School Choice

[algia]

& and just as ridiculous it is for the "neighborhood" school to not accommodate Autistic children!

I absolutely HATE having to "drive" my kids to school when I could literally walk to it!!!!!!!!!

Maybe we should segregate the people that have Autistic children, you know like 55+ communities?.....

Originally Posted by FloridaKash

I think the entire choice program is ridiculous. Where you live should determine which school you go to. Because of the choice program there are children who live across the street from a school but have to go to a different schools because there is no room for them, due to people from different neighborhoods going to that school. Talk about silly!

[annaegel]

I would suggest you look into Learning Gate Community School (..:: Learning Gate Community School ::..). My kids went there. When we moved down here, my older daughter had a very hard time fitting in at her assigned school. I put her on the waiting list for 5th grade and hoped for the best. I also put my younger daughter for 2nd grade. One week before school was to start we got a call that they both were accepted in. For my older daughter it was a great experience. My younger daughter had a very hard time adjusting. I took her out before she was due to enter 6th grade. The school has some challenges, but I think they were getting a much better education. Families do come from all over. Like Seminole Heights, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, etc. You may be able to arrange a carpool. The school runs from pre-k to 8th grade. They are actually due to open a high school starting next school year.

Now that I have taken my younger daughter out of Learning Gate, I can compare Learning Gate and Liberty, which is an A rated school. Learning Gate IS better academically. For my daughters mental health, I had to take her out. She is happier at her new school and she is in all honors classes getting nothing lower than a 93. Not to brag about my daughter, but I give the credit to Learning Gate for giving her a strong foundation.

[Pragmaticus]

Originally Posted by annaegel

I would suggest you look into Learning Gate Community School (..:: Learning Gate Community School ::..). My kids went there. When we moved down here, my older daughter had a very hard time fitting in at her assigned school. I put her on the waiting list for 5th grade and hoped for the best. I also put my younger daughter for 2nd grade. One week before school was to start we got a call that they both were accepted in. For my older daughter it was a great experience. My younger daughter had a very hard time adjusting. I took her out before she was due to enter 6th grade. The school has some challenges, but I think they were getting a much better education. Families do come from all over. Like Seminole Heights, Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, etc. You may be able to arrange a carpool. The school runs from pre-k to 8th grade. They are actually due to open a high school starting next school year.

Now that I have taken my younger daughter out of Learning Gate, I can compare Learning Gate and Liberty, which is an A rated school. Learning Gate IS better academically. For my daughters mental health, I had to take her out. She is happier at her new school and she is in all honors classes getting nothing lower than a 93. Not to brag about my daughter, but I give the credit to Learning Gate for giving her a strong foundation.

Actually my wife brought up learning gate and other charter schools and I said forget it. No offense to them in fact I like them with environmetal part but I believe it is upto the parents to make the kids good.

You know what? I am happy with where our K guy is at Deer Park elemenratry.

I have said this before and I will say it again it is all up to the parents. Deer Park, for example, is not bad at all. In fact, rated 10. Our son studies at home (doing home work and preparing for AR exames) one to one and half hour every day except saturday and he is doing great, in fact, top of the class.

So, I wouldn't pay for private school. I will pay for myself and for my wife too who does most of the work and spend the time with the little guy..

[allstardad]

I have to agree. We spend alot of time with my son and that is why he is entering kindergarten reading at a 2nd grade level. I do not expect the school to do everything. But I want the right environment and the zoned school is definitely not it.

I have a friend that teaches at Learning Gate. They rave about the school. I also heard they had a bumpy start, but I was concerned that they would teach him more about global warming and gardening than actual academics

[annaegel]

Originally Posted by allstardad

I have to agree. We spend alot of time with my son and that is why he is entering kindergarten reading at a 2nd grade level. I do not expect the school to do everything. But I want the right environment and the zoned school is definitely not it.

I have a friend that teaches at Learning Gate. They rave about the school. I also heard they had a bumpy start, but I was concerned that they would teach him more about global warming and gardening than actual academics

Yes, they do focus on "global warming" and "gardening", but they do teach the foundations very well. They do it through the ecology stuff. It isn't all ecology based however. The issues I had with LG was that they tolerated a lot of behavioral issues with kids, to my own kids detriment. She was very well behaved, but was not recognized for it. The kids that acted out, was praised when they did good. The woman running the school has some serious mental health issues as well. Seems she can make it very difficult for the teachers. As a parent, I knew I could not approach her. I also did not like the fact that a teacher almost always gets hired because they are related to another staff member, even if they are not fully qualified to teach. Many people LOVE this school. There are many people who don't for all the political nonsense that is in this school.

[newyorker24]

Magnet schools are nothing special. I know someone that works for the school board that told me the magnet schools are really just a way to get smarter kids into low-performing schools, which are generally in bad neighborhoods. You rarely see a school in an affluent area turned into a magnet school. I went to one for a few years- and trust me, the education was not any better than the other non-magnet public schools around. The only magnet schools that are really teaching at a higher level are the IB high schools.

If you really want your child to get a great education around here invest in a private school- but do your research since some are way better than others. The concensus seems to be that the non-religious ones are better (do not want to offend anyone, I'm referring strictly to the level of education/quality of teachers), but they are also more expensive.

[allstardad]

Originally Posted by newyorker24

Magnet schools are nothing special. I know someone that works for the school board that told me the magnet schools are really just a way to get smarter kids into low-performing schools, which are generally in bad neighborhoods. You rarely see a school in an affluent area turned into a magnet school. I went to one for a few years- and trust me, the education was not any better than the other non-magnet public schools around. The only magnet schools that are really teaching at a higher level are the IB high schools.

If you really want your child to get a great education around here invest in a private school- but do your research since some are way better than others. The concensus seems to be that the non-religious ones are better (do not want to offend anyone, I'm referring strictly to the level of education/quality of teachers), but they are also more expensive.

We actually had applied for the IB School. I have to agree that not all of them are any better. We will see what happens. I am doing my research