Kyrene school district -- A warning to anyone planning to move here

[ajonesaz]

Originally Posted by Samsara19

My child didn't have an IEP. How is it possible to have a game of telephone in text?

I think thats what people are trying to get at. If your child has a "learning difficulty" and individualized education plan is needed. This helps the teacher to better teach your student.

I have no experience with Kyrene schools, but traditionally in any "good" school district parent participation is highly encouraged. That is what the difference in schools boils down to. Poor school performance is directly related to the parents lack of interest in their childs education.

Teachers here work hard for little pay. Their work includes dealing with close to 60 parents who all have different ideas of how they should teach. If your child needs help outside of the scope of an IEP you will need a tutor or you will have to work with him if you want him to succeed.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

I agree pretty well with all of your post, although I think sometimes parents and young people worry too much about which college they're going to go to, rather than why they're going to college and for what reason or purpose.

With several degrees, it doesn't matter all that much as to which college you go to (think Nursing). If that's the case, I guess the average SAT won't matter much either. The day you enter college, no one will ever ask about your SAT score.

But there are also a lot of instances where the college that you attend does matter. For instance our daughter is in dentals school in AZ. I predict 98% of the people don't care which dental school their dentist attended. I don't. Where you went to medical school does matter. Our son is at HMS (#1 ranked in the world). HMS will open a lot of doors. As importantly, the quality of education kicks butt. Again, not so important if you are going to Harvard for dental school. BUT where you go for under grad will make difference how easy you will get into dental school (for instance). I've studied the histograms with various dental colleges (for instance). Putting it another way, a 4.0 at a tier 2 UG school and an average DAT score == a big uphill battle.

But if you want to work on Wall Street, they pull from the Ivy's all too often. In another example, if you are attending business school, I'd be concerned of landing a decent job unless I went to the state flagship or unless I had a family relationship. Business degrees are saturated and a dime a dozen. In AZ, WP Cary or in MN, Carlson School of Management are the flagship schools. Businesses often recruit from the name brand schools (as well as privates draw from their alma mater). That said, there are a lot of under employed business majors out there (compared to full employment at the better ranked business schools) Same for attorneys. Prestigious law firms hire from tier 1 and tier 2 grads. Ambulance chasers (or $30K a year attorneys) come out of tier 3 schools.

But for many other disciplines, it doesn't matter all that much. Work experience trumps where you go to college.

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

I think for many young people, finding their raison d'etre is the hard part, not getting X test score or getting into Y college.

Absolutely!

[ScottsdaleMark]

Yes, I agree with you, it matters a lot more in some professions, e.g. medical, Wall Street, legal, etc., than in others. Certainly, if you went to Harvard, Stanford, or other top-tier medical schools, you can pretty much choose your path, which is wonderful. Heck, even just being native-born and going to an American medical school is an advantage, since a quarter of all doctors are foreign-born. Most professions aren't as credential-focused as medicine, though, since most do not require that much specialized training.

So, I would still say that for the significant majority of people, college choice can sometimes be overrated. What is critical is the drive and work ethic and level of personal pride in one's work that drove one to get to that point. E.g., your kids would likely be just as smart and motivated and likely to succeed, I imagine, had they gone to their 2nd or 6th or 10th choice school, versus their first choice school. If you got them to the point where they are one of the top HS students in the school, state or country, what they have done up to that point is probably much more formative and important than anything else, such as school choice. "They are who they are," already, in large part. Let's say your child went to a state university medical school versus Harvard. Would they be...95 percent as talented a doctor upon the completion of their studies? 100? 90? Just curious your opinion on how much it would matter.

[SoCalCpl2]

I have read all the posts on here and cannot really figure out what the OP has a problem with... It seems to me that she is going off of someone else's problems with the SD and not her own???

She states she does not need an IEP.. So then why bring up a special needs child???

AND, she NEVER really states what if ANY problems she has personally had with the SD....

IMO, I think she is just ranting here to see what kind of responses she can get.....

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by ScottsdaleMark

Yes, I agree with you, it matters a lot more in some professions, e.g. medical, Wall Street, legal, etc., than in others. Certainly, if you went to Harvard, Stanford, or other top-tier medical schools, you can pretty much choose your path, which is wonderful. Heck, even just being native-born and going to an American medical school is an advantage, since a quarter of all doctors are foreign-born. Most professions aren't as credential-focused as medicine, though, since most do not require that much specialized training.

So, I would still say that for the significant majority of people, college choice can sometimes be overrated. What is critical is the drive and work ethic and level of personal pride in one's work that drove one to get to that point. E.g., your kids would likely be just as smart and motivated and likely to succeed, I imagine, had they gone to their 2nd or 6th or 10th choice school, versus their first choice school. If you got them to the point where they are one of the top HS students in the school, state or country, what they have done up to that point is probably much more formative and important than anything else, such as school choice. "They are who they are," already, in large part. Let's say your child went to a state university medical school versus Harvard. Would they be...95 percent as talented a doctor upon the completion of their studies? 100? 90? Just curious your opinion on how much it would matter.

Interesting question. Backing up a bit, I propose a lot of very smart students are under employed with commodity degrees because they picked the wrong business school for example (dime a dozen) for instance. If you got into #1, 2, or 3 you have a massive stamp on your head saying "I'm freaking smart".

Speaking from experience and specifically relating to our sons experience. With a label, it more easily allowed him to go after what he wanted. Sure, a brilliant and motivated ASU student will go on to do amazing things (even more if they have incredible communication skills). But a brilliant, motivated kid from Harvard or Stanford (etc) is going to have the door held open for their entire life so long as they continue to be motivated in life. Bonus, in many instances the quality of education is to the next level as well. Many times not. But in the case of HMS or Stanford (DS got in both), he says there were big differences. As a bonus, never under estimate the power of relationships. Mover and shakers are littered at the best schools. Hence, doors open wide because they know people. But for the overwhelming majority of people, ASU or Arizona State or CC is a tie.

But yes, that brilliant motivated kid who went to a state school is going to kick butt in life. But statistically more doors which could be the big break will happen more and a top program.

[cactusland]

Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2

I have read all the posts on here and cannot really figure out what the OP has a problem with... It seems to me that she is going off of someone else's problems with the SD and not her own???

She states she does not need an IEP.. So then why bring up a special needs child???

AND, she NEVER really states what if ANY problems she has personally had with the SD....

IMO, I think she is just ranting here to see what kind of responses she can get.....

It just sounds like another person that drops their children off at school and thinks that is where their parenting ends.

[Samsara19]

Originally Posted by cactusland

It just sounds like another person that drops their children off at school and thinks that is where their parenting ends.

Completely the opposite, actually. Those types usually love the schools because it's free daycare and could care less if their kids were bullied or placed on a "track" unfairly. The kids are contained, that's the main goal of a parent like that.

But, I can see there's a definite interest in discrediting the complaint that the school is full of cliques, obsessed with appearance (especially with regard to test scores and online reputation) and delivers an at-most average education to the majority of students.

And I'm not stupid enough to directly identify my own situation with direct accusations beyond statements of opinion based on what I saw.

What I saw? Brown-nosers, bullies, and a system that's trying to pass itself off as champagne when it's actually just beer in a long-stemmed glass.