A reader is looking for an alternative to Roosevelt Elementary School. She would like advice as to which schools are good and not too far from the Mission area.
COMMENT 278151
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2012-05-09 09:27 AM |
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Roosevelt is one of the finest schools in the county. What's the beef?
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COMMENT 278153
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2012-05-09 09:28 AM |
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What's wrong with Roosevelt? Bwahahahaaha (I already know!)
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COMMENT 278155
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2012-05-09 09:33 AM |
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I have to agree with 151. My grandson goes to Roosevelt and it is a terrific school. I don't know of any schools in that neighborhood that would be better.
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COMMENT 278164
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2012-05-09 09:42 AM |
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Marymount
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COMMENT 278205P
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2012-05-09 10:37 AM |
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I have no kids in elementary school anymore and do not live in Roosevelt district, but if I did I would be looking for a way to transfer in, not out. Think again before you make the decision.
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COMMENT 278207
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2012-05-09 10:44 AM |
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What makes Roosevelt such a good school compared to others in the area? Just curious when it gets such praise from so many. Is it the programs, the teachers or what?
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COMMENT 278229P
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2012-05-09 11:10 AM |
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Roosevelt is a very good school, I too wonder what the problem is? Marymount is great if you have the $$.
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D8VANILLA
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2012-05-09 11:14 AM |
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My daughter started at Franklin and after we moved, she went to Roosevelt starting 2nd grade. At Franklin, she was the highest in her class for reading skills, but at Roosevelt, she was the lowest !!! Where are the standards !!! My daughter is an avid reader and was able to catch-up easily, but it was a shocker and an eye-opener. This was back in 1990, and the teachers were great. And, the parents were very pro-active also, which helps keep the standards high.
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COMMENT 278262
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2012-05-09 11:56 AM |
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Why? Roosevelt is a great school. Everyone I know who has kids there is very happy with it.
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COMMENT 278264
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2012-05-09 12:02 PM |
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I am a parent of a soon to be graduating Roosevelt 6th grader. We were extremely lucky to transfer in to Roosevelt and have been very happy there. That being said, Marymount also made a good impression when we were looking at schools and is in the same area. I'm not familiar with any other schools in the neighborhood. Good luck making the best decision for your family.
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COMMENT 278269
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2012-05-09 12:12 PM |
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Roosevelt is not that great, the principal seems like she favors children that have wealthy parents that can donate money for ipads and fancy camps. For those of us parents that don't fit that criteria it feels like she doesn't have the time of day for us.
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COMMENT 278281
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2012-05-09 12:37 PM |
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I am a parent of two children at Roosevelt. It's a great school. One the best in the district. It has many motivated parents to support the school in and out of the classroom. No need to bash the principal or the school on this thread.
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COMMENT 278283
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2012-05-09 12:40 PM |
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278269: That's sort of the situation at most schools -- the whiny wheel gets greased -- and wealthy parents have the time and motivation to be whiny.
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MTNDRIVER
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2012-05-09 12:55 PM |
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My son went to Marymount way back in the 80s. It is very good, but now it costs almost as much as an Ivy League college. Not really a great comparison with Roosevelt. Everyone I know with kids at Roosevelt has been very happy with the school.
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COMMENT 278295
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2012-05-09 01:11 PM |
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Garden Street Academy and the Catholic school on the corner of East Micheltorena and Anacapa are also in the neighborhood.
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COMMENT 278371
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2012-05-09 04:15 PM |
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One bad apple can rot the whole bucket. Roosevelt has a tendancy to hire brand new teachers and let them do what they want without supervising them or providing guidance. Is that what is going on?
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COMMENT 278372
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2012-05-09 04:17 PM |
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D8VANILLA - Coming from the junior high & high school, I'm not surprised at all. Even students who aren't classified as low-income at Franklin do much worse than their peers from other elementary schools in terms of junior high/high school grades & test scores... it's astounding.
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COMMENT 278374
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2012-05-09 04:22 PM |
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Check out Open Alternative School (OAS). It is located on the La Colina jr hi campus & is a wonderful 30+ yr old public school. I've seen some folks post concerns re: alternative education...my kid went there & is headed to a top ten private college next year. Lots of happy, successful OAS alums
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COMMENT 278393
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2012-05-09 05:04 PM |
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Peabody Charter!
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COMMENT 278506
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2012-05-10 08:29 AM |
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Open Alternative is a good choice. I have had 3 kids there and have been involved since it began many years ago. It is a wonderful community and children thrive there. They have a great drama program, and outdoor education program. You would love the family feeling there. The kids are allowed to work their own speed and have more hands on projects than most of the other elementary schools provide. There are multigrade classrooms so the kids can stay with one teacher for several years which is valuable, especially in the lower grades. Go for a visit.
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COMMENT 278508
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2012-05-10 08:35 AM |
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Peabody Charter is a good alternative. However, transfering between schools is not an easy matter. We've had years of experience. The last time I talked to Peabody they told me that they fill their school from within their district and did not accept transfers. Unless you're having a particular problem with Roosevelt Elementary School, stay there. The test scores are decent, the children do their homework, families are supportive of the children and school.
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COMMENT 278511P
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2012-05-10 08:37 AM |
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Peabody is a great school, but unfortunately can't enroll more than 750 students which means right now, it can't accept any students from outside its enrollment area, which is primarily San Roque and the area near Cottage Hospital. You can ask to be wait-listed, though. My daughter has been there for 5 years and every year quite a few wait-listed kids have gotten in at the last minute.
Though I do favor having a neighborhood school my daughter can walk to, I second the suggestion of Open Alternative. I would say it's just "alternative" enough to make it good, and it has a fine reputation.
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COMMENT 278549
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2012-05-10 09:48 AM |
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Roosevelt is an amazing school. We have 2 students there and have been nothing but happy with the teachers, principal and other parents. It has a great mix of kids. Contrary to what someone else said they have many long-standing teachers. They do not churn through them. And you don't have to be wealthy to be involved or to be heard. There's a ton of involvement from all levels. The principal cares and is very involved in the school. It's a wonderful neighborhood school with lots going on. School carnival next Friday from 4-7. Go check it out and see how all the parents & students get involved. If you haven't had a child in school there then you really can't make an educated statement on the quality of the school.
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COMMENT 278558
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2012-05-10 10:07 AM |
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Transfer to Monroe. We love it!
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COMMENT 278610
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2012-05-10 11:28 AM |
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We thought we won the lottery when we got our transfer into Roosevelt. Boy was that an eye-opener. www.thehowardschool.org. Yes, it takes 15 minutes to drive to Howard, but with the 101 south being the only road block to the best elementary education available in this country (Carden Curriculum), 15 minutes becomes a pretty easy burden to bear.
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COMMENT 278618
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2012-05-10 11:44 AM |
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A few years back, while at Roosevelt, my son had a first year teacher and it was a disaster because she had no control over her classroom and didn't know how to tell kids "no". Our son is high energy and needs a lot of structure, both at home and at school, so we asked repeatedly for him to be moved into a class with a more experienced teacher. Our request was declined because the Principal didn't want to hurt the teacher's confidence. What is more important, her confidence or his? It was a very hard year on our child and on us and it could have been avoided with a teacher who had some experience. We are the first to admit that our son could be a handful, especially when he was really young, but we also expect his teachers to have the training and expertise to be able to maintain control over their classroom at all times. There are a lot of great staff at Roosevelt but this situation was unacceptable and my husband and I felt ignored because we aren't wealthy.
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COMMENT 278794
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2012-05-10 08:02 PM |
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Open Alternative over Roosevelt?? Parents who chose Open Alternative are usually very supportive of the program, but I would recommend analyzing the CST scores of OAS students before enrolling there. The percent of students who test proficient on CSTs at OAS are much lower than the proficiency levels at Roosevelt. CST scores affect placement in junior high, and junior high placement affects high school placement. Perhaps very bright students can do well despite OAS, but I would never send my child there.
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COMMENT 280511
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2012-05-18 09:39 AM |
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If you are not there already, I suggest talking with parents at Roosevelt about their experiences before dismissing it as an option. If you don't know anyone, you can try taking your kids to play at the campus or contacting PTA members shown on their website. I think it's already been said that you can only get a transfer inside the SB District and not to the Hope District or Montecito. Most transfer to Washington in SBD. Peabody obviously is closer to Mission. If you want to get into Peabody, you could try a mid-year transfer. I've heard that if you are willing to move mid-year, then it is easier to get in. Last I heard Peabody is not kicking out their transfers once accepted. What matters most is #1 dedicated, experienced teachers; and #2 like-minded parent educators at home. These can be found locally at a good public school. No need to go private unless you are into exclusivity. Good luck.
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