- what do you think is important in a middle school? I realize programs differ, so I'm wondering, what do you like about yours?

Academics first. Great Schools gives you a partial glimpse of academics in the school. Generally speaking, the higher a school rating, the stronger the academic core curriculum program is. I also look for strong math and science programs, and co-curricular activities like Project Lead The Way [pre-engineering program] and Future Problem Solvers. My child's school has both.

I also look for a range of extra-curricular activities in which my child may otherwise not be able to participate, and those in which he already has experience. My child's school has fencing, equestrian activities, downhill skiing, rowing/crew and other activities in which I just don't have the time to personally involve him. Another important thing for me is diversity. There are very few homogenous societies left in the world, my child should not grow up in one.

- what do you dislike in your program?

There isn't much I don't like about his school. With so many school options out there, I mean there is no "perfect" school, but it's not difficult to find schools that meet the overwhelming majority of your child's needs.

- what questions did you ask when choosing the school where your child now attends?

Well, before even asking questions, I perused sites like greatschools, project lead the way, and the actual school website to get a feel of what the school offered. I asked questions regarding gifted programs, extra-curricular activities, and what lines of communication were available so that I could keep constant tabs on my child's progress [I don't believe in waiting until parent-teacher conferences].

Looks like this forum was abandoned. Considering the challenge that middle school presents for many kids and parents I was hoping to see more information. As an author (A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years), former teacher and parent of two, the middle school niche is one that I actively follow.

Before launching into a full-fledged assault on preparing for the months ahead I would encourage you to celebrate your child's recent graduation from elementary school. In the 3-4 weeks prior to the start of school this August, begin to set your sights on gathering materials, getting organized and creating a vision for the coming year.

Yes the middle school years are truly unique and worthy of considerable time and effort; but equally amazing are the summer months that you both can share together. I look forward to talking with you here in the forum.

Joe Bruzzese

I am also totally lost and with lost of need of help. Mom of a 5th grader going to Middle School in August 09

Wow..open enrollment..I can't even imagine. My daughter, because she doesn't qualify for magnet school, the school she has to be bussed to is the worst one in the district. As for looking at programs and questions for the school...See is they have specific classes your son is interested in. When looking at the school itself, see what the teacher/student ratio is. If possible, find out the students' opinion of the teachers. See if there is any violence, and how much is tolerated. Find out what the grades are for the students there and make sure they have special needs classes. Even if your son doesn't need them. We always had them in the schools in Texas where I grew up, but there are none here, in any school. I don't believe a school is a good one if it can't meet the needs of all the students.

I was a mom as well as a teacher so I'd answer from both perspectives - I like smaller schools rather than bigger schools - for the most part. I'd like any school to have a sense of community and shared purpose. I'd like the faculty to be available to students and overall friendly. I'd like a school to be able to be trusting of students. I was looking for flexibility rather than rigid rules. I wanted a curriculum that didn't emphasize textbooks or memorization - I wanted wider readings and critical thought. I liked that this middle school had 'advisors' - every student had a faculty advisor with whom they built a good relationship and who acted as the student's advocate in the school. I liked that athletic teams made room for everybody - there was a B team as well as an A team and if you couldn't make the A team, you were guaranteed play time on the B team. Everybody was given a part in the play - there were tryouts but all were promised some part. All those things contributed to a sense of community between students rather than a sense of competition.

What I disliked was that the school doubled in size in the next three years and much of the above slowly eroded away.... and I Hated the amount of homework that was assigned and that teachers did not coordinate with each other in any way to plan nightly homework. I didn't like that several tests could be given on the same day because again teachers didn't plan together or that a big test could be given the day after the students required to attend an evening performance. I didn't like that there was no policy on homework but to do it and no policy as to how many tests a student could be given in any single day.

I didn't ask so many questions when I visited- did they 'track' math? Did they 'track' any other classes? Was foreign language required? But I visited the school, spent a day there, and liked how it felt. I had my son visit and spend a day there and liked how they welcomed him.

Good luck with your decision.

My daughter goes to a magnet school Boston. We like it because it provides a good college-prep education (and goes through High School). Also, being urban and free,I like that she is in a diverse environment than she would be at a private school. That being said, if she did not get into the school, we probably would have sent her to private school since the local district is not very good.

I think class size makes a big difference, and also parent involvement. Are there lots of ways for you to be involved in the school? I think strong extracurricular programs are important--this is the age when kids start to develop their talents and their social groups.

One thing that I wish I knew more about before I sent my daughter to school was how the school fosters acceptance and social community. Middle school can be sooo tough for kids--my daughter's had some real problems with cattyness. You want teachers and administration that don't turn a blind eye, and that have a lot of opportunities for different students to express themselves somehow. Her saving grace was a great music program--through that she made friends and found her "group."

Hope that helps.

I'm a long-time middle school teacher and can answer your good question from that perspective as well as having been a parent of middle schoolers. I'd say - class size and school size are Very Important factors when choosing a school. Small class sizes stress teachers less, allow for greater communication between teachers and students and help to create a sense of shared community in the classroom. School size is also important - the same holds true for smaller schools - a greater sense of community can be present, a stronger relationship between teachers and students and generally a much better environment. If I had a choice between a large school and a small school, I'd choose the smaller one every time.
As to programs - I like variety and programs that offers choices. Middle schoolers are growing every day in their sense of individuality - schools shouldn't fight against that but work to foster it. Allowing students to make choices within the curriculum recognizes and reinforces their individuality -it allows them to explore what might be their interests.
But saying that, I'd also say this - not every parent wants their child to have choices and in the better world, every family would be able to find the ideal school for their child - that school the philosophy of which is a close match with your family.
What do you like? Do you want a school that honors the arts as well as academic subjects? Would your children benefit from a school that allows all students a place on athletic teams regardless of their athletic ability? Do you want a school with rigid policies or one that wants to work with the students as individuals?

Go and visit is my best advice. You have that right. Ask to sit in a classroom or two and observe. See what's happening around you. Is it chaos and tension? Are teachers and students smiling or stressed? See if the school has the appearance of what you want for your children. Do any of the schools have an articulated philosophy? A mission statement of any kind? Those can gives clues as to what the school thinks it wants to be.
Your are Very Fortunate to live in an area that allows you to choose between schools.
Good luck.

I am comparing magnet programs in the Los Angeles dirtrict for middle schools. My child is in 5th grade and we have to apply before January 9th. We are visiting schools and talking to as many people that know the schools as we can.

I am carefully evaluating these primary factors to make my decision:
Academic challenge and breadth of content covered
Elective options including science, technology, and language
Location
Class size
Total student population
School culture and environment
Ability of school to maintain quality and reputation over time
Use and application of technology in curriculum
Quantity of homework and projects
Methods of teaching science
Science and technology electives
Creative arts
After school club and athletic programs
Tutoring programs and access to additional help
Degree of collaboration among teachers within grade level
Campus condition and cleanliness

My daughter's criteria includes:
Number of friends moving to same school
Learning opportunities
Use and application of technology in curriculum
Location - not needing to ride the bus
Total student population
Quantity of homework and projects
Dress code and uniform policies
Variety of methods used to conduct learning opportunities
Access to 2 sets of books versus using lockers and carrying everything
Campus condition and cleanliness

Hope this helps.

Hi Mireya,
Welcome to GreatSchools! We have a group for military families here that you might be interested in joining as well: community.greatschools.net/groups/19375

The best way to ask questions about local schools is using our Q&A forum and categorizing your question as "Local." Here are instructions on how to do that:

community.greatschools.net/advice/678/Got-a-question-about-specific-schools-in-a-city--Read-this-discussion-

You can also use the GreatSchools Research and Compare tool to look up schools in your new area.

Here's a link to our page for Georgia schools by city. Just click on the city name to be taken to the school info: www.greatschools.net/schools/cities/Georgia/GA

Hope this helps!
TJ

Hello Everybody,
I am also new to this group. I am a military spouse currently living in New York but soon to be moving with my family to the Georgia area. I have a 12 yr. old son who is presently in the 6th grade. My husband is due to return from overseas in the next couple of months and then we will prepare for our 5th move of his career. As you all can imagine another move for a child my son's age can be very tough, simply because he has to make new friends again, try to fit in, and leave his old friends behind. My husband and I have been researching the internet for information on the school districts/systems in and round the Bloomingdale, Pooler, Savannah, and Richmond HIll, GA . areas but I am really not getting the right information that I am looking for. For example, I would like to hear from the parents of the children in each of these locations. I would like to know which public schools you feel strive to serve the child best; academically, emotionally, and professionally? In other words, I don't want my child to slip through their fingers so to speak. He has a hard enough time trying to keep up with all the homework now, I just want to know that there are schools out there that still care about their students progress. Through the years I've dealt with a number of teacher's who just don't care about their students but I figure that their attitude had a lot to do with poor leadership. At least that's what I attributed it to. I would greatly appreciate it if you all could please give me your opinion's and some insight on some of the public schools in Bloomingdale, GA., Pooler, GA. and Richmond Hill, GA. I know that I can easily call the schools themselves but I really don't want to hear their school philosophy statement, I just want some up front and honest opinion's.

Thank you,
Mireya

I HAVE MY SON, WHO IS NOW IN SEVENTH GRADE, IN SMALLER CLASSES WHICH HELP HIM BETTER PREPARE FOR HS. HE IS DYSLEXIC. SO FOR HIM HE HATES READING ANYTHING. THE SPECIAL ED TEAM IN MY SCHOOL DISTRICT HELPS ME FIGURE OUT WHAT HE NEEDS HELP IN. BECAUSE OF HIS READING HE HAS A CHOICE OF TAKING A TEST BY HIMSELF OR HAVE SOMEONE READ IT TO HIM. I ALSO EMAIL ALL TEACHERS BECAUSE IT KEEPS ME INFORMED OF HIS SCHOOL WORK AND IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS. YOU HAVE TO KEEP COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL OPEN FOR ANY REASONS. AS WITH ANYTHING, SOME DAYS I LOVE THE SCHOOL BUT SOME DAYS LIKE NOW WITH MY BULLY ISSUE I HATE IT. I HOPE THIS HELPS.

i didnt have a say where my kids went,we live in rockbridge county so my daughter had to go to lexington va. school and my middle kid is in 2 and she elementary school in naturalbridge

it sounds like every state/city has different procedures, programs, tradition, etc. I have a 6th and 8th grader. in my community we have several options: our neighborhood public school has a lower middle school (5-6) then an upper (7-8); we have several private options; popular charter schools; and then of course there is our choice option throughout the district.

my children's needs range from special education to highly gifted--and their interests/strengths are even broader. but ultimately we chose to send them to our neighborhood public schools. the reason? well...being apart of our community was important to us, knowing the kids on our street and having them in classes, walking to school, study groups, sports, etc. we are very happy.

advise....
...don't rely solely on the information you get from other parents and websites. GO to the school: tour it, ask LOTS of questions, the GO BACK and do it again. i've found that personal opinions and numbers don't always tell the full story.
...remember, your child will be moving up with an entire grade. so those 'big kids' will be moving on, and the 6th graders will be their peers.
...middle school years are just crazy. hormones, development, etc.
...go to a parent group meeting. you will get an up close and personal view of the culture there.
...unless your child has very strong interests or needs, your childs needs will probably be met in whatever environment you choose.
...most importantly, you can always change your mind. involve your child and keep weighing your choice, even after the year has started.

good luck!!

if you have a certain program you want him in and he is in agreement that is one down find the schools that offer the closest to what you want. Next take a look at the schools test results they will be posted under State Education and most states are having the teachers send in how their working conditions are I google NC teachers working conditions; and there it was. You can tell alot by this. You can check how many students receive reduced lunch typically this only tells you what income bracket but studies are now showing that teachers of high reduce lunch schools are less tolerant of students... easily aggravated...

Hi sjst1000,

Boy do I feel you. I did this once eight years ago, and I'm three years from having to do it again. Middle school by far is the roughest, most challenging school transition to make. And I'm not looking forward to finding another school for my daughter.

Things to look for include how they handle the sixth graders. Do they segregate them as much as possible? Do they give them extra time to figure out lunch lines, PE dress out, lockers, and the like? Does that extra time last a week, a month, or most of the year? Do they let them out of class a few minutes early to figure this stuff out? Are the sixth graders segregated for PE?

Do they keep the same homeroom teacher for all three years? Do they keep some of the same teachers for social studies or math? There's less of a personal learning curve on both sides if your son has World History with one teacher and then US History the next with the same teacher. And if your homeroom teacher is with your child for all three years, they can spot some of the craziness that virtually all kids will experience--and they can spot it faster because they know "normal."

Do the teachers team teach? Do the math and science teachers work together and do the English and Social Studies work together to help foster deeper understanding of the material?

What is the homework policy? All teachers and administrators will say they work together and make sure they don't schedule things on the same day, so ask the kids--and the parents. Is the homework for review, for enrichment, or for parental torment? This will come into play even more in high school as the kids surpass what the parents can do mathematically.

What's the turnover rate? Obviously it could change later and you'd have no control over it, but knowing that only 2-3 teachers my son had between 2001-2004 have left the campus means a lot of stability to me.

The important thing is to go on tours, see with your own eyes, ask a lot of questions, and don't be swayed by the parents who all talk about school "x" because it's sooo academic/incredible/artistic/whatever. You're looking for a school for YOUR child.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

I personally haven't encountered this type of school choice yet- I'm in the process of preschool choice- but I think this question has the potential to be a great resource for parents. So hopefully my reply will bump it up!

To be honest I never had the say so where my kids go.they always had to go to the school in their distrit.I did sometimes when I gave the school a different address and that didn't last all the school year,because I got caught when my kids accidently put their real adress on the paper for the teacher.