Hello padams,
You recently responded to my post on the Oakgrove neighborhood. I was very interested in your comment about your friend wanting to pull her child out of Hendersen Middle School. I would really appreciate it if you could elaborate on that subject, and/or give your friend my e-mail address. Thanks in advance.
**To anyone else who may read this, please feel free to chime in!

The family would not want their identity to be known. They've lived in that neighborhood for years. They loved Oak Grove. They now have a middle schooler, and they feel that the middle school is nowhere near the quality of the elementary school and it's just not the right fit for their child. However, we have good friends in that area who are happy with the middle school. I suggested that schools should be looked at carefully to make sure the right fit is found for the child. From the previous posts, I couldn't tell if the schools had been visited or if a decision is being made on the basis of reputation, test scores, and what the real estate agent says.

I've known parents in other intown neighborhoods and OTP neighborhoods who have loved their public elementary schools and have been disappointed by the middle schools. Pure speculation on my part, but I think the elementary schools (particularly the ones known to be excellent) are very warm and fuzzy, loving places. The middle schools are much bigger typically, and I suspect they are more like high schools than elementary schools. The transition from the elementary school to middle may be greater than expected. Again, it's pure speculation on my part.

I don't understand why the GA middle schools aren't better but there is some "brain drain" that occurs because many families move their kids out of the public system at middle school if they can. If those families stayed and got involved in the public middle schools, the public middle schools would likely be as good as the elementary schools. The families who leave the public school system are often pulling out the brightest kids and have the financial resources to do it. If those resources and bright kids remained in the public school system, I have to believe the middle schools would be better. However, it's a "chicken and egg" situation- which comes first? If the middle schools improved, the parents would stay. If the parents would stay, the middle schools would improve.

Nevertheless, GA has some very good high schools. So what happens? How can the elementary and high schools be good but the middle schools are weak? Perhaps someone with children who are in middle or high school in GA can explain why. I don't get it.


Finally, if I were moving from out of state, the job is downtown or midtown and I was looking at public schools, the Oak Grove area would be one of the first places I would look because the schools are relatively good and I think it's one of the few underpriced ITP real estate markets. If you move one of those 50s ranches on those lots to Buckhead, the price would double or triple. Those areas are about equal distance to downtown, schools are equivalent (you can find the same mixed opinions on Sutton Middle), so why not go with the real estate that is more likely to see greater appreciation (Not arguing Buckhead won't appreciate but it's harder to find as many buyers for a $600,000 3/2, 50 year old bungelow on a smaller lot than it is to find buyers for a $300,000, 3/2, 50 year old ranch on a bigger lot).

I hope my comments help someone. I think as parents we can become obsessed over the choice of schools issue (I know I can be that's why I've tried to answer the posts about relocation to ATL if I can).

As a former middle school teacher in GA, I think the problem is the transition from small elementary schools to big middle schools. High schools can be mega-sized, but by that time the kids are more ready for it.

"The transition from the elementary school to middle may be greater than expected."

To paraphrase Starrsville, I think there's much truth in the above statement. An elementary school principal I worked with a few years back told me that she feels the transition from elementary to middle school is much harder for most kids than the one from middle to high school. And because that's often not recongized, the students may not get as much support to help them deal with the transition.

I hated middle school. Worst two years of my life. At that time, our middle school was only seventh and eighth grade. I only survived because I had one very dear friend who is still my best friend some 23 years later.

I think the other posters are right that middle school is the hardest jump to make. And parental involvement takes on new forms. Instead of hosting class parties and chaperoning field trips, parents are helping out with band boosters or PTA. There's less direct contact in the classroom. And heaven knows, what newly minted teen wants their parent at their school?

Padams21, I do appreciate your comments about the Oakgrove neighborhood since we're looking to actually FINALLY start house hunting after Christmas. Oakgrove is one of the places we plan to look, even though we have no bambinos yet.