Madison schools questions--- (Franklin, Shorewood, Monona: apartments, crime, homes)

[TheChooch]

Hi,
I was wondering if you can tell me about the Edgewood Campus schools.
How does it compare to the local public schools?

Do you have any favorite public schools that outshine the private ones.

[TheChooch]

I can't believe no one can answer my post! Someone, please take pity on me...

[tchemgrrl]

Heh, I don't think it's a matter of taking pity or not, it's just a specific enough question that people who've looked here within the last two days don't have an answer.

I've heard good things about the public schools here. The Edgewood campus is gorgeous, but that's the extent of my knowledge. If you're interested in Edgewood you might want to get in touch with the staff there and ask if you can speak to some of the parents. It's likely that you'll only get to talk with people who love the school, but you can at least see if the things they like about the school line up with what you want.

[Chelito23]

Well, I don't know too much, but my sister went to Edgewood High School and enjoyed it...

The public schools are pretty good, but I wouldn't say better than Edgewood. Mention the areas of Madison you are looking at and then I could give you a better idea about the schools to compare to Edgewood. The district is rather large, and school to school varies, some great and some lead much to be desired.

[TheChooch]

Thank you. Areas of interest would be the west side and Monona.

[Chelito23]

Monona schools are actually in the Monona Grove School District, which I do not know anything about personally...but have never heard anything bad per se. Usually the suburban districts are preferred over the Madison schools by locals.

The west side is pretty big, but I will give you a run down. Glen Steven, Crestwood, John Muir, Van Hise, Randall and Shorewood Hills are the elementary schools that come to mind off the top of my head INSIDE the Beltline on the West Side. These are all good to excellent schools, many with diverse populations and educated, upper class families feeding into the schools.

The remaining schools on the West Side near the beltline and OUTSIDE of it (too many to name) are located farther out...which is where the more affordable housing is. As you could imagine, these schools have a mix of middle class and poor students, as the west side is upper class, but there are several affordable pockets of apartments and multi-family housing scattered about, which is more attractive, centrally located and safer than the South Side housing options. Therefore, the schools in this part of the West Side have more of a troubled element...not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but a different vibe than the schools inside the Beltline. At these neighborhood schools I suppose you see a disproportionate minority population and higher numbers of students in poverty, and since many of the middle class residents don't see the neighborhood demographics reflected in their local schools, they prefer private. Therefore, I think that if you are expecting and Edgewood type of experience from a West Side public school, it would have to be inside the Beltline.

As a matter of fact, in today's Wisconsin State Journal, there was an article of a family sueing the district, because they live on the Soutwest Side, but the wife teaches in Monona Grove school district...so they wanted their daughter to study there. The Madison school district would not authorize her leaving her local school because it would worsen the white flight in the District. The minority population is near 50% for the district, and when a school becomes minority majority, they don't let white students transfer out to avoid a racial imbalance. 50% may not seem like a lot, but for Madison, which is 15-20% minority as a whole...this is a big difference between the community and schools.

I hope I didn't paint a bad scenario...I was really just trying to detail what is going on, since you asked and haven't had much input. I might have over analyzed for you...but in summary, there are good and bad schools everywhere, even on the west side. Inside and out of the beltline you can find good and bad, and I was writing in general terms. I think your children would get a fine education at most of the Madison schools and would have experience to a diverse population, in a relatively white bread city, which is a major pro for the public schools. You should go to the area schools for a tour so you can get a better feel for them...and please do not think of Madison as the typical white flight district, it is a little more complex...many families prefer the suburbs with bigger yards and cheaper homes, so it isn't necessarily due to whites fleeing minorities, it is more of the pricing effect. The people who buy the homes tend to be yuppies, empty nesters or the highly educated with few children...so that is some extra background not to scare you off.

[TheChooch]

Wow! Thanks again for all that information. Very interesting. Coming from NYC, we noticed how few minorities we saw in Madison. I don't think I saw more than a couple of people of color. But somehow, the schools are diverse. I think the thing that appeals to me about Edgewood is that the campus is beautiful and I like the continuity of being able to send kids there until graduation and getting to really know people. However, we are Protestant (not religious) and not Catholic. I was hoping to hear that the quality of education was terrific. Thanks again.

[marnitalane]

The principal at Edgewood Campus School has been there a LOOOOOOONNNGGGG time (get my drift-o?) The 1st grade teacher is disorganized. There are some good teachers, though, and lots of male staff which is unusual and good. Good guidance counselor. Excellent tech program. Middle school is better than primary. Mostly nice kids.

[amysherman]

I've lived in Madison my entire life and would NEVER pay to send my kid to a private school. The schools here are very good. You get to know people in your neighborhood and your children (if you pick a good school and neighborhood) will go to a school in that neighborhood until they graduate from High School.
I understand paying for a private education if you are strongly religious or you live in a crime ridden neighborhood with terrible schools, but I have never understood people who live in Madison or the surrounding area who pay to send their kid to a private school.
www.greatschools.org

[jbear182]

Franklin/Randall district on the near west side is just as good if not better than Edgewood.