Cy-Fair ISD: Open-concept schools? (Spring: elementary school, university, cabinet)

[Cyfairkid]

I went to Cy fair schools and loved the open concept. At 9, I liked looking across the way and seeing everybody engaged. I could see my neighborhood friends learning and that was cool. I liked having tables cause their was alot of space. However, as a teacher in Cy fair, I really hate the open concept. These days, some classes are so disrupted by students that every teacher has to stop and refocus their students. Its incredibly noisy and hard to concentrate when students are shouting curse words at teachers or throwing things. This is true: Cy fair is no better than HISD. Whoever thinks this is misled. When you need a security substitute to maintain several schools, HISD schools are leaps ahead.

[6treasures]

Open concept originally was a large room where the students were to move from one learnig station to another. When the given assignment was complete the student moved to the next learning station. The learning stations were manned by teachers who could take time with students that needed it. Students having difficulty in one area might spend more time there and less time in an area he was more proficient in.(simple explanation only)

That concept has not been used for years. The schools with no walls are cheaper to build. Cabinets on wheels are used to separate the rooms. There is quite a bit of space over the cabinets and between them.The sound moves freely from one area to another coming to a crescendo just before the final bell of the day rings. I do not know how well a child can learn during the last 45 minutes of the school day. If there is important content to teach it is very difficult to keep the students on task.
Some students do better than others. If a child has ADHD or ADD (5 to 20% of students)then the education system runs the risk of that student falling behind and eventually giving up.

See http://www.principalspartnerships.com/openschools.pdf (broken link)

Our children were in HISD and CFISD. Most of the time(elementary) they were in a building with no interior walls. I never thought it was a good idea. Special educ. and spill over from overcrowding were using temporary buildings outside of the main building, in some cases.

I have not seen the school that has the principal's office with no walls. Administration cannot have the distraction of the noise, interuptions and students changing classes.

I volunteered in one Spring Branch Elementary school. It had walls. Each classroom was self contained. I liked it.

Our children all made it through school. Two were National Honor Society members. Two were Spec.Educ. The other two would have benefited from the self contained classrooms.
I substituted in both school districts. I did not see a great deal of difference.

[TXTwizter]

Originally Posted by jessnboys

We are possibly relocating to Houston in '07 and will mostly likely settle in the Cy-Fair school district. I've stumbled on some info that a number of the elementary schools there are built on the "open-concept". Around here (Washington DC), that was an education fad that failed in the 1970's so I was surprised to hear it was not only still around there, but that new schools were being built with the same floorplans. Does anyone have any first hand experience with children in these schools? The failure of those schools around here blamed it on the high noise volume and numerous distractions to both students and teachers. Also, does anyone know which elementary schools specifically have this layout? Or rather, which ones don't? Thanks!

A friend of mine is a teacher at Millsap Elementary and he says they have "open classes". He says it drives him NUTS!

[westhou]

When i was in elementary my school was open. I did find it distracting but for an ADHD kid like me I loved it. The schools I went to were Hargrove and Owens.

[Klein Bearkat]

When I was at Thesis it was open

[ZeroTX]

The new CFISD elementary schools are still "open concept" to a point, but there are partial walls and well-defined hallways, etc. It is built where it would be easy (and not expensive) to complete the partial walls into full walls. Why haven't they? There are people who say it is a great way to do things... even most of the teachers I talked to there.

I was a high school teacher in Cy-Fair and my school, Jersey Village High, was built as an open-concept high school in 1972. Over the years, that concept didn't work well for high school, so it was slowly walled up. The final "walling up" took place in 2005 when they built permanent walls and doors to replace thin temporary walls in the math wing (and previously no doors). Of course, it is all being demolished now to rebuild the interior of the school in a traditional manner and to add 40 classrooms to the overcrowded building.

Also, as mentioned, all of the middle schools that were previously open-concept were walled up years ago.

Some like the open-concept elementary schools. The school ratings seem to back that up for the most part. For me, as a teacher, I would find it horrible, but people tell me they love it once they try it. Who knows.

Good luck in your choice.

-Michael

[beandawgs]

We just moved out of the Cy Fair ISD to Humble ISD in Kingwood because of the open classroom situation - I actually feel that the Cy Fair is a really good school district but I have a 5 year old son with ADHD. I just worried that it was not the right situation for him in particular. So far he's doing ok in Kingwood but I kind of miss Cy Fair. We're just renting now and struggling with should we stay in Kingwood or move back to Cy Fair (maybe Fairfield?).

[kmyren]

I am looking for a private school in Northeast Houston area. My son is gifted, however, he has ADD and does not perform well in the traditional classroom setting. He is currently in 7th grade. We are relocating to Houston area next summer. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[meletonmc]

I have a 6 year old son with ADD, and I think that the open concept would be either great or disastrous. Sometimes he does better if there is more activity around him, as it has a calming effect. I'm not sure if I want to move there just to find out. I would love to hear from more parents ADD children in the district. It's too bad that I can't get a 30 day free trial!

[procyfair]

we have been in cy fair since 1993 my children have both graduated from cy springs they made it .. they both graduated with honors and in the top 10.. so think what you want .. maybe the old discipline starts at home needs to be addressed...