Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We have a kid in a charter this year, Hawbridge in Saxapahaw. So far so good. We chose it because it's smaller than the middle school she would be going to and since she's an anxious kind of kid that seemed to be a better fit. It's also a little more flexible than traditional public school which is good for her. I actually think our local middle school is fantastic, but it just didn't seem like a great fit for this particular kid. Hawbridge also has an environmental science and art focus both of which she loves and they are able to spend a good bit of time outdoors on the Haw River and elsewhere. It's early in the year yet, but so far she seems to like it.
I have not heard much support for the Howard & Lillian Lee school in Chapel Hill. I have heard a lot of vocal opposition. I'll be interested to see if they get many kids enrolled. The Chapel Hill Carrboro schools are building a new elementary school set to open next year in a traditionally African American neighborhood, Northside, too. Lee school's stated mission is "closing the racial achievement gaps". I just really wonder if many parents of African American kids will pick that school over the new Northside school or other CHC elementaries. There's a large Hispanic population in the dual language programs at Carrboro Elementary and Frank Porter Graham, etc. I just doubt that Lee school will succeed, but I could be surprised. It may be that they would pick up kids in middle school, but it's just K-8. It's also managed by an out of state for profit company.
I think charters can be great, but can be less-than-great, too. I wonder how many of these newly approved 25 charter schools will actually make it.
We have a kid in a charter this year, Hawbridge in Saxapahaw. So far so good. We chose it because it's smaller than the middle school she would be going to and since she's an anxious kind of kid that seemed to be a better fit. It's also a little more flexible than traditional public school which is good for her. I actually think our local middle school is fantastic, but it just didn't seem like a great fit for this particular kid. Hawbridge also has an environmental science and art focus both of which she loves and they are able to spend a good bit of time outdoors on the Haw River and elsewhere. It's early in the year yet, but so far she seems to like it.
I have not heard much support for the Howard & Lillian Lee school in Chapel Hill. I have heard a lot of vocal opposition. I'll be interested to see if they get many kids enrolled. The Chapel Hill Carrboro schools are building a new elementary school set to open next year in a traditionally African American neighborhood, Northside, too. Lee school's stated mission is "closing the racial achievement gaps". I just really wonder if many parents of African American kids will pick that school over the new Northside school or other CHC elementaries. There's a large Hispanic population in the dual language programs at Carrboro Elementary and Frank Porter Graham, etc. I just doubt that Lee school will succeed, but I could be surprised. It may be that they would pick up kids in middle school, but it's just K-8. It's also managed by an out of state for profit company.
I think charters can be great, but can be less-than-great, too. I wonder how many of these newly approved 25 charter schools will actually make it.
School size is an interesting topic. I graduated in a class with 67 seniors, and the district had just 1,000 kids in K-12.
I would have felt overwhelmed by the size of schools I see in Wake County, and I have heard as much from a few parents relocating to the area.
It's too bad more of these charter schools don't focus on bilingual education and internationalization.
True, but just make that the parents' job to do. You can supplement with a foreign-language after school program, home/internet based program, and do your part to take your kids to visit foreign countries. That's our plan.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,778 posts, read 15,788,843 times
Reputation: 10886
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppydog
We have a kid in a charter this year, Hawbridge in Saxapahaw. So far so good. We chose it because it's smaller than the middle school she would be going to and since she's an anxious kind of kid that seemed to be a better fit. It's also a little more flexible than traditional public school which is good for her. I actually think our local middle school is fantastic, but it just didn't seem like a great fit for this particular kid. Hawbridge also has an environmental science and art focus both of which she loves and they are able to spend a good bit of time outdoors on the Haw River and elsewhere. It's early in the year yet, but so far she seems to like it.
I have not heard much support for the Howard & Lillian Lee school in Chapel Hill. I have heard a lot of vocal opposition. I'll be interested to see if they get many kids enrolled. The Chapel Hill Carrboro schools are building a new elementary school set to open next year in a traditionally African American neighborhood, Northside, too. Lee school's stated mission is "closing the racial achievement gaps". I just really wonder if many parents of African American kids will pick that school over the new Northside school or other CHC elementaries. There's a large Hispanic population in the dual language programs at Carrboro Elementary and Frank Porter Graham, etc. I just doubt that Lee school will succeed, but I could be surprised. It may be that they would pick up kids in middle school, but it's just K-8. It's also managed by an out of state for profit company.
I think charters can be great, but can be less-than-great, too. I wonder how many of these newly approved 25 charter schools will actually make it.
What's interesting to me is that when they put the Spanish immersion program at Frank Porter Graham entirely, I think it's going to make the other schools less diverse. I think Scroggs lacks in the diversity department already, but it will even be less diverse when all of the Spanish immersion kids are pulled out of there. I didn't realize that the new school was in the traditional African American neighborhood. Heck, I didn't even know there was a traditional African American neighborhood in CH.
More on topic, do the parents pay any money to go to a charter school? You are allowed to go to a charter school out of district (as it seems the Saxapahaw school would be)?
More on topic, do the parents pay any money to go to a charter school? You are allowed to go to a charter school out of district (as it seems the Saxapahaw school would be)?
No, parent's don't pay to attend charter schools and yes, you can attend any charter school in the state (although there is usually no transportation).
No, you don't pay money to attend charter schools, they are publicly funded. So some people feel they draw money away from existing public schools, but in the case of Wake County where we are already bursting at the seams, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to open more schools!
Very sad: most charter schools don't budget for a librarian. However, I'm going to try like the dickens to get my youngest into that arts charter HS...she needs the small school size and strong arts program and after all, she has her own personal school librarian at home.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,778 posts, read 15,788,843 times
Reputation: 10886
Thanks, Lamishra and Library Sue! I didn't realize you could go anywere in the state - interesting. I thought they were free for parents, but wasn't sure. They weren't very common in NoVA.
Who has kids in charters, and what has been your experience?
Our oldest is in his 2nd year (7th grade) at Kestrel Heights Charter in Durham. The middle school is a great fit for him. We've been much more happy with the quality of education he is getting and the level of expectations of the students. Not to mention the teachers are just FANTASTIC! The smaller size (300 kids instead of 850) helps since my son is a bit on the shy side.
Many charters are great options since rarely does one size fit all in education. And some kids just need more flexibility than what I've seen district schools in Durham provide. (I only have first hand experience as a parent with one school district in N.C.)
For high school we will look at both the new arts charter in Raleigh and the new charter STEM school (Research Triangle High School) in Durham. He's equally interested in art and science and math at this point.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
