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Fort Myers - Cape Coral area Lee County
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Old 12-15-2008, 11:36 PM
 
1 posts, read 6,947 times
Reputation: 11

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I have 4 children in Lee County Public Schools. My oldest started in kindergarten here and is now a junior. Personally, with the economy the way it is here, I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to move here right now, (especially since so many of us are moving away to find jobs), and people are so broke that 62% of our students receive free or reduced priced lunch, (new stat. from Sunday's News Press), but here goes...

It is my opinion that Cape schools are, in general, better. My kids have all attended Gulf Elementary in CC. I like the high level of parent involvement and the principal is the most amazing man you could ever meet. I have a child with Asperger's Syndrome, (an Autism spectrum disorder), and Gulf has an excellent autism program. I know many of the ESE teachers at Gulf and they're all fabulous. The principal's heart for the special needs program is that they are equal members of the school. They have everything from profoundly retarded children in wheelchairs on up to a FT gifted program and when a kid whips down the hall in their motorized wheelchair or joins in a game on the P.E. field, the other kids don't even blink. For the most part, they are accepted. Of course, you'll always have an issue or 2, but if you bring it to the school's attention, (go to the asst principal on this one, trust me), they will deal swiftly and surely with the offenders and correct the problem if possible.

I have a child at Gulf Middle as well, a child at Oasis Charter Middle, and a child at Baker High. I'm pleased with all of the schools. Well, as pleased as I can be with Fl. education. My high schooler attended Mariner Middle for 1 year, that was all I could take of that. Avoid that school at all costs.

Do look at the national rankings for Florida public schools. I think we're about 47th in the nation and Lee County is one of the bottom counties in Florida. I have paid big bucks over the years for tutoring for my children. Good tutors run about $50/hr. Plan on it if your child will be taking advanced courses since I've found many of those teachers to be lacking. Pet peeve: they teach "creative spelling". Most of the kids simply cannot spell here, it's not considered that important. And grammar, don't even get me started on grammar. For whatever reason, I'm considered strange because I expect all of my kids to attend college. That doesn't seem to be the general expectation. When kids from here do go to college, very few get into the better schools unless they went to Canterbury or Bishop Verot, (private). Generally they attend Edison State or FGCU.

Again, I don't advise a move to this area at this time because of the economy and the level of education. It can be a nice place to live but you have to heavily invest financially and otherwise in your kids' educations if you want them to come close to measuring up, so just be prepared for that. With the current economy, investing financially in education can be very difficult. My advice: don't move here unless you have to. If you have to, there are so many out of work teachers that at least you shouldn't have trouble finding a tutor...
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Old 01-02-2009, 02:34 PM
 
1 posts, read 6,878 times
Reputation: 10
can anyone help me compare the Cape High IB to the Fort Myers IB program. We are in the zone for Cape High however I have heard the Fort Myers is so much better, I guess more experience.
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Old 01-22-2009, 05:21 PM
 
47 posts, read 303,996 times
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To the person who posted this, if you are asking because you are planning to place your child in a lee county public school, you can private message me for some information. ive lived worked and have a child attending school here for several years. good luck.
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Old 01-23-2009, 08:49 PM
 
Location: FL
20,702 posts, read 12,443,922 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by squishysquishy5 View Post
can anyone help me compare the Cape High IB to the Fort Myers IB program. We are in the zone for Cape High however I have heard the Fort Myers is so much better, I guess more experience.
I don't know anything about the Ft Myers school first hand but have heard good things about it. Cape High I have heard that it isn't good, lots of fights, etc.
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Old 01-26-2009, 04:41 PM
 
2 posts, read 10,501 times
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My children have been attending a private international school (not in Fort Myers) leading to an IB diploma. We've made the decision to move to Fort Myers bc of a variety of factors.

I can't comment on Cape High's IB programme. However, after visiting Fort Myers High School's IB programme - I wouldn't send my children anywhere else. The programme is first-rate. The programme offers more than what my children have been receiving at a very expensive private school. The classes on offer in the 6 IB areas are deep, the teachers were very professional yet personable and the students amazingly friendly. It was very impressive.

My children will receive a private education at a public school. I can't think of a better combination!
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Old 01-28-2009, 08:15 AM
 
515 posts, read 1,582,283 times
Reputation: 218
3 kids, ages 13-15 arrested today with a bag of pot in 3 Oaks school. Just on the news. Some Teachers are paying attention.
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Old 06-03-2010, 08:59 PM
 
1 posts, read 6,086 times
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I'm a parent of a gifted child who is in part time gifted program in Caloosa Elementary.But I have to decide if I change him to a full time gifted or stay. Can anybody tell me in your experience if this program is really better than the regular?
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Old 08-06-2011, 08:08 AM
 
1 posts, read 5,458 times
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Canterbury, a private school, is great and the best private school in Lee County. Visit it, I am sure you will be pleased.
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Old 08-06-2011, 09:28 AM
 
Location: Fort Myers, FL
165 posts, read 303,407 times
Reputation: 193
The Magnet schools are okay. Canterbury is okay. For high school, Fort Myers IB is the only option for a good education. The rest? just like all Florida... severely underfunded, crowded, just horrible schools. I went to Orange River Elementary for Kindergarten and 1st grade, then got into Edison Park Elementary which was an Arts Magnet school which was actually a good school... then after my parents divorced and we moved to South Ft. Myers I went to Cypress Lake Middle School and it was downhill from there. From Cypress Middle, I went to Cypress High School. One of the biggest drug schools in the county along with Estero High. Bishop Verot the Catholic School is HUGE on drugs as well as it's located in the same general vicinity of Cypress High. Basically all the drug dealers in Cypress sell to the rich kids at Bishop Verot (ecstasy/cocaine being their main choice.) I know all this because I was subjected and into that scene for years until I grew up (I'm 25 now.)

Won't even mention Cypress Middle (several arrests as well) but in Cypress High School alone I recall 4 teachers being arrested during my stay. One for heroin possession and intent to sell (possibly to students, not sure though) her name was Ms. Reynolds I remember, another for intent to sell marijuana directly to students. The other two were coaches who had various sexual relations with the girls in their gym classes.

Without being arrested I knew of one of the deans selling weed out of his trunk to us after football practice. He never got caught. Another who taught Advanced Biology (I had this class as a Freshman, i was one of the youngest in the class) her name was Mrs. Beattie I don't know If I spelled that correctly but she would be drunk every day of class. So much so that her eyes were always blood shot red. She still had a 70s Farah Fawcett haircutt. The woman was obviously a lush. I watched part of 9/11 happen in her class actually. She always drank from her coffee thermos religiously so when she stepped outside of class once the students took a smell and then a taste test and confirmed it was indeed liquor and coffee (baileys or something if i remember right.) She was so bad in the mornings that she actually bought a MICROPHONE to talk to the class. Mind you this is a Biology class so the majority of the room is taken up by stations with sinks and places to dissect animals etc. so the class was actually pushed all the way up to the front of the room with the teacher, no less than 6 feet away from her desk (the front row.) So she talked so low (due to being perpetually hungover) that she needed a damn microphone to talk to the class.

Another common occurrence in Florida schools is point curves. To save face in school rankings, most Florida Public Schools after bad test scores do point curves to boost grades. This means in that same Advanced Biology class, I would get an 85 on the test... most of the rest of my class would get 50s-70s. A good number actually failing. So they curve up our scores, the 50s become 70s and the 70s become 90s. My 85? well I came out with a 105. I was now a "genius"

smh
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Old 11-21-2011, 01:10 PM
 
1 posts, read 5,273 times
Reputation: 10
If you have elementary age children with autism or special needs, keep them out of San Carlos Park Elementary. The principal there treats them like a disease. Her behavior towards them is shameful.
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