Mid year transfer or next year?

[Lisa1970]

Little recap: the local public schools are not an option. My daughter was seriously sexually harassed and my son was punished for my breastfeeding in the back of a classroom, half hour after school let out, with no one around but my own children. I filed a complaint with the US Dept of Education and that is in the process. The district offered us a transfer to a different high school. We turned it down to go to this charter school as we had heard the charter school was so great and after our experiences last year, did not want to continue with the local school district.

However, the charter school, while everyone is way nicer and everything, academically, is really low compared to what we are used to. One of my children had been homeschooled prior to last year and the other had been in the gifted program in the public school. The younger one tested in to the GT program too. Both take advanced courses. I tried to talk to the teachers at the school and I have obtained the syllabi (is that plural for syllabus?) for the math and science classes and neither class is going to come any where near to covering what they should in the year. Since we are talking high school chemistry and algebra 2, there is a specific set of things they are supposed to do. And if you do not cover what you need in a class like algebra 2, you will never be able to have success in the next class, precalc.

SO, after endless thinking about it, I think we need to send the children to the other public high school in our town, IF we can get our indistrict transfer back. However, this district is known for being awful about everything really, that is administration related. And they just about never give indistrict transfers. Private school admissions applications are due mid to end of January and commitment money is due before the end of the school year. Acceptance letters go out in March. I called the public school district back and they said they cannot process an indistrict transfer until days before the transfer. This is because once it is approved, it is in to effect and we are expected to start attending. The problem this means is, if we hold off until August for switching the kids, we might apply for that the week before school starts and find them not being approved leaving us without a school. But if we apply to private schools, private school does not make a good backup plan as tuition is due the spring before. If we transfer the kids mid year, it will really mess up their schedules as the classes are not going to be a good transition (essentually, the local schools have a weird block schedule where you take 4 classes in fall and 4 in spring, so all English might be in fall and then all math in spring. and my children will have a bunch of half credits in each class as their charter has a more normal schedule way of doing things)

So basically, the advantage of transferring the kids at the semester break is that if the district won't allow them the indistrict transfer, we will know in time enough to still apply to private school for the next fall and they can just finish the year at the charter. It is going to make this year a horrible weird difficulty with credits and scheduling and all, so I am wondering, would you do this? I feel kind of bad about it as the kids will end up repeating much of their course work from the first semester due to the block system, but really, they are not doing much at all at the charter school. (I can give exact examples if you want)

Thank you in advance for your help!

[purslaine]

I read it twice, and it sounds a little complicated, but here goes:

I would apply for both the transfer and private schools for next year - and take which ever one comes through. Do you best to make a strong application for both - that way, with a little luck, you can choose which one to go to!

As per this year, I would let most of it ride. The one exception is math: i would go to whomever you need to go to and insist your children will receive differentiation. Honestly, i would argue for this:

You send in the math books of your choice, they work through them. If your kids need to do the class exams (not tests) so be it - as your books will probably be more challenging, they should do fine. There are numerous reasons the school should grant this - including your kids need differentiation, and the school (with its merger with a hockey school) is not what you signed up for and you really need differentiation in this area for it to work.

I would not move your kids mid year unless they wanted to.

Good luck!

[ollyoxenfree]

I'm also wondering what choice your children prefer?

If they prefer the mid-year transfer to the public school, I'd probably follow through with it.

They may be repeating some material when the school starts the second block of courses in the new year. If you are able to schedule the courses that you think are lacking in their current school, I don't think that's a big disadvantage. It may actually be an advantage, since they will not have to catch up on missed work. So if they can take their heavier courses (maths, science, etc.) in the second block, that will work out nicely, won't it? There will be a little repetition, but mostly they will get the benefit of a full course in the subjects that you are concerned haven't been taught well so far. Or have I misunderstood?

Depending on how motivated they are and how accommodating the new school is, I wouldn't be too concerned about missed material. That's a big "depending" though. We've moved mid-year to an entirely new school system in a different country and the kids have had to play catch up. The school was pretty understanding and the kids were motivated, so they managed.

Otherwise, I think the end-of-year transfer is more natural. I'm wondering how you and your children will manage for the next 8 months, until June 2011, if you are all unhappy with the current school and the situation doesn't improve at all. That's a long time to struggle.

[VisionaryMom]

Have you talked to the school with block scheduling? My high school went to that after I graduated, so all of my cousins went through it. They seemed to like it overall. I'm sure they have something in place for students who transfer, so I'd call and ask about it. The biggest concern I'd have would be required credits to graduate if there are credit differences between the current & new schools.

[Lisa1970]

You completely understood. I did speak to the public high school that we are trying to get a transfer to and the counselor said my children do not have to, but can take the entire chemistry and math class for the block, but they will only get credit for the 2nd half as they will already have credit for the first half. This is perfect as they will need to have the first half so I am glad they will allow the kids to be in the classes for the entire block. As far as English and social studies goes though, my son will just slide right back in to the GT program which is integrated so all the kids in that class have only a half credit in each. My daughter, however, will pick 2 1/2 credit courses to start the block to be opposite the 2nd half where she will finish her English and human geography. My son will end up being able to have an elective.

We don't know if they will get the transfer, but if they do, this will be perfect. I am still going to have them take the private school entrance exam (ISEE) and apply to the private schools we have been considering in case the high school does not work out. But then we won't have to commit the money until the end of spring and by then, we will know if they got in to the other school already. I hope they get in to the other public school, gets the transfer I mean. It sure will save me a ton on tuition to private school.

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree

I'm also wondering what choice your children prefer?

If they prefer the mid-year transfer to the public school, I'd probably follow through with it.

They may be repeating some material when the school starts the second block of courses in the new year. If you are able to schedule the courses that you think are lacking in their current school, I don't think that's a big disadvantage. It may actually be an advantage, since they will not have to catch up on missed work. So if they can take their heavier courses (maths, science, etc.) in the second block, that will work out nicely, won't it? There will be a little repetition, but mostly they will get the benefit of a full course in the subjects that you are concerned haven't been taught well so far. Or have I misunderstood?

Depending on how motivated they are and how accommodating the new school is, I wouldn't be too concerned about missed material. That's a big "depending" though. We've moved mid-year to an entirely new school system in a different country and the kids have had to play catch up. The school was pretty understanding and the kids were motivated, so they managed.

Otherwise, I think the end-of-year transfer is more natural. I'm wondering how you and your children will manage for the next 8 months, until June 2011, if you are all unhappy with the current school and the situation doesn't improve at all. That's a long time to struggle.