"Good" Schools

[Anonymous]

Yep. That's why the "good schools?" question kind of irks me. You're not looking for good schools, you're looking for good families and students with high SES that pull the test scores up. Which is fine, but don't act like the school is "good" because of anything the teachers/curriculum/principal/etc do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep. That's why the "good schools?" question kind of irks me. You're not looking for good schools, you're looking for good families and students with high SES that pull the test scores up. Which is fine, but don't act like the school is "good" because of anything the teachers/curriculum/principal/etc do.

Usually the question is posed as " what is the BEST..." Irritating b/c it implies that there is a very finite number of acceptable schools and the rest should be disregarded. In an area this big, it's just nuts to assume there is ONE "best" anything.

I agree with your point too....it's not like there aren't a large number of good families at most schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep. That's why the "good schools?" question kind of irks me. You're not looking for good schools, you're looking for good families and students with high SES that pull the test scores up. Which is fine, but don't act like the school is "good" because of anything the teachers/curriculum/principal/etc do.

It may be mutually reinforcing. At schools with "good families and students with high SES," you may find less teacher burnout and more experienced teachers. The curriculum may be the same on paper, but students may process information more quickly, allowing teachers to explore topics in more depth. The principal may not have to spend as much or his or her time worrying about SOL results and able to focus on other initiatives.

So be "irked" if you want to, but people will continue to search out "good schools," looking at objective measures of performance as one proxy for schools with families that care about education.

[Anonymous]

Way before SOLs, people sought out neighborhoods with nice well kept homes where community amenities existed (churches, Little League parks, dance studios, etc.). These were the places that signaled "families who care about education". The SOLs have only confirmed what people already knew about the schools in these areas.

[Anonymous]

It may be mutually reinforcing. At schools with "good families and students with high SES," you may find less teacher burnout and more experienced teachers. The curriculum may be the same on paper, but students may process information more quickly, allowing teachers to explore topics in more depth. The principal may not have to spend as much or his or her time worrying about SOL results and able to focus on other initiatives.

So be "irked" if you want to, but people will continue to search out "good schools," looking at objective measures of performance as one proxy for schools with families that care about education.

Kids in these schools have had books read to them from a young age. Their parents will be sure they get to school every day. It is unlikely that a six year old will be kept home to watch the baby.

[Anonymous]

cont. They will know how to follow directions and, in most cases, will respect the teacher.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with what you are saying and have said the same thing myself “Good is defined by the socioeconomic status of the students.” That said my son does attend a school with a high FARMS rate and while I think it is a good school in terms of the education and quality of teachers he has, I also see the drawbacks. Some things I do not like about his school and the high FARMS rates- lack of parental involvement- seems to be the same small group of higher SES parents who do everything, it is impossible to communicate with parents in the class and organize things like gifts for teachers, lack of relationships with kids outside of the classroom (good luck getting any of his school friends to do things like attend a b-day party). Overall I know my son will succeed no matter where he goes because he comes from a home with 2 well educated parents who will supplement his education and push him to succeed, but the social aspect of a high FARMS school does make me a little sad and makes me think more about moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with what you are saying and have said the same thing myself “Good is defined by the socioeconomic status of the students.” That said my son does attend a school with a high FARMS rate and while I think it is a good school in terms of the education and quality of teachers he has, I also see the drawbacks. Some things I do not like about his school and the high FARMS rates- lack of parental involvement- seems to be the same small group of higher SES parents who do everything, it is impossible to communicate with parents in the class and organize things like gifts for teachers, lack of relationships with kids outside of the classroom (good luck getting any of his school friends to do things like attend a b-day party). Overall I know my son will succeed no matter where he goes because he comes from a home with 2 well educated parents who will supplement his education and push him to succeed, but the social aspect of a high FARMS school does make me a little sad and makes me think more about moving.

This gets repeated at the middle and high school level. Have been in both types of schools. At higher SES schools there will be more activities, more trips, and more parents who will chaperone and lend their time and efforts to things like fundraisers and teacher appreciation days. All around just a more positive environment than at schools where the teachers and administrators have to do everything and then some. Don't get me wrong, some of the people at the high FARMS schools are DEDICATED and PHENOMENAL, but they are expected to do so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:cont. They will know how to follow directions and, in most cases, will respect the teacher.

Really?

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/437012.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with what you are saying and have said the same thing myself “Good is defined by the socioeconomic status of the students.” That said my son does attend a school with a high FARMS rate and while I think it is a good school in terms of the education and quality of teachers he has, I also see the drawbacks. Some things I do not like about his school and the high FARMS rates- lack of parental involvement- seems to be the same small group of higher SES parents who do everything, it is impossible to communicate with parents in the class and organize things like gifts for teachers, lack of relationships with kids outside of the classroom (good luck getting any of his school friends to do things like attend a b-day party). Overall I know my son will succeed no matter where he goes because he comes from a home with 2 well educated parents who will supplement his education and push him to succeed, but the social aspect of a high FARMS school does make me a little sad and makes me think more about moving.

This gets repeated at the middle and high school level. Have been in both types of schools. At higher SES schools there will be more activities, more trips, and more parents who will chaperone and lend their time and efforts to things like fundraisers and teacher appreciation days. All around just a more positive environment than at schools where the teachers and administrators have to do everything and then some. Don't get me wrong, some of the people at the high FARMS schools are DEDICATED and PHENOMENAL, but they are expected to do so much.

So why not change the boundaries around within a school district, so that every school has a more evenly mixed group? Many of the schools here are either very high FARMS rate or very low.

[Anonymous]

Ah yes, a "good school" where everyone has high SES and is demographically uniform. "Good students" at a "good school cannot possibly come from anything else. Students in that bubble have little exposure, tolerance or interest in those around them from other demographic or income backgrounds... breeding the next prince and princesses of Wall Street and the tech world. That bubble separates them from understanding.

[Anonymous]

Part of the problem though is the communication through public schools and the fact that schools are only open to people within a certain boundary. Any private school will let parents interview the teachers and faculty and allow anyone in who can pay. Public schools are set up as "you get what you get" within a certain boundary and there is little information a parent can find out about the curriculum and teachers at a particular school so they only have grades and neighborhood information to go by.

[Anonymous]

I've always been one to say "the less than top, top schools are fine." But, this thread has me wondering -- what exactly are the "extras" that the "Better" schools have?

Could you identify the school and give examples of things that they have that you think other schools don't. I'm genuinely curious what my kids might miss out on if we stay in our current school (which isn't a dump, but would typically be considered low-end in FFX).

[Anonymous]

Forget the school, how about saying a few things you like: awesome after school activities organized by the PTA that are educational and fun. An awesome science program, an addition art program that encourages the kids to imagine, a strong welcoming PTA that gets stuff done.We have a few of these at our school and some are at other schools friends are at. Not necessarily the Best schools but good enough for our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with what you are saying and have said the same thing myself “Good is defined by the socioeconomic status of the students.” That said my son does attend a school with a high FARMS rate and while I think it is a good school in terms of the education and quality of teachers he has, I also see the drawbacks. Some things I do not like about his school and the high FARMS rates- lack of parental involvement- seems to be the same small group of higher SES parents who do everything, it is impossible to communicate with parents in the class and organize things like gifts for teachers, lack of relationships with kids outside of the classroom (good luck getting any of his school friends to do things like attend a b-day party). Overall I know my son will succeed no matter where he goes because he comes from a home with 2 well educated parents who will supplement his education and push him to succeed, but the social aspect of a high FARMS school does make me a little sad and makes me think more about moving.

This gets repeated at the middle and high school level. Have been in both types of schools. At higher SES schools there will be more activities, more trips, and more parents who will chaperone and lend their time and efforts to things like fundraisers and teacher appreciation days. All around just a more positive environment than at schools where the teachers and administrators have to do everything and then some. Don't get me wrong, some of the people at the high FARMS schools are DEDICATED and PHENOMENAL, but they are expected to do so much.

So why not change the boundaries around within a school district, so that every school has a more evenly mixed group? Many of the schools here are either very high FARMS rate or very low.

Are you talking about FCPS? Easier said than done, since there's a concentration of low FARMS schools in the northern and central part of the county and high FARMS schools in the southeastern part of the county. Unless, of course, you get rid of contiguous school boundaries and just start busing kids around a county where traffic congestion is a major issue. It might be easier in APS, which also has big differences in FARMS rates among schools, but is also a much smaller jurisdiction.