Schools In The Heights

[Highway6]

Fact of the matter is that the academics at the private schools are better. But, private school kids are generally rich kids and very cliquey. They have grown up in the country club with a small group of friends and will always have nicer things than your kid (vacations, new car at 16, clothes, etc.). Yet, at HISD, your kid may seem like the rich kid just because he lives in a house.

That is a gross exaggeration by someone that watches too many movies and has zero exposure to the houston private school scene.

There are different degrees of private school, I'd say the vast minority of which are how you describe.

St. Thomas Catholic, St. Thomas Episcopal, St. Thomas Moore, Episcopal, St Johns, St Marks, St. Agnes...

They cost a pretty penny, but I guarantee you that the parents that send their kids there for the most part also can't afford country club memberships.

Duchene, Kinkaid.. you may have more an argument there for most, but not even all parents... but schools like those represent a small % of the private schools in the city.

As a person who grew up going to non-rich people private schools all his life, I can vouch for the complete lack of cliquey behavior, small % of student-driven new cars, and relative lack of country club parents. Vacations? I didn't know growing up going to New Braunfels or Galveston every summer defined me as a rich kid. Clothes? Private school kids for the most part wear uniforms. You can only display your uber-richness so much with your shoes and purse.

[Highway6]

Since we're talking school rankings - For anyone that hasn't discovered the Children at Risk website, you should take a look. It's an independent group that ranks all the greater Houston school districts.

At the bottom of this page, you'll find a link - "Greater Houston Rankings Data File 2010" for an excel sheet that ranks every high school, middle school, and elem school.

Since we're talking elem schools mostly in this thread - Here are the HISD schools that fall in the top 25:

1 - T H ROGERS EL

2 - BARBARA BUSH EL

4 - HENDERSON J EL

8 - WEST UNIVERSITY EL

9 - RIVER OAKS EL

10 - KENNEDY EL

13 - ROBERTS EL

14 - LYONS EL

19 - SCOTT EL

20 - OAK FOREST EL

21 - CORNELIUS EL

22 - CONDIT EL

24 - OATES EL

Also, I've shared this before... but here is my Master Schools Google spreadsheet.

Using multiple years worth of the Children at Risk rankings, It shows the yearly rankings, avg rankings 07-09, and ranks per ISD for zoned high schools in the major relevant local ISDs.

Eventually I'll avg in 2010.. unfortunately, they added numerous schools that year and I haven't bothered to try and fingure out how I'm going to reconcile that with the previous years averages yet.

[Highway6]

These rankings are adjusted for zoned schools only (removal of charter schools).

Heights Area ZONED Elem Schools Rankings 2010 - according to Children at Risk -

69 - TRAVIS EL

89 - HARVARD EL

138 - STEVENSON EL

168 - SINCLAIR EL

204 - FIELD EL

270 - LOVE EL

298 - HELMS EL

358 - BROWNING EL

These rankings are out of 492 area elem schools.

---------------------------------------

Heights Area ZONED Middle Schools Rankings 2010 - according to Children at Risk -

46 - HAMILTON MIDDLE

190 - HOGG MIDDLE

These rankings are out of 218 area middle schools.

--------------------------------------

Heights Area ZONED High Schools Rankings 2010 - according to Children at Risk -

57 - REAGAN HIGH SCHOOL

These rankings are out of 90 area high schools.

[heights_yankee]

There will be an interactive Community Meeting at Hogg Middle School on Wednesday, February 16th at 6:00 pm in the school cafeteria.

The purpose of the meeting is to greet the new principal, Dr. Mina Schnitta. A letter received today from Dr. Dallas Dance, Chief School Officer for Middle Schools indicates, "Parents and community members will get an opportunity to meet and share ideas with Dr. Schnitta as well as learn about her strategies for promoting effective parent and community involvement that will result in improved learning for all students."

[heights_yankee]

*Link to site: http://savetxschools.org/contact-the-texas-house-subcommittee-on-education-budget/

SAVE TEXAS SCHOOLS!

Contact the Texas House Subcommittee

on Education Budget

The Texas House of Representatives has named a seven-member subcommittee to work on the budget for public and higher education. This group -- officially known as the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III -- is expected have significant influence over the next draft of the House budget plan for education.

Please call, write or email these elected officials today! Ask them to:

•Make education a top priority.

•Use the $9.3 Billion Texas "Rainy Day" Fund to support schools.

•Encourage the governor to sign for $830 Million in federal aid for teachers.

•Fix school funding laws to be fair to all districts and to our growing student population.

Note: Due to the way the House online system is constructed, emails for each member must be sent separately through their respective websites at the links provided below. If you prefer to write or call, additional contact information is provided below.

Download a Sample letter in Word

Rep. Scott Hochberg, Chair, Houston (Democrat)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=137&session=82

ISD: Alief, Houston

District: 137

Capitol Office: CAP 4N.8

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0492

District Address: 7011 Harwin, Suite 230

Houston, TX 77036

District Phone: (832) 252-7336

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, Killeen (Republican)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=54&session=82

ISD: Burnet Consolidated, Killeen, Lampasas, Lometa, Marble Falls

District: 54

Capitol Office: EXT E2.710

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0684

District Address: 2916 Illinois Avenue

Killeen, TX 76543

District Phone: (254) 690-1752

Rep. Myra Crownover, Lake Dallas (Republican)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=64&session=82

ISD: Denton, Lake Dallas, Little Elm

District: 64

Capitol Office: CAP 4S.2

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0582

District Address: P.O. Box 535

Lake Dallas, TX 75065

District Phone: (940) 321-0013

Rep. Helen Giddings, Dallas (Democrat)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=109&session=82

ISD: Cedar Hill, Dallas, Desoto, Duncanville, Ferris, Lancaster

District: 109

Capitol Office: CAP 1N.5

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0953

District Address: 1510 North Hampton Road, #340

DeSoto, TX 75115

District Phone: (972) 224-6795

Rep. Geanie Morrison, Victoria (Republican)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=30&session=82

ISD: Austwell-Tivoli, Bloomington, Cuero, Edna, Ezzell, Ganado, Hallettsville, Industrial, Meyersville, Mouton, Nursery, Placios, Refugio, Shiner, Sweet Home, Victoria, Vysehrad, Westhoff, Woodsboro, Yoakum, Yorktown

District: 30

Capitol Office: CAP GS.6

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0456

District Address: 1501 East Mockingbird,, Suite 101

Victoria, TX 77903

District Phone: (361) 572-0196

Diane Patrick, Arlington (Republican)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=94&session=82

ISD: Arlington, Mansfield

District: 94

Capitol Office: EXT E2.610

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0624

District Address: 318 West Main Street, Ste. 102

Arlington, TX 76013

District Phone: (817) 548-9091

Mike Villarreal, San Antonio (Democrat)

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=123&session=82

ISD: Alamo Heights, North Eeast, Northside, San Antonio

District: 123

Capitol Office: EXT E1.506

Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0532

District Address: 1114 S. St. Mary's, Suite 110

San Antonio, TX 78210

District Phone: (210) 734-8937

[kbates2]

So nearly 10 years out from the last posts on this thread, have the Heights' schools significantly improved?  I think Travis, Harvard, and Field are still ranked pretty well but have Hogg and Heights HS improved any or still about the same?

[KaisDad]

We live in midtown with a baby on the way. Absolutely want to stay in the city so am very curious to hear as well. 

[Ross]

7 hours ago, kbates2 said:

So nearly 10 years out from the last posts on this thread, have the Heights' schools significantly improved?  I think Travis, Harvard, and Field are still ranked pretty well but have Hogg and Heights HS improved any or still about the same?

From friends who have kids in those schools, yes, they have improved a lot, driven in large part by the Learn Local movement that encouraged people to send their kids to their zoned school instead of a magnet.

[s3mh]

If you are looking at schools in the Heights, you need to remember that they are all part of HISD and all have to some degree their curriculum affected by STAAR testing.  For elementary kids, that means a fair amount of reading random passages and having to answer trick questions and doing lots of math word problems that are poorly worded and difficult to understand.  Generally speaking, I do not think that private schools are that much better than HISD, but if I had the money I would seriously think about private school to get away from the garbage that is the STAAR testing curriculum.  That being said, we are sticking it out with HISD and enjoying the fact that we got to skip STAAR this year.

 

Most of the schools in the Heights have improved significantly over the past 10 years.  For elementary, Travis is the best.  PTO raises about a trillion dollars every year.  Lots of great teachers and a well run school.  Lots of after school activities.  Harvard has slipped a bit after losing a long time principal.  It is still a good school for elementary and I would not hesitate to send my kid there.  But you will hear some parents complain that things are not as good as they were a few years ago.  Field focused a lot of getting test scores up and they have gone way up in the published rankings on that basis.  As noted above, I find the testing to be crap and have doubts about schools that focus on testing.  Other parents love Field and need the external validation of STAAR test results.  Helms is dual language.  They do not get up high on rankings because the focus is more on dual language than test taking.  It is also a more diverse school with a higher number of economically disadvantaged students.  Love Elementary has been left behind.  Parents have tried to turn it around, but the focus has been on keeping numbers up by having kids transfer in from really rough parts of town.  Browning is similar.  There are also a lot of magnet spots in the Greater Heights/GOOF area.  We were at Garden Oaks for elementary.  Montessori is not for everyone and there is an incredibly wide range in quality with the teachers with the quality going down as the kids get into the upper elementary grades.  We eventually had to jump ship because our kid would get into a rut every year and not do his work.  He is doing much better in a regular class environment.   Sinclair is a really good school and gets overlooked by a lot of families.  It is a magnet and is fairly easy to get a spot compared to others.  Oak Forest is the Travis of GOOF.  It is a very good school and families line up for magnet spots.

 

For middle school, Hogg is the best choice in the Heights.  Hamilton has improved a lot, but Hogg is an overall better school.  Black Middle School in GOOF is also a good option.  Some people will try to magnet in to Pin Oak or Lanier.  It is a very, very long bus ride if you can't pick up and drop off your kids or find a carpool.  

 

Heights HS has improved a lot and keeps improving every year.  HS is tough because you really have to look at whether your kid is a high flier who will need lots of AP classes or just wants to get good grades and is not shooting for big name colleges.  There are good opportunities at Heights HS for high flying kids, but their are better opportunities at Lamar, Carnegie and DeBakey.  And a lot of families end up in private school for HS to boost college acceptance chances.  

 

If you choose public, you need to be ready for the crazy ride that HISD has become.  They are still under the boot of a possible TEA takeover and there are constant fights over the distribution of resources and magnet programs.  

[kbates2]

58 minutes ago, s3mh said:

Some people will try to magnet in to Pin Oak or Lanier.  It is a very, very long bus ride if you can't pick up and drop off your kids or find a carpool.  

 

Thanks s3mh, that's all great info.  I went to Lanier and had a 6.5 mile bus ride which looks to be about the same distance from the area of the Heights that we are looking at so I'm familiar with that bus ride.  It was long but you got in a good amount of time with your friends on the way.

[tanith27]

As far as the STAAR tests go, my kids are both Travis entering 2nd and 4th grade and neither have had a STAAR test yet.  I don't think they start until 4th grade, although there are some standardized tests they do that kind of tell you where your kids rank in the greater scheme of things.  Take those with a huge grain of salt, the teachers themselves don't seem worried about the results.

[innerlooper]

What about Booker T? They have a brand new campus a short run up Yale from the Heights. Am I missing something?