[quote author="bltserv" date=1251955468][quote author="davenlei" date=1251945968][quote author="bltserv" date=1251944092]I had to put up with this stinker of a school as a parent for 4 years.
Unless you have 1st hand knowledge making an opinion is somwhat useless.
Here is a review on GreatsSchools.com that I agree with about Aliso Niguel High.
"Stay away. It does not deserve its reputation. I have two children attending and I am very unimpressed. The teachers say they care but their actions do not match their words. Very few are ever available before or after school for help. They actually had to schedule a tutorial period during the day to give the children a chance to meet with the teachers. Also, they have this terrible thing called 'minimum day' where they get their funding because they keep the children until just past the noon deadline, then let them out at 12:30. The day is counted as a full day, but the students do not get the benefit of a full day. And all to get to go home early. What a racquet. I have promised my children I wouldn't move again, but what a mistake. Do not start your children here if you can avoid it".</blockquote>
I was unfortunately a product of the LAUSD. I remember the school was only concerned if you went to 'homeroom' which is a 15 minute class where they take roll and do nothing else. It was for the funding only. If you miss any of your classes other than homeroom, you did not get an automated call home. But if you miss homeroom, your automated call to the parents will be made right at dinnertime.
When you said Aliso was like a Prison, it reminded me of my LAUSD experience in high school. It was very overcrowded in each class. The campus was fully fenced and gates locked. If you had to go home early, security had to unlock the gate for you. If you dared to hop the fence, you clothes would be ruined since they greased the tops of all the fences.
Fully armed plainclothes Police on campus all the time. At least once a year, a student would be seen with a gun on campus and would run across campus from the police with their weapons out. Students were told to hide or get down.
During my senior year, there was a riot on campus where some staff was attacked, utility carts (those electric vehicles) were flipped over and a bathroom was set on fire.
Even through that wild learning environment, I still graduated from a University with close to a 4.0.
Bltserv, please tell me Aliso high is not like that. I really like the house I am in escrow on but may back out to avoid giving my kids the LAUSD type of experience I had.</blockquote>
We started out with the Grammer School. It was Foxborough. He did a couple years there and it seemed like a great school.
Coming and going and the traffic were terrible though. One way in. One way out. Good teachers. All temporary bungalows.
On the river bed were you could not develop property for residential.
Then Wood Canyon for Middle School. This is where the issues began with overcrowding. It was still acceptable and traffic was better getting him in and out.
But then Aliso Niguel happened. Now this is a few years back. Like 2000 to 2004.
I would suggest you try driving in and out in the morning rush if you want an experience.
Again. The developers of the day left the river bed for the school. Terrible traffic coming and going.
From day one this school was about MONEY. Keeping the kids in line with some very strict rules.
My son was never a discipline problem. Now suddenly he is getting into situations and getting suspended
for almost no reasons that are justified. "He walked the wrong way home" "He was possibly seen with others smoking"
"He defended himself when he should have just been a victim". It got worse and worse.
And a heavy police presence. I almost always saw the marked police car in front of the school every morning.
Getting my son to go to school was a real battle. At the very end we sent him to a private school for the last 6 months
or he was going to refuse to go.
I too am a LAUSD Alumni as well. Venice High 1973. I sure miss 5th period surfing class next to the nude beach.
Those were the days.
Maybe its better now. But I would find out the class sizes and the number of police on campus.
And for sure try the traffic in the morning and afternoon.
Personally. This is the same conduct I experienced at Aliso Niguel.
<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/school-lawsuit-mendez-2544726-bullying-san">http://www.ocregister.com/articles/school-lawsuit-mendez-2544726-bullying-san</a>
The only difference was my kid would use his Martial Arts skills and get suspended
when he was confronted. "He was to blame because he could defend himself"
Thats why the other kids would target him according to the school.</blockquote>
Ok. So it seems traffic planning (or lack of), is a problem and the staff were overly militant with keeping order and put everyone into the same "trouble" category regardless of if they were the cause of trouble or just protecting themselves from it.
My son is still very young (5 years old), and is very good at Brazillian Jiu Jitsu for his age. I train as well and he had gotten me into some good choke submissions and I am more than twice his size. His teachers know he is training and have warned him (and me) about using his fighting skills for any reason at school. This is even before anything has ever happened. So maybe teachers or administrators have watched too much UFC and feel everyone that trains martial arts is going to bloody the hell out of their opponent.
I think the suspension is just a 'no tolerance' rule. I remember back in my high school days when some friends would get suspended for defending themselves in fights. I also remember when one friend was pepper sprayed by an undercover cop on campus and almost suspended just because he walked out of the classroom at the wrong time. There happened to be a fight going on outside (which he did not know about), and when he opened the door and took a step out, the cop sprayed everyone in the area including him. It took several of the students and the teacher from the class to convince the cop that my friend had nothing to do with the fight and had just left class.
Thanks for the info on the high school. I will take a drive out that way in the next week or so to check out the traffic and also call the school about class sizes, etc.
