Elementary schools- Is this normal? (low income, income, stats)

[mom2three]

Originally Posted by OhHaiGuise

I recently relocated here (Sumner County) and am concerned with the quality of education. I was wondering if it is normal that teachers teaching the same grade hand out homework signed "The 2nd grade teachers" or "The kindergarten teachers." Nothing that comes home is unique. They all do the same exact thing. The school my children attend is rated a 10 on greatschools. I thought it would be pretty good. Also, shouldn't they be doing any recitals for music (concerts) or plays? We have never been invited to attend anything at the school. We have a chance at putting them in a Magnet school this coming year, but I would hate to change their school again. Can anyone give any insight to what is "normal?"

I have a child in K and a child in 1st grade. Both at Station Camp Elementary. We are from Long Island NY, and so far have been very happy with the schools. We attended a "Fall Program" at the school back in September that my 1st grader participated in. They also had a "Holiday Program" that the 4th graders did.

[JoAnn5]

Our county has a 'Scope and sequence' plan so that all schools in the county are at roughly the same point in the curriculum at any given time. This is mainly due to preparation for the TCAP. Supposedly it also makes it easier for students to transition from one school to another during the school year (if need be) and not miss instruction on any important standards or domains covered on the tests. Usually the extracurricular activities such as plays or musicals will happen after the testing in the spring! Until those tests, it's noses to the grindstones....lol

[TXRyan23]

Beech is constantly sending home fundraisers, It's almost to the point to where they're begging for whatever little bit of money they can get. Seriously, We've had atleast 10 fundraisers so far this year.

Also, When I was in school we MAYBE went on a field trip twice a year, So far my son has been on 4 field trips, They went to Cracker Barrel, A local Fire station, Barnes and Nobles, and Dollar Tree.

Honestly, what kind of field trips are those ?

[jksgrls]

I think Mike In TN is correct. In our local school district here in Southern California teachers are mandated to teach to a "Pacing Guide" so they are required to be at the same place, at the same time in regards to the curriculum. The state standards are a huge factor here too and our kids take benchmark tests every 6 weeks to make sure the standards are being grasped. I work for our local district and I can tell you that the teachers are very frustrated with this practice. Students break into different levels for math and reading groups. This openly identifies children who are at the lower level and that leaves some children feeling embarrassed. This whole state needs a lot of help. They are even talking about ending school early this year because there aren't enough funds to carry us through June. It's pretty sad overall.

[Kimnjasonx3]

I have to say I have had the same concerns. We relocated to Sumner County this past year. I have 1 child in school. I have been to school for Moms and Muffins day and her book fair. I really missed her not having a Christmas concert, etc. Maybe this is a northern thing - we are from the North also.

??????? Am I impressed with this particular school - no not at all! Maybe it is just the school and not the County.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by Kimnjasonx3

I have to say I have had the same concerns. We relocated to Sumner County this past year. I have 1 child in school. I have been to school for Moms and Muffins day and her book fair. I really missed her not having a Christmas concert, etc. Maybe this is a northern thing - we are from the North also.

??????? Am I impressed with this particular school - no not at all! Maybe it is just the school and not the County.

It's very sad to say but you'll find the education/schools aren't as important in the South as they are up North.

People can bash all they want but the statistics don't lie.

[Kimnjasonx3]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

It's very sad to say but you'll find the education/schools aren't as important in the South as they are up North.

People can bash all they want but the statistics don't lie.

That is very sad to hear

I know there are people out there that are very happy with their school system; that is great. When we move, the first thing my husband and I are doing is going on a tour to different schools during normal school time. Unfortunately, we did not have that chance to do that before our move here.

[Mary_Moon]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

It's very sad to say but you'll find the education/schools aren't as important in the South as they are up North.

People can bash all they want but the statistics don't lie.

Education/schools aren't as important to whom? Regular citizens? Parents? The state governement or maybe the local government?

I've had kids in public school going on 3 years now and I have yet to meet ANYONE that doesn't think education is important. As a state, Tennessee improved, in one year, from 45th to 16th in the nation for education as a whole, preschool through post-secondary, as ranked by Education Week. There are lots of reasons schools in the South normally rank below those in the North, but certainly the main reason isn't that no one thinks education is unimportant. I just can't get over you actually posting such a generality!

http://media.www.theallstate.com/med...-3219272.shtml

[Mike in TN]

LOL at that fluff piece.

TN 'aint 16th in the nation in education. Even if you try and fudge the numbers and include post-secondary education.

[Mary_Moon]

Originally Posted by Mike in TN

LOL at that fluff piece.

TN 'aint 16th in the nation in education. Even if you try and fudge the numbers and include post-secondary education.

What's your take on it then? Where do we stand and why is Tennessee ranked so poorly?