School?

zazu13

So I know it's really early for the FTMs to be thinking about schooling, but if you're like me, it's crossed your mind and probably affects some of your decisions like buying a home. What are your plans for your kids' schooling?

mrscrcalli

I don't want to think about ittttt X_X

KatieGummow

Our school district sucks.  We have an AMAZING private high school a rocks throw away, so we are thinking private schooling all the way (makes getting into private HS easier).

deidremaria

Luckily the island is small enough that distance won't matter too much. Public school here isn't what it was when I attended so it's not even an option. As much as I'd love for dylan to attend our country day school I can't be sure that I'll be able to afford it. Fortunately there are a good number of private schools to choose from

MamaFantastic

probably public school, but it depends on where we end up buying a house.  the elementary schools in our current location are pretty good, but they get worse as the grades get higher.  i live in a part of the northeast where there are a LOT of really excellent (but super expensive) private schools and prep schools, but we'd never be able to afford most of them at $15-25k per year per kid.  schools are a VERY heavy factor in our house hunt at the moment.

bacorrea

We are military, so it will depend on where we are stationed when it is time to put DD in school.

edoliesmom

@bacorrea‌ You finally have a real avatar! Yay! Almost didn't recognize you.

Anyway, I chose "other" because I'm undecided if I want to do public school or home school.

bacorrea

@edoliesmom‌ haha yes! I only mobile bump and when the app was updated I figured out how to have a picture, that's my cat Phoebe...in the crib.

edoliesmom

bacorrea said:

@edoliesmom‌ haha yes! I only mobile bump and when the app was updated I figured out how to have a picture, that's my cat Phoebe...in the crib.

lol Silly kitty! Cribs are for babies!

zazu13

I want a charter school - partly for academics, but largely for a traditional schedule (summers off.). Around here public schools are year round track system (9 weeks of school, 3 week breaks.) no thanks. Plus, I work at a college so I want my kids on a similar schedule. I'm curious who picked home school. I have considered it, but dont think it is for me. Oh, and I am a former public school teacher

hordol

I am a private school teacher so maybe I'm biased, but I would love to send my kids to a private. Probably won't be able to afford it though, so I chose "public but not the local one" because the district right next to us (I live in the border of two districts) is eons better than the one we are technically in, so we will probably go that route.

ETA that district is open enrollment

speechie517

It depends on where we live. My husban and I both grew up going to really great public schools, but there were also good private options where I grew up. Where we live now, I do not like what I see with the public school system (and I'm an employee in the district) and B will attend private school if we still live here.

AmberLiz99

I voted as because we are still deciding. He will go to private preschool next year, and either go to public kindergarten or to this co-op elementary school in our area. If I feel he needs to be home schooled I'll consider it (I was home schooled) but it will depend on his learning style and hoe he does as he gets older

littlesocks

We just bought a house and the decision was heavily weighted towards the school system rankings. So we'll be doing local public.

ladygali

dani+california said:

I don't know what Charter school is...?

Anyway LO will be going to French Catholic school. Not French immersion, full French. Catholic schools here are the only ones that offer a fully French curriculum, not sure why! They're everywhere though so luckily we have one about 5 minutes down the road, and the high school is 3 blocks away (and the school I went to.) It's why we chose this house!

I wish there were more opportunities in the US for bilingual education. It's not a priority but it should be. Languages don't typically start until high school (at least when I was in high school) and by then it's kind of late for most people to really absorb it. Pretty much the only thing I remember from French class is "je ne parle pas français."

baileymama3

Public. Private school can be awesome, but are super expensive (here range 30k and up)-and if he is driven and excited about education- he will thrive anywhere.

MissHSoonToBeMrsS

I went to a catholic private school K-12 and currently teach at a catholic private school. Most likely, LO will go wherever I'm teaching.

thomas930

We are homeschooling, at least through the elementary school years. My DD started Kindergarten this year and we are having a lot of fun with it. My two year old even sits with us and listens along while coloring or working on some craft project. 

Dixon813

I'm a public school teacher and Liam will be going to public school (though not where I teach, even though it's one of the next in the state, because they don't have open enrollment). Where we currently live, the school system is mediocre, but we plan to move in the next year or two and one of the top priorities is a great school district. Thankfully there are a handful to choose from in areas we want to live.

snowbound

Ideally, we would like to send DS to Catholic school but we move a lot and public school may be a better option.

hpanabaker

We are in rural Ontario so school choices are slim.  There is public school or there is Catholic school.  We haven't totally decided yet, but mostly likely DS will go to the Catholic school.  The public school here is awful.  French immersion is offered at the public school which is nice, but it it's not offered until grade 5 and it doesn't continue into high school.  Where at the Catholic school it's not french immersion but they start learning french in grade 1.  

Also, I don't know what Charter school is either.

Kyllarae

My town is tiny so there's only two public K-8 schools and one high school. I'm not overly fond of any of them so I will be looking into other options. I wouldn't be opposed to getting her a variance to a public school in a nearby town.

Dahlia414

Charter school most likely. There are great ones here while the public schools are horrible. I wish I could send them to private Christian school but its just too expensive.

Talltrees82

Rural Ontario here as well. The public school is right behind us, but for French Immersion he would have to go further away on the bus. I would love for him to have French, but if it works out better for us that he goes to the public school, then that's what we will do. I speak French so I can teach him myself if needed.

Also don't know what a charter school is, ha ha!

momofmanyinthemitten

We are doing homeschool. I taught at a public high school in metro Detroit, and then a charter in Columbus. I'm not into common core and tons of testing, nor having my kids sit in a classroom for 8+ hrs each day. DD1 has anxiety and sensory issues. Just talking about going to school prompts panic attacks. Plus, I'm pretty sure her choice of outfit today (undies and dress shoes) would not fly at school We've been doing reading prep, numbers, math concepts, and a ton of playing since last winter when she turned 3.

nicole mackenzie

I was home schooled and DH went to boarding school so we'll meet in the middle with a public school.

I'd love to send LO to a French speaking school but I doubt we could afford it...

olenkapdx

LO's daycare is applying to become a charter school.  If that happens and I'm still pleased with them (and we still live in the area) that could be a good option.  I'm also OK with the public school on the elementary level, it's the high school near us that seems to suck.  Who the heck knows where we will be by then.   

hlm184

AprilMay9 said:

@hpanabaker‌ @dani+california‌ charter schools are publicly funded but they don't have the same curriculum as public schools and are privately operated (ex no unions and I'm pretty sure no pensions). Usually you have to apply or test into the school. Some of them are more focused towards a particular interest such as math and science.

Some of this is true across the board but some of it isn't.  I worked in a charter school that was closely tied to the public school system, for example.  While there were lotteries for the charters and each had a focus (back to basics, german, etc) they were still operated by the school district, required to conform to most guidelines, and teachers were public school teachers with unions and everything.  So some of that stuff can depend on where you are and how charters are set up.

That said, we will almost certainly be homeschooling at least through elementary.  We will probably be moving three or four times from the time M starts Kindy to the time he hits third grade.  I am open to public or charter (private is probably too expensive) if we happen across awesome ones in our moves.

ksulli

We house hunted with schools in mind, and bought in a great school district. We'll be using public as long as we stay put.

Jessimax

Living in the sticks means we have very few choices, basically English or French public. Luckily our English school here is fabulous and actually immersion (60% English 40% french) DS is there now so DD will join him there in a few years.

Ashleypixie

We have amazing public schools here, if you send your kid to private school you only do it for the car magnet. I went to a private catholic school and I hated it! I'm glad we don't have to contemplate this. I can't afford the private schools here and they're all Christian based.

SoulTermination

Depends on how stupid the school districts in the area are about things like shooting imaginary guns/bows and other imagination-rich games like that.

knotty-girl

Local public schools, although they have been trying to break from the Santa Monica school district and become charter, so if that were to happen (it won't), then charter. There is the possibility of LO attending Oaks Christian (private) for HS, but that's so far off I haven't put much thought to it.

kwolslager

Voted SS,
My kids will do public school through til high school graduation, however, I will be pulling them out a few hours early everyday to homeschool teach math and maybe history/social studies.

edoliesmom

@LalaMama81 Love your new siggy pics! Your babies are so cute.

ladygali

@LolaDair‌ I agree with you 100%.

I was homeschooled from 1-8 grade and went to a public HS. There are pros and cons to both, I think. However, I will be sending DS to a public school. I'm a public school teacher, I will fully support his future teachers, and I will opt him out of testing. Hopefully, some (all) of that testing will be gone by the time he is in school. [-O<

UnofficiallyLO

We will do local public. The schools around us are great, mostly A schools while some in neighboring counties are failing.

kwolslager

LalaMama81 said:

kwolslager said:

Voted SS,
My kids will do public school through til high school graduation, however, I will be pulling them out a few hours early everyday to homeschool teach math and maybe history/social studies.

Huh? Every day the whole 13 years? Why? Can you even do that? I don't even know how that schedule would work.



Actually you can, I have a few good friends who have been doing it for years now and love it. When the kids are in elementary you work with the teacher on when they do their math time, and pull them out for the hour or however long to do it either at home (one of my friends even does it in the car to cut back on driving)
Then when they are in middle school and high school they schedule all classes except math and end school an hour early and you do it at home.

I've been doing a lot of research on doing homeschooling for only certain subjects and it really fits our familys needs and desires. The reason we choose math is because I've done hours and hours of research on common core and I personally disagree with it completely. Other parents might be ok with it but for me and my children it's not a good fit.

allyandmike24

AprilMay9 said:

What is the big deal about Montessori and Waldorf? When I was a kid I remember the Montessori kids were always behind everyone else In middle school and all sucked at spelling and grammar. Now they seem to be some sort of status symbol anyone with some extra coin wants to brag about.

IDK but Boston Public Schools just opened a public K-5 Montessori in our neighborhood and alllll of my friends are sending their kids there. I'm not necessarily sure how it fits in with the MCAS and other standardized testing, but I'm curious to see how it works out. 

My (limited) understanding of Montessori and Waldorf is that they eschew traditional teaching methods and testing-centered education (Common Core, etc.) for more child-centered teaching methods which foster a sense of independence and "discover" the things they learn via hands-on exploration vs. being force-fed them or asked to repeat/memorize concepts. A huge component of Montessori is self-care and children are taught at an early age to care for themselves, their school and their things. I know less about Waldorf. 

AcaAwkward

Our current plan is to move back to Austin before DD is 5. She would attend public school there. If by chance that doesn't happen and we stay in Dallas, it'd be a big conversation. The public schools within the city are abysmal for the most part, but I'd prefer to live in Dsllas Proper. We'd likely move to a neighborhood very close to where we live now where the public elementary and middle schools are good. I'd have to learn more about the HS before deciding if the kiddos would continue there or move to private (it's about a 50/50 split for the neighborhood).

hordol

Some of you that don't like the schools in your area might want to look into nearby districts and see if they are any better and if they have open enrollment. Luckily the school district in on the border of is great, and they have open enrollment so I'm lucky. I have nothing against public school in general but I would love to send DS to private for a religious education.