VooDoo: I respect your decision on what's best for your kids. And I do think that it's good to surround yourself with peers that are better than you at an early age. I went to an "underprivileged" school and was the prize student and number 1 in my class. Then I moved to a better school (in SBISD) got into the honors program and became just another kid to eventually the guy with the lower scores/ slacker. It's because I've gotten used being the top guy without any effort for so long that the idea that I actually had to sit down and study to learn something was not that easy to digest. So yeah, challenge her early and often when she's young is a good way to force keep on learning, though it might also stunt other growth such as social skills. I can say that college has been tough for me (especially since the electrical engineering program at UT is a b#@tch) and I still don't learn from notes and lectures that well, just not use to learning that way and it has impacted my grade. I still find it surprising that I've made it somehow (well got two more class I need to just squeeze by and I'd be ok ). I still think I'm a smart person (1430 SAT's) and I do well when it comes to labs or assignments that teaches you by doing something. I also done will enough in an interview to get a job upon graduation (again surprising). But I can definitely say if I was challenged more when I was in middle school and elementary there's no telling how much more I could've achieved (well my cousin post doctored at Harvard so something like that was the obvious goal). However... SHE'S IN KINDERGARDEN, THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF TIME FOR HER TO CHALLENGED AND GET MUCH BETTER OR SCREWED AND TURN OUT REALLY REALLY BAD, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW
Of everyone I know who has kids and lives in Houston, the only ones that send their kids to an HISD school are the ones that send their High School aged kids to Bellaire Senior High. Everyone else I know, if their kids are in other grade levels or if they are not zoned to Bellaire, sends their kids to private school.
Bingo. Behold the wonders of the Internet. I think this trumps the relationship advice threads. We have a father trying to provide his daughter with as many options as possible later in life, and we have people telling him "Eh, the developmental school years aren't that important." I MAKE YOU A SANDWICH ******************* *******************
My daughter likes sandwichs but I won't let her eat them. I don't think good nutrition is important durring the developmental years.
If you move, think about moving to Bellaire. You get good schools all the way through. You can still pick up an old ranch under $ 300,000.00. Horn, Condit and Rogers are all good at elementary level. Good investment for your kid. Not only do you get the good schools, you get rapid access to culture, and you will find new things from other parents and other kids. My kid started the Rice music program kind of by accident. Ditto Tuts. Sometimes, when you go to the park, and see something at Miller, bam, there it is - a new opportunity. Pardon the Emeril. I just want to stick up for the benefits of urban culture vs. suburban. I grew up in Clear Lake and used to sneak into the city every weekend to hit the museums, or theatre, or a punk club, while my friends were out getting stoned at the bowling alley or at the rocks by the dock. Not that that's a mandatory path for suburban life, just that the beauty and diversity and the spark of urbanity is something that keeps you alive and not numb, and something that's hard to measure. I couldn't go back to the burbs and wouldn't want my kids there, esp. now that they've tasted some of the cool things here. back to area topic. Also, the area around Rice has good schools. I live just west of the stadium near Rice Village (Houston, not West U) My girl goes to Roberts Elementary - it's pretty good. So is Poe. They are really cleaning up the area around Stella Link south of West U, too. There is SOO much money going there, they are going to jam up those institutional resources like crazy. If you really have the money - I love Montessori. I make a good living, but still didn't have the money for private school and the house note for the nice home my wife "needed" - but we could find a way if she worked. St. Stephen's is a fantastic program, all the way through. Southhampton Montessori is very good, and goes through middle school. St. Catherine's is less expensive but still grounded in the principles. My girl went to Southhampton before she went to Roberts Elm and I was so impressed with the philosophy and technique. Really wished she could have stayed with it.
I live in the suburbs...West Houston. Kirkwood @ I-10. I grew up out here. I had a great experience...but like pasox said, a lot of that was because I went into the city so much. My parents grew up here and went to Lamar. So I knew my way around the city, itself, pretty well. There so much in the way of culture this city has to offer...it's a shame not to take advantage of it.
Sorry you're in that situation. I don't have kids so I can't say much, but at a younger age, I would believe the most important thing is learning how to relate with other kids and having friends. I could see how this could be a problem when 75% of the kids don't speak english. Maybe you could wait it out a year, or put her into a private school until a spot opens up. I'm sure this has all been considered and hope for the best for you.
I live in Aldine and sent my kids to private schools through the 4th grade. Now they are in the gifted and talented programs within the district. I have been doing a little research on the programs that Sylvan has to offer in the summer, although I am pretty satisfied with their standardized test results. Parenting is a process, and most of the time I feel more challenged than my kids are.
Ohh, off topic but Max could you give me some info on living in this area? I'm thinking about moving out to this area since thats where I work (I10 and Dairy Ashford.) Could you give me the names of some of the subdivisions near you?
i didn't know that!!! i work on I-10 at Kirkwood. how 'bout those buzzards over there in the Westlake complex?? scary!!
Yeah someone was telling me that if you run over any of the ugly ass ducks/geese/buzzards that they (I dont know who they are) will fine you $10,000. Sounds like a bunch of crap to me. I'm in Westlake 3 with Exxon. Actually today is my last day with Exxon and I'm going to go work for a software company and do all of their vendor msi's. I start the new job not this Monday but the next. I'm gonna be gone all next week on a cruise to the western caribbean. Man do I need a vacation. We will have to do lunch soon after I get back. We should start a "Where do you work" thread so maybe we could have some Clutch BBS lunches. Maybe clutch could put some fields in our profiles on where we live and where we work.
Hey Max. What school is you oldest son headed to? He's around the same age as my daughter if my memory is right.
Wilchester Elementary next year for kindergarten. We moved here because of the schools...and because of my familiarity with the area growing up here...and proximity to my family. http://www.springbranchisd.com/schools/elem/wce/wceindex.htm
