Moving to Minneapolis Fm Dallas Suburb looking for secular private school for 7th grade girl GT (Minnetonka: for sale, houses)

[new blue]

We won't be able to move until August b/c of vacations & employer .
We are looking at homes in the 450,00-500,000 range.Really concerned about daughters schooling since in a great private school in current area.

Looking for newer 2500 + sq ft & swimming pool.

Any neighborhoods or school recommendation would be appreciated.

Also I am a Bilingual (Spanish) Speech Language Pathologist Assistant.
I have not found any school positions. Do I need to look in St Paul or another close city for work?

Thank you

[golfgal]

Swimming pools in MN are hard to come by--more people just use community pools since they are usually limited to use between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Private schools here are going to run in the $20,000+ range and are really not better than most districts in the Twin Cities metro area, especially in the suburbs. I wouldn't rule out the public schools here as they top the nation and are better than what you have there.

[emcee squared]

From a glance at Google Earth, it seems there are more homes with pools in Minnesota than down here in Georgia. While they are certainly less frequent in Minnesota than in the Dallas area, it is possible to get something. I'm not up-to-date in neighborhoods and schools since I don't live there right now, but the western suburbs seem to be a good place to start in your price range.

[jzeig104]

Most of the schools in this area do not use Speech Language Pathology Assistants. They just use Speech Paths. There is no special education funding for districts to use "speech path assistants" in MN. You may have to take a teaching assistant or paraprofessional position to stay in the school environment here. I am sure your experience would be very helpful for Remedial programs and there is lots of funding available there.

Also, there is no Title III funding for paraprofessionals or assistants in the English as a Second Language Programs in MN. Only for ESL/ELL Teachers.

As for medical settings, I am not sure. May be related openings there.

Also, I agree with GG about the schools. Before you rule out public schools here, check them out--unless you are looking for religious education or something.

[ocsid]

Having a pool will severely limit your search. They just aren't that common, and then you have to find a house for sale with one. Your best bet might be to look in the western suburbs around Lake Minnetonka, but many of those houses will be above your price range. I know of a few people with pools, including my neighbor, and almost all of them don't think they're worth the hassle and cost.

Private non-religious schools I guess I'd look at Blake and Breck, but yes, they're going to be $20,000 plus for tuition. Most private schools in the Twin Cities tend to be Catholic schools. As many of the other posters have alluded to, public schooling in Minnesota is vastly different in quality than most southern states. It's much better.

[jtbuddy]

Thank you all for the input. Really appreciated it. I have worked in OR, WA, NJ & now TX and each suburb claimed their public schools were the best however, they all had their students take state testing. The teachers were seriously impacted by this & had to teach to the test.
We had to go with a private school.
What source are you using for public school ratings?

What suburbs offer college prep with strong fine arts in the Minneapolis area?
We do not want a long commute, 30 minutes tops because we try to eat dinner together before my daughters dance or gymnastic team practice.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by jtbuddy

Thank you all for the input. Really appreciated it. I have worked in OR, WA, NJ & now TX and each suburb claimed their public schools were the best however, they all had their students take state testing. The teachers were seriously impacted by this & had to teach to the test.
We had to go with a private school.
What source are you using for public school ratings?

What suburbs offer college prep with strong fine arts in the Minneapolis area?
We do not want a long commute, 30 minutes tops because we try to eat dinner together before my daughters dance or gymnastic team practice.

MN tops the nation in SAT/ACT test scores, that should tell you a lot. Where exactly will you be working (location)? Which fine arts do you want and does she want to dance and do gymnastics in school as well? Given that information you really should look into Rosemount. They have a fantastic fine arts program, they do 4 or more theater productions each year along with a huge musical review show. They have a dance program in the school as well as several dance studios in the area. Their band program is by far the best in the state. It's a VERY well supported program all around. The kids travel all over the country/world to perform as well. Graduates go to top colleges year in and year out, they have a full compliments of AP classes, several college in the school classes as well as the opportunity to take the post secondary classes (duel enrollment) via the U of Minnesota. College prep is not going to be an issue at all. Just depends on where you will be working if the commute works for you.

[jtbuddy]

Thank you. My husband will be working Downtown near the new stadium.

My daughter is more into the visual arts and does gymnastic, piano & ballet for fun.
I will start looking in Rosemount.

Thank you again.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by jtbuddy

Thank you. My husband will be working Downtown near the new stadium.

My daughter is more into the visual arts and does gymnastic, piano & ballet for fun.
I will start looking in Rosemount.

Thank you again.

They do have a pretty significant art department as well. Commute is probably going to be a little longer than you want but not too much longer.

I'd look into the Mahtomedi schools as well. That will be closer. Not sure what they have for visual arts but it's a fantastic school system.

[jzeig104]

I dont believe you said how old your child was, but here are some of the arts schools K-12 in MN


Perpich Center for Arts Education

Saint Paul Public Schools

Folwell School, Performing Arts Magnet

http://www.emid6067.net/crosswinds/index.html

DaVinci Academy of Arts and Science

Westonka Public Schools - Home Page

Home

Saint Paul Public Schools

Saint Paul Public Schools

Visual Arts

Youth and Family Programs | Minneapolis Institute of Arts