Where to live with a 5-year-old (established neighborhood)? (high school, pay)

[finnari]

Originally Posted by observer53

This is a VERY broad statement, and as such gives a very inaccurate impresssion. There are VERY good public schools in Arizona, including metropolitan Phoenix, and including schools not very far from where the quoted poster lives. Some are not rated so highly so research is important.

You can look up any school in any school district on www.greatschools.com

like I said beware of the public schools in arizona. my wife is a speech therapist, her sister is a public school teacher. They both grew up here. There is a wide discrepency in schools here. Generally speaking the education in Arizona is rated poorly when compared to other states.

If you have the money go private.

[fcorrales80]

If you want an older, established neighborhood where you are close to great schools (public or private), transit, cultural amenities, density, etc I would say live somewhere along the light rail line: many parts just north of the business district, midtown and uptown have neighborhoods that are absolutely gorgeous and extremely convenient. Here's a sneak peak of midtown where many of my friends with family live:


YouTube - Phoenix Metro Light Rail

[nolagirl]

I would look from Arcadia/Biltmore up the 51 to Desert Ridge, Desert Ridge would be about a 15-20 minute commute on the 51.

[diapermama]

Originally Posted by finnari

like I said beware of the public schools in arizona. my wife is a speech therapist, her sister is a public school teacher. They both grew up here. There is a wide discrepency in schools here. Generally speaking the education in Arizona is rated poorly when compared to other states.

If you have the money go private.

I agree and yet I also disagree...

When we moved away from Phoenix to Ohio my son had a VERY hard time keeping up with his classmates. In Kingergarten in Phoenix their main objective was learning their ABCs and singing songs (which is a-okay with me). When we moved to Ohio though his new Kingergarten class was more like an AZ second grade class. All the kindies were reading chapter books, spelling every state in the country, spelling every month of the year on command, etc. It was FREAKY! Now my two youngest have been in full academic preschools for two years here in Ohio just to have them ready to enter Kindergarten and not be behind. AZ is way behind other states....

BUT... I was educated in AZ my whole life and still managed to go to college with a 4.0 GPA (admitted to college at 16 years old BTW) and get a good job for many years until I started my own business. I now work for myself, making a full time living from my home in only 10 or so hours a week so that I can spend all my free time with my hubby and kids. The education In AZ is more than adequate without the tremendous pressure that many other school districts in this country put on kids. I am actually planning to move my kids BACK to Phoenix and the slower paced schools cause the emphasis on academics is bordering on lunacy in some places... I want my kids to have an actual childhood!

[cmist]

Originally Posted by diapermama

I agree and yet I also disagree...

When we moved away from Phoenix to Ohio my son had a VERY hard time keeping up with his classmates. In Kingergarten in Phoenix their main objective was learning their ABCs and singing songs (which is a-okay with me). When we moved to Ohio though his new Kingergarten class was more like an AZ second grade class. All the kindies were reading chapter books, spelling every state in the country, spelling every month of the year on command, etc. It was FREAKY! Now my two youngest have been in full academic preschools for two years here in Ohio just to have them ready to enter Kindergarten and not be behind. AZ is way behind other states....

BUT... I was educated in AZ my whole life and still managed to go to college with a 4.0 GPA (admitted to college at 16 years old BTW) and get a good job for many years until I started my own business. I now work for myself, making a full time living from my home in only 10 or so hours a week so that I can spend all my free time with my hubby and kids. The education In AZ is more than adequate without the tremendous pressure that many other school districts in this country put on kids. I am actually planning to move my kids BACK to Phoenix and the slower paced schools cause the emphasis on academics is bordering on lunacy in some places... I want my kids to have an actual childhood!

I completely agree. How EARLY kids learn things may not be the best indicator of the overall education system. There is a steep learning curve in the earliest years when everything is new, but probably at some point, it all boils down to memorizing presidents, and the dates of world wars.

Our kids were on the border of being able to start kindergarten early if we wanted to push them, or wait until the following year. We opted to keep them with us longer and not rush it, and figured a young mind would feel better about themselves for feeling like they were smart as opposed to "not as smart" as everyone else around them.

I dont think that just because some other cities or states make their kids smarter "faster" means that they go on to become a smarter human being after 12th grade. Its possible to view less emphasis on speeding through the earliest learning curve in a positive light as well.

If you are going out of state there may be some catchup, but probably less the older the kids are, but if you are coming in state, maybe they feel like a genius for a little... but overall I think at the end, the public schools have taught about the same thing. (however some better funded schools offer extracurricular activities and opportunities that AZ does not, and for that reason the parents have to be more involved in keeping their kids occupied)

[shiphead]

Originally Posted by diapermama

I agree and yet I also disagree...

BUT... I was educated in AZ my whole life and still managed to go to college with a 4.0 GPA (admitted to college at 16 years old BTW) and get a good job for many years until I started my own business. I now work for myself, making a full time living from my home in only 10 or so hours a week so that I can spend all my free time with my hubby and kids. The education In AZ is more than adequate without the tremendous pressure that many other school districts in this country put on kids. I am actually planning to move my kids BACK to Phoenix and the slower paced schools cause the emphasis on academics is bordering on lunacy in some places... I want my kids to have an actual childhood!

Great to read a success story for once and not the typical, i lost everything, story. I don't find the AZ college system that great and wish i was smart enough to avoid it

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

Great to read a success story for once and not the typical, i lost everything, story. I don't find the AZ college system that great and wish i was smart enough to avoid it

Just one question. What is the "AZ college system?" I did my undergrad at USC and when I went to ASU's W.P. Carey, I often felt like the #14 ranked school in the nation didn't prepare me for a top 20 business school in the nation and I took extra classes to catch up to my fellow peers in their knowledge that they learned as undergrads.

I understand that over all, and general ranking ASU and UofA are ranked between 90-125, but you do know that means they are in the top 10% of colleges in the nation, there are over 1250 colleges "ranked" in the nation but only the top 140 are listed. If you notice, there are rankings like this; 11, 11, 11, 14, 14, 16, 17; so they don't really use "ties" but a continuation of rank. However, many of those rankings are used for over all categorization, if you get into the programs and colleges it looks much different. Unless you are getting a "liberal arts" degree or "interdisciplinary" degree the only thing that matters is the rank of your program.

As for AZ schools, k-12, it is hit or miss as is the rest of the nation. It is less miss in the urban districts no doubt.

[CPDL]

Originally Posted by finnari

we live in chandler. Awsome for families. I work in downtown phoenix the commute is not bad.
our 5 year old is in a private school in awahtukee. It's called the Summit. It's a great school we are very happy with it. Tuition is 900 a month. Beware of public schools in arizona.

Is $900 a month going rate for private tuition? Catholic K to 8th here in New Jersey is $500 a month.

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by CPDL

Is $900 a month going rate for private tuition? Catholic K to 8th here in New Jersey is $500 a month.

I can answer this, I pay tuition for my godson and my mom for one of my cousin's; at two different schools.

I have too many youngins as family members in schools, but I pay for Brophy Tuition which is $12,000 a year. Broken up into a 10 month school year is $1200. There is a testing and interview fee, a $100-$300 lab fee and class tuition surcharge depending on classes, a $250 one time registration fee and $50 per semester registration fee...

For St. Mary's (a cheaper school), mom pays $1,155 for 9 months of school. A total of $10,400 a year. $35.00 testing fee, $250 registration fee and I don't think she pays a semester fee. If you are a "practicing" catholic (which she will be next year, LOL) you pay $7,995 a year or $888 a month.

I think the Catholic k-8 schools were similarly priced but a few hundred off here and there. If you want great public primary schools look into the Kyrene School District (Tempe, Ahwatukee area), Madison School District (central Phoenix), Washington Elementary School District like the Abraham Lincoln Traditional School (excelling school with a 9 out of 10 ranking), and the Alhambra Elementary School District (Alhambra Traditional is an excelling and national A++ school with a 10 out of 10 ranking on great schools). The Kenilworth School (k-8) in downtown Phoenix is a public school with an excelling grade and national A++ award although I heard great schools ranking for this is volatile because parent's either love it or hate it based on one experience. We maybe adopting one my of partner's relatives next year from the grandparents (parent's passed away in an accident and grandparents too old) so we are looking at Elementary options too. I am scared...

[asufan]

Originally Posted by fcorrales80

I can answer this, I pay tuition for my godson and my mom for one of my cousin's; at two different schools.

I have too many youngins as family members in schools, but I pay for Brophy Tuition which is $12,000 a year. Broken up into a 10 month school year is $1200. There is a testing and interview fee, a $100-$300 lab fee and class tuition surcharge depending on classes, a $250 one time registration fee and $50 per semester registration fee...

For St. Mary's (a cheaper school), mom pays $1,155 for 9 months of school. A total of $10,400 a year. $35.00 testing fee, $250 registration fee and I don't think she pays a semester fee. If you are a "practicing" catholic (which she will be next year, LOL) you pay $7,995 a year or $888 a month.

I think the Catholic k-8 schools were similarly priced but a few hundred off here and there. If you want great public primary schools look into the Kyrene School District (Tempe, Ahwatukee area), Madison School District (central Phoenix), Washington Elementary School District like the Abraham Lincoln Traditional School (excelling school with a 9 out of 10 ranking), and the Alhambra Elementary School District (Alhambra Traditional is an excelling and national A++ school with a 10 out of 10 ranking on great schools). The Kenilworth School (k-8) in downtown Phoenix is a public school with an excelling grade and national A++ award although I heard great schools ranking for this is volatile because parent's either love it or hate it based on one experience. We maybe adopting one my of partner's relatives next year from the grandparents (parent's passed away in an accident and grandparents too old) so we are looking at Elementary options too. I am scared...

$12,000/year doesn't sound so bad, especially considering I pay about the same/year to send my 22 month old to daycare. I just don't know if I'm going to want to be dropping that kind of coin on school when he gets older. Hamilton High School, here we come.