What's more important, parents and talent, or the school?
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Anonymous
This was brought up in the Real Estate forum and I'd like to discuss it. I grew up in the Fairfax County School system, and my DH grew up in some of the worst Milwaukee inner city public schools. We ended up in the same place. What we both have in common is an innate curiosity, a love of learning, and parents who stressed education. So as long as our kids are safe and held accountable, does the school really matter THAT much? Isn't the fact that we ask these questions in the first place enough proof that our kids are going to turn out ok? |
Anonymous
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First of all, I don't know your reasoning for posting this thread topic in the PG County Schools forum. It assumes that PG county is the only county with underperforming schools, which isn't true, or that all schools in PG are underperforming, also not true.
I live in PG, and my neighborhood elementary school alternates year to year with either a 9 or a 10 great schools rating. So let's be clear that sending your kid to a PG County school isn't necessarily sending him/her to a school rated a 2. But aside from that, I think that the example you quote is probably an extreme one on a number of levels. But in general, I think (and perhaps there are studies that back this up) that kids' performance in school and beyond is pretty closely connected with the SES status of their parents. Honestly, I think that the school matters more if said kid has a learning disability or special needs, because then it becomes then environment and other things becomes that much more important. Honestly, though, a highly rated Great Schools school isn't necessarily guaranteed to be good at providing those things if your kid needs special assistance. In fact, I've read a lot of posts about parents disappointed with their highly rated school because their kid needed special accommodation and didn't get it. Great Schools ratings don't tell the whole story. I hope this thread doesn't become another opportunity for people to bash PG schools and why they'd never send their kids. It really is getting tiresome. If you don't want to live in PG, don't. If you don't want to send your kid to PG county schools, don't. Why do you have to constantly insult people who do and who are trying to make it work? I almost thing that people who don't live in PG get some kind of ego boost or pleasure kick out of insulting PG. It's like, well, sure, I don't have the house I really want or the commute I really want, but at least I don't live in PG. I'm done with those people and those posts. |
Anonymous
| Don't know why the PP is so defensive. I live in PG too and can see that this question is relevant to many of our schools. Perhaps the OP is contemplating sending her child to a low-performing neighborhood school or purchase a house zoned to one. Most college educated parents in the county wrestle with the question of sending their child to a PG public vs private or moving. Strong PG County PS are the exception, not the rule. It is a fair question. Hopefully the answer is that the children will be fine, but they do spend many many hours a week in a social environment that is hardly ideal. Personally, I wouldn't do it. |
Anonymous
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Anon 18:59 -
ExCUSE me?? Please show me exactly where I bashed PG schools. I actually am quite aware of the fact that PG schools run the gamut from very good to very bad; I live here.
Thank you for making my exact point: that it actually DOESN'T MATTER where our kids go to school, 90% of the time. Reading comprehension is your friend. Jesus. This is the last time I try to have an intelligent debate on this insane forum. See ya. |
Anonymous
It's the fact that instead of putting your question in the MD schools forum or even off topic or even political, you put it in the PG schools forum. I feel like this forum was started to try to improve PG schools, not another place to debate the idea of sending your kid to a lower ranked great school. Look at every other thread where this topic comes up, and it turns into a PG bashing bonanza. And of course, the race/SES issue always comes up. There's a thread on this topic somewhere on this forum like every other week. Perhaps we could go back to the SES/FARMs rate performance thread somewhere else. It's become almost like the breastfeeding, circumcision, daycare debates. If you are interested in a particular school, then ask about it. If you are interested in a particular area, then ask about it. If you are interested in PG County schools in general or have a PG-specific issue in general, then ask about it. Otherwise, the topic isn't PG County specific. There are low rated schools in SS, Howard County, et cetera. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
Lady, you need to chill. This is a totally legitimate discussion to have because she lives in PG. She's not bashing it. In fact, you're making us look disturbed. It was my understanding that the PG forum was designed so that we could have a conversation about education without having other counties tell us to move, not to be rah-rah cheerleaders for everything that goes on here. Pretending we're all 9s and 10s on great schools doesn't do anyone any good. To the OP, IMO, it matters most at the point where peer-peer interactions take a higher importance for kids compared to family relationships (if you have a family that has a lot of books, encourages reading, talks about college). In most (safe) elementary schools, your child will do fine esp. in the early grades if you give them strong family support at home. You may need to do supplemental math instruction, that that is more a reflection of poor math skills that many teachers have (and this is nationwide). I agree with the PP that children with special needs or issues can get easily overlooked here as can kids with exceptional ability (not just TAG identified but highly gifted, especially if they are from low income families). I've seen some very good principals here as well as very good teachers. I have also seen some very bad teachers here. This county loses a lot of good and middle level teachers to other counties who pay them more, but there are some excellent teachers who teach here because they feel they have a bigger impact here. Like the PP said, Great schools doesn't tell the whole story. A better predicator is how stable the teaching staff and admin is and amount of teacher turnover. |
Anonymous
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I think it is a combination of the parents(mentors/role models), students, and teachers that contribute to a well rounded student. All three are important and not one by itself.
A child needs to have a parent/guardian/mentor in their life who stresses the importance of education and the doors that it can some day open for them. Parents/mentors/guardians have to take an active role in seeking out additional educational opportunities and resources that can benefit the child. Whether that is contacting the school, serving in the PTA, joining messages boards, going to the library to read books, enrolling in summer programs, or seeking help from your local church or civic organization. Parents in the DMV have the luxury of catching public transportation to the national mall to take their kids to the monuments, museums, library of congress, the capitol, white house, zoo, aquarium, and any other tourist attraction that is educational. There are numerous teaching opportunities at these places that building on concepts that they are learning in school. Parents have to aware of who their children peers are. I can't recall the name of the book I was reading that stated that your child's gpa is the average of their five closets friends' gpa. Peers play an important role in your child's socialization experience at school. The child/student has to have the drive, ambition, desire, and confidence in their ability to perform well in school. They have to want to do well in school and give a 110% effort in everything they do from quizzes to homework to projects to end of grade testing. Have to have the discipline. They must also have the correct tools and resources to come to school prepared, pay attention in class, keep up with the class, and be able to generally understand their homework. As long as a child is giving their all in whatever they do that is all you can ask of them. Whether it is academics, sports, jazz band, science club, or art. The schools is important because your child's spends any where from 7 to 10 hours there Monday thru Friday. The school should be a welcoming environment that encourages and promotes intellectual curiosity. Students have to be motivated by their learning environment to learn. It is important for the schools to have enough educational material for each and every student, no student should have to go without a book because the school ran out. The school has to have staff and faculty teaching subjects that they are well qualified to teach and want to teach. Teacher have to genuinely care about the success of their students academically and in life. Also, provide the parents with information on additional educational opportunities. I am a proponent for supporting my neighborhood schools and a firm believer in the public school system. This debate will continue to rage on as long as we have inequality in public school education. It takes a village to raise a child and that is the philosophy we have to apply in supporting our neighborhood schools that I children attend/use to attend. Even if you don't have a child at your neighborhood school you could still lend your support to the PTA. |
Anonymous
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This is what the message forum is about debating your ideas and thoughts in a safe environment. We want to encourage people to share their thoughts and solicit others for their ideas/thoughts on various topics.
Actually, this forum needs to have more debates and input. There are a ton of topics that have been posted that only receive a few responses. For 2014, we need to be the change that we want to see on the message board. |
Anonymous
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WE are in Alex City so comparable public schools to much of PG county.
Having done both public and private - we are going back to private. My child has the talent, we as the parents are very involved but the school just can't provide an education because they are so busy providing social services to kids. |
Anonymous
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Nothing wrong with putting your child back in private school, you tried public school out and it was not for you. If you feel that your child is not being challenged or reaching their full potential then you have to do what is best for them.
Please elaborate on social services that you are referring to. |
Anonymous
Agree. |
Anonymous
Not your poster, but it's a little late by school time, if a child has never been properly "deciplined", as in consistantly. Who can teach with constant disruption? |