Jjulie

Hi

We are looking to move to Florida on L1 visa with our two children 12 & 14
If you have been in this situation and are now in Florida I would love to here your view.

What is the education like compared to UK?
What are the best areas to live and for business?
etc......

excpomea

Could someone tell me what an L1 visa is?

We live in North Florida and love it.
The schools, Well there are many amny threads on this subject have you tried a search?

Our 5 year old is just about to start school this August.
Kind of scary really, I'm not too impressed with the standard of education in Florida.
They get out at 2:30, then there is the summer holidays that seem to go on for months and months.

Most of the physical activity ie PE has been cut to the bones.
I feel that they are kept inside for too long. No hr long lunch breaks, it's almost like a prison.

We are pretty lucky I suppose though. All of our local schools are 'A' rated Whatever that means
You have to be pretty careful where you decide to live otherwise your child will end up as a minority amongst his class mates.
Oh there is just too much to try and list in one reply, as I said. Do a search.
Good luck if you decide to move.

excpomea

Oh I found it.

L1 Visa (Intra-Company Transfer Visa)

ladyofthelake

Well, to be fair, the kids start school earlier at 8am so the length of the day is the same. Also, the summer holidays do indeed go on for ever and seem too long, but they don't have half term holidays here, so I think the total number of days off each year could be comparable.
People are probably saying the same thing in Blighty too. Care has to be taken not to give the kids heat exhaustion too. My kids last school was trying to raise money for a covered play area to make PE more bearable during the heat. Schools can vary so much, the last school didn't give recess time, this school my kids are at now does and also provides swings and climbing frames.
Not quite sure what you're getting at there? Are there schools here which only accept brit kids?

Anyway, discussoins about the standards taught have been hot potatoes here before, both here and on the "moving back to the UK" area, so a search would definitely be a good idea.
Any specific questions you have, fire away.

Englishmum

I think she meant that many of the schools will have mostly Hispanic kids (especially from Cuba if on the East coast). My American friend (originally from Ohio) but living in Fort Lauderdale, had her son in a soccer team. She was appalled to find that the coach was only speaking to the team in Spanish and her son couldn't understand what he was saying. She actually said to him "When in Rome......"

The only British schools in the US are in Houston, Boston, Chicago and Washington DC.

Before deciding where to live, you need to ask for the "School Report Card". All realors (estate agents) should be able to give them out, and certainly the school district. All schools are rated financially and academically (although you won't understand what most of it means!).

I was so pleased this week for the latest New Jersey School Report data to be issued (it was a 24 page extra in the State newspaper) as my son's public High School is no.1 in the State. It should make our house worth a little bit more!