Best middle school in/around San Antonio? Opinions please! (Canyon: for sale, real estate)

[pobre]

Originally Posted by MtnzFam

When I picked my son up from school today he informed that tomorrow his class will be "watched" by parent volunteers. At first I thought he meant they would be sitting in on the class, but he went on to explain that the teachers are having their "Holiday Celebration" aka Christmas party & these parent volunteers will basically be babysitting (suppossedly they'll be doing "fun activities"). They are having their Christmas party during school hours ... yet didn't even bother to at least get real substitutes?!! I was at HEB so I had my hubby call the school to verify this info & they said it's true & asked him if he wanted to be a volunteer!

So tomorrow I'll be keeping our son home & will also be letting the school, as well as the administration offices, know just what I think about this nonsense.

I would also let someone in the district office know about your concerns...You should also be asking whether these volunteers are DPS cleared, too. I cannot imagine such a thing! That would NEVER happen at my school (or in my district, for that matter). I can just see my principal's face if we proposed such a thing!

I did do this (volunteer) in my son's (private) preschool for a teacher appreciation luncheon, but I think that this is a very different situation!

[MtnzFam]

Yes, I'll definitely be speaking about this to someone "in charge" at NISD. That's what I meant by administration offices, sorry.

What makes this worse is that we just went all thru similar BS with the Principal. For over a month my son's class had a different random substitute every day & because of that, the entire class is way behind. All of the students have missing/imcomplete work (& lots of it) that they are suppossed to be making up ... yet it's "okay" for the teachers to have their Christmas party during school hours?! Then of course the class Christmas party is on Friday, so yet another wasted day. I send my son to school for an education, not daycare playtime.

[dweej]

Wow, that is absolutely crazy, mtnzfam! Make sure you leave reviews about this school on greatschools.net too, with this specific information. It may help other parents when they're trying to make a moving decision in the future (and drawing public attention sometimes helps a problem get resolved more quickly....the squeaky wheel gets the grease!).

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by SA08

Sapphire,
I'm glad to read your comments about Connoly (sp?) because our daughter will be there before long. I hope that guy stays around!

Me, too! He's quite impressive! Also, get her in band if she's interested........my son is constantly having band activities and fun stuff--and the band directors are equally impressive. We lucked out!

*sorry to hijack.......I just want to let people know that all is not hopeless in the Great Northwest.

[Turtle_Mom]

Originally Posted by pobre

Tejeda is in the 78258 and 78259 zipcode, Bush (identical) is in the 78258 zip. Tejeda feeds into Johnson, Bush feeds into Reagan. Both are in NEISD.

Not sure if Tejeda is 78258, I think that is is mostly Bush. There is also the new Lopez MS which is on Hardy Oak.

Neighborhoods that feed to Tejeda in the 250K-350K range:

Cibolo Canyons (Roan Forest Elem - New elem in 2010)
Encino Park Area - various subdivisions (Encino Park Elem)
Fox Grove (Bulverde Creek Elem)
Terraces (Encino Park)
Bulverde Village (Roan Forest - New elem in 2010)
Pinon Point (Roan Forest)

All these homes are off Evan's/Bulverde area. Just note that if you are too far North on Bulverde it's Comal District, and too far East on Evan's is Judson (Fox Grove is the last NEISD development, however the apartments across the street from Fox Grove are Judson)

There will be a new elementary school in between Bulverde Village and Cibolo Canyons in 2010. Out of the three in the Tejeda area, I personally feel that Bulverde Creek is the best - but they are all great. Encino Park is an older school, but still has an excellent program. Roan Forest is also very good, although several people I know have had issues with the principal. We have been very happy with Bulverde Creek.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by Turtle_Mom

Roan Forest is also very good, although several people I know have had issues with the principal.

Roan Forest has been capped most of the time we've lived in SA. We ruled out buying a house in its attendance area because of the cap. The caps may not be in place now that there are more elementaries north of 1604, but it's worth looking into.

[MtnzFam]

I've put a call to both Central Office (Exec. Director of Elem. Instruction is who I was told I needed to speak to) & the school Principal, but have yet to hear back. They were both "in meetings".

[dweej]

Originally Posted by MtnzFam

I've put a call to both Central Office (Exec. Director of Elem. Instruction is who I was told I needed to speak to) & the school Principal, but have yet to hear back. They were both "in meetings".

You need to write a letter (or maybe several letters!) and keep a copy- written documents can easily become legal documents, so all business entities take them waaaaay more seriously than phone calls. When I worked for Neiman Marcus for the executive division, letters about anything (I mean, "I was charged $1 too much shipping" or "I haven't received a catalog in 6 months" or "What are the hours of your Houston location?") got priority over any phone call we might receive during the day. We had people that did nothing but respond to written correspondence because they can escalate so quickly. So write those letters!!!!!! And of course, keep us posted.

[MtnzFam]

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely do that. My Dad told me the same thing, write them a letter.

The Principal did not call me back (I need to speak to him because the school will be counting this as an excused absence whether they like it or not), but the the Exec. Director of Elem. Instruction, Betsy Wynn, did. Not that it helped any, she seems to be a big BS'er too. She did tell me that this happens in all of the NISD schools & they have known about this for some time because the Principal had to request her permission to do so. She said the parents should have been notified (she only said that because I asked), & she would talk to the Principal to find out why that didn't happen. She told me that these parent volunteers are "PTA members" as if that makes it okay. ANYONE can become a PTA member, all you have to do is pay your $5 membership due.

It's so sad to me that Christmas Parties, Winter Celebrations, Lucheons, or whatever they want to call it are more important then educating our children.

[mamatotex97]

NISD does require background checks on all volunteers so even if it is PTA if they are in the building helping a background check should have been done. In some schools that luncheon may even be put on by PTA.
The schools I've worked at have had lunches but you go during your lunch and that's it. No need for subs or volunteers or anything like that. You just go grab your plate when you can.