So Frustrated! Overcrowded Schools...

[Aloros]

FI and I recently bought a house and will be moving there middle of July.

One of the things that has been important to us is the quality of the schools, since FI has a 10-year-old son who lives with us full-time. I''ve been worried about stepson having to move schools again - we got full custody early this school year - but he seems excited about the school and the neighborhood, so I''ve relaxed about that a bit. We already had a situation where the local school, which we moved to our current neighborhood for, was overcrowded, so stepson has been going to a school that is ok, but not great.

We just found out today that the school in our new neighborhood is overcrowded as well. FI and I are so upset! This school is the best in the area, and is right down the street from our new home. We really want to get stepson into this school. It goes up to grade 7, and we really don''t want for him to have to move schools again once a space opens up. But, we don''t want him to continue to attend a sub-par school. Either way, we''re stuck with an unpleasant situation.

UGH! The neighborhood is so new, and the school so large, I didn''t think to check whether or not the school was overcrowded.

Have any of you encountered a situation like this? Any suggestions for what we might be able to do?

 

[swimmer]

Aloros,
What do you mean by "overcrowded?" Most schools in the US are operating over capacity at some point; did they tell you that your student could not enroll? Or are you just hearing the word on the street? Most state laws will still mandate his presence in the school closest to your home till he is 16. Education is a civil right, even if it is crowded he should get a seat. Are you worried about the school not letting him in? Or are you concerned that their resources are stretched too thinly? Or both?

 

[Aloros]

It means the school is filled to capacity, so they bus the excess students over to other schools. I''m fairly sure they have a class maximum size, and once that''s reached - too bad.

I hate the idea of him going to a school that''s not as good, especially when we bought a house in this neighborhood specifically for the schools - and I hate the idea of him switching schools so many times.

I just don''t know what to do

 

[Fancy605]

Hmmm where to begin here...

This may sound strange, but in my experience in education, I have found that a child can get a good education in any school if he wants his education and if his family values education. Education DOES have a lot to do with the school culture, the teachers, etc. for some kids, but for the majority of kids, it all hinges on whether the value that school places on education is emphasized and reinforced at home. To me you seem to be VERY intent on this child getting a quality education, and that probably means that he will be successful regardless of what school he attends.

That being said, of course you are still right to want what''s best for this child. Have you talked to the school about enrollment yet?

Also, you might want to check into the NCLB laws as far as school choice goes. It is a ridiculous mandate, but it has opened up a lot of options for parents. For example, in a lot of states, if the schools in the area haven''t met AYP, then parents have school choice within the district and the district pretty much has to pay to bus your child to whichever school you want him in. I don''t know how it is where you are. It doesn''t sound like you are in the South though because around here, when a school gets over crowded, we haul in some double wides and move the kids out there.

Out of curiosity--why do you consider this school better than his current school? Is it the student population, the staff, the course offerings?

 

[Haven]

Date: 6/25/2008 12:13:43 PM
Author: Fancy605
Hmmm where to begin here...


This may sound strange, but in my experience in education, I have found that a child can get a good education in any school if he wants his education and if his family values education. Education DOES have a lot to do with the school culture, the teachers, etc. for some kids, but for the majority of kids, it all hinges on whether the value that school places on education is emphasized and reinforced at home. To me you seem to be VERY intent on this child getting a quality education, and that probably means that he will be successful regardless of what school he attends.


That being said, of course you are still right to want what''s best for this child. Have you talked to the school about enrollment yet?


Also, you might want to check into the NCLB laws as far as school choice goes. It is a ridiculous mandate, but it has opened up a lot of options for parents. For example, in a lot of states, if the schools in the area haven''t met AYP, then parents have school choice within the district and the district pretty much has to pay to bus your child to whichever school you want him in. I don''t know how it is where you are. It doesn''t sound like you are in the South though because around here, when a school gets over crowded, we haul in some double wides and move the kids out there.


Out of curiosity--why do you consider this school better than his current school? Is it the student population, the staff, the course offerings?

Ditto.

I also want to add that sometimes a school doesn''t deserve its reputation, good or bad. I went to what was considered one of the nation''s best public high schools, and I currently teach in what is considered a mediocre public high school--I must admit, I think my students in our mediocre public HS are getting a much better education than I ever got in my fancy shmancy HS. Just something to think about.

And I can''t agree more with Fancy''s sentiment that a child can get a good education in nearly any school if he has a supportive family that cares about his education.

 

[pennquaker09]

Ditto to both posts. I was teaching at what some people considered inner city, but it was pretty awesome. Some people look at test scores and automatically think a school is bad, but there is so much more involved than tests.

 

[Aloros]

Thanks for the replies! I feel a little better about it I suppose. Maybe I''m just not in panic mode anymore.

FI and I do care very much about his education - but getting stepson-to-be to care more about it is a work-in-progress.

When looking at the schools, I checked out the surrounding neighborhood, the test scores, parent/student reviews, and looked at their websites to get a sense of their extracurricular activities and staff. We haven''t enrolled yet, because we''re closing on our house this week, so hopefully we''ll get some more information when we try to enroll.

I guess I worry because the other schools in the area are near busy streets, have lower (and in most cases, much lower) test scores, are in questionable neighborhoods (gang activity), have low parent/student ratings...etc. My parents worked really hard to get my siblings and I into the best schools. I had a really great academic experience growing up, and I want the same for my stepson.

The school we were aiming for is just down the street, high test scores, great extracurricular activities, and nestled in the middle of a residential area next to a huge park. It''s just ideal all around. I guess we can''t have everything?

I''ll look into those NCLB laws, Fancy605. Thanks for the tip.