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  1. #1
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    WWYD? School Choice question

    You might have read this from the fail thread BUT:

    I was planning on sending my kids to our local public school. All the schools in the city are good. But then I ran into the issue of them not offering after school programs. They leave it up to the parents to find places that will pick up and watch your kids.

    On average the costs are about $450 a month for after school care.

    I happen to then learn about a charter school in the area that is a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math) school that has after school care for $375 (will be $300 if/when both kids are there).

    Pros:

    School has every kid purchase a chromebook and do a lot with them
    They can learn Spanish, Mandarin, or Hebrew
    It is project-based which is really really really good for creating critical thinkers who are independent learners.
    smaller class sizes
    academically, it will probably be way better than what they would get at a public school
    schedule is a lot closer to mine than the public school (e.g. same spring break)

    cons:

    It means they won't go to school with their neighbors
    uniforms (such a small thing but God to I hate the look of polo shirts. If I wouldn't put it on a dead dog, why should I put it on my kids?)
    has some severe backlash from the community (see below)
    small schools tend to have less extra curricular activities
    requires a lot more "volunteering" from parents vs. other schools
    General distrust of charter schools as I work at a charter school
    Feeling like a damn hypocrite as I wish funding would stop being taken away from public schools for charter schools


    Another consideration is the high school situation:

    So the school has a 7-12 in a separate location. This school is ranked higher than any of the other high schools in the area. Going to the elementary increases the changes to get to the high school, but not guaranteed. I have read about upset parents who had their kid go k-6 at the other school then get denied to the 7-12. The reason is not the charter's fault but the way the district sets up the lottery system. Meaning the kids may not get to go to high school with their friends.

    With all that said, while the academics that they offer are better, it is a small HS, so options are more limited compared to the public high school (no dance, film, etc. if they end up being interested in that stuff). I think the elementary would prepare them more for honors classes, however.

    More importantly, the high school may not even exist by then. The community flat out hates that these charters are here. The board recently voted to not renew the high school due to mismanagement of funds (which I guess was corrected, but they denied the renewal anyway), because the school board doesn't want it. At all. They are in an appeal process, but I don't know if it will work.

    If they get denied, there is reason to believe they may try to shut down the elementary, too.


    What would you do? Or is there something that should be brought up but I didn't mention?

    Sorry, I know this is rambling, but I got the acceptance letter today, but I have to give them my intent to enroll by Thursday.

    I want what's best for my kids. ;_;

  2. #2
    Ridill
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    Sounds like this charter is better at schooling if possibly less choices but people including yourself hate it. Meh I'd go for academics and learning the language of our soon to be Chinese overlords. If stuff gets shutdown can still go to the public. Though that can cause problems if the gap between schools is too much. Get really really bored if one school is effectively a grade farther ahead lol

  3. #3
    Hackey Thread Lurker since 2010
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    Uniforms aren't that bad when you realize that it saves the wear + tear of casual clothes they otherwise would be wearing to school. Sure polos are stupid as heck, but it's one less worry about in the morning.

    Ugh about the volunteering. Don't know how many hours are needed, but it was something like 10+hours/quarter of volunteering my dad had to do for a Catholic school else get slapped with a stupid tuition penalty.

    Two biggest benefits are the after-school care and smaller class sizes. Sure you would swallow your pride, but it's about the quality of education for your kids. The politics of public vs charter should be independent of the choice. If the charter fits your personal needs (time) as well as the kids' needs, then you shouldn't frown upon taking the more accommodating choice.

    And high schools up in the SCV aren't that shabby. It sure isn't Burbank, Van Nuys or Reseda.

  4. #4

    Sweaty Dick Punching Enthusiast

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    I don't currently have kids but I do have neices in the public school system as well as my mother working for her local district. Much like you, she advocates HEAVILY for more funding to better their system.With that said, I still ride with the charter schools until the public system does major rework. The fact is the charter school offers things the public system doesn't at the moment. The curriculum of both don't do much to prepare them for the harsh world we're in now but I feel charters offer things that, like you said, promote critical thinking (an extension of self thinking).

    I get your point of splitting your kids from their neighborhood friends but it's 2017and technology is already allowing us to crowd source ideas and opinion globally. I have no doubts future developments will outpace our own and they'll be fine as long as the interest is there.

    Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Caesar Salad
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    Take politics out of it and go to charter. No diff than private schools of the many flavors other than the stigma of charter. Plus your schedule is your schedule, and the volunteering thing will probably help you make friends with the parents which helps your kids make friends to replace the now-strangers in your neighborhood.

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  6. #6
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    The charter school sounds compelling, but as someone who went to four different elementary and middle schools, and two different high schools, make sure your kids are good at making friends if the likelihood of not attending a high school with their classmates/friends is high. It'll be a miserable experience for them if they're snobby or overly awkward and can't make any new friends.

    Something else to consider is the difference in evaluation between schools. If the charter school is project-based but their high school is test-based, they better be prepared for the shift or their grades and, more importantly, their desire to learn will likely suffer.

  7. #7
    I Am, Who I Am.
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    Anything but public school is the answer.

  8. #8
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    Send them to the meat grinder that is public school!

  9. #9
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    Get your kids the best education you can and damn the rest

  10. #10
    Burninate all the things.
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    How beneficial the switch to project based learning will be is going to depend entirely on how your kids are doing in the traditional system (or whatever approximates traditional in CA public elementaries). Students who were already excelling in traditional classrooms tend to stumble when thrown into project based or flipped classrooms, even though these teaching methods tend to result in net gains with a large enough sample of students.

    Anecdotally, I can tell you I was pretty miserable when I moved from being a straight A student in a traditional elementary to a then-experimental portfolio and project based elementary for 4-5. I had to lobby my parents hard to get transferred back into a traditional middle school rather than continuing on to the then brand new project based academy.

    Talk to your kids. Talk to their teachers. See if you can get an idea of what kind of classroom your kids may be most comfortable in. If they're already excelling in a traditional setting, shaking things up may not be ideal. If they aren't performing at the level you think they should be, consider trying something new.

    Ultimately, so much of a student's readiness to learn is contingent on the home that your kids will probably be fine anywhere.

  11. #11
    Atheist Douchebag.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greatguardian View Post
    How beneficial the switch to project based learning will be is going to depend entirely on how your kids are doing in the traditional system (or whatever approximates traditional in CA public elementaries). Students who were already excelling in traditional classrooms tend to stumble when thrown into project based or flipped classrooms, even though these teaching methods tend to result in net gains with a large enough sample of students.

    Anecdotally, I can tell you I was pretty miserable when I moved from being a straight A student in a traditional elementary to a then-experimental portfolio and project based elementary for 4-5. I had to lobby my parents hard to get transferred back into a traditional middle school rather than continuing on to the then brand new project based academy.

    Talk to your kids. Talk to their teachers. See if you can get an idea of what kind of classroom your kids may be most comfortable in. If they're already excelling in a traditional setting, shaking things up may not be ideal. If they aren't performing at the level you think they should be, consider trying something new.

    Ultimately, so much of a student's readiness to learn is contingent on the home that your kids will probably be fine anywhere.
    This is p good stuff here. I agree with him.

  12. #12
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    While I agree with GG, this situation doesn't apply that much because my daughter would be starting kindergarten. She hasn't tried any type of classroom yet, so I can't say officially traditional works or not.


    With that said, I honestly think she would be comfortable in either.

  13. #13
    The Shitlord
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    I think you should go with what fits your kids best. If they seem like theyd do better in charter, then "sure i hate it but its the best choice for my kids" is a perfectly valid reasoning. That said, while i agree you should talk to your kids, theyre what, 7? 8? What theyre into now may have nothing at all to do with what they are into in high school. Their opinions at this point are valuable but yours should have more weight. There will come a day when that flips, but not usually until theyre practically adults.

    I also moved several times as a kid. Moving was socially unpleasant and awkward, but this isnt quite moving, and even if it were, moving isnt the worst thing ever. Plus, times have changed. When i was in middle school, i moved. I am still friend with my middle school friends, and we chat regularly. One of my best friends moved and switched schools halfway through high school and we still hang out and play vidya all the time. Helps that he and i played XI all through high school, but thats my point. Its perfectly possible for kids to maintain friendships outside their school if they are motivated enough.

    Tl;dr: moving etc sucks but kids are resilient and resourceful and while their opinion counts youre still the decider.

  14. #14
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    Thanks everyone. I do greatly appreciate the input. It looks like I will suck it up and go the charter route. I will be monitoring her progress closely to see if I need to pull her. It's good to hear opinions from people outside my area.

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