[carli]

Thanks for the info…now I get it. Thanks also for the link, which I used. 🙂

[carli]

Huh, okay…I’m not sure that the product or the purpose are all that different, but that’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out.

A quick web search of comparisons indicates that Dropbox and Google docs are both designed for multiple users to review/edit files in the “cloud” and then both will automatically sync changes. I’ve used Google docs extensively to edit documents, and it’s pretty cool when two users are actually making changes simultaneously and can both see the edits being made in real time. My understanding is that Dropbox does not show edits in real time, but only after the file is re-saved to the shared folder.

I think one of the main differences is that Google docs changes Microsoft files to the Google docs format (although you can change them back when edits are finished). The Google docs format for the Microsoft products I’ve worked with is very similar but not identical for all.

For example, with Word documents, Google docs version seems to have the same features, but for other files such as Powerpoint presentations, the Google docs version is just different enough to potentially screw up your presentation. In contrast, Dropbox doesn’t convert a Powerpoint file (or any other file type) and instead allows users to edit it on Powerpoint.

Anyway, for me, now that I’m accustomed to editing stuff in Google docs with multiple users, I really like it and still can’t see a big plus to switching to Dropbox.

[carli]

Every time someone mentions Dropbox, it sounds like Google Docs to me. I’m sure if I Google the differences, I’ll probably find lots of them, but I like using Google Docs so I’m wondering, why would I need Dropbox?

[carli]

flu,

PLEASE do not give anything at all to the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation (DMSEF) for ESC programs. This annual drive is a ridiculous sham.

As residents of the Del Mar district, we supported the foundation for years, and gave more than our share, but ever since the school district’s Board of Trustees and Superintendent, Jim Peabody, squandered the Federal Jobs Funds money that the district was awarded last year, we said enough’s enough.

What happened was the district received over $700,000 from the feds, solely for saving jobs, and instead of saving ESC positions (and under apparent pressure and in cahoots with the teacher’s union), they decided to give each classroom teacher a $1000 bonus with $500,000 of that money! It’s absurd, especially when that big chunk of money could have actually saved several, if not all, ESC positions. Instead, they chose to try to get the parents to buy the ESC positions by donating to the foundation because the Superintendent and Board, for some reason, thought the money would be better spent making nice with the teachers by giving them each a $1000 bonus.

It baffles me that people are still even considering enabling this broken system, but it sounds like they’ve pressured even you – wise flu! – into considering it.

There was a lot written about the issue this past summer in the local papers, and I think Marsha Sutton spelled it out very well in the following piece in the Del Mar Times, titled, “Where’s the Outrage?” Here’s part of her article, cut and pasted from the full statement (which I’ve linked at the end) –

“As recently reported, the current DMUSD school board, with three new trustees who were championed by those who vilified the previous board, approved two controversial allocations of the district’s allotted $763,000 in Federal Education Jobs Funds, which was federal money intended to save jobs.

Del Mar’s decision to give $1,000 in “cash incentives” to all employees amounted to about $500,000. Most of the rest was spent on a Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan (SERP).

After this news was released, comparisons were made to other local school districts that chose instead to save temporary teachers’ jobs or use the money to offset the impact of statewide budget cuts to the general fund.

No district other than Del Mar used the money to give cash to employees.

The question most asked by readers was whether the DMUSD should have contributed the money to support the Extended Studies Curriculum program.

Every year, parents are asked – begged, really – to give to the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation specifically for the ESC program (consisting of classes in science, technology, art, music and physical education), which costs a bundle to operate. Parents are told frequently by the district that ESC jobs are in jeopardy as a result of state budget cuts, and programs will be cut if donations fall short.

Many parents now want to know why the district didn’t apply that federal money (and there was a lot of it) to the ESC program. Five hundred thousand dollars could have made a huge impact.

A good question. A better question is why the school board didn’t denounce this giveaway and ask the same question before unanimously approving the $1,000-per-employee payout.

An even better question is why parents didn’t loudly and publicly condemn the school board for supporting the proposal.”

flu, I would hate to see them swindle you! Spend the money instead on whatever lessons you want for your kids – music, art, technology, language, whatever. The PTAs are doing good work for their own schools so feel free to give there, but the idea of a district-wide foundation, especially operated in this manner (which seems like a slush fund for the board and superintendent) is just wrong, and I hope you see through it.

Here’s Marsha Sutton’s full editorial from last summer, explaining the debacle last year –

http://www.delmartimes.net/2011/07/28/where%E2%80%99s-the-outrage/

[carli]

As someone who lived in Manhattan for many years, witnessed 9/11, lost several dear friends and actually came to SD partly to escape the constant nagging feeling that we’d forever be living in fear and paranoia of another event like that, I see both sides. I think that the media coverage can feel like hype, causing all the special personal details of each person lost (and all those who died or were forever changed in the tragic wars that followed) to be brushed over and forgotten. And then there’s also the (valid) criticism about what’s the big deal, why not focus as much attention on, for example, those who’ve died from the famine in Somalia or countless other tragedies or wars?

But for me, after I try to take my personal experience out of the equation, I think the reason it’s such a significant event and one that our country can’t help but obsess over every year around the anniversary, is that it was the dividing line between a time of blissful ignorance and a real loss of innocence. And I think for most, the fact that this even happened is still a shock and almost surreal, as if, 10 years later, we’re still trying to process it. Who the hell ever thought that people would fly airplanes into buildings to kill people, and not just any people, but U.S. citizens?! Crazy.

Personally and very selfishly, I’d be much more comfortable not dredging up the intense sorrow I feel every year thinking about that day and those that closely followed, but on the other hand, I think it’s inevitable and probably necessary.

[carli]

[quote=bearishgurl]Thank you, carli. CCA sounds like an innovative school with a performing arts slant. Due to the extra workload (extra credits over a “mainstream” HS?), it may not be the right school for every student.

How many students will it hold and what are the chances of a students being selected for it from the lottery?[/quote]

You’re welcome, BG. I don’t know CCA’s exact enrollment figure, but I believe it’s just under 2000 students. I’m not sure what the odds are of students being selected via the lottery (by the way, the lottery is purely based on chance), but the rumor is that this school year, 200 students had to be turned away, which is far more than in past years. Again, this figure is not official, just what was discussed among parents. I don’t have time right now, but maybe later I’ll see if any of this info can be confirmed on the district website at http://www.sduhsd.net.

[carli]

[quote=bearishgurl]Thank you, carli. CCA sounds like an innovative school with a performing arts slant. Due to the extra workload (extra credits over a “mainstream” HS?), it may not be the right school for every student.

How many students will it hold and what are the chances of a students being selected for it from the lottery?[/quote]

You’re welcome, BG. I don’t know CCA’s exact enrollment figure, but I believe it’s just under 2000 students. I’m not sure what the odds are of students being selected via the lottery (by the way, the lottery is purely based on chance), but the rumor is that this school year, 200 students had to be turned away, which is far more than in past years. Again, this figure is not official, just what was discussed among parents. I don’t have time right now, but maybe later I’ll see if any of this info can be confirmed on the district website at http://www.sduhsd.net.

[carli]

[quote=bearishgurl]Thank you, carli. CCA sounds like an innovative school with a performing arts slant. Due to the extra workload (extra credits over a “mainstream” HS?), it may not be the right school for every student.

How many students will it hold and what are the chances of a students being selected for it from the lottery?[/quote]

You’re welcome, BG. I don’t know CCA’s exact enrollment figure, but I believe it’s just under 2000 students. I’m not sure what the odds are of students being selected via the lottery (by the way, the lottery is purely based on chance), but the rumor is that this school year, 200 students had to be turned away, which is far more than in past years. Again, this figure is not official, just what was discussed among parents. I don’t have time right now, but maybe later I’ll see if any of this info can be confirmed on the district website at http://www.sduhsd.net.

[carli]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=cvmom]…I think you missed Canyon Crest Academy (in San Dieguito district), it got 910. This one is of big personal interest to me, as we have to decide on a high school for my kid this year, Canyon Crest vs. Torrey Pines.[/quote]

Thank you cvmom. Is Canyon Crest Academy a charter or alternative school? I think I missed it because I may have thought it was. What is the student population there?[/quote]

Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) is neither charter nor alternative (although I’m not positive what you mean by alternative). It’s one of several public high schools in the San Dieguito Union High School district. For many years, it was overshadowed by the biggie within our district, Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) and its reputation, but last year CCA’s API score surpassed TPHS and this year it looks like CCA’s lead (in API scores only – this is not a value judgment on the greater worth of each school) has grown.

CCA operates on a block schedule so it’s pretty intense, which maybe attracts students who are more driven. Students take 4 classes during each of two semesters for a total of 8 classes per year whereas TPHS kids are on a more typical high school schedule and take 6 classes that last an entire year. Obviously there are pros and cons to both – kids at CCA get the opportunity to take a lot of electives and can also generally advance further faster in a subject, but the downside is that there’s a lot to cram into their brains (especially in AP classes) in such a short time.

CCA offers a conservatory arts program so it attracts a lot of kids interested in music, art, dance and drama. CCA does not have a football team (but does have other competitive sports teams that students turn out for), but for some, having a football team to cheer for is a must.

CCA has only been open for about 5 years (or maybe it’s 6 now, I can’t recall) and is available to families within the SDUHSD district by lottery. For years, every kid who wanted to get in to CCA got in, but the last two years, they’ve had to turn kids away because the lottery was oversubscribed.

We’ve had two kids at CCA, both have loved it, and we’ve been extremely impressed by the caliber of teaching and programs, as well as students. They’re not only good students but honestly seem very well-rounded, many involved in some type of athletic pursuit and/or art/music/drama and are pretty open-minded and accepting kids…in other words, there doesn’t seem to be a certain “type” of CCA student. Intellectual curiosity is encouraged, and kids are very high achieving…probably partly because of parental influence and partly because it’s who they are. This probably contributes to high API scores. We feel fortunate to have access to such a great public school (and I’m not categorizing it as “great” based on its API score!)

[carli]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=cvmom]…I think you missed Canyon Crest Academy (in San Dieguito district), it got 910. This one is of big personal interest to me, as we have to decide on a high school for my kid this year, Canyon Crest vs. Torrey Pines.[/quote]

Thank you cvmom. Is Canyon Crest Academy a charter or alternative school? I think I missed it because I may have thought it was. What is the student population there?[/quote]

Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) is neither charter nor alternative (although I’m not positive what you mean by alternative). It’s one of several public high schools in the San Dieguito Union High School district. For many years, it was overshadowed by the biggie within our district, Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) and its reputation, but last year CCA’s API score surpassed TPHS and this year it looks like CCA’s lead (in API scores only – this is not a value judgment on the greater worth of each school) has grown.

CCA operates on a block schedule so it’s pretty intense, which maybe attracts students who are more driven. Students take 4 classes during each of two semesters for a total of 8 classes per year whereas TPHS kids are on a more typical high school schedule and take 6 classes that last an entire year. Obviously there are pros and cons to both – kids at CCA get the opportunity to take a lot of electives and can also generally advance further faster in a subject, but the downside is that there’s a lot to cram into their brains (especially in AP classes) in such a short time.

CCA offers a conservatory arts program so it attracts a lot of kids interested in music, art, dance and drama. CCA does not have a football team (but does have other competitive sports teams that students turn out for), but for some, having a football team to cheer for is a must.

CCA has only been open for about 5 years (or maybe it’s 6 now, I can’t recall) and is available to families within the SDUHSD district by lottery. For years, every kid who wanted to get in to CCA got in, but the last two years, they’ve had to turn kids away because the lottery was oversubscribed.

We’ve had two kids at CCA, both have loved it, and we’ve been extremely impressed by the caliber of teaching and programs, as well as students. They’re not only good students but honestly seem very well-rounded, many involved in some type of athletic pursuit and/or art/music/drama and are pretty open-minded and accepting kids…in other words, there doesn’t seem to be a certain “type” of CCA student. Intellectual curiosity is encouraged, and kids are very high achieving…probably partly because of parental influence and partly because it’s who they are. This probably contributes to high API scores. We feel fortunate to have access to such a great public school (and I’m not categorizing it as “great” based on its API score!)

[carli]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=cvmom]…I think you missed Canyon Crest Academy (in San Dieguito district), it got 910. This one is of big personal interest to me, as we have to decide on a high school for my kid this year, Canyon Crest vs. Torrey Pines.[/quote]

Thank you cvmom. Is Canyon Crest Academy a charter or alternative school? I think I missed it because I may have thought it was. What is the student population there?[/quote]

Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) is neither charter nor alternative (although I’m not positive what you mean by alternative). It’s one of several public high schools in the San Dieguito Union High School district. For many years, it was overshadowed by the biggie within our district, Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) and its reputation, but last year CCA’s API score surpassed TPHS and this year it looks like CCA’s lead (in API scores only – this is not a value judgment on the greater worth of each school) has grown.

CCA operates on a block schedule so it’s pretty intense, which maybe attracts students who are more driven. Students take 4 classes during each of two semesters for a total of 8 classes per year whereas TPHS kids are on a more typical high school schedule and take 6 classes that last an entire year. Obviously there are pros and cons to both – kids at CCA get the opportunity to take a lot of electives and can also generally advance further faster in a subject, but the downside is that there’s a lot to cram into their brains (especially in AP classes) in such a short time.

CCA offers a conservatory arts program so it attracts a lot of kids interested in music, art, dance and drama. CCA does not have a football team (but does have other competitive sports teams that students turn out for), but for some, having a football team to cheer for is a must.

CCA has only been open for about 5 years (or maybe it’s 6 now, I can’t recall) and is available to families within the SDUHSD district by lottery. For years, every kid who wanted to get in to CCA got in, but the last two years, they’ve had to turn kids away because the lottery was oversubscribed.

We’ve had two kids at CCA, both have loved it, and we’ve been extremely impressed by the caliber of teaching and programs, as well as students. They’re not only good students but honestly seem very well-rounded, many involved in some type of athletic pursuit and/or art/music/drama and are pretty open-minded and accepting kids…in other words, there doesn’t seem to be a certain “type” of CCA student. Intellectual curiosity is encouraged, and kids are very high achieving…probably partly because of parental influence and partly because it’s who they are. This probably contributes to high API scores. We feel fortunate to have access to such a great public school (and I’m not categorizing it as “great” based on its API score!)

[carli]

walter, sounds like your kid is a great candidate for CC and would take advantage of all it offers while also gaining other super valuable life skills such as working for awhile as well as having fun, growing up a little, etc.

Other kids aren’t quite as “smart” and ready for that environment, and it’s almost like they need a bridge from high school to the next stage, where there’s an environment that – well, let’s just say it – coddles them a bit more. Of course, we hate to admit it and feel guilty that our kids at this stage can’t just suck it up and be self-motivated enough to ignore distractions. And it goes without saying that plenty of distractions also exist at private colleges.

But, here’s an example of one kid we know well who got “derailed” at CC…this kid was bright, interesting and successful all during high school. She was super creative and a great writer, and got a partial merit scholarship to a small private liberal arts school. She went for one year and although she loved it, raved about it, said it felt like “home”, she came back with way less than stellar grades. Her parents said “enough” and thought they’d teach her a lesson by enrolling her in the local CC for at least a semester, which she started the following fall. She also took a part-time job.

Long story short, it’s now about 3 years later and she met a guy the first few weeks of attending CC who ended up being a disaster for her, to put it mildly, and she left school by the end of that year, moved in with him and got married to him within 6 months. She worked at Victoria’s Secret in the mall, and he worked in a tattoo shop. Who knows what else is going on because she stopped communicating with her family very often. Now, several years later, she recently broke down and told her mom in a tearful phone conversation that she’s been physically and emotionally abused in the relationship and wants to divorce the guy and move back home (almost 22 now) and start all over.

Of course, her attendance at CC did not “cause” this situation, and other bad things probably would have happened in her life had she continued at private college since obviously her maturity and judgment was lacking in many ways. BUT, her parents often wonder if it would have been better, even with her floundering a bit at her private liberal arts school, to just send her back there and let her slug it out through a few more years. I think they think she would have been in a more positive environment there because the private college had MUCH more oversight and counseling and direct involvement with her. And most kids were fairly motivated to finish their 4 years.

Just a single story…your mileage may (hopefully will!) vary.

[carli]

walter, sounds like your kid is a great candidate for CC and would take advantage of all it offers while also gaining other super valuable life skills such as working for awhile as well as having fun, growing up a little, etc.

Other kids aren’t quite as “smart” and ready for that environment, and it’s almost like they need a bridge from high school to the next stage, where there’s an environment that – well, let’s just say it – coddles them a bit more. Of course, we hate to admit it and feel guilty that our kids at this stage can’t just suck it up and be self-motivated enough to ignore distractions. And it goes without saying that plenty of distractions also exist at private colleges.

But, here’s an example of one kid we know well who got “derailed” at CC…this kid was bright, interesting and successful all during high school. She was super creative and a great writer, and got a partial merit scholarship to a small private liberal arts school. She went for one year and although she loved it, raved about it, said it felt like “home”, she came back with way less than stellar grades. Her parents said “enough” and thought they’d teach her a lesson by enrolling her in the local CC for at least a semester, which she started the following fall. She also took a part-time job.

Long story short, it’s now about 3 years later and she met a guy the first few weeks of attending CC who ended up being a disaster for her, to put it mildly, and she left school by the end of that year, moved in with him and got married to him within 6 months. She worked at Victoria’s Secret in the mall, and he worked in a tattoo shop. Who knows what else is going on because she stopped communicating with her family very often. Now, several years later, she recently broke down and told her mom in a tearful phone conversation that she’s been physically and emotionally abused in the relationship and wants to divorce the guy and move back home (almost 22 now) and start all over.

Of course, her attendance at CC did not “cause” this situation, and other bad things probably would have happened in her life had she continued at private college since obviously her maturity and judgment was lacking in many ways. BUT, her parents often wonder if it would have been better, even with her floundering a bit at her private liberal arts school, to just send her back there and let her slug it out through a few more years. I think they think she would have been in a more positive environment there because the private college had MUCH more oversight and counseling and direct involvement with her. And most kids were fairly motivated to finish their 4 years.

Just a single story…your mileage may (hopefully will!) vary.

[carli]

walter, sounds like your kid is a great candidate for CC and would take advantage of all it offers while also gaining other super valuable life skills such as working for awhile as well as having fun, growing up a little, etc.

Other kids aren’t quite as “smart” and ready for that environment, and it’s almost like they need a bridge from high school to the next stage, where there’s an environment that – well, let’s just say it – coddles them a bit more. Of course, we hate to admit it and feel guilty that our kids at this stage can’t just suck it up and be self-motivated enough to ignore distractions. And it goes without saying that plenty of distractions also exist at private colleges.

But, here’s an example of one kid we know well who got “derailed” at CC…this kid was bright, interesting and successful all during high school. She was super creative and a great writer, and got a partial merit scholarship to a small private liberal arts school. She went for one year and although she loved it, raved about it, said it felt like “home”, she came back with way less than stellar grades. Her parents said “enough” and thought they’d teach her a lesson by enrolling her in the local CC for at least a semester, which she started the following fall. She also took a part-time job.

Long story short, it’s now about 3 years later and she met a guy the first few weeks of attending CC who ended up being a disaster for her, to put it mildly, and she left school by the end of that year, moved in with him and got married to him within 6 months. She worked at Victoria’s Secret in the mall, and he worked in a tattoo shop. Who knows what else is going on because she stopped communicating with her family very often. Now, several years later, she recently broke down and told her mom in a tearful phone conversation that she’s been physically and emotionally abused in the relationship and wants to divorce the guy and move back home (almost 22 now) and start all over.

Of course, her attendance at CC did not “cause” this situation, and other bad things probably would have happened in her life had she continued at private college since obviously her maturity and judgment was lacking in many ways. BUT, her parents often wonder if it would have been better, even with her floundering a bit at her private liberal arts school, to just send her back there and let her slug it out through a few more years. I think they think she would have been in a more positive environment there because the private college had MUCH more oversight and counseling and direct involvement with her. And most kids were fairly motivated to finish their 4 years.

Just a single story…your mileage may (hopefully will!) vary.

[carli]

walter, sounds like your kid is a great candidate for CC and would take advantage of all it offers while also gaining other super valuable life skills such as working for awhile as well as having fun, growing up a little, etc.

Other kids aren’t quite as “smart” and ready for that environment, and it’s almost like they need a bridge from high school to the next stage, where there’s an environment that – well, let’s just say it – coddles them a bit more. Of course, we hate to admit it and feel guilty that our kids at this stage can’t just suck it up and be self-motivated enough to ignore distractions. And it goes without saying that plenty of distractions also exist at private colleges.

But, here’s an example of one kid we know well who got “derailed” at CC…this kid was bright, interesting and successful all during high school. She was super creative and a great writer, and got a partial merit scholarship to a small private liberal arts school. She went for one year and although she loved it, raved about it, said it felt like “home”, she came back with way less than stellar grades. Her parents said “enough” and thought they’d teach her a lesson by enrolling her in the local CC for at least a semester, which she started the following fall. She also took a part-time job.

Long story short, it’s now about 3 years later and she met a guy the first few weeks of attending CC who ended up being a disaster for her, to put it mildly, and she left school by the end of that year, moved in with him and got married to him within 6 months. She worked at Victoria’s Secret in the mall, and he worked in a tattoo shop. Who knows what else is going on because she stopped communicating with her family very often. Now, several years later, she recently broke down and told her mom in a tearful phone conversation that she’s been physically and emotionally abused in the relationship and wants to divorce the guy and move back home (almost 22 now) and start all over.

Of course, her attendance at CC did not “cause” this situation, and other bad things probably would have happened in her life had she continued at private college since obviously her maturity and judgment was lacking in many ways. BUT, her parents often wonder if it would have been better, even with her floundering a bit at her private liberal arts school, to just send her back there and let her slug it out through a few more years. I think they think she would have been in a more positive environment there because the private college had MUCH more oversight and counseling and direct involvement with her. And most kids were fairly motivated to finish their 4 years.

Just a single story…your mileage may (hopefully will!) vary.

[Author]

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