How good to use API ratings for elementary schools. (San Jose: apartments, to rent)

[Avatar007]

We are moving to Bay Area and we have a kid, who is ready for KG.
I did some research and found that Cupertino district schools are having very high API ratings (above 900) but Apartment rents are very high.
For some schools in Sunnyvale, API rating is around 800+ and Apartments seems to be reasonable to rent.

As a good parent, we wish our kids to go for a good school, but does API rating is all to finalize a school?
Did anybody have any bad experiences with lower (around 800+ API) schools?

Some good schools in Cupertino have already received many applications and there is no guarantee that we can get the admission in the same school.
In case they choose to send to another nearby school, I think that will have very less API score and we might end up paying high apartment rent with a less API school. A bad deal.


I am not sure how to solve this issue at this juncture of time.
1) Should I rent a reasonable apartment with elementary school of API rating 800+.
2) Should I go for API about 900 and rent apartment accordingly. (If lucky enough, we will get that school and if not, any other nearby school)

Is there any other option?

Appreciate any ideas or help.
Thanks

[esmith143]

I'd stay away from API 900+ schools, those are often highly competitive, "pressure cooker" schools and kids are exposed to large amounts of pressure, competition, and stress. Besides, make sure to look at the demographics. Many API 900 schools are 75%+ Asian. Unless you're Asian yourself, your kids may be uncomfortable there.

[Ceece]

Look at the rank (1-10) instead, it's more broad but just as informative. If possible, stick with 9 and 10...you can't go wrong.

[OrangeSunset]

We are going through the same thing but in a different location of the bay area. Another thing you want to look at is the parents' reviews (and/or talk to parents) for the schools you are interested in. The scores are not the only indication of a good school. Many schools teach to the test and that's why the scores are high. I am looking for a more well-rounded education for my kids which includes more parent/community involvement, extra-curriculum activities and a dedicated/knowledgeable staff. We are also looking for a small school which I think might be hard to find in Silicon Valley...but this might not be important to you so figure out what you are looking for in a school and then go visit them. I think the choices will be very clear.

[SportyandMisty]

We started our kid out in the public school system in Cupertino (Regnart Elementary) in 1996. What we found was that it was "one size fits nobody." We made the choice to switch to private school (The Harker School) and in retrospect it was the best thing we could have done for our daughter.

Yes, private schools are expensive. And some of them do offer financial aid/need based scholarships even in elementary school. Most private schools also offer lots of activities & supervision before and after school including many clubs, music lessons, dance lessons, sports, field trips, tutoring, and just playing on the blacktop or the grass field while being supervised - something that isn't offered at the public schools. Only you know your child and if that would be a good choice. Harker is heavily academic; I think a few years ago they had something like 15 senior grads accepted to MIT. There are many other private schools that also do a great job.

The big feature of private school is that you don't have to live in the highest rent neighborhoods.

Here is one way to think of it: One of the biggest ways we as parents effect our children is by the school we send them to. It is less about the actual teachers and curriculum - it is more about the other students, as that is who your own child will see as their peers. the other kids in the school are the population from which your own child will create friends.

Only you know your kid. Too bad they don't come with instruction manuals.

For High School, I interviewed the principal at one of the great Cupertino high schools (I won't say which one). I asked him "what is your secret? You have great test scores and your graduates go on to great universities. Across the valley on the east side of San Jose the high schools do poorly. What is your magic?"

He thought about it and replied something like "It is not the teachers, nor the administrators, nor the curriculum. It is the parents. The parents of our students by and large are immigrant Asian and highly educated & professional and they have raised their children to value education & value scoring well & applying to the top universities in the nation. The students on the east side - well, their parents are also largely immigrant, but they are Latino and the culture that has developed in those schools does not focus so much on education or advanced degrees; it tends to focus more on gangs and getting pregnant early. You could swap the faculty and the Cupertino students would do just as well while the east side students would do just as poorly."

[Avatar007]

Excellent SportyandMisty.
I am very much thankful to you and all for responding to my queries.

[SportyandMisty]

One other thing -- especially in the early grades, academics may not be the most important thing. When our daughter was in K & 1 in Cupertino public schools, while the schools were great & the teacher was great, the logistics did not work out for us particularly well.

My wife & I both worked. If either you or your wife have substantial flexibility in your schedule, then what I write below will not be an issue for you. If both of you work, then please consider the following as well.

At the time, the public elementary school had both before-school care and after-school care. If you both work, then this is important. School does not start that early in the morning, and it lets out pretty early in the afternoon. So child care both before and after school will be needed.

The company that provided the before-school and after-school care is a private company, and they are reputable.

HOWEVER, we did not find out until just before school actually began in late August that no before-school or after-school slots were available for new students. The private company gives priority to siblings - so if a family has 2 kids, and their 3rd grader is already in the before & after school program, then the newly enrolled Kindergarten sibling gets preference for admission. So we had to scramble at the last minute to get alternate before & after school child care arranged.

It was difficult to arrange it, and there were issues.

The point is that sometimes the logistics of before & after school care (including transportation) are such that a private school becomes even more attractive if that private school accepts drop off early (e.g., by 6:30am or 7:00am) and late pick-up (up to 6:00pm without a penalty).

Good luck!

[San Jose Condos]

In south San Jose there is an elementary school district called Oak Grove that is one of the best Silicon Valley Elementary School districts around. The API's are all fairly high and the community is supportive. I think this stems from the fact that many public service employees (firman-policeman) raise their own families in this small pocket community.

I also feel that no matter the school it is all about parent interaction both at school and at home. Being a parent school volunteer and staying active with your kids homework and learning will insure that they are successful in their education.