Irvine Schools

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<p>Eva - I have a theory, but it is only a theory with no statistics, numbers, or studies to back it up, just my observation.</p>

<p>As you observe, home schooled kids are around an adult all day. They are "socialized" by an adult rather than by children. I would generalize that children who are home schooled are taught to have esteem for others rather than self-esteem. This seems to be a reflection of the parents values and the time the parent is willing to spend with his/her children. The parents esteem their children and by spending time with their children, they lead by example instead of lip service. Children are by nature selfish and learn selfishness from other children. Selfless behavior is learned by the example of adults.</p>

<p>Anyway, it's just a theory.</p>
 
At first I thought home schooling would not be appropriate for children because parents did not have the proper training in teaching. The variety of subjects and their technical aspects are much more complex toward the later school years. I notice children from home schooling have more strength in the field of arts and social science and setback in the field of science. Most home schooled children applied for non technical fields in college.



Home schooled children are much better team players and non-competitive. The home environment makes learning fun rather than competitive among classmate for higher grades. Home lessons are interactive and questions and inquiries are immediately answered so the foundation of the subject matters is strongly rooted. Social skills and real practical life application is understood by the children. For examples the lesson regarding arithmetic is an actual trip to the grocery store and children really learn the application of cost, tax and change. The interactive and real application helps children to remember and apply the theory of the subject.



The pressure of memorization and taking exam are not the best way in teaching. Memorization of facts and data does not make children smarter. It is how to use the information to solve problem that is the most important. Pressure learning and leisure learning have very different outcome on a child. Children retain much of what they learn when it is fun.



Children from home schooling are much more confident from my observation and much more outspoken. I believe the socialization with adults early on add years of maturity to a child. Children are much more articulated in language and linguistic skills.



On the other hand, most parents are just not well verse in advance subjects like Physics, Geometry, Chemistry, Trigonometry, Algebra and Calculus. Even those who got a degree in these subjects would not remember much. Children unfortunately get the shortest end of the stick here. Many colleges do have the basic science and math courses to help youngster to catch up so they could fully explore their technical potential. Unfortunately few would want to take additional years for their technical degree.



To certain extent home schooling prepares children for socialization a skill to lead happier career and adult life. Many excelled in the fields of Social science and fine arts. Few become scientists, doctors, nor engineers but that’s ok. Most children who were home school nurtured return to their hometown and rarely lead life far away from their root.



Mormon practice home schooling to prevent children from learning worldly evil influences like sex, drugs, pop culture, materialism, and morality. The preservation of religious belief dictates rather than what should be the best interest for a child.
 
<em>"I notice children from home schooling have more strength in the field of arts and social science and setback in the field of science."</em>





I suspect much of that is because it is generally religious fundamentalists who home school. As a group, they are not big fans of science.





I knew someone in college who was home schooled. I was told that home schooled children generally score higher on standardized tests. I haven't seen the studies first hand. I was also told it is a LOT of work. Only the most committed parents will do this.
 
<p>I think I have mentioned this before. I really don't know what is the secrets behind this. But I have clients who barely speak a word of English. At the same time, their kids attend below average schools. </p>

<p>Yet, I would often hear from my clients, their faces bright with smiles because their kids were accepted to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, etc. And no it's not because of affirmative action. </p>

<p> </p>
 
reason,





I told my friends this before, take a bight kid and either place the kid in a highly competitive environment where the kid may place in the top 10%, while in a lesser school, the kid may place in the top 1%. Which would rank more highly for collegiate applications? However, the education received may be inferior but is accepted to better college due to the percentile placement. Having kids go to Irvine schools is no guarantee for a better acceptance rates to schools, may be better preparation, but may even be a detriment due to the more academic students in irvine.
 
I've heard complaints that TR elementary is an educational sweatshop for the purpose of high test scores.





I've also heard that many of the other Irvine elementary schools are great, have overwhelming parental involvement, and kids are are eager to learn in this environment. Kids are the product of the parents, not the schools. Ignore them and let TV raise them, and you've got an anti-social little computer addict. Give them weekend activities that are not school related, and spend time with them, and you'll get the best of both worlds.





You can't make a blanket statement that all IUSD schools are the same. Find one that has the environment that you like, and put some time and effort into their upbringing.





In other words, if you're worried about this, then avoid TR and UH, and you'll be happy. But that's just what I've seen.
 
<p>I don't have any youngins, but something confuses me about this subject.</p>

<p>Why is there not an ideal curiculum that all schools share?</p>

<p>Wouldn't it be more efficient to do it that way, and let teachers concentrate on teaching?</p>

<p> </p>
 
Nude,





Whoa...I guess I hit a nerve...by being "a tad immature?" Pulleez...misconstruing another's statements to get your point across is weaker. Did I say it's better to be popular in school than to do well on the SAT?





You ask me where is the hard data about "a classic appeal to popularity?" Well, where is your data that valedictorians with no social skills do better than good students with great social skills? I won't hold my breath for that answer.





Is this country truly a meritocracy? It may be closer than 70 years ago, but that's debatable too.





For what its worth: The CSUF vs. Harvard example was to illustrate that sometimes the best grades in HS don't get you the best outcome if it puts you in a position to fail in college...it wasn't an advocacy to intentionally handicap your child to game the system. This is a true story that actually happened to two of my classmates. Also my statement about the brilliant minds with bad lives was an exaggeration to make a joke.





/whatever
 
I've heard that there is a private elementary school in South County that has very little or no homework, trying to do everything in class so that there is time for other things after school. Does anyone know about it? Is it a good school?
 
Many interesting opinions. Since moving to Irvine a couple of years ago I have been pondering whether I would want buy in the TUSD part of Irvine. In the last few days after much independent research and some good insights -- including those out here -- I believe the answer is that my kids would turn out just fine whether they attend Alderwood or TR elem and UNI as they would be at Hicks Canyon and Beckman. But what about the home values

in IUSD vs TUSD? Do you all have an opinion on the long term values of simliar homes in Northpark and Quail Hill? Does the perception of IUSD (regardless of reality) make a home with IUSD address a better long term investment?
 
CK, I think yes as well. I think you mentioned a while back the city of Cupertino in the Bay Area. (If it wasn't you, I apologize). I think it's the same thing here with Irvine and IUSD.
 
Yes, I lived up in Santa Clara next door to Cupertino for 4 years, and the values in the two similar cities was dramatic. I find the Irvine situation even more interesting than that, however, as we are talking the same city with Irvine but different schools. So it would be fair to say that schools are likely the biggest factor in Irvine property values. Seems a lot of people don't really even consider 92602 as part of "Irvine".?
 
Parents have a much bigger impact on the child for home-schooled kids. Most parents want to teach their kids to be nice people, so the kids might turn out as good team players, but not as competitive. However if your kid was home schooled by Bill Gates' grandmother, I think the kid will turn out very competitive.





There are many ups and downs for the different education choices. Due to the volatile nature of the topic, I won't troll Zovall's blog here.





Instead, I'll just say that if you choose private or home education, there's a high economic cost, and may require lifestyle changes. Whatever your decision, it's better to plan ahead as early as possible.
 
I know I am in the minority here, but I don't think high school education really means anything. At high school, even undergraduate and master level, classes are force feed to students without much understanding as to why you need to know the subject. Try to fight either China or India by force feeding our children is a waste of time. Even if your child can do math twice as fast and as accurate as an Indian or a Chinese child, so what, I can hire five or even ten at the price of one.
 
I agree with bkshopr's first post since I somewhat was raised in that environment. There is a book by a Jewish guy on how Jews are losing their competitiveness to fit in. The parents who force their children to attend all kinds of sporting events will have less competitive children academically. One of my mother's coworkers is Jewish and has three children. I can state with conviction all are failures academically as a result of their parents. The parents are esteemed professionals and both have degrees from top tier schools (Harvard and Princeton). However their attitude in parenting is much like TRock is promoting in trying to get their children to be socially adept through doing soccer and watching TV over being academically adept. Asian parents of my parents generation are much more focused on getting their children to be successful in school and sending them to additional classes if they don't succeed in school than the lackadaisical white parents.





Especially in the OC you have a strange mix where people can go from working at McDonald's to making six figures in sales overnight. So the value of education is oftentimes low to negative by white parents and children. Instead they may genuinely prefer their child to be socially adept over getting good grades in school as TRock illustrates. Look at the comments by white teachers at San Marino High...ohh these children should spend more time on sports and be less focused on academics and test scores (no I'm not making this up). Maybe the children of my generation will want their children to fit in and be on the traveling soccer team. The premise is this is what eventually happened to the Jews. Now they too are pursuing crew and lacrosse and trying to get their child into the right fraternity or sororities just like the WASP parents that once excluded them from the "good old boys network."





Although when I talk to asians my age they do see value in how they were raised. So maybe my children can talk to their dates about how to raise their children on a second date. =p
 
<p>Tourbillon,</p>

<p>"Even if your child can do math twice as fast and as accurate as an Indian or a Chinese child, so what, I can hire five or even ten at the price of one."</p>

<p>You are missing the point entirely. Math, reading, etc taught in high school, college, and even in most grad schools "sharpens" your mind, teachs you how to think logically, and think fast. Most of us will probably admit that most of the "technical" stuff we learned at all stage of school are not that applicable in the real life. Does that mean we don't need to go to school anymore???</p>

<p>A slow thinker (logically or mathmatically) won't do well in intense negotiations. Most people are not born "sharp", it require "exercises". It is similar to building muschle strength through exercises. </p>

<p>Another thing is being "competitive". You want your kids to develop a reasonable "competitiveness" both in sports and in academic area. If you pass along your attitude to your kids (if you have one), your kids won't be competitive in any fields (unless they are genius in one field - ie. baseballs, tennis etc.)</p>
 
<em>"However their attitude in parenting is much like TRock is promoting in trying to get their children to be socially adept through doing soccer and watching TV over being academically adept."</em>





Are you saying you believe academic achievement is more important than social skills? If so, I would side with TRock. Being brilliant and socially inept is not a recipe for lifelong happiness.
 
<p>If a child is shy and likes to study. Is it really good for that child to be force s/he into extra curriular activities? </p>

<p>Wouldn't that child become rebellious because his/her parents are forcing him/her into someone he/she is not? Aren't parents trying too much to mold their kids into someone that the parents wish to be?</p>
 
Is the reverse a recipe for lifelong happiness? You usually want whichever you failed to pursue. I have lots of friends who chose the other path; they were popular in high school, dropped out of college due to drinking and partying too much or immersing themselves in video games to find that social world in the MMORPG, and are now working a minimum or slightly above minimum wage job working at the mall or Subway. I can say when I talk to them they are not happy just getting by. Especially if your an introvert the temptation of a world of social interaction with nearly entirely INTJs in Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, or World of Warcraft is very alluring and doomed many of my classmates to failure.
 
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