loll2011

Hi..
.we have just had confirmed we're relocating to Fort Lauderdale in June 15.. Have looked through many of the posts on here - so apologies if this is covered elsewhere..

We have two kids, who will be 10 and 12 when we move. Company covers private education if we want it... Can anyone help on good schools in Fort Lauderdale...is there a big difference in quality between private and public? (we would likely be living around Weston). So far we have looked at American Heritage..which looks good...
We will be making a trip to look at schools - but would really value any local insight to help narrow down choices.

Thanks!

Michael

If the public school district is good, it's hard to say which is better. A public school is generally larger and tends to offer gifted classes, college classes for high school students, and special needs classes. My dentist lives in one of the most afferent areas in the San Francisco bay area, his school district is ranked 10 out of 10, and spends about $19,000 per student per year compared to the state average of about $12,000. However he put his kids into a private school.

A BE member was thinking of putting his daughter in a British school but the school was very small and he worried that his daughter wouldn't have the activities available (sports, theater, dance, etc.) of a larger school. I don't remember if he put her in a public school or a larger private school.

Sally Redux

The main driver for private school is often a religious affiliation so check you are happy with that.

They usually demand a lot of extra financial 'donations', I have heard.

I'm not familiar with your area though.

loll2011

Thanks both for your responses.

Michael

You can look at the following map to determine the best areas for public schools. Dark blue are the best schools. Your street address will determine which school(s) are in your catchment area. You can click on the symbols to get more information. There are also links on the pop up box that tells you everything about that school (number of students, student/teacher ratio, grades taught in that school, demographics, gender, etc.). Click off either the Elementary or Middle school checkbox and move the map to update the screen to view only those types of schools. I believe magnet schools are generally the best within a district and parents outside the catchment area often try to get their kids into that school if there are spaces available.

Florida School Performance Maps

osgood

Weston is not near, fort lauderdale....Pine crest is a good private school in fort lauderdale..

Hotscot

Private schools here can use teaching staff that are not fully credentialed and can have far less teaching experience than public schools. Just something to be aware of.

In addition, fully equipped computer labs, science labs, gyms, sports and drama programmes etc may be of importance to you.

Also Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programmes...you can look them up.

Pulaski

Not sure if you're saying that's a plus or a minus? ..... But little Miss P's private school has phenomenal facilities under all the headings you mentioned, plus a whole block of music teaching facilities. Next year she will have her own assigned iPad, this year she has one to share (she is seven/ second grade ).

Hotscot

Really just stating that whichever school is looked at there are certain things to keep in mind.
Many of the religious private schools over this way are very parochial. However I have two nephews who went to christian schools and while I have no interest in religion myself, apart from a cultural/historical aspect, they did get an excellent education and now both are full ride at top Universities.

Pulaski

Agreed, some of the local private schools run on a shoestring and are not well equipped. Several of the larger ones with a religious angle are very good, and well respected, the smaller ones proving a "Christian eductation" sometimes seem to place more emphasis on "Christian" than they do on "education".

HDWill

Some parts of the rural South have so-called "segregation schools," bare-bones private schools that were established in the '60s in response to racial integration. Their sports mascots are often called "the Rebels" or similar.

Sally Redux

Not only not fully credentialed, but lacking post-16 qualifications of any sort and with zero teaching experience. (Just one example personally known to me).

Hotscot

My jaw dropped...ouch.

Pulaski

I have not a shadow of a doubt you are correct, but I sincerely doubt that your example has broad applicability to anything but the cheapest and most questionable private schools.