? about the N.Carolina school system...

[FINFAN]

A while back there was a thread about how the kids are bussed to various schools depending on demographics or the like...is that a statewide practice or by county? I remember many saying how "messed up" the system is and that your kids probably won't attend the school in the neighborhood etc. Can anyone help refresh my memory?

Thanks,

Pam

 

[2bemarried]

Hey Finfan,

Yah....the Wake County schools are messed up. Due to some of the schools being "lower ranked" on the academic scale..the county was shuffling students in hopes to raise those scores.
It's a really messed up system. As far as I know...it's the only county affected...but could be wrong.

 

[chell]

Not all counties in NC do this. But I do believe there are several. They were doing it in the Charlotte area, not sure if they still are.

 

[FINFAN]

Beautiful wedding photo!

Thanks for the quick reply...DH is job hunting (always!) and it seems like NC has opportunity in his field, but we know nothing of the area...always vacationing at WDW! and not experiencing the rest of the country.
Any other helpers who may know if it is/is not state wide?

 

[onecoolmama]

Here I went back and found the link to the last thread. I hope you find it as helpful as I did!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=480793

 

[chell]

FINFAN what area are you looking at? It is not done statewide. They do not do it here where I live.

 

[FINFAN]

Thankyou onecoolmama! DH is using the computer for his search so I am on/off the boards when I can....
chellnjr---looks like the Charlotte area is what keeps surfacing, and one possibility in Greenville, but preliminary stuff. The salary is quite a cut from current status, but quality of life is our top priority and where we live now is draining us...very competitive, DH killing himself putting in 70-80 hours a week and have had to endure 2 pay cuts...we have a 13 and 9 year old tho, so at least 9 years left of school to think about. What location are you at?
Ant info is appreciated.
Gotta go...DH is hovering needeing the computer!

Pam

 

[chell]

Pam I know the hovering feelings. I'm not sure what all was posted in the other thread, but Charlotte had started some magnet schools. Don't know if that would be something you would be interested in or not.

I'm up in the mountains, close to Asheville. If you do move here you will have to come check it out. You will also need to visit Boone and Ashe County. Ashe County is beautiful!!!

I hope he does find something where he does not have to work so much.

 

[2bemarried]

Pam,
You'll definitely want to visit each of the locations, but I have to say that they are totally different in size and feel. Charlotte is a booming city with many many things to do...whereas Greenville is a much smaller rural town. I'm sure the school systems will be different from each other as well. Many of the smaller rural towns have lower ranking schools due to the fact that they're still farming areas and school isn't top priority for parents or students whereas it is in larger towns and cities. Just my opinion

 

[KristiKelly]

This is done in our area, chances are, if you bust your tail to afford to live in a good area, you will not be bussed to another school; however, students from other areas, will be bussed in. I was told that at my son's school there are not enough low income families to qualify for free lunch so they have to bus them in to qualify. I hope this makes since.

 

[FINFAN]

Thanks everyone,
You have all been so helpful. We have been here our whole lives, so a while we are very willing to make a move for a job, it seems so sureal...we just can't grasp it...but know we need to take control of our lives and make some serious changes. Oct. of 2002 was a brutal month for us career -wise and we just kept trying to hang on thru the holidays...I can't believe a whole year has passed and we have not made the break yet. This is more of a mental health type thing for us...we have seen that we can survive on the paycuts, even went to WDW(maybe not the smartest thing to do financially...but really enjoyed it) but DH is at the end of his rope. We have even thought of sellling and relocating ourselves, but then we snap out of it...COBRA ins. costs will do that to you
Anyway...enough of my downer...life is good, just looking to live it the best way we can...and you all have been most helpful!
Have a great weekend!
Chellnjr...I am somewhat in tune w/magnet schools...but they are not like charter ones right? Magnet requires tuition? Back to the vicious circle of salary being a big cut, when we would need more for private school?
We do not have an issue with the mixing of economic status-grade status etc., but it would bother me if the kids were being bussed to a different scholl year after year. School is stressful enough w/out having that to deal with...and not being with friends etc. I think that would be really hard, moving to a whole new place and* musical chairs *schools...
i'm sure I will be looking more into this.

Pam

 

[WDWAurora]

The majority of NC does not do this, it's only select school systems in certain areas, such as Wake County (yes there are more that just in Wake, but in general this isn't a common practice). From what I've learned about Magnet schools, they are schools that are public, within the system (read: no tuition) but focus on more specialized areas, such as the arts. There are currently 2 in Wake County. Students do have to test to get in, however. These are only high schools in Wake County. Could be for younger children in other areas, but I'm not familiar with that.

 

[Bojangles]

Greenville? It is a college town and not that big. You may run into a bussing issue in Raleigh or Charlotte but not there.

 

[tar heel]

School attendance areas are set totally by local school boards in North Carolina. For many years, there was not a lot of choice about busing in the urban area. Desegregation was court ordered, and thus required by law, and neighborhoods tended to be either mostly white or mostly black, so busing was how you integrated the schools. Although the systems are not under court order now, local educators do not want schools that are entirely one race or all poor kids or all rich kids, and that would definitely be the case in the some cities with all neighborhood schools.

Magnet schools evolved as a way to get parents to choose to have their children bused. There are many magnet schools in Charlotte. Magnet schools are free, public schools that emphasize a certain area. For example, Charlotte has International Baccaulaureate schools, arts magnets and language immersion schools (where instruction is in, say German). The system now operates under a "choice" plan -- parents can request their neighborhood school or another one in the district. I'm not sure what kind of guarantees there are about getting into neighborhood schools -- there certainly are no guarantees about getting into magnet schools.

A lot of people who work in Charlotte live in the surrounding counties. I live 20 miles away in an area where about half the people commute. Our schools are good and there is no large busing plan. However, as one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, there are no guarantees that you get the closest school or that you don't have to switch schools. My 16-year-old will graduate from a different high school than his brother did two years ago and my 9-year-old will go to a different middle school from the 16-year-old. My fourth grader started elementary school a mile from our house. In third grade, he and about 400 other kids from our area was moved to a new school 6.5 miles away. A third elementary school will be opening in our area in 2005 -- I expect our neighborhood to be redistricted to it. This will mean some students will have attended three elementary schools without changing residences!

I'll admit I was not happy when I found out we were being moved, but since our school is WONDERFUL -- the other one was good, but this one is even better -- it's no longer a big deal.

I would think Greenville schools would be pretty good since it's home of a large university and the medical center for eastern North Carolina. That's definitely not the pretty part of the state, though.

 

[FINFAN]

Actually Charlotte has surfaced with more opportunity than Greenville, but Greenville had a better matched position. The crime rate has us a bit concerned there tho.
I was surprised that NC was matching up at all w/DH career. He is in manufacturing and the great lakes area is pretty much the base for that. We are happy about it tho...even tho we are clueless about NC those of you who live there seem to have positive responses. Cost of housing/taxes is definitely more affordable for the average wage earner. Sadly, we really wish to be in the sunbelt, so that will mean a major career change, and at our age(40's) it's a little hard to start over. That may be be exactly what happens however!
Keep the responses coming...I truly do appreciate them!

Pam

 

[2bemarried]

Greenville is one of the many towns where manufacturing plants have thrived. I know of one particular plant there that manufactures pharmaceuticals for a large RTP corporation..and Zebulon is the packaging plant for them.

 

[Ellester]

I live in Charlotte and it is true that our school system is a little wacked out, however it is improving. It used to be called the "choice" plan, but they recently changed the name so it no longer implies that you get a choice. That said, it is much more stable now than it has been in the past several years. New boundries were assigned two years ago and have stayed stable for the most part. As tar heel said, the magnet schools are free. Some are very hard to get into (language immersion, International Bacc.) some are not (Math & environmental studies). Each student is currently guaranteed a spot in their "home school". This is usually (but not always) the closest school to your house. Many schools in more desirable areas are overcrowded (my dd's elementary school has 1500+ kids, I think it was planned for 1200), but they put up portable classrooms to make class size legal. Many inner city schools are almost empty, as they were built during the bussing era. You can also enter a lottery to get into other schools in your "zone", transportation provided by the county or out of your "zone" where you would have to provide transportation. But, there is no guarantee that you will get any of the schools you put on your lottery form. If you are happy with your home school, it is really not an issue. I'm very happy with my dd's school, as I said it is our home school. You can check out Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system website at www.cms.k12.nc.us . There you can see how many magnets there are and what they focus on.

As far as crime, it is really not much of an issue. Like any city, there are areas you need to be careful about. But, I've lived in South Florida and Atlanta and think it is much safer around here. We are not in the sunbelt, but our weather sure beats the northeast! We are a 9 hour drive from WDW too! Doable in one day! If you have any other Charlotte questions, please let me know.

One other thing, I am also a major Dolphins fan (grewup in So. Fl). But, to live in Charlotte, you do have to be willing to root for the Panthers! (Unless they play the Fish, of course!). As a Dolfan, I expect you will be rooting against the Pats (cheaters, with their snowplows! ) next Sunday!

~Ellen

Happy in NC!

 

[we3luvdisney]

Originally posted by 2bemarried
Many of the smaller rural towns have lower ranking schools due to the fact that they're still farming areas and school isn't top priority for parents or students whereas it is in larger towns and cities. Just my opinion

This is the MOST ASININE STATEMENT I've read in such a long time!! We live in a small rural farming area and our schools are NOT low ranking. As a matter of fact a good proportion of our schools were rated "School of Excellance" by the state of North Carolina and our test scores are comparable with you "big city folk!"

This is not the 1800's, parents and students in smaller rural farming areas DO place education as a TOP priority!!

 

[WDWAurora]

I have to agree about the rural areas. My school district is one of the top performing in the state, and it's about as rural as it gets. I'm in college now, and there are fewer people in my whole county than there are at my school now (like over 10,000 less) and my education was much better, or at the very least equal, to other parts of the state that are less rural. Just because we live on farms (well, ours is only big enough to call a "garden") and have cows next door doesn't make us completely stupid and make us care less about a good education. I know that's not what you meant, but we do place a VERY high priority on education. As the daughter of a retired principal, I just find that insulting. I'll be working in the school system during my career as a school psychologist, and I sincerely hope that I can help squelch some of these stereotypes that still surround our area, despite the fact that we too have entered the 21st centurty. In the future, please consider the facts regarding which school districts are high performing, as many of the lowest performing schools are in the more urban areas of NC.

 

[2bemarried]

Originally posted by we3luvdisney
This is the MOST ASININE STATEMENT I've read in such a long time!! We live in a small rural farming area and our schools are NOT low ranking. As a matter of fact a good proportion of our schools were rated "School of Excellance" by the state of North Carolina and our test scores are comparable with you "big city folk!"

This is not the 1800's, parents and students in smaller rural farming areas DO place education as a TOP priority!!

I do apologize if I offended you....but I grew up in Creedmoor(Granville County)...still a primary farming area and believe me...the county was 49th in the State. Your schools just might be exceptional. My best friend teaches 4th grade in Creedmoor...same school I went to...over HALF of her class for the past 3 years...has not been able to tell time!! Like I said....your schools just might be exceptional.
So don't assume I'm one of the "big city folk" just because I live in Cary.