School worries

Okay, I am really struggling with the school thing. I have worried about this off and on since my daughter was 2, but now that we're less than a year from kindergarten, it's even more on my mind. I know I don't have the ability to just up and move to wherever the best schools are. Next year she will be attending an elementary that just opened this year. My problem is, I really fear for her education. I feel like what she'll get won't be adequate. I was just checking school rankings here and NONE of our schools even rank in the top 100 in our city. That bothers me. Granted, they always base it on TAKS test scores, which I think is crap, but still. I'm not okay with just an "average" education. Our HIGH SCHOOL ranks 996 out of 1437.   I feel like class rank means nothing in a school that's barely scraping the top 1000 out of less than 1500. Our elementaries are a little better, but our highest ranking is still 404, can't remember the total number. And these rankings are just for Texas. We've been discussing at work how kids just get passed to be passed now. I don't want that for my kids. Honestly, ideally I'd homeschool, but that's not an option for me. Does it sound like I'm being too paranoid and picky about it? Some of you have kids already in school. How do you feel about it? Is there anything you do at home to enhance their educational experience? I do plan to make my kids work during summers to keep things fresh in their minds. They'll hate me for it, but I feel like 3 months is a ridiculous break for summer. Just me, and I know as a kid I loved it, but I remember forgetting half of what I'd learned the year before. I realize that my kids may not be geniuses, but I feel like the US's standard for education has gotten sub-par. I know this is long, sorry. I just want some other input.

I dont know but im in the same boat. The school we are zoned for is shitty. All the schools around her are shitty. Right now shes going to an AWESOME private montessori school for VPK. The state of FL pays for all 4 yr olds to go. I would LOVE to keep her in this school but forK its $800 a month   Each grade level it goes up too. Boo hoo. I might try to get her in a charter school or another one in the area.

yes i have a long way to go until my daughter is in school..she's only 10months..
but even now i let her watch educational shows, dvd's, buy learning toys...and all that... so when my daughter is in school, i will be doing other things as well to advance her knowledge at home..there are alot of things that you could buy to make their education better if your really that concerned with the school system...
and ur not being too paranoid..i bet i will be the same way when she's in school so no worries  ..after all i am going to school for pre-k and kindergarten teaching..

Quoting Maddys mom:“ I dont know but im in the same boat. The school we are zoned for is shitty. All the schools around her ... [snip!] ... a month   Each grade level it goes up too. Boo hoo. I might try to get her in a charter school or another one in the area.”

Our private schools here aren't a lot better than public. Educationally, they probably rank higher, but in our private high school there is a massive drug use problem. Which is probably due to the stress from the high demands of the school. It's like an interchange. You get a better education, but risk your child becoming addicted to drugs due to the stresses. I guess you can't win there. I don't want my daughter to feel like it's more than she can handle, I just want her to be challenged so she doesn't get bored with school. And I can't afford private school anyway. I really do wish I could homeschool so I could give her a year round education set to MY standards. I know we'd have to meet state requirements, but what I'd expect would exceed that. But, I work full-time and can't possibly do that, at least right now. I might be able to swing it when she was older and I could leave her home alone, but definitely not now.

Quoting My♥MyEverything:“ yes i have a long way to go until my daughter is in school..she's only 10months.. but even now i let ... [snip!] ... be the same way when she's in school so no worries  ..after all i am going to school for pre-k and kindergarten teaching..”

We are a hands on family for sure. I don't buy them a lot of educational toys, but mostly because I just can't. Kaeli has books galore and we like things that exercise the brain. She's actually a puzzle whiz! And with my twins, we practice all kinds of things with them on their level, lol. Sitting up, grabbing things, all that kind of thing. At one point, I'd started a pre-K learning book with Kaeli, but it fizzled out due to other issues. I'm kind of ashamed of that. If I can FIND the book again (we've moved about 3 times since we started that  ), I want to start it again. But I really think she's got all the stuff in it down.

Quoting Snot Fountain:“ We are a hands on family for sure. I don't buy them a lot of educational toys, but mostly because I ... [snip!] ... moved about 3 times since we started that  ), I want to start it again. But I really think she's got all the stuff in it down.”

yea the only thing i buy her is educational toys..things that exercise the brain..i feel like if i start off now, it will be better for her in the long run...
if money is an issue..there is alot of cheap brain toys out there..you just have to look for them..ebay, consignment shops, walmart...etc..their not super, super expensive...and even better if you have friends that could give you handy-downs.

Quoting My♥MyEverything:“ yea the only thing i buy her is educational toys..things that exercise the brain..i feel like if i start ... [snip!] ... shops, walmart...etc..their not super, super expensive...and even better if you have friends that could give you handy-downs.”

but i understand..with 3 kids it could be hard to get that stuff...

Ya, I'm flat broke and actually almost in the hole now.   And most of my friends have kids the same age as all of mine, lol.

You went to school there, right? I not only read your post, but also took note on your punctuation and grammar. You knew the correct "their".... Not many people on this website knows their "there" "their" and "they're".... You punctuate the comma appropriately as well. You are concerned about their education, yet you seem (at least with the English subject) well off. So what's your concern?
And to add: What's everyone else's excuse on this site? LOL

So, if you are truly concerned, just teach to them as well as they learn in school. Throw age-appropriate books their way that is educational and perhaps fun. Reward them for it. My mom did this.

She also gave up these workbooks for our grade level to do during the summer so our "brains don't turn off during the summer". We also had a library club that was practically free in the summer, and our local community college had learning programs as well. I learned French a couple of summers.... it was fun.
Also, if your child does exceptional in school, a teacher may elect them for something like a math contest for the state or Young Authors or etc....

You sound like you truly care for your child's education and have concerns.... why not join the PTA and maybe change some things? If you have the time....

The concerns that have been brought up in your post as well as responses are just some of the reasons that I am now homeschooling our children. Have you looked into homeschooling if it's a feasable option for your family

Quoting Mamaof2imps:“ The concerns that have been brought up in your post as well as responses are just some of the reasons ... [snip!] ... reasons that I am now homeschooling our children. Have you looked into homeschooling if it's a feasable option for your family”

I'm a single mom and I work over 40 hours a week, so it's not feasible. If it were, that is what I would do. I'd prefer it, but in my situation, it's just not possible.

Quoting Pr0udMAMA08:“ You went to school there, right? I not only read your post, but also took note on your punctuation and ... [snip!] ... for your child's education and have concerns.... why not join the PTA and maybe change some things? If you have the time....”

You actually stated a few things that I do intend to do, I just wondered if there were any other things people did. My grammar and spelling, I put more thanks to my family than I do to my schooling. I had some really good teachers, but I honestly passed classes with at least a B without doing half the work. That to me doesn't say much for the school system. I'm hoping that at some point I can join the school board, and I do plan to be as involved with the school as possible. I also have started the workbooks with her. We stopped due to some other issues, but as soon as I can get my hands on it, I'm starting a kindergarten workbook with her and I'm going to start teaching her to read.

You've given me ideas to check on, though. Thank you. I know there are things like sign language classes offered privately, I just have to figure out how to go about finding them. Our local college has things geared toward high school, so I can check that out if I'm still living here then. I'm hoping that the elementaries might offer some summer courses or such. They didn't have things like that when I was a kid. I'm also going to try and get her into a language class, probably spanish and maybe sign language, and I want her to learn an instrument. It probably sounds like I'm going to be one of those moms that barely lets her kid breathe, but I don't plan to do that. I do intend for 2-3 days of her week to be filled with extracurriculars. My kids are probably going to hate me a lot, lol.

Quoting Suzy Homemaker ♥:“ You actually stated a few things that I do intend to do, I just wondered if there were any other things ... [snip!] ... I do intend for 2-3 days of her week to be filled with extracurriculars. My kids are probably going to hate me a lot, lol.”

I read in an article that the way that elementary school worked, student success is more based on the child's IQ. The same does not apply to high school. Actually, my high school was interesting for the fact that they seperated the students to 1st track (honors)or 2nd track (college prep). It's like 2 different schools. I was in 1st and 2nd track classes (due to laziness lol). 1st track is extremely difficult (hours of studying and hw andexams were like the friggin' SATs!!!!), more difficult than most of my college courses. 2nd track is a joke, and I don't think anyone learned anything.

For hating you:
haha
Maybe ormaybe not.... I looked forward to Library Club
I liked the workbooks, because my mom applauded me for the right answers and rewarded me for my efforts in that and how many hours a week I read.
Depends on the child. I definitely didn't get involved in physical activities. The more variety the better (as you said, as long as it's not a overloaded schedule). How would they know what they don't like or do like if they never tried it at least once?
I made a post about it a few days ago. I loved my uncle taught me Latin. It helped me understand english: I can come across a word that I have never seen in my life and know what it means simply by pulling the Latin suffix, prefix, and root word out of it. It also helped me understand other languages instantly.

If you can't move then the best thing that you can do is to be there for your kids with their school work and home work all of the time. And that's a pretty good thing! Let the school do the very best job that it can. Be involved at your child's school all of the time. And then go home and work with her in the evening. That way you know that your child will be achieving about all that they can for their abilities, and it will overcome any shortcomings or problems that the school has.

I would really watch out for who they make as friends. Bad friends can sink a good education fast even in the best of schools. It may not be so much of a problem in the earliest years, but as they get older you need to be very watchful.

Quoting Pr0udMAMA08:“ I read in an article that the way that elementary school worked, student success is more based on ... [snip!] ... simply by pulling the Latin suffix, prefix, and root word out of it. It also helped me understand other languages instantly.”

The high school sounds similar to ours, but in a different way. We had 3 different diploma plans. One required at least 3 years of a second language, extra science, etc. It was the AP program, which I was in to start. It was the harder classes with college testing where you could place out of college courses. Then there was the standard plan. I can't remember what the third was, I think it was something along the lines of the career development school, but I don't know.

That's cool that your uncle taught you Latin. That would be so useful to know. As far as extracurriculars, Kaeli is already sports minded, so I know she'll be in some kind of sport. She wants to play baseball sooooooooooo baaaaaaaaad, lol. She'll probably be in teeball next summer. She wants to be in dance, too, though, which I'm excited about because I was in dance. I'm going to require her to be in at least one academic activity, though. I'll let her pick when she's older, but I want her in something that expands her mind, also. For now, it'll pretty much be on mama at home unless I can find like a language class or something to put her in.