Confused about the schools in Brower County (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: rental, condo)

[2gr8kids]

My husband and I are planning a move to South Florida this summer as he has accepted a job there. We have some flexibility in where we choose to live because my husband will be working predominantly from our home and his car. We have been told to stay in the Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas. I have searched these forums looking for good places to live and you guys are very helpful and informative. My main concern is schools. I need a great elementary school for my two children who are thriving in their current school and already ahead of the curve where we live. Private schools are not an option for us this fall, so I need to choose well from the public options. After reading these forums, I have it narrowed down to Weston, Cooper City and Davie. But, now I am confused. Do these cities not have their own school districts? Are they all county schools? Where we are now, each suburb has their own school system and the county has nothing to do with it. If the schools in your area are all run by Broward County, how do they differ? Is the curriculum different across schools? I haven't heard great things about Florida schools, but you can't trust the rumor mill. The forums say Weston and Cooper City and parts of Davie have great schools. I am having trouble locating rental properties in Cooper City (found a few, but prices are not listed, so I have no idea how much they are and thus, if they are an option). I love the sound of Cooper City by what I have read in the forum, but have better luck locating housing online in Davie. Trying to get the research done before we make a trip to search for housing. Can anyone explain the schools and where in Davie I should be looking? I appreciate all the help I can get. I really want this to be a good experience for my children. Also, as a side-note. Seems like a lot of people are concerned about Spanish-speaking on these forums. We do, so it is a non-issue for us.

[Momma_bear]

All the public schools are run by the School Board of Broward County. They all have to meet standards called Sunshine State Standards that are set by the state. They individual schools are permitted some control over the books, materials and methods that are used to teach students as long as the SSS are met. Starting in 3rd grade student progress in meeting SSS are assessed using an instrument called the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Students cannot be advanced to 4th grade without passing FCAT and they cannot graduate from HS without passing FCAT.

Since so much emphasis is placed on FCAT the schools naturally focus their teaching to the test. That is where much of the criticism of the FL schools is generated. If something is tested on FCAT it gets taught. If it is not tested on FCAT it can fall by the wayside. Much pressure is placed on EVERYONE passing the FCAT.

Schools are better in Weston, Davie and Cooper City. They are also good in Parkland and parts of Coral Springs. All of Weston is fine. In Davie you should look in the western part of the town. I don't know about the different sections of Cooper City but I can't think of any rough patches in Cooper City. Parkland is also very very nice and has good schools.

[2gr8kids]

Thanks so much! That does clarify things. It is just a very very large school district in comparison to what I am accustomed to. It is also very different in that the trend around here is that each school district has been doing a lot of standardizing across their individual buildings. That way, no matter what elementary school your child attends within that district, they will get the EXACT same curriculum. Even a majority of activities are shared by teachers. (pluses and minusses to this too) So, I was so confused how come one school would be so vastly different from another within the same district that people would be warning against some schools in the forum. But, I can see now how hard that would be in such a large district.

I will check into Parkland as well. I hadn't read anything about Parkland and I appreciate the additional suggestion.

Do you know what elementary schools in Davie are the "good" ones? Thanks again.

[pandabear123]

I think cooper city has good schools through out elem threw high school. Rock creek, Camelot, Embassy Lakes those are some nice subdivisions in cooper city that have townhomes that are under 2000.00 to rent. Davie you have to be careful there are some parts east of University drive that are run down and are not so family friendly.

[lauralei2]

You may want to use the Broward County School Boundary Map, as a guide for homes/condo/townhouses you are interested in. I do know however for the 2012-13 year the Broward County School Board will make some changes in order to alleviate crowding at Falcon Cove (in Weston). This may domino impact everyone nearby. School Boundaries: School Boundary Maps

[ProfTorres11]

My husband is looking into accepting a job offer in Ft. Lauderdale. I have twins that are 15 years old and I am very concerned about the schools system in Florida. I hear that Pembroke Pines is a good community; but are the schools in that are good? Should I consider private High School or would they be ok attending public schools in the Pembroke Pines area? could someone suggest another family friendly neighborhood where we can relocate to? I welcome all comments.

[Spring2012]

It's Broward, not Brower.

[Spring2012]

Originally Posted by 2gr8kids

Thanks so much! That does clarify things.

I am the product of the Broward County school system and I am like turn out okay.

[yrralis1]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

All the public schools are run by the School Board of Broward County. They all have to meet standards called Sunshine State Standards that are set by the state. They individual schools are permitted some control over the books, materials and methods that are used to teach students as long as the SSS are met. Starting in 3rd grade student progress in meeting SSS are assessed using an instrument called the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Students cannot be advanced to 4th grade without passing FCAT and they cannot graduate from HS without passing FCAT.

Since so much emphasis is placed on FCAT the schools naturally focus their teaching to the test. That is where much of the criticism of the FL schools is generated. If something is tested on FCAT it gets taught. If it is not tested on FCAT it can fall by the wayside. Much pressure is placed on EVERYONE passing the FCAT.

Schools are better in Weston, Davie and Cooper City. They are also good in Parkland and parts of Coral Springs. All of Weston is fine. In Davie you should look in the western part of the town. I don't know about the different sections of Cooper City but I can't think of any rough patches in Cooper City. Parkland is also very very nice and has good schools.

This is a very good post explaining the technical criteria of the system .

However --

Long before the FCAT was even idea (much less a modern acronym) , students went to school and were taught the basics. In fact the standards of excellence of "the good old days" sure have evolved . Discipline , class size , parental involvement , teacher accountability , and admiinistative management each contributed to to the process .

How can one define " a good school" ? Is it simply by the FCAT or test results ? Will it even make a difference to the student who failed it at an "A" school ? Is school more than just one test ?

In my opinion school is a process . Academics , social development , athletics each play a role . If even one component is lacking then the needs of the student are not being met.

A great teacher at an "F" school is a still a great teacher .
A lazy teacher at an "A" school is still a lazy teacher .
A fantastic student will be a fantastic student but if his peers , or school programs, or teachers , can not accomodate and challenge his skill then the greatest FCAT in the world is not enough.

I would not live in Florida and I would look into private schools if I had a child today. That is if academic education was a priority .

If academics were less important then I would at least pick a region with a lower crime residential communty that was family oriented . It helps if the parents are educated as well . If parents are involved with the school and child's education plus the area has athletic programs and after school activities (to enrich the student's potentials) then it's the best possible choice .

That's not to dismiss that a $30K a year 12 student per class (individualized instruction), PHD staff teacher , nationally ranked (with entrance exam) private school might offer a different route. There's nothing even close to it in Florida that I have ever heard of. Nationally these schools do exist.
By the way .. this type of school does not need an FCAT.

Of the choices mentioned .. Weston sounds the most appealing.

Good luck.

[yrralis1]

Originally Posted by 2gr8kids

Thanks so much! That does clarify things. It is just a very very large school district in comparison to what I am accustomed to. It is also very different in that the trend around here is that each school district has been doing a lot of standardizing across their individual buildings. That way, no matter what elementary school your child attends within that district, they will get the EXACT same curriculum. Even a majority of activities are shared by teachers. (pluses and minusses to this too) So, I was so confused how come one school would be so vastly different from another within the same district that people would be warning against some schools in the forum. But, I can see now how hard that would be in such a large district.

I will check into Parkland as well. I hadn't read anything about Parkland and I appreciate the additional suggestion.

Do you know what elementary schools in Davie are the "good" ones? Thanks again.

The curriculum and competencies are the same yet schools can differ.
Schools are like miniature communities . Two communities can share the same standards with differemt styles, attititudes as well as measured results .

I realize that society like to promote the idea that a uniform standard promotes equality between schools, teachers, students and parents . It's a great moral argument fantasy idea .. but its not reality .