it because of the lack of diversity but I had a pretty decent experience growing up. After turning 18 and looking for work was a different story but I had a great time growing up.

The schools are pretty good. I went to Pinecrest Elementary, Turkey Creek Jr. High, and around that time we moved alot so I went to Durant, Blake, and Plant City but all were great schools.

If I had to move back to Eastern Hillsborough I'd kill myself though.

[Shoegal1075]

Why?

[dmccauley]

Originally Posted by Chelsa1075

Parents have to take responsibility for their children and help in the education process and I think we would se a lot less complaining about the schools. .

I have to disagree with you on this one. The more and more I get involved the more angry and frustrated I get wondering wtf are the teachers doing.