S Folinsky

I wonder if there is any school in L.A. following the British system? I know that there is the Lycee International and the Lycee Francais which follow the French system.

I know that there is a multi-campus British School in DC, Chicago, Boston & Houston. But I am not aware of one here in L.A.

Sally Redux

I have not heard of one. I heard of someone trying to start an elementary school with a British curriculum, but I don't think much came of it.

economy_1

US schools are excellent because they have more practical approach with more practical learning.I was in UK where schools were more theoretical with costly uniforms and if they are full one must attend expensive private schools

Bob

Bit to much of a generalisation there.

You can get just as many as not crap schools here with more curriculums as with any other country.

And I've heard of people being forced into private schools because they couldn't get into their local school in the UK. They perhaps might have had to gone to another school in the area though.

Sally Redux

I don't see that at all - unless you are thinking of the ROP vocational classes.

Ash UK/US

Many states/schools have switched to 'Common Core Standards', my kids attend a charter school and they have switched this year as 'CCS' have been implemented in MI, it may be worth checking to see if your state/school is included if you want to compare apples to apples.

Michael

Michigan significantly increased the number of charter schools under the current republican administration especially in Milwaukie but the results haven't appeared to have the effect that republicans hoped. They point to an occasional success but the vast majority have not performed better than public schools and the costs have increased. Washington DC also increased the number of charter schools with very good success but the lady running the program was one tough lady requiring the charter schools to perform.

I think charter schools can be successful but not if they are regulated like many of the private online colleges were they generally underperform community colleges and cost significantly more. To try to get the online colleges to perform better, the Obama administration restricted students for both online schools as well as community colleges from acquiring government loans if the school didn't perform in the upper 60 percentile (most community colleges were unaffected but most online schools were).

The basic problem with both charter and online schools is that they are profit motivated and unless there are penalties for underperformance, profit seems to be a higher motivation than education.

Lion in Winter

This is what a pretty decent state high school looks like here.

http://www.eths.k12.il.us/main.aspx

It's a one-high-school district, so everyone goes here but the students who do well can do very well. It is well funded and has good resources and good teachers, as far as I can tell. After years of less than challenging and certainly less than interesting elementary and middle school education (although the district's schools are supposed to be good, relatively speaking), both the Little Lion and I are looking forward to High School.

Choose where you live carefully. It makes all the difference in terms of schools. No, they don't specialize as much here as in the UK at the same age, but if you are able to make sure that your child gets the good and demanding classes, pursues the "honours" options, etc. you can pretty well.

transatlantic_chap

As a former resident of Chicago, I have definitely heard good things about Evanston Township High School. Sorry to hear about your Elementary and Middle school experiences, though. What exactly made them so bad? Were you comparing them against schools in the UK?

Pulaski

One blazer, one pair of trousers or skirt, five shirts, one pair of shoes v a wardrobe of fashionable shirts, sweaters, jeans, and trainers. Which is more expensive? ..... Not to mention the benefits to school discipline of leveling everyone, so the "rich kids" can't show off with their designer clothes. Utter twaddle! You might not get your children into the closest or most convenient school in the UK, but NOBODY in the UK is forced, through lack of a place, to pay for education for their children.

Sally Redux

Plus cannot possibly wear the same thing as anyone else so must devote countless hours to seeking out the right look. Uniform costs would be a drop in the ocean.

AmerLisa

I bought my youngest granddaughter's school uniforms this past summer (this is her first year of proper school, reception.) Two pinafores, a packet of shirts, a pair of trousers, tights, school cardy, school shoes, PE shorts and shirt and trainers for PE. Most all of the uniform (with exception of school cardy and PE uniform which needed to be purchased at school uniform shop in town) was purchased at M&S. I'm pretty sure I didn't spend anymore on my younger daughter when she started kindergarden. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone goes out and splashes big money on children's school clothes. Most people know their kids will be growing out of said clothes and spending gobs of money is pretty shortsighted.

However, now that my younger daughter is in junior high, her clothing bill has gone up a bit. But part of that reason is because she now wears adult size shoes and she is just getting out of kid's clothing and into junior size.

I can see the pros and cons to both sides.

Pulaski

Agreed, but the cost issue has more impact on teenagers than children in the lowest grades. In any case I didn't have a uniform (in the UK) between age 8 and 11, and uniforms are mostly only defined and required at high schools (age 11 and up) in the UK.

AmerLisa

Well both of my granddaughters wear uniforms (5 and 8) the 8 year old has always worn one to school. I'm sure as they get older, buying the blazers (for example) may get a bit more costly. I think I've heard that they are a bit more lenient in sixth form about uniforms?

SultanOfSwing

I wore a uniform right through primary and secondary school (1983 - 1997). It probably depends on the school, right enough or it might be NI specific.

None of this dumbed down polo shirt nonsense either. I learned how to tie a tie when I was four