Public Elementary Schools in Broward - Recommendations? (Coral Springs, Plantation: real estate, neighborhood)

[taylorsmom]

Hello,
I am teaching North Carolina but planning to relocate to Ft. Lauderdale this summer. I am looking for recommendations as to preferred public elementary schools - specifically I would love to know something about the "culture" of different schools. I want to know where teachers are most happy teaching, which principals are most supportive. I am looking for a school which emphasizes constructivism, hands-on, inquiry based learning. I would love to be part of a team of teachers that are totally dedicated to creating an outstanding learning environment. I am really looking for the inside scoop on elementary schools not how they scored on FCATs.
Thank you for any input!

[compelled to reply]

A lot of the elementary schools in Coral Springs prefer to take the more hands on approach as to the FCAT approach. Central Park Elementary in Plantation is another one that is known for it's academics. From what I understand it has stellar FCAT scores because they use the test for what it's supposed to be used for- as a standards tester, not the grand standard. Interestingly you will actually find that in the more affluent areas here the teachers/staff are going to be pushing FCAT harder. Bayview Elementary in Ft. Lauderdale is supposed to be another one. Now, that's just what I "heard". Maybe someone else can chime in with more advice, but in the mean time, you should probably check out reviews of some of the elementary schools on GreatSchools.net to see what parents have to say about them.

[lovingcharlotte1966]

Embassy creek in cooper cityis aswesome or any of the cooper city schools

[marcopolo_ny]

well, I heard so many about cooper city... - and now after 5 years here let me tell you something
I know a few kids/ young people that finished middle schools high schools in cooper city - and the grade was excellent
I don't want to tell you what jobs they have now
Shortly
Keep in mind:
Florida suuuuuck in schools!!! if you really want your kids to finish a good school, sincerely you need to consider a relocation - to move in a different state. I am sure the most people will not do that.
Florida is considered one of the worst states in education.
Anyhow - how I said now I know allot of kids/young people that finished education in Cooper City and their jobs suck.
So - in our case - living here in Florida the most important thing is the kid. If the kid is able to do extra work/extra school activities it's ok.
Just a few kids - from COOPER CITY schools they will go from here to a good State University -
I heard so many times the Cooper City schools story - and let me say it ... it's a kaka story
Florida is one of the most uneducated states - it's said but if you want something for your kid-move out of Florida.

[SIZE=3][/SIZE]

[Swimmom32]

so why do so many bright kids attend florida colleges as florida has some excellent ones, interesting...we are looking in Weston...the Elem school scores considering florida schools are rated very high most importantly I enjoy reading the parent reviews...I guess is just a matter of what one makes of it....I cant beileve florida kids are stupid sorry...

[coopercitygirl]

I love the cooper city schools We have been so happy and it is a real neighborhood here. It has about 35,000 people in the area . We are like a small place in the middle of a big city with malls 3 minutes aways and great rest just as far. Embassy had such great scores on the fcat and i believe I could be wrong is reason that we are building on to the school. Also my son is doing a pilot program here called "glides" It is new way of learning and it is all about reasearch and he loved it. So good luck with your search Berry but do check out Cooper City. It is a diamond here in ft lauderale.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by berryjuice4life

so why do so many bright kids attend florida colleges as florida has some excellent ones, interesting...we are looking in Weston...the Elem school scores considering florida schools are rated very high most importantly I enjoy reading the parent reviews...I guess is just a matter of what one makes of it....I cant beileve florida kids are stupid sorry...

Florida kids are not any more stupid than kids in the rest of the country. However, the schools here are substandard. The substandard schools do not make smart kids stupid, but it does leave them poorly educated.

You will find that the better state universities in FL are populated with quite a few students who went to private high schools.

As for the OP-I have not worked in public elementary schools here but the better schools are generally found in the western part of the county. I don't know if that makes them better schools to work in, but they are the schools that show higher achievement and are located in communities with more resources.

[heydade]

Flamingo Elementary in west Davie is EXCELLENT....and a great affordable place to live as well

[Billycat]

TaylorsMom,

Oh I am so sorry, the education system here is horrible. Florida spends roughly 7K per student, in comparison to say a suburban area, next to a major city spends between 20-28k per student. I have a relative who is a teacher, the view of education here in this state is probably one of the worst i have seen. What you are asking for in your post will be hard to find. Low pay, little respect, back stabbing principals and staff. The politicians would love to make this state a voucher system, and abolish public education. You can go to browardschools.com and see the FCAT scores for the different schools, but you are looking at the best of the worst. Research where Florida ranks in the country, as far as spending, teacher pay, and overall education. Hey, but the weather is great.

[vvolin]

I have not used the public school system when I lived in South Florida: i sent my children to private school. While I do not have first hand experience, I did my research before deciding to spend a fortune in private school.

I am sure some schools are better than others, but better does not mean good. Also, the "best" public schools tend to be in areas with higher real estate values, so you first have to be able to get a property there.

Over the years I have come to realize that our standards are different. Some people are happy about a school maybe because they were lucky and their kids ended up with the best teachers. The opposite happens as well: my child had a bad year in private school when she ended up with a mediocre teacher. On the other hand, what is good for someone is not necessarily good for me or for you. We all have a different idea of what a school should be able to offer on most years (good and bad teachers tend to gravitate everywhere and you are bound to have a little bit of both).

In the end, while certainly you may find a decent education in some schools and with some teachers, overall the picture in Broward is really bleak, so bleak that I would recommend that, if you can not afford private schooling and if education is a top priority for you, then maybe you should really think about a different place to relocate. I can't believe I said that: I don't think I have ever tried to turn someone away from South Florida, which is the place I love the most after Italy.