School transfers

I am interested in transferring my son to a new school. Our principal is just, well, awful and the dealings I have had with her this year are sure to have a lasting impression and we have a long few years in this school left. I noticed when looking at the School Board rules that they changed the transfer requirements back in October. You can only transfer if it is hardship based or education program related. Anyone know how easy/hard it is to get a school transfer? Our issues are education based, but I am not sure education "program" related.

 

As crowded as our schools are, and with the number of people claiming hardship, etc already, I wouldn't be hopeful.

DD attends what I consider to be one of the worst led schools in the area. Then again, I'm no wall flower, and if I think stuff is wrong or boneheaded, I speak up. This school has been leaning on their laurels from years back, and it's beginning to catch up to them.

We've met the principal at the school she'll be attending come fall. All I can say is they need to clone this principal and have them fan out. Dynamic and no nonsense, yet still exhibits common sense, traits that are sorely lacking from some of the leadership teams.

 

Good luck is all I can say. I know each situation is different and you may be able to get a transfer, but I tried several times with no luck and know others who had no luck either. I feel for you and hope that you can get your children into a better situation than the are in. Just know you have options other than JC public schools . . .

 

We tried for a transfer last fall and they told us it was too late in the year. I was given the spiel about how it would be easier for a transfer once the school year was over. Guess those chances are looking more slim now. Not a good thing.

I noticed another post referencing the long wait for the Charter school. If I don't want to go the Christian private school route, then what other option do I have (besides homeschooling)?

 

I'm curious...what "dealings" are you experiencing with the principal?


In my day, if you were "dealing" with the principal it was because you were doing something wrong.

 

My son is not getting his educational needs met. His teacher refuses to give him extra or harder work even though he is way above grade level. I asked her to even just give him a list B of spelling/sight words and she flat out told me that she did not have to because he does not fall under the "special needs" category. So, no trouble whatsoever. My son is a good kid who loves school and needs to challenged. His reading is cusping 3 grades ahead of his, but the teacher refuses to allow him to be paired with another child at his level. The next closest level child in class is 20 levels below him, so he is being told he has to sit and participate in that reading group "until someone catches up".

 

Welcome to public school. Since he is so far advanced maybe you should look in to having him skip a grade.

 

Then you will need to challenge him at home. That's what we did. As he gets older, it WILL even out. Mine is in middle school now, taking Algebra in the 7th grade. He is plenty challenged. LOL

 

At what point is the school responsible, though? They are required to make sure lower level students are educated, why are they not required to educate the higher performing? I think the "just help him at home" attitude is why teachers do NOT feel they have to help these kids. If more people challenged the system to educate these kids appropriately then something would get done. ALL kids deserve a good education and differentiating instruction is more than feasible.

As for skipping a grade, at this point it's a huge expense out of our pocket to get him tested. My husband lost his job back in November and just got a new job last month. We just cannot put that money into testing right now.

 

My son participated in the AIG program, which I don't think they are doing right now. He never went to the center in Smithfield, but the classes were differentiated, at least at RW. I understand your frustrations, truly.

 

I agree with kdc, most kids will level out by 2nd or 3rd grade. The kids that excelled will slow down and the kids that struggled with come up in time. If by then he is still excelling above grade level then I would look into having him tested to move up a grade (I believe if the schools agree with you they will pay for the testing themselves) Unless he is getting in trouble I would let him continue where he is!
JMHO

 

just wanted to say thanks for listening to me the other night ds has started with his tutor and its great... learned he can verbally express what to do just cant get it on paper in the right order!!

 

The school is a government entity so it knows very little about efficiency. All it wants is for the lowest common denominator to be at a certain level so everyone can grow up feeling good about themselves.

It's precisely why private schools run laps around public schools at all levels...from K through college.

 

From one advanced kid's mom to another.

The only thing more difficult than a school transfer is to skip a grade....I was told by ''an insider'' that "they do not even do that for teacher's kids".

Good Luck!

 

Really, I have a friend/coworker who's daughter just skipped the rest of her 7th grade year and moved up to 8th grade... I dont think its very common but I do think when the school see's it will benefit the kid they will do it

 

Not a problem!! We just have to find out what works best for our individual kids. One size does not fit all!

 

I have realized that very quickly when dealing with this school/county. I never imagined schools were so heavily run as a government type program and not as a true place for just education practices. I have been as far up the ladder as the Superintendent and will say that man is not out for the good of the students (at least not in our case). He is very heavy on pushing things aside and ignoring parents.

 

Ugh. Thanks for that tip. I figured it would be just as hard. I get the feeling, after all the conversations with the Principal and the Superintendent, that everything is difficult in JoCo. I have another child who will be there in 2 years on the opposite spectrum with special needs and I already dread dealing with them over that as well.

 

1st of all, I know for sure I'm going to offend someone here. Next of all, not quite sure I care because I'm just stating an opinion. But I feel compelled. I don't know your whole situation. I don't know your child. All I know is the information you have provided here. But here's some points to ponder:

1. The principals and teachers of the public school system have more than 1 child to deal with on a daily basis. My experience with our school in the 5 years we've been there is that you could barely tell it. The principal knows every single kid. The teachers, despite the class sizes, are very attentive to individual kids' needs. That being said, there are 900 kids in our elementary school to keep up with. 1 child should never get lost, but if we, as parents, have 1 (or 2, or 3, etc) kids to keep up with, that is a totally different scenario than juggling 900 or even a classroom full. We need to take the responsibility to fill in the gaps of a publicly-funded and run school system for the masses.

2. Is your child well-rounded? Does he spend time outdoors every day? Is he involved in community sports programs? Is music a part of his life? Does art interest him? Does your child spend time, alone every week just to let his imagination run wild and just be a kid? Does your child spend quality totally non-educational time with friends? There are lots of ways to stimulate young minds that do not involve books or supervised study.

Good luck to you. And good luck to your child. Your love is obvious. I do wonder, though, if maybe giving a baby bird his wings a little bit might be in order here. Thanks for listening.

 

:hurray: