Our kids go to a Title I school and I love it. Admittedly, we have a super principal who turned around the school so that the low income/ESL kids are meeting state standards.
Title I means that the school gets extra funding to support the low income children. If the school spends that money wisely, it can mean that the class sizes are lower than in some higher income parts of town. We also have a full time (rather than 1/2 time) counselor and reading specialists that are provided by the Title I funds.
The diversity is also a big plus for us. There is just a huge range of different kids. Since our social circle is pretty much European American, middle class, highly educated individuals, I'm glad the school has such a variety.
The recess thing must be particular to certain districts and/or schools. Our kids get 3 recesses (before school, lunch, middle of the day).
One downside to the Title I school is that there is less parental participation because many of the families simply do not have the time to contribute to the school. Our school has a double whammy in that many of the kids are the children of immigrants so the families don't have the traditions of volunteering/contributing to the school that many middle class American families have.
The other downside is that there is less time for enrichment (like art, though they get some). The school is pretty focuses on reading, writing and math. But they do an excellent job at that.
I think it really depends on the school, the staff and the principal. Go visit and see what you think. A lot of misconceptions exist about schools, and a lot of parents are uncomfortable sending their child to a school that's different from what they experienced. But then, there are some schools out there that aren't great. You can't tell without seeing it from the inside.
Title I means that the school gets extra funding to support the low income children. If the school spends that money wisely, it can mean that the class sizes are lower than in some higher income parts of town. We also have a full time (rather than 1/2 time) counselor and reading specialists that are provided by the Title I funds.
The diversity is also a big plus for us. There is just a huge range of different kids. Since our social circle is pretty much European American, middle class, highly educated individuals, I'm glad the school has such a variety.
The recess thing must be particular to certain districts and/or schools. Our kids get 3 recesses (before school, lunch, middle of the day).
One downside to the Title I school is that there is less parental participation because many of the families simply do not have the time to contribute to the school. Our school has a double whammy in that many of the kids are the children of immigrants so the families don't have the traditions of volunteering/contributing to the school that many middle class American families have.
The other downside is that there is less time for enrichment (like art, though they get some). The school is pretty focuses on reading, writing and math. But they do an excellent job at that.
I think it really depends on the school, the staff and the principal. Go visit and see what you think. A lot of misconceptions exist about schools, and a lot of parents are uncomfortable sending their child to a school that's different from what they experienced. But then, there are some schools out there that aren't great. You can't tell without seeing it from the inside.
I happen to like the school very much. Way more diverse than the other elementaries. There are 2 girls in wheelchairs in his class, and one with autism, and I'd estimate half of the student body is non-white. And DS is excelling, he's above-average in all of his math skills and right on in reading (and improving on every report card).
