Would you send your kid to a Title 1 school?

[Anonymous]

Would you send your kid to a Title 1 school? Why or why not?

[Anonymous]

Yes. I teach at a title 1 (middle) school and know firsthand how incredible the teachers I work with are. I have no doubt that a student at my school can get a fantastic education if they are motivated to do so.

[Anonymous]

The academics are uniform throughout the county. In fact, many title I schools have access to special resources and materials.

The social aspects can differ wildly. Check out the recent thread on Bel Pre elementary for some comments on that piece.

[Anonymous]

no

[Anonymous]

Yes. I teach at a title one school - there are good ones and bad ones. Sure Id send my daughter to a good one!

[Anonymous]

No. I teach in a Title One school and while I think that our faculty is fantastic, it isn't the right educational environment for my kids. Both of them are in GT classes at our magnet school and at my school, there is no GT program at all. The high flyers at my school and more like the on-grade level kids at my children's school. None of the kids I teach have parents or anyone they know who went to college (except for their teachers) so it really isn't an expectation in their family that they will go to college. We try to combat this but it is an uphill battle.

[Anonymous]

I know one child at a title one school and she is doing very well. The social part of it isnt too bad since a couple kids at her school live in the neighborhood. But I can see how it would be hard to form friendships if the parents dont speak the language or are working alot. The question is - is she the type of student that would do well in any environment? Is she in the top reading level for her grade because she is a super reader or because she already speaks English. There are a lot of what ifs but I would give it a shot and montor progress.

FWIW, title 1 schools in MC are predominantly hispanic but they are title 1 due to income levels. The income part doesnt bug me one bit - as a PP indicated, these schools get more resources, better food (some organic fruit options), etc. What I think could be the issue is that many of these kids have to brought up to speed in the English language and I don't know if that detracts from the English speaking students.

One other plus is the families are much more down to earth as a whole than some of the more privileged schools.

[Anonymous]

It would depend on the school. I wouldn't reject one out of hand, but I would spend extra effort researching it to make sure it was a decent school.

[Anonymous]

I'd love to have the classroom sizes that a nearby Title I school has, compared to ours with 30 kids in a class.

[Anonymous]

Our Title One school (I posted above) does not have small class sizes. My kids go to a magnet school with a cap of 24 kids per class. My school has larger class sizes than that.

[Anonymous]

PP/Teacher,

There is no GT program at my child's Non Title I school.

[Anonymous]

I did send my kids to Title 1 school, a few years ago - pre-curriculum 2.0. It was 80% FARMS and ESOL as well. Whites and Asians %age was in single digits.

So - Academics was amazing, class size was amazing, opportunities to get into school sponsored activities was amazing.

On the other hand, there is NO parental involvement in ANYTHING. My school was too busy making food sacks for kids for the weekends to be involved in anything more than essentials for the kids. I am not saying it is a bad thing - these people need this kind of help and so it becomes a matter of priority.

There were no birthday parties, play-dates, paid clubs like - Chess club, Hands on Science, foreign language - etc. The only activities were patrol, news and green team.

There was bullying and resentment for non-FARMS kids. The difference between the haves and have-nots is stark.

I had to do a lot of enrichment outside of school to compensate for the lack of a community in Title 1.

My kids did well and moved to magnets in the end. But they were bright kids to begin with, they would have done well anywhere. They did get a lot of academic coaching in Title 1.

So, in conclusion, I would AVOID it if I could. But is I had no choice then I would be very involved in DC classroom, and make sure that DC got enrichment outside classroom. and socialization with his peer group outside of school community.

[Anonymous]

Can I ask why people even ask these types of questions?

[Anonymous]

People probably ask these questions because they are zoned for a title I school and are struggling with the decision to send them there, go private, or move. They are likely looking to hear comments from folks who were in the same boat to hear why they opted for or against the title I school. Got it?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would, and in fact, I did. The school had a wonderful, devoted administration and staff, and my children had a great experience there. One of the most valuable things they learned at the school is to be accepting of everyone, regardless of their color, accent, or where they lived. There were very few problems with bullying or issues with the FARMS kids, that people are so quick to put down on DCUM. The smaller class sizes were a bonus.

My kids have been at the top of their class during their middle and high school years. Just because a school is Title I, don't assume that it can't do a fine job of educating.