Relo from Boston – urban mom wants it all

[bearishgurl]

AN, I saw your link to LA school choice. It was made possible by the Friedman Foundation, which appears to issue vouchers to those students who want to attend public/private schools or homeschools out of their attendance areas.

My understanding is that the State of LA lost nearly one million people after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 due to Federally-funded permanent out-of-state resettlements. Not sure how many former LA residents have actually moved back there due the massive housing condemnation that has taken place since Katrina.

Prior to Katrina, it was widely publicized that LA’s HS graduation rate was dismal. In addition, their welfare and food stamp rolls were the highest in the nation (likely due to residents lack of education and the state’s lack of well-paying permanent jobs).

I don’t know what the current population is in the State of LA but would surmise that it is lower than San Diego County and possibly lower than the City of San Diego.

School choice could not take place here with just ONE donor.

I don’t believe taxpayers should fund private education when we are funding appropriate public education which by law is available to every student regardless of their disability.

In LA’s case, private school vouchers do not appear to be funded wholly or at all by taxpayer funds.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=UCGal]UM… BG… AN posted that bit about Louisiana. Not me. (Just saw you edited it to correct.)

To your other point… I live in the UC cluster -so Standley MS and UCHS are always an option. They look great on paper… but my experience has been that API’s don’t tell the whole story.

I’ve had friends with kids with very good experiences at those schools- and friends who’s kids failed to thrive there. One pulled her son from Standley to go to Roosevelt. Not convenient – but a better fit for her son.

(My other friends who’ve choiced into Roosevelt live closer and had crappier (on paper) neighborhood middle schools.)

HTM is one option. As you’ve noted – it seems to line up with my kids strengths and interests. Why not apply? Improves the odds infinitely (from zero to greater than zero)

But they get so many more applications than have slots available – according to the website – 4 times the number of applications than spaces… 25% odds are not the best.
http://www.hightechhigh.org/admissions/HTH-AdmissionsFAQ.php#I_won_t_be_able_to_attend_an_information_session_at_the_HTH_village_where_I_intend_to_apply__Can_I_attend_one_elsewhere
[/quote]

I understand that the 400 or so admissions every year are to replace the graduates (and few dropouts/transfers) at HTM/HTH.

It does appear continuing students do NOT have to reapply. So once the student is accepted, they may stay as long as they have transportation to get there every day and follow their rules.

You state you have a fifth grader and the site states that applications for current fifth graders can be accepted until 2/28/12 and stay active for one year.

I don’t know if Standley starts in 6th or 7th grade, but what’s the harm in enrolling in Standley this year or next and then continuing to apply for other MS choices and keep renewing your ap at HTM/HTH?

Who knows, he may get accepted in 9th or 10th grade.

I just don’t see a big problem here, for you or AN. Both of you are fortunate to be surrounded by “good schools.”

Remember that all “mainstream” high schools in CA have same or similar textbooks and teach the same stuff (for college prep purposes).

It’s the law.

[briansd1]

I like North Park and I like the restaurants there. But the food is not that good. I go there with friends just to go places.

Only in San Diego can we call walking through miles of wood bungalows “walkable” and “urban”. It’s all relative, I suppose.

[briansd1]

[quote=CA renter][quote=walterwhite]The secret to happiness is low expectations.

Wannting it all is not likely to end well.[/quote]

+1,000,000,000,000,000!

How many people who seemed to “have it all” have committed suicide or spent months or years in and out of rehab? They look to me like a rather depressed bunch.

It’s got to suck when you spend your life feeling envious of others and can’t feel perfectly content with what you’ve got.[/quote]

Low expectations are a recipe for mediocrity.

It’s good to have very high expectations that cause you to strive for more. Combine that with an inner zen personality and you can find happiness from within.

On the outside though, you have to exude confidence and speak a language that inpires respect so that you can achieve the goals you set for yourself.

Not easy to do, but it can be done.

[frossty]

This response has been amazing; thank you all for your thoughtful insights. More deets:

1. I’ve visited SD couple times a year for a decade and know a lot of areas fairly well.

2. Moving, renting, and re-moving is tough on a second grader. Renting first is ideal, but I’d like to avoid it.

3. We can stay with family for a couple months while I finalize purchase.

4. Wanting it all – sure. Expecting it all – not at all. Temecula is LOVELY, but I ain’t that much of a country gal. WINE gal, now you’re talking.

5. Love the North Park/South Park info – long been one my favorite areas. If this board believes that it’s family groovus enough, that’s where I’ll focus my search, with Chula Vista as a backup. It is also the hood where my retired sis lives: nexxus of backup care. Einstein looks like a great school.

6. Will hedge bets with an application to HTH lottery for CV elementary.

Happy to connect with realtors, and will let you all know how it pans out. Final request: any recommendations for SD school blogs / forums?

Y’all are wonderful! Much gratitute!

[an]

BG, I’m talking about having choice in general. Not just for me. So my local school’s quality doesn’t affect the topic at hand.

Since you ask about me and what school would I like? I say private schools. I’m not impressed with ANY public school in SD (even Carmel Valley) at the elementary school level. At least the ones where I’ve looked at.

I don’t care as much about HS as elementary schools. HS, kids are not clump together by age. They’re clump together by mental capability. So, unless the school is complete crap, it doesn’t matter as much. There’s always JC options during HS school too. In elementary on the other hand, you’re stuck with kids your age.

Unless they have change it up (do you have data to support the 10-11 grades statement?), 9th grade grades also count as well as your senior year grade (you have to submit your transcript after you graduate. So if you completely slack off in 12th grade and get F’s, I’m sure they’ll reject your acceptance.

[teacherSD]

[quote=AN]

Unless they have change it up (do you have data to support the 10-11 grades statement?), 9th grade grades also count as well as your senior year grade (you have to submit your transcript after you graduate. So if you completely slack off in 12th grade and get F’s, I’m sure they’ll reject your acceptance.[/quote]

The part about grades in 12th grade is very true. Twice I’ve seen kids have college acceptances revoked because of poor grades during the second semester of senior year.

[scaredyclassic]

I read somewhere that cal st and uc schools only look at 10 and 11 th grade grades

[teacherSD]

They base admission on 10th and 11th year grades. However, they will revoke admission if 12th grade is too low. I believe for most UCs it’s a minimum 3.0 senior year.

The real bummer is that it might not happen until the summer when the colleges finally get final transcripts from high schools. I know one kid who didn’t find out until he drove with his family from San Diego to UC Davis that his acceptance had been revoked.

The other kid was expecting to go to SDSU. At least he didn’t have to drive 9 hours to find out the bad news.

[scaredyclassic]

Stupid rule;

incentivized kids to take supereasy classes in 12th grade.

[scaredyclassic]

I think I read somewhere that it is only with the cessation of desire that we can get a really good deal on a house

[Coronita]

[quote=frossty]
Happy to connect with realtors, and will let you all know how it pans out. Final request: any recommendations for SD school blogs / forums?

Y’all are wonderful! Much gratitute![/quote]

http://www.greatschools.org/california/san-diego/

But this very subject has been hotly contested here on piggington before.

Just search for one of the following terms one this blog’s search box. (I’m not kidding…It’s pretty entertaining here..)

“Best public schools”
“API”
“Tiger mom”
“Carmel Valley Schools” (not suggesting it’s the best, but there’s always a discussion about schools in general S.D. when anyone brings up Carmel Valley schools.
“Private Schools”
“Enrichment program”
“Afterschool enrichment”
“Gate”
“La Jolla Countryday”
“Montessori”

“Santee, 15 minutes from La Jolla”… Err, never mind on this one. Inside joke…Just ignore.

I’ll dig up a few links..

http://piggington.com/school_districts_in_san_diego_county

http://piggington.com/2011_api_scores_are_out
“

[scaredyclassic]

Temeculas not the country. It is a very dull right wing hyperconservative Christian bedroom suburb of 200,000 souls.

On paper sounds bad but in reality it’s awesome

actually there’s 200,001 people but just 200k souls.

Mine went missing

[teacherSD]

[quote=walterwhite]Stupid rule;

incentivized kids to take supereasy classes in 12th grade.[/quote]

It really depends on the school. I have a student right now who wanted to drop my AP class. He asked Cal Poly SLO if he could (his first choice school). They told him his acceptance was based on the senior class schedule he told them he was planning to take and they wouldn’t guarantee admittance if he changed it.

But it does happen a lot. My AP class is only a semester. Last semester I had about 55 AP kids total. This semester I was supposed to have the same but only have 30 because so many dropped it.

[an]

[quote=walterwhite]Stupid rule;

incentivized kids to take supereasy classes in 12th grade.[/quote]
What make you think this will change kids class plan? Those who want to slack would do it regardless. Those who don’t and got into college can probably handle those classes and get decent grades.

[Author]

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