(no subject)

[the_rck]

I think Scott is inclined to send Cordelia to the middle school. He thinks there will be a glut of STEM folks in another five years or so. I'm not so certain of that. Cordelia hasn't made up her mind which she prefers. She wants me to tell her what to do, but I don't trust myself on this one. Staying at her current school would be more convenient and generally a lot easier for me. It puts off the day when I have to venture outside my comfort zone. I'm used to her current school; that doesn't mean it's a better fit for her.

I think Cordelia will thrive whichever way we go. She's good at school. I think she's worried that she'll make the wrong decision if we leave it up to her. Scott and I can make the decision, but we want her input. Maybe I should write up the advantages and disadvantages of each option. I don't know what's important to Cordelia apart from being with her friends. She did say that everybody in her class is talking about whether they're going to stay or go to middle school.

We need more solid information about the program at Cordelia's current school. Right now, everything's very vague. What does 'STEAM focus' actually mean? They plan to have a dedicated computer for each child. What exactly will they be doing with those computers? Will the sixth graders keep middle school hours or will they keep elementary school hours? Will there be an option for sixth graders to continue with their musical instruments? (The school system requires that all fifth graders learn an instrument and provides instruments for them. From sixth grade on, those who want to play are expected, if at all possible, to provide their own instruments. The school will help out if a family can't afford an instrument.) How will the sixth graders be graded? Will they get letter grades as they would at middle school? Who will teach the sixth graders? Will it be one teacher for all academic subjects? Who will be the principal? They've made it pretty clear that it won't be the current principal (and what will she do? They said nobody will end up unemployed due to the change).

I'm sure there are other questions I should be asking. Can anybody think of more questions?

Comments

[kyrielle]

When they say STEM focus, which STEM areas will have the strongest focus? What, if any, parts of the program will be weakened to allow for that? What about sports and other such extra-curricular items? Theater, art? How many kids will be admitted to this new STEM focus? How much of the same STEM material is covered at the normal middle school, and where is the difference depth and where is it breadth?

[the_rck]

Those are all good questions. Thanks!

[evalerie.livejournal.com]

I've spent a lot of time and sweat figuring out school choices, so I know what a hard process it is. This past summer we had a very difficult decision about which high school Arlo would go to. Toward the end of the process, someone said to me that if it was such a hard decision, maybe that was because the two choices were about equally good and Arlo would be fine at whichever one he went to. That really resonated for me, and helped to make the decisionmaking process less stressful. My sense is that it may well apply to this decision about Cordelia's school too -- I think either school will meet her needs and be a good choice for her. For whatever that's worth -- I'm not sure if it is actually any help at all. :-S

[the_rck]

I am inclined to think that Cordelia will do well either way. I just want her to have input on the decision while she wants us to tell her what to do. I think I am going to make up a two column list of what we know about each school. I might wait until we have more information about the program at her current school, however. Right now the pluses for it are largely logistical. I don't think I'd be considering it quite so seriously just yet if it weren't only a block away.

[chorus-of-chaos.livejournal.com]

school are so much different than what I dealt with 20 + years ago, but I think one thing I would enquire into is what kind of counseling programs they have. Do they have school counselors who help the kids figure out what they excel in and help them to figure out what classes they should look at in high school and help them with the process of transition to high school and then from high school to college? This was one of the most lacking of all things when I was in school and I think it's something desperately needed in schools.
FWIW, there's my two cents.

[the_rck]

The middle school has two and a half counselors for the entire student body, all three grades. I think it's one of the many areas affected by budget cuts. I don't know how many students there are in each grade. There must be at least 120 since there are four feeder schools and each one has at least one fifth grade class (20-35 students per class). I don't expect that the kids get much individual attention.

I kind of doubt that the program at Cordelia's current school will have a counselor at all, unless they share one with the middle school. I think they'll expect the teachers to do that work since the teachers will know the kids pretty well.