Subjective experience regular neighborhood schools please

[VickiR]

Originally Posted by RaleighLass

Sadly it is. Schools are very different now. Our kids are faced with SO many challenges that we didn't face in school. The things you mentioned not wanting or wanting to minimize, are here. My advise, like Meh said, keep your kids close. And I would add, keep them busy after school so that they don't start hanging with the wrong crowd - specifically MS and HS. And always, always, get to know the parents of the kids they do hang out with. We have so many parents here that don't keep their kids close. They have no idea what they are into. And, some of the parents have issues with values too. Vet them carefully. Through my grandson who lives in Cary, I am seeing a whole new breed of parents One set of parents bought their now 18 year old a 4 bedroom house for him to live in - alone! Local kids go over there and skateboard inside the house!! The house is torn up inside I heard. And, on weekends, kids go there to get free alcohol and drugs courtesy of the local HS entrepreneurs (aka dealers). Now I know this isn't happening in just Cary, it happens everywhere in the triangle, including Chapel Hill, and the surrounding area. No place is without these same issues. I hear it from my friends who have kids in MS and HS. And, folks moving to this area from the Midwest, Cali and the NE tell me they have the same issues there.

Sorry to be a downer, but this is the reality and it's better to know now you should be prepared, rather than think you are protecting your child by putting them into a school with less of this.

When our kids are in elementary school, seems like we know what they are doing every minute of every day. So many parents stop doing that once they go on to middle school. High School? I bet most parents have NO idea who their kids' friends are.

My daughters are 8 years apart. When daughter #1 used to have sleep overs, parents would come in to meet us, if they hadn't already done that. The next morning, parents would come in the house to pick up their daughters.

When daughter #2 had sleep overs, parents would drop off their kids in front of the house (many didn't even pull into the driveway!). When parents picked up the girls the next morning, they'd call from their cell and have the girls meet them outside. Many of these acquaintance friends...we never met any of their parents.

Very strange, I thought. Our daughter was always embarassed that we insisted upon meeting any parents when she was going to be spending the night. We asked who was in the house and who was going to be there with the girls, etc., etc.

Short of hiring a P.I. to check out the parents, we did the best we could. Many parents just assumed the middle school kids would just take care of themselves.

So...I agree with Raleighlass...be as involved with your kids as you can...even in MS, HS and college!

Vicki

[west seattle gal]

Good advice all, i really am taking it to heart.

[sro73]

west seattle, Just curious what you have learned after all your research. Where did you end up? We are considering a move to Chapel Hill and thinking about all the same things you wondered in your original post. Do you happen to know if there is a big difference between Chapel Hill and Chatham schools?

[eesmom]

Yes, I am curious here as well. I know in my head that it really comes down to parental involvement in how well my girls will do in school but there is a part of me that is really swayed by the numbers and data that is currently out there. My husband is trying to weigh in not only academics but also home resale and etc and it makes it all so complicated at times.

[BoBromhal]

there will be an enormous difference between Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools and Chatham county schools. If you want to look into the individual Chatham schools that might be most relevant, then you're most likely looking at those in the Northeast corner of the county.