All the local talk this summer has been about parents enrolling their kids in the new public theme schools that opened this month (one is for grades K-3, the other is 4-8). I have several homeschooling acquaintances who've put their kids there, plus heard about many who've pulled their kids out of private and public schools to attend. This is the first year that our county has offered this. I'd never heard of them. Interestingly enough, both are directly across the street from our old neighborhood (where we still own a house and might have to move back to if my FIL flakes out on buying it from us...another long story there!). Anyway, I finally looked at the website to see what they're about and I'm just not understanding the draw. The only differences I see compared to regular PS is that the kids have to wear uniforms, the parents have to sign a contract committing to a certain number of hours served at the school (that's the "theme" in the title--parental involvement), and commit to making their kids read at home 15-30 minutes a day. It says the curriculum is the same as in other schools across the state, but can be added to if the parents vote for it. It also said that applicants would not be refused based on previous grades or behavior records. So the only advantage I can see to theme school is that you have more parents committing to be involved. (And I can see how that would be a good thing....maybe not big enough to make me want to send my kids there, though.) Just wondering if other communities have these, and if there are differences I'm just not seeing between them and regular PS?
never heard of it. When you said theme school, my mind went to themes like Little house or Little Mermaid things like that, I was wrong. To me sounds like a private school. Just another name to get your attention and get more people to enroll there children.
When I heard "theme", I thought it was a school that specialized in math/science, or literature based. Columbus Public had those, but..... Admittance is done by lottery. The parents WANT their kids to attend these Alternative Schools. They sign up for them, requesting the one they want, but that may not be the one their kid gets. So, a kid with NO INTEREST in science may end up in a science school. The parents, especially at the high school, felt that the children attending a specialized school should have other requirements for admittance, other than Mom wanted them to attend. There should be a high interest in the specific "theme", or a test or something.
Some of the magnet schools have emphasis on science or arts, etc. I guess that could be considered a "theme" because they have such a focus on those things.
A "themed" charter school comes to my mind. My neighbor is in a charter school that is based around the arts. Academic classes are shorter than that public school. A lot of the school time is spent with the students studying the art of their choice. Some take dance, take instruction for an instrument, draw, paint, study art history, and so forth. Then for about an hour before school lets out, the students meet in the auditorium to complete any school work that wasn't completed in class. It is actually a very neat concept. My neighbor loves it.
See, that's what I was thinking when I first heard "theme" school...that it would be heavy on arts, or science, or something...like other charter schools I've heard of. But "parental involvement" as a theme? It just sounded weird to me.
It sounds like a way to make sure they get people for class mom's and parties and to make copies and read to kids. You know like to man the booths at fall festivals and book fairs and other stuff like that. Most schools don't get a lot of people volunteering for these things any more.
okay, maybe I am just lost at this but to me it sounds like a good thing, its the best of both worlds, the parental involvement is what our schools need, parents making choices on what to do at the schools? OM! Lets look at this clearly folks it sounds awesome! Just thing, homeschool moms helping to get a school organised and set up? HA! IT would be perfect! I hope you will update on how that school thing goes! I mean I dont expect you will be joining it but I am sure you will hear or see it.
It is just another name for a charter school. My daughter went to one for the Performing Arts in San Diego a long time ago. It was in a very poor neighborhood and they turned it into the Performing Arts elementary to bring up test scores by getting kids from other neighborhoods to go there. The big draw was that if your child went there for elementary they would be put at the top of the list for the performing arts high school (which was extremely competitive). We left mid-year - it was terrible as far as academics went. In Denver they have 2 big ones - a science and tech school and a performing arts school (both are high school age I believe) The performing arts school is suppossed to be pretty good but I've heard mixed reviews for the science and tech school.
It's a charter school. My son's old school was a themed school. It was supposed to be a Art Enriched Charter school. The curriculum was better than PS,they had to wear uniforms and there was a small focus on art (not as much as we were led to believe). The school would have been wonderful if it weren't for the lack of discipline . I subbed there and these were BAD.I had never seen such behavior problems in my life. The school had no discipline plan. This took away from the great curriculum and the wonderful ideas of art and uniforms. It then became a ordinary public school and my son hated it. He loved his teacher but hated the kids and the school. Another thing, if it's the first year and you are thinking about putting your child there. I would suggest you wait. seriously. This was the first year for the school I mentioned and it was a mess. Promises, promises but very few were kept. It all sounded so good but... Well you know how that goes sometimes. I'm not saying that the school won't be great, but just be careful.
I've heard the same thing about charter-type schools; you never want to be there for the first year. It's not anything that I'm considering for my kids, even if we do move back to that old neighborhood. I was just really surprised to see how many homeschooling families were jumping on board when, to me anyway, it just sounded like a slightly improved attempt at public school. (My husband used the old "lipstick on a pig" analogy...LOL)
I really enjoy our charter school, I've learned in the two years that we've been there that it's a work in art so to speak. There's always something that needs to be change, improved and evaluated. I think if I was there the first year it started I would of been unhappy about it, but unless I join in anything there I have nothing to say. So I make sure I talk to the administrators, I joined the athletic committee as well as I go to the once a year annual retreat. I like the support I get there if needed but I also like the fact that for the most part I can fly how I like with our lessons. The part I can't stand is the twice a year, week long, we all get annoyed with sample week. But in the end it gives proof that we do school work and our kids are learning and thriving.
Don't get me wrong. Some charter schools are great but the one we were at clearly needs a lot of work. I was at my sons school everyday. I worked as the art assistant twice a week and then I subbed there 3 times a week. I was on the PTA and I volunteer for various school activities.All the kids and teachers knew me and knew I was DS's mom. It wasn't the curriculum so to speak, it was the discipline. The disrespect that some kids have is just unbelievable to me. To stand there and swear and curse in front of an adult! Peeing in the hallways. EEWH Gross! There were twenty kids in my sons class, out of twenty about 10 of them had behavior problems. My son wanted to learn while the other kids caused problems. As a result, he ended up hating it. He was teased so much for raising his hand to answer questions that he stopped participating and threw fits in the morning before school. This is just something I couldn't deal with. The school was better than his previous school curriculum wise but the kids were off the hook! (BAD). I guess you have bad kids where ever you go, but when the teachers can't handle the class or ignore the problems then how do you learn? It doesn't matter how great the material is if you can't hear what's being taught. I guess the last straw for me was my son having some kid throw a brick at his head on the playground. He defended himself because the kid did it twice and there were no teachers around to tell. Well, my son was the one who got suspended. The other kid who could have killed someone with a brick got a slap on the wrist. DS couldn't understand why he was the only one in trouble when all he was doing was defending himself. It was heartbreaking because DS isn't a bad kid, he is a model student outside of his talking in class. Before that day he had never even been in a fight. Then his teacher had the nerve to call me and tell me that I should punish him.NOT. I don't think so. She said that "Us teachers hate parents who tell there kids to fight back" I told her that "Us parents hate teachers who show favoritism to certain kids, allow teasing to the point of tears and pretend like they have complete and total control over the class." Sorry for my rant.
