OT: How are the Starkville Public Schools?

[Walter White.sixpack]

If someone was considering a move into the area, how good are the schools when compared to similar cities within the state of Mississippi?

I know there are a few elementary schools, and then the Middle and High. But are they generally "safe" environments with good testing scores, teachers who care, and good prep for entering college?

I know the question might get subjective answers, but if you were to move to Starkville would you be happy (and your kids happy) with the Starkville School District? Why or why not?

 

[jamdawg96]

I turned out okay, but based on what I hear from folks back home, the district as a whole has been in decline over the last few years. Still probably your best bet academically at the junior high to high school level, although I'm sure the gap is smaller now. We had several advanced placement options and a few teachers who taught at State, too. Your kid will be well cultured, that's for sure, which I consider a good thing. Both of my parent taught there for decades... dad was a coach, too. It made sense for me academically and athletically, but I had friends at the Academy who went there for their own reasons (e.g. more playing time, less "culture") and they turned out just fine.

 

[shoeless joe]

I know a current teacher that is leaving and said that if they had walked the halls during a school day before they got hired they would've never taken the job.

The mindset of 90% of administrators in public education is the reason for the decline all over the state. Kids are not held responsible. Without good teachers the school system will struggle. Go look at the job vacancies for starkville. Good schools don't have many folks leaving. For that matter take a look at all the listings to get an idea about which school's have high turnover and therefore are not overly desirable for teachers which Prolly means less than desirable learning environments.

 

[TheBigDA]

Partly true. Lots of grayling out and retirement happening in the current three year span, due to going to common core. This happens every time a new learning paradigm is introduced. If you have historically high turnover ie 10 yr span, then yes it is true.
As for the administrator remark, one can only hold kids feet to the fire as much as culture, law, policy, and the school board will allow. When divorce rates go below 25% and single parent families are less than 10% then you can complain about schools. Great parents make great schools. Schools by nature are to educate not to raise children. This fact has been lost on society.
In speaking about Starkville directly, the board bought into the idea of bringing in an expert. They brought in an idiot from North Carolina and he doesn't understand the culture of Mississippi and more importantly Starkville. His changes aren't working/welcomed. He has no buy in. Many good staff members have left due to his actions.

 

[thatsbaseball]

As the husband of a retired public school elementary teacher ( not Starkville) I`ll wager that the elementary schools are pretty good and if there are problems in the district they start becoming evident in the junior high and escalate from there.

 

[msu4ever]

Agreed..

Partly true. Lots of grayling out and retirement happening in the current three year span, due to going to common core. This happens every time a new learning paradigm is introduced. If you have historically high turnover ie 10 yr span, then yes it is true.
As for the administrator remark, one can only hold kids feet to the fire as much as culture, law, policy, and the school board will allow. When divorce rates go below 25% and single parent families are less than 10% then you can complain about schools. Great parents make great schools. Schools by nature are to educate not to raise children. This fact has been lost on society.
In speaking about Starkville directly, the board bought into the idea of bringing in an expert. They brought in an idiot from North Carolina and he doesn't understand the culture of Mississippi and more importantly Starkville. His changes aren't working/welcomed. He has no buy in. Many good staff members have left due to his actions.

agree 100%........

 

[jeremyrbrown]

Here's some info about the class of 2013 at SHS:

Top earnings for the Class of 2013 Scholarships ($3 million in scholarships awarded to the Class of 2012):

Mississippi State University Presidential Scholarship, $250,000
Mississippi State University, $680,000
Baylor University, $50,000
University of Alabama, $107,800
University of Mississippi, $122,500
University of the South (Sewanee) , $40,000
Centre College, $72,000
Mississippi University for Women, $44,000
Savannah College of Art and Design, $40,000
Memphis College of Arts, $64,000
University of Southern Mississippi, $16,500
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, $44,000
Oberlin College, $25,000
Carnegie Mellon, $27,860
University of Georgia, $36,000
Auburn University, $30,000
American University, $40,000
University of Miami, $64,000
Florida State University, $38,488
Texas A&M, $68,000
University of San Diego, $60,000
Emory University, $135,976
Belhaven University, $120,000
United States Naval Academy, $380,000

***********************
Dr. Jerry Gilbert was on hand this morning at SHS to present ***** ****, **** *****, and ***** ****** with MSU Presidential Scholarships. These prestigious awards, worth approximately $50,000, cover tuition, fees, room and board, and books for four years of undergraduate study. According to Dr. Gilbert, the SHS Seniors account for 23% of the total MSU Presidential Scholarships awarded in Mississippi.

 

[dudehead]

Partly true. Lots of grayling out and retirement happening in the current three year span, due to going to common core. This happens every time a new learning paradigm is introduced. If you have historically high turnover ie 10 yr span, then yes it is true.
As for the administrator remark, one can only hold kids feet to the fire as much as culture, law, policy, and the school board will allow. When divorce rates go below 25% and single parent families are less than 10% then you can complain about schools. Great parents make great schools. Schools by nature are to educate not to raise children. This fact has been lost on society.
In speaking about Starkville directly, the board bought into the idea of bringing in an expert. They brought in an idiot from North Carolina and he doesn't understand the culture of Mississippi and more importantly Starkville. His changes aren't working/welcomed. He has no buy in. Many good staff members have left due to his actions.

This is leadership thinking. I hope you are involved in your community. It needs you.

 

[MzTerry]

Thank you, nice numbers. If your child can't cut it at SHS then they are in for it for the rest of their lives unless they plan on just moving back to Sturgis. I went to SHS, received scholarship money as many of my friends did, graduated from college and am gainfully employed - once again, as many of my SHS friends are. Guess what, I'm also not scared of my own shadow. To the person with the story about the teacher, I bet they went to good ol Simpson academy or something of the sort. Any student will run over any teacher that doesn't stand up - it's what kids do. I wouldn't trade my time at SHS for anything. Sorry for the rant, if you can't tell, I don't like the private school institution, and starkville is not the delta.

 

[paindonthurt_]

When divorce rates go below 25% and single parent families are less than 10% then you can complain about schools. Great parents make great schools. Schools by nature are to educate not to raise children. This fact has been lost on society.

Its a good point, but the simple fact is there is a problem. When presented with a problem good admin and leaders PROBLEM SOLVE. Our educational system is broken, and we need to get outside the box and repair it.

Any system starts with discipline. Education, Manufacturing, Sports, etc.

 

[o_Msuman]

If you have the money send them to Starkville Academy.

 

[jeremyrbrown]

If you have the money send them to Starkville Academy.

Why?

 

[MzTerry]

yes, because people that go to SHS cannot afford to go to SA - riiiiggghhtttt. If you want your children to get a better education, a more realistic view of the world, and compete in legitimate athletics, then send them to SHS.

 

[615dawg]

Private schools in MS are about to get ALOT better

Common Core is going to kill public schools. The weaker private schools (like SA) will be forced to put more emphasis on academic quality because they are about to get a different kind of student. The private schools around Jackson are gearing up - they are becoming more diverse, they are becoming more competitive in athletics (a couple years ago Prep beat the 4A state champ in football, and Prep lost two games to other MAIS schools)

Combine that with the public schools becoming complete babysitting factories, and private schools are a better option than they were 10 years ago.

Which brings me to another debate. WHEN IN THE HELL IS THE MAIS GOING TO DIE? We are the last state in the entire country that has a strong separation of public/private schools in regards to athletics. Alabama still has the AISA, but its like 40 really small schools. The reason LA and AR have teams that compete in the MAIS is because their states got rid of their private school sports leagues years ago.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Your SHS education apparently left you a little short on reading comprehension. I see no insinuation in his post that says no one at SHS can afford to go to Starkville academy. He just made a recommendation.

 

[NCDawg.sixpack]

agree 100%........

I agree that the person from North Carolina probably doesn't understand the culture of Mississippi. I now live in NC after living in MS almost all my life and it is totally different here. Not the same problems as we have in MS.

 

[MzTerry]

Nice try at a subtle jab, but that is the insinuation in Starkville as a whole - I didn't need him to spell it out for me on this message board.

It's similar to the entitlement that OM possesses in recruiting - WHY would anyone go to State? Same thing... if you're not at SA, you must not have the money - why else would you go to SHS?

I have a lot of friends that went SA just as I have friends that went to OM. I have no disdain for any individual because they went to a particular school, but its the attitude of the overall institutions that irritates. Sum of all parts kind of situation if you will.

ETA 2nd & 3rd paragraphs.

 

[Shmuley]

615, can you clarify a few things for me? I'm genuinely interested in your opinion as to exactly how common core is going to hurt public schools. What are the most significant factors on which you draw your conclusion?

 

[Xenomorph]

Oh boy... a common core thread...

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/stand-back-*****-about-to-get-real.jpg

 

[mstateglfr]

Nice try at a subtle jab, but that is the insinuation in Starkville as a whole - I didn't need him to spell it out for me on this message board.

It's similar to the entitlement that OM possesses in recruiting - WHY would anyone go to State? Same thing... if you're not at SA, you must not have the money - why else would you go to SHS?

um...wow.

all the poster said was- 'If you have the money send them to Starkville Academy.'


That is quite the list of assumptions you draw from such a simple and straightforward comment.
The poster thinks SA is better than SHS, so if the OP has the money to send his/her kid(s) to SA, then do it.
Its a pretty easy comment to understand, so I thought.



Where I live, there is a very good nondenominational private school close by. We can't afford it. When discussing schools, this private school has been recommended many times thru the years by parents whose kids go there. I have never taken your interpretation in the discussions, even though I cant afford to send my kids to that school. It would be an odd position for me to have, actually.

 

[615dawg]

I personally think government should be completely out of education.

So, adding more oversight and regulation to an already over regulated public education system isn't helping my opinion. Public education isn't what it used to be. I know that sounds cliche, but we're about to start creating a generation of super dumbasses.

 

[shoeless joe]

This is leadership thinking. I hope you are involved in your community. It needs you.

Even tho I agree with most of his post; more "leadership thinking" is not what's needed. What's need in all education is leadership action. Consultants come into schools all the time telling folks what the problem is...what's needed is action from someone who has the capability of unifying school and community. I am not specifically speaking about starkville, just public ed in general.

 

[Vv83]

I graduated from the Starkville public system in 2011... I was taught everything I needed and went to college.. Not much more to say really. You'll be fine. Whatever you do DO NOT send your kids to the academy.. It's a complete joke.

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

someone has an ax to grind.

Nice try at a subtle jab, but that is the insinuation in Starkville as a whole - I didn't need him to spell it out for me on this message board.

It's similar to the entitlement that OM possesses in recruiting - WHY would anyone go to State? Same thing... if you're not at SA, you must not have the money - why else would you go to SHS?

I have a lot of friends that went SA just as I have friends that went to OM. I have no disdain for any individual because they went to a particular school, but its the attitude of the overall institutions that irritates. Sum of all parts kind of situation if you will.

ETA 2nd & 3rd paragraphs.

.

 

[dudehead]

I agree

.