Davidson vs Murphy (Montgomery, Mobile: credit, high schools, college)

[Justthebasics]

My child has been accepted to the Davidson IB program. We live much closer to Murphy but I've heard their program is not as good as Davidson's program and that they are at risk of losing their IB accreditation. I haven't been able to find rating information on High Schools in the area. Does anyone have information about how to compare using actual data as opposed to hearsay?

[bhammaster]

Since when did Murphy begin to loose their IB and when did Davidson get IB ?

[Batjag]

Let me relieve your fears....Murphy is not losing their IB program. Infact, We are becoming an Academy this year, centered around the IB and CIS programs. I have 2 children in the Murphy IB program and they are receiving the best possible education. I'm not sure where you heard this rumor, but please visit both schools before you make a decision.

Murphy's program is the 2nd oldest in the State of Alabama and the quality of the program is documented in our scores, graduation rates and in our College Acceptance and Scholarships. Please schedule a meeting with MHS's director, Gene Montgomery, and get the facts.

[bhammaster]

^^ Yep, Murphy has more black students then it did 10 years ago and since this is Mobile, Alabama you are going to get all kinds of rumors and silly perceptions about what is actually a pretty great school based on that. Visit and research for yourself.

[krmb]

From a substitute teacher's perspective, Davidson is run pretty well. Students who come from terrible backgrounds are somehow transformed there. The IB program is great at both schools, from what I've seen and / or heard. Overall, both Davidson and Murphy have pretty well-behaved students, but discipline at Murphy is a little more lax than at Davidson. Murphy is more culturally diverse and has more extracurricular activities and creative programs. It also has a more visually pleasing layout. I think I would recommend Murphy out of the two schools. It just has more to offer, academically and otherwise. Do careful research first, though. I was quite impressed by Davidson's honors and IB programs. I've never observed Murphy's.

[Justthebasics]

Thanks for the input. I will give Gene a call. Just to clarify, I did find ratings for high schools, but I couldn't find ratings that applied to the honors programs, so the ratings are skewed to reflect the whole population. I makes it impossible to get a clear picture of what is going on within the programs and make comparisons between them. I appreciate all of your comments.