Educating Her Child Here in The U.S.

[al-c]

Here is an issue that concerns me:  Her child adapting to U.S. public school.

I am still in the correspondence stage, so we are a long way off from her presence here, but she tells me that her son, age 13, is studying physics, which means he must have some knowledge of trigonometry as well.  Heck, I didn't study these things until I was 16, and I was in all honors classes!

My concern about all of this is that if he goes from trig and physics to age appropriate public school here, he might be bored out of his mind studying earth science and multiplication of fractions compared to what he is accustomed to now.

What has been the experience of guys whose RW is already here with the reaction of her child to the U.S. public schools?

Also what type of social problems might the child encounter in U.S. public schools?  I went to public school, and my high school had at least one kid in every class dealing acid (I got my diploma in 1975).  Will the child have to deal with a big social adjustment?

 

[Vaughn]

al-c,

  Not only trig, but probably differential + integral calculus as well. My daughter was not sufficiently challenged here, was bored the first 1 1/2 years with redundant math and science. I looked over her homework in Russia (she was 12) to find she was handling solid geometry. English, history and a pre-med program however, keeps her very very busy. Your future son may well be fortunate in the New York public school system, which is governed by the NY State Board of Regents. Insist that he be admitted to the Regents Honors Program by virtue of his transcript, language barrier aside. At his age, he'll be up to snuff in no time. Down here, our daughter was placed virtually by her age, good news for her socially I suppose,
but I question the value of her American 8th and 9th grade experience.

[Elen]

Where is Clyde with his 14 years old "truble maker"?

[Oosik]

Don't stiff the kid with an ordinary public school education if you help it. See if there is a charter or gifted school, or spend the money on private school. Particularly if you live in an urbanized area. It will be hard enough for the kid to deal with the language, why add dumbing-down and possible racial strife to the mix. KNOW YOUR SCHOOL and be prepared to do whatever you must, or don't get with her.

This coming from a 2nd year public school teacher who believes in homeschooling even more!!

[al-c]

Actually the public school district I am in is very highly rated, so much so that people on the borders of the district try to stretch geography to get their kids into this district.

I chose to live in this district for that specific reason, looking at the big picture with an eventual Russian wife and her child.

Private schools here are mostly Catholic parochial schools, where many teachers are grossly unqualified; besides I have issues with the Catholic church that I will not get into here.

 
I have good experience at being hands on with education, having already raised an ADD child, so I know pretty much where the buttons are to get what I want done.

 

[ConnerVT]

My experience is similar to al-c.  I purchased our current home with the choice of school district being high on the list of desirable characteristics.  My son's elementary school has small class sizes, as well as a full time ESL professional.

[David1963]

 

My wifes daughter is 11yo and was in the 7th grade in Ukraine.  She came here and they placed her based on age only, 6th grade.  This isn't bad, she was ahead in math so most of it was a repeat but there was still new material.  She had basicly no English skills so she was put in the ESL program.  She is now at about a 2nd grade English level adn gets C's on a regular 6th grade spelling test.

The public schools are better equipt for non-Englsih speakers, I also have a son in a Catholic school. 

I would not worry so much about the public school.  He will loose a bit of knowledge the first year due to repeating some of the math, even in a gifted program but all else will be new to him and he will be behind on many things, so having less stress in math might be good for the first year.

After the first year you can re-evaluate the situation and see where he might go.

David

 

[rkn777]

I took my three kids out of private school becasue the public school offered more.  I think the reality is that an advanced kid in any public school (with the right amount of parental involvement and pressure) will be given the opportunities they need.   I do a lot of cunsulting for school districts on mental health issues, working with school counselors.   It realy seems the brightest student in public school and the dummest are the ones who get the accomadations.   It is the average student who gets lost in the cracks at the public school.

Richard