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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Honestly, I think if the specialty schools program was expanded, more middle class helicopter parents would put their kids in the county schools.  People need some sort of incentive, like winning a "lottery" or knowing that the other parents in their program at least applied and made an effort.[/quote]

I think this is true, but I wish it weren't because it only exacerbates the inequities. This school district is massive with some dismal schools and some great ones. But no one sees the gems unless they have the cache of a special program and that's a real shame. Some neighborhood schools are sadly getting overlooked. Some parents like the idea of a neighborhood school but are scared away by this very ingrained perception that the only way to make it in this county is in a specialty program. They don't even consider a neighborhood school for an instant. These are middle class helicopter parents who could make a huge difference in a school and use their muscle to make it better and promote the positives.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-specialty program. I just don't think it solves the bigger issue. To tackle the inequities and improve the reputation, the district as a whole needs to show it can educate all its students, not just those who get lucky enough to win the lottery or test TAG or whatever. [/quote]

I am the person you responded to and I generally agree with you, but it is hard to send your kids to a neighborhood school when you know that all of the other middle class parents in your area have rejected it.  For example, I visited my neighborhood school last year, which has good written reviews on great schools and generally tests at 5-7.  Not bad, right?  It has new computers and a new playground.  But the building is incredibly old, with no landscaping.  It just looks sad on the outside, and to a certain extent on the inside too.  There's no PTA, it's Title I, and the counselor did not even know when kids can be tested for TAG.  I know that half of the homes in our area are high-end, so why aren't any of those kids going to school there?  I know in theory that nothing bad will happen to my kids by sending them there, but is that really how I want to start their education?  No one wants to experiment on THEIR kids.[/quote]

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