Mandarin Schools

August 21st, 2008 |

Let me tell you upfront I have never been impressed by the Duval County School System. I was born and raised here and went to schools here as have my mom, dad, half of my grandparents and all of my children. As with almost all school systems throughout our country there are problems with over-crowding, under-budgeting, cutting of extra-curricular activities and shortages of qualified teachers. Granted there are limited resources to go around but my goodness can’t we figure out how to get our children educated in more that taking the FCATs. That is all that the schools have been concentrating on for the last 7 or 8 years. They have cut off funding and canceled extra courses that round out our children’s education. It really doesn’t matter which middle school or high school you put your child in or what Magnet Program they join. Most of our children are way behind any other country in the World. I don’t know what the solution to the problems is but we need to do something to help our children and our grandchildren before it is too late.

In the Mandarin area (that is zip codes 32217, 32223, 32257, 32258 and 32259) there are numerous elementary schools, a couple of middle schools and probably only 2 high schools. I don’t know the exact number of private schools but I have only seen maybe 3 or 4 of those in this area. Mandarin High School is a zoo of over 3000 students all crammed together trying to get through. My two oldest kids didn’t make it through and finally just gave up and took the GED. My younger son is going through that now. I have taken my last child out of the public school system and am trying to homeschool her. We are using a free resource call the Florida Virtual School that has the curriculum for 6th through 12th graders online with teachers from all over the state teaching the classes. From the enrollment logs on my daughters listing the class size is a little smaller and she can go at her own pace. All the information and tests are online. The teachers require that the parent and student call them about once a month and a progress report is posted every couple of weeks. As a parent or guardian you can check their gradebook every day at almost anytime of the day or night. The only problem we have so far is keeping her on track and turning work in every week. She gets ahead in the posted pace chart and figures she can take the rest of the week off. But the teachers require that the students turn work in every week even though they are ahead.

We hope that this will give her an opportunity to progress and actually learn something. She still has to take the FCAT every year and keep a copy of her work for inspection by the Home School People at the Duval County School Board. She will not get a Duval County Diploma but we will worry about that in the future. By the time she actually gets into 12th grade they may recognize the Florida Virtual School as a viable entity and grant their students a Florida High School Diploma. They do have graduation ceremonies but I think they are in Orlando.

I cannot advise on where to place your child or even really advocate homeschooling I only know that something needs to change and we need to change it very soon!

Click here to go to a Mandarin Schools Page.