Lingua Translations

Take a moment to consider how special elementary school was to your early years and you will realize nearby schools should be a contributing factor in your home buying decision.

Along these same lines having children is an incredible responsibility. No one knows this more than you and we all agree on the importance of a quality education. So, if you want to buy a home and you have children, you most likely are concerned with schools.

And even without children, buying a house in a school district known for providing quality education can make a difference in your home’s perceived value.

How does someone go about finding the best options in schools?

At this point some people will tell you to ask your real estate agent. Even though I was a real estate broker and sales person I wouldn’t recommend it. Why? Real estate agents know they can’t possibly keep up to date with every last detail about local schools. They are licensed to sell you a house. Selling homes is their expertise. For determining the quality of schools, it is important to do your own research.

Fortunately, there is a lot more public information available than 20 years ago or even 10 years ago. But before you start looking, determine your priorities and preferences first.

Here are some questions to ponder. How important is it to be close to your child’s school? This can vary greatly depending your family dynamics.

Is your child going to attend public school or do you intend to send them to a private or religious school?

2 years, 3 years, 6, 8, 12, 15, never, when do we start the process of introducing children to computers? Educators, parents, even gray-haired and learned professors cannot agree. The second question that then arises is whether computer based content positively or negatively affects the learning process. I can hear the screams of protest and support in full interactive, multi-media, broadband enhanced detail even as I write. Meanwhile millions of dollars are being spent to bring computers and the Internet to elementary schools around the globe. The only area all agree on, well maybe, is that all students should be taught how to use computers and the Internet eventually. As all will need an understanding of technology to enjoy the products of technology and in many cases within the future work environment. In this article I will try to summarize some of the arguments for and against technology in early education and finally to make a synopsis of how I believe we should address this vital issue. Firstly lets take a look at the arguments for early introduction.

Pros
Future Needs: The use of computers and an understanding of how to use the Internet are already critical to modern society today in manifest directions. These include, the work environment, information gathering for work orpleasure, shopping, communications etc. and if true today, how much moretomorrow. The Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment predicts thatthe computer industry will continue to show the greatest growth of any industry in the USA. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than half of all workers used a computer on the job in September 2001. And nearly three-fourths of those workers connected to the Internet or used e-mail.

Canadian prep schools offer high school students a unique experience. Approximately six percent of all students in Canada attend prep school. In prep school, your child will get exposure to a wide variety of programs designed to make him or her a well rounded person. Prep schools traditionally have a strong academic and athletic focus, as well as providing opportunities for cultural and leadership activities. If you are considering prep school for your child, you should carefully evaluate the pros and cons of your decision.

Private School Advantages

Academics – Private schools are sought out by parents because of their rigorous academic programs. Statistically speaking, more students from prep schools attend college and earn high marks on their college entrance exams than those from private school. There are a wide range of choices including International and French Baccalaureates, Advanced Placement and British O and A levels. There are traditional British style prep schools, Christian schools, Montessori schools and Waldorf schools, as well as liberal education schools with specific educational philosophies.

Athletics – Most prep schools require participation on an athletic team in order to attend the school. Prep schools give a lot of support to their athletic teams and they often have a wider variety of sports than public schools, like diving or golf.

Language development – Most Canadian prep schools offer extensive training in English, French and other languages. Some require that students be proficient in at least two languages in order to graduate. The language training at prep school goes above and beyond what is experienced at public schools.

The largest high schools in California are mostly located in Los Angeles.

California has a total number of 13,014 schools and out of this there are 2079 high schools.
1. Belmont Senior High School is the largest high school in California due to the heavy population of Westlake district. It has total enrollees of 5,336 in 2006. It is located in downtown Los Angeles and caters to students from grades 9 to 12. It was established in September 11, 1923 and is now led by Gary Yoshinobu as their District Principal. Team members represent the school as Sentinels. Heavy enrollment will soon be distributed to another center, the Belmont Learning Center now known as Vista Hermosa Learning Center.

2. Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School is the second largest school in California with a total number of 5,126 students and 220 full time teachers. A regular school that belongs to the Los Angeles unified district, which caters to grades 9-12 and a teacher student ratio of 1:23. Ethnicity is composed of Asians, American Indians, Non-Hispanics, Hispanics, and the Whites. As of date, the school is populated the most with Hispanics.

3. Long Beach Polytechnic High School is the third largest school in California. It is located in Long Beach. It accommodates high school students from not only Long Beach but also Bixby Knolls, Signal Hill and Lakewood. It was founded in 1895 and was formerly known as Long Beach High School and now more popularly known as Poly it belongs to the Long Beach Unified District. It is populated with more than 5000 students. This school is not only geared towards the academics but also in athletics because of which Sports Illustrated Magazine named it as “Sports School of the Century” in 2005. It has also won multiple Grammy awards for its music program. Famous alumni include Snoop Dogg, Tony Gwynn, Billie Jean King, and Cameron Diaz.

A civilized student revolution is the place to start.  

As the quality of our public schools and Universities plunge, the academic morons chant endlessly the three big lies; that the problem is the government doesn’t provide enough money, classes are too large and, of course, the really big problem is the parents! They say if lazy parents would just teach their unruly children a little respect and discipline they would behave in school – riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

 Most of you will probably agree that you can get away with a lot more at school than you can at home. If the blame can be laid at the feet of the parents it is only because they have allowed the schools to usurp their parental responsibility. Mychal Massie agreed that parents need to step up and take a larger role in managing their children’s education when he said, “Not every public school is bad, and not every private school is good. I agree that, thanks to Jimmy Carter’s creation of the Department of Education, we now have commissioned centers of agitprop, i.e., government schools that have taught state-sponsored liberalism and misinformation for nearly four decades. I still argue that this only takes place because parents have abdicated their responsibility for the education of their children.” Amen.

The Principal’s Role in Rural Schools

“Leadership is influence…[and] the ability to obtain followers.” (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006, p. 569)

Principals of rural schools spend a large percentage of their time teaching cross-age, multi-grade students (Starr & White, 2008). As recent legislation and litigation continue to place more responsibility on the principal, site level responsibilities challenge the constant, increasing role of the administrator (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006).

Most principals in rural schools get little in the way of administrative support, ancillary personnel, and ground staff (Starr & White, 2008). While principals in larger schools are able to delegate and share in management tasks, this is not a luxury afforded to their small rural counterparts (Starr & White, 2008). Regardless of the size of the school, principals still have a moral obligation to comply with federal and state standards. The ethical behavior of educators, write Rude & Whetstone (2008), is a driving force that ensures balance.

Statement of the Problem

A rural school district is classified as such in that all of the schools in that particular district are located in counties with a population density of fewer than 10 persons per square mile and was identified as rural by a governmental agency (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006). Due in large part to declining enrollment, loss of resources, and loss of population, most school districts across America, rural schools and district are confronted and faced with continuous challenges (Patterson et al.., 2005). Additional barriers involve resistance to change, economic challenges, and geographic challenges (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006).