They don't call them magnet. Typically they're called "choice" programs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC area schools are waaay better funded. The good Bay Area schools are like semi-private where they ask you to "donate" like $1300/child per year for thing like PE and art and music.

There are no magnet programs in most of the Bay Area schools. SF school district is a crap shoot. All lottery and there is only one really good HS (Lowell).

We moved out of the Bay Area in part due to the terrible school funding and lack of programs.

Crazy. I guess I take basic things like PE and art for granted

My DD is in a public high school in SF and has taken art for 9th, 10th and now 11th grade.

Middle school and high school are a whole different animal. School districts in the bay area typically don't have funds for: art, music, or foreign language for elementary school. These things are funded by parent donations either through the PTA or the school district's education fund (which is a nonprofit that fundraises from parents and businesses.) Many districts in the bay area are K-8 districts and then there are large high school districts that are much larger. There are some K-12 districts too. SF is a K-12 district, Palo Alto is a K-12 district.

Some of these smaller school districts have magnet schools, some do not. The blanket statement of no magnet programs is incorrect but is likely that poster's experience with their K-8 district. Most language immersion schools are magnet, as are the public montessori schools.

Anonymous wrote:Most of the public schools in the Bay Area were mediocre to poor when compared to FCPS or MCPS with the exception of the area around Palo Alto which is super expensive.

Should add the upside is the state universities options are amazing compared to any other state.

Most of the public schools in the Bay Area were mediocre to poor when compared to FCPS or MCPS with the exception of the area around Palo Alto which is super expensive.

Castro valley, Livermore, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville schools are all very highly rated and have been for a long time. Bay area seems to have more racial and economic diversity in the highly rated schools and DC seems to be more segregated. That's what I noticed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC area schools are waaay better funded. The good Bay Area schools are like semi-private where they ask you to "donate" like $1300/child per year for thing like PE and art and music.

There are no magnet programs in most of the Bay Area schools. SF school district is a crap shoot. All lottery and there is only one really good HS (Lowell).

We moved out of the Bay Area in part due to the terrible school funding and lack of programs.

Crazy. I guess I take basic things like PE and art for granted

My DD is in a public high school in SF and has taken art for 9th, 10th and now 11th grade.

OP here: I’m referring to schools in Oakland, other areas in the East Bay and also schools in the South Bay like San Jose.

Oakland - no. Orinda, San Ramon, Walnet Creek are good/fine.
South Bay/SF - Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell Union (not Campbell) and Leland with SJ Unified.

Some schools in Fremont and Milipitas are supposed to be good. Its not South Bay because its just north of San Jose and too far south to be called east bay.

The better school districts are small. They do not always correlate to the town boundaries. You can live in San Jose and if you're on the edge of Cupertino, Los Gatos, Cambell Union, or Saratoga then your school district may be one of those not San Jose Unified. Leland is the only good school in the larger SJ school district. It is further south in Almaden.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC area schools are waaay better funded. The good Bay Area schools are like semi-private where they ask you to "donate" like $1300/child per year for thing like PE and art and music.

There are no magnet programs in most of the Bay Area schools. SF school district is a crap shoot. All lottery and there is only one really good HS (Lowell).

We moved out of the Bay Area in part due to the terrible school funding and lack of programs.

We used to live in SF. Once we realized how crazy the city-wide lottery system, and how segregated things were as a result, we left.

Where did you move to?

Anonymous wrote:DC area schools are waaay better funded. The good Bay Area schools are like semi-private where they ask you to "donate" like $1300/child per year for thing like PE and art and music.

There are no magnet programs in most of the Bay Area schools. SF school district is a crap shoot. All lottery and there is only one really good HS (Lowell).

We moved out of the Bay Area in part due to the terrible school funding and lack of programs.

We used to live in SF. Once we realized how crazy the city-wide lottery system, and how segregated things were as a result, we left.

Anonymous wrote:DC area schools are waaay better funded. The good Bay Area schools are like semi-private where they ask you to "donate" like $1300/child per year for thing like PE and art and music.

There are no magnet programs in most of the Bay Area schools. SF school district is a crap shoot. All lottery and there is only one really good HS (Lowell).

We moved out of the Bay Area in part due to the terrible school funding and lack of programs.

Crazy. I guess I take basic things like PE and art for granted

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I’m referring to schools in Oakland, other areas in the East Bay and also schools in the South Bay like San Jose.

Depends on where in Oakland and San Jose. They are actually fairly large cities, and there are some good and not so good schools. But like I stated up thread, CA schools a severely underfunded.

OP here: I’m referring to schools in Oakland, other areas in the East Bay and also schools in the South Bay like San Jose.

DC area schools are waaay better funded. The good Bay Area schools are like semi-private where they ask you to "donate" like $1300/child per year for thing like PE and art and music.

There are no magnet programs in most of the Bay Area schools. SF school district is a crap shoot. All lottery and there is only one really good HS (Lowell).

We moved out of the Bay Area in part due to the terrible school funding and lack of programs.

Anonymous wrote:In your experience, what’s the difference between DC area schools and Bay Area schools? I’m considering a move.

The Bay Area includes several districts. Some, like SF, are in very bad shape; some, like Burlingame or Palo Alto, are good.

You need to be more specific.

In your experience, what’s the difference between DC area schools and Bay Area schools? I’m considering a move.