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Old 09-08-2013, 11:50 AM
 
17 posts, read 34,307 times
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Hi,

My husband, daughter and I just moved to Nashville from So Cal. We are currently living in the Crieve Hall neighborhood where my husband grew up. He attended Davidson County public schools, but that was 20+ years ago. His mother says if she had school age kids now, she would move to Williamson Co. From everything I've heard, Williamson Co has amazing schools, so I already know that, but what I'm wondering is, how bad really are Davidson Co schools. We really like Franklin and wouldn't mind living there eventually, but we also are really drawn to the Green Hills area with its proximity to downtown, family, etc. Our daughter is only 18 months, so we have plenty of time to decide, but just curious.

Thanks!
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Old 09-08-2013, 12:00 PM
 
473 posts, read 516,303 times
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Hi and welcome. My husband and I faced this decision about a year ago. From the research we did, it seems the problem with Davidson County schools begins at the middle school and high school levels. Maybe someone who actually attended those schools can jump in about honors programs and the like, but if you look at Great Schools ratings, the highest rated HS (Hillsboro) gets a 7, while Williamson County schools get 10s across the board. From what I understand, that's objective data based on test scores and reading/math levels. That said, Davidson has some excellent magnet schools, and Hume Fogg probably gives Brentwood High a run for its money.

The other thing worth considering is diversity: socioeconomic, political and religious. From talking to other Williamson families (and looking at the stats), the typical Williamson Co. student is upper- or upper-middle class, white and Christian. But as transplants increasingly move to the area, I expect things to change within the next 5-10 years. Still, for the moment, that's a potential plus for Davdison Co.
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Old 09-08-2013, 01:06 PM
 
Location: Bellevue
21 posts, read 75,106 times
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Thanks to the OP! I am also interested in getting feedback from families who have made this decision recently - stay in Davidson Country vs. move to Williamson County. My wife and infant daughter live in Bellevue but would like to move closer to the city center. Schools obviously will be a part of the equation.
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Old 09-08-2013, 01:44 PM
 
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
222 posts, read 635,808 times
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Aside from the fact that there is too much emphasis on standardized testing, I'm happy with Davidson County. That's the case across the entire state though.
I like the diversity of Nashville. I don't think I'd be happy in Williamson County--even though everyone seems to score well on tests. There's more to life, in my opinion.
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Old 09-08-2013, 04:50 PM
 
17 posts, read 34,307 times
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Thanks for the input! I hadn't thought of magnet schools, but that's definitely something to consider. I do like the diversity of Nashville and I haven't seen much of that in the time I've spent in Franklin/Brentwood, especially since I grew up in So Cal.
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Old 09-08-2013, 06:31 PM
 
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I recently read somewhere (I believe it was the Tennessean) that when students are controlled for income levels they score exactly the same in Davidson and Williamson in the ACT. Davidson is pulled down significantly by low income students while Williamson isn't.
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Old 09-08-2013, 06:53 PM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,552,039 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hey_Hey View Post
I recently read somewhere (I believe it was the Tennessean) that when students are controlled for income levels they score exactly the same in Davidson and Williamson in the ACT. Davidson is pulled down significantly by low income students while Williamson isn't.
Considering that Metro Nashville schools report 72% of their students as low-income, it's not really a number you can ignore, though.
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Old 09-09-2013, 10:11 AM
 
473 posts, read 516,303 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life View Post
Considering that Metro Nashville schools report 72% of their students as low-income, it's not really a number you can ignore, though.
I think this pretty much sums up the problem with Metro Nashville schools -- not that there are low-income kids, but that parents with the means to send their kids to private schools generally do. So the perception becomes self-fulfilling.

But I tend to agree with the other poster too that smart kids will generally come out on top no matter where they go, especially with parents who advocate for them. Then again, you already moved from So. Cal to Middle Tennessee to be closer family; what's another 30 minutes south to get the neighborhood and schools you want? Also, some areas in northwest Brentwood are literally over the county line and might as well be Forest Hills/Green Hills for their look, feel and proximity to downtown.
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Old 09-09-2013, 11:30 AM
 
Location: Nashville, TN (USA)
813 posts, read 2,022,622 times
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The large number of solid middle class families w/ good students being "scared" out Davidson County schools is as detrimental to the school system as the number of low-income students. I'm not a parent, but I am a product of Metro Schools. I've had several conversations with friends from childhood about how things have changed at the high school we attended. We've concluded what's changed the most are that the solid middle class families who have the students that are most likely to excel have simply opted to leave the county. They're certainly a variety of reasons for this, but I do think some of it has stemmed from often irrational fears about both the safety and quality of education being provided in Metro.

While the Metro school system certainly has a host of problems like most city schools, I do find it gets a bit of an unfair wrap on forums like this one. It seems people just point to test scores without much consideration as to how students from different backgrounds test differently and how much more access middle to upper income families have to tools for their children to "succeed" such as expensive prep courses. Hey Hey's point regarding Metro students testing similar to students in surrounding counties from the same socioeconomic background did not surprise me one iota because it's essentially what I saw play out at Overton a little over a decade ago. The top kids in AP/Honors classes were the kids that would have succeeded anywhere. My fear is that the percentages of these top students are getting considerably lower at some formerly solid schools.

Personally, I think it's rather sad when I read these forums and I see families who'd honestly much rather live in Davidson County for a variety of reasons get convinced they should throw all those out the window and opt for Williamson or Rutherford Counties simply because of schools. It's extra sad when you see the same person come back a few years later and post about how much of a mistake they made.

Last edited by ariesjow; 09-09-2013 at 11:39 AM..
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Old 09-09-2013, 05:22 PM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,552,039 times
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It's definitely a cycle. As a parent, though, you have a limited window in which to make these decisions that affect your entire family.

Certainly there are good schools in parts of Nashville. I taught at two Metro schools 20 years ago (a middle and a high school), and even those have changed for the worse in just the decades since. I have many friends who live in south Nashville, and they have tried to stick with it. I've known some who, at times, have felt like pioneers just trying to follow the rules and get a good education while their kids have to sit in class with many who don't give a crap and act up ALL the time, get their stuff stolen, etc.

I can only share my non-scientific, personal experiences here. Given that elementary school only goes through 4th grade in Metro, many begin to wonder why they would put up with that when they literally don't have to by moving to a system that has almost no behavioral issues and a great graduation/achievement rate.

If the state would leave Nashville alone and the school board could stop jacking around with charter schools etc and focus on bringing up the quality of its public schools, property values in Nashville would soar. More companies would locate there and fewer people would have to consider the suburbs. There would even be less interstate traffic!

IMHO, it's the city's most pressing problem.
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