What has your experience of public high school been like?

Question

My dd is probably going to high school for grade 10 in the fall. She's been homeschooled up to this point. When we tell people she's considering public school, we get negative reactions, surprisingly. Some of these people were a little leery when we announced we were homeschooling a few years ago. Now they're warning us about gang fights, bullying, etc. etc. , especially about the school that our dd will probably go to. I realize school is different now than it was 20-30 years ago but is it really that bad? I admit I was a little nervous about the possibility of our daughter going to high school but after touring it and meeting with the vice principal and a counsellor, we felt quite good about it. But I still would like some responses from people who have "been there, done that". Also, was it hard to adjust to a routine, going to different classes, having homework at night, that kind of thing. TIA.

Answer 1

actually, i am still in high school (sophomore year), so i hope you enjoy some insight on what it is like now.

well, in reality, im lucky to go to the school i go to now.

academically, my school offers diverse classes and programs, from the "academy program" to get kids back on track, to the "AP program" to challenge high achieving students, even the "ROP program" to prepare you for an occupation youre considering. there's pretty much a class for everyone.

socially, yes there are still gangsters and/or pretenders, bullies, and the guy-who-acts-stupid-for-attention, but overall, my school is pretty good socially. there are cliques, but they get along pretty well. there are even people like me who belong in almost every clique at school. the peopel are actually tolerating and nice towards each other. we also rarely get any type of fights on campus.

as for adjusting to high school, yes it was hard, but hey, change always is. now, im used to it. the same should go for your dd (i still have no idea what that is >_<) going to different classes, its not really that big of a deal. you just have five minutes to walk from 1st period to 2nd. thats a lot of time by the way, so she shouldnt have to worry about being late.

homework, well, it depends on what kind of classes she takes. being an honors student, i get around 3-4 hours a night. you get used to it though. however, take it from a guy who has an attention span of 3 seconds. make sure your daughter stays OFFLINE and away from the tv when shes doing homework, or else those 3-4 hours can easily stretch to 9-10

you might also want to ask for some student's opinions about the school she's going to too. dont ask for the administrations, cause theyre basically advertising their school to you, only showing you the good things. parents, well, they dont go to the school, so their opinions are based on barely any facts at all. get your advice from the students; theyre the ones that go there everyday.

hope everything goes well for you, and if you have any other questions, feel free to message me.

Answer 2

It's really, really, really going to depend on the school. I live in a city nearing 1 million people. If my kids were to go to high school at this point, there are a few high schools off the top of my head that I would absolutely NOT let them go to. It really is that bad at those schools. There are a few other schools, however, that have wonderful reputations. I actually chatted with a high school girl who had previously been homeschooled and she went to one of the schools with a wonderful reputation. She was loving it. A school very focused on having the older kids help the newcomers out, great teachers and support system, lots of activities geared to help kids transition into high school... She said there was an adjustment to having to do homework at night and stuff like that, but it wasn't really that big of a deal. Any change requires an adjustment, right? And each person is going to deal with change differently.

Here's the thing: if this is what you have planned and you feel good about the school and your daughter wants to go, then go for it. What's the worst that can happen (in all likelihood)? You end up pulling her out and homeschooling. You've btdt, so it won't be that big of a deal if it ever comes to that.

Answer 3

go with your instincts.
How your dd will do depends on her. People that make this decision, especially after devoting so much time to home education do not do so randomly. There is a reason, and if that reason is she wants to (it totally happens) then she will be fine.
Are the schools rough? yes, they are. but are they all bad all the time? no, they are not.
One suggestion, if she is going in next year, and you have everything taken care of, ask if she can audit some classes toward the end of this year. A lot of campuses will do that.
She would basically go ahead and enroll, sit in the classes, do the work, but not get credit for it.
This would give your dd a chance to get the hang of things, get her feet under her and make some friends in a bit of a more relaxed atmosphere. It will make a huge difference.
you will find good and bad, but just encourage your daughter to be herself, be open and friendly, and she will make friends.
Does she know anyone at the school already? Even just one person will make a difference. That person can introduce her to other students, show her how things are done, so on and so forth.
The beauty of homeschooling is it produces children that know how to think for themselves. I live down the street from our local highschool, so I see students walking to and from school. I also have to drive by the school to get practically anywhere so I see all the students hanging out before and after school. I also work with Jr. high and Sr. high students at our church. Ya know, the ones you want to avoid are not hidden. They pretty much advertise who they are and what they are about. Your daughter will be able to tell who to avoid.
Stay involved and she will be just fine.

Answer 4

Probably the transition from home schooling to public school is just like any other big change in life; it will take some getting used to.
There are probably more opportunities for students in public school than home school, and more chances to make friends.
There is some scary stuff going on in high schools, but it's no different than what's going on in the world and in a lot of colleges, too. If you have taught your daughter to stay away from negative stuff and work hard to get good grades, and you keep up with her social schedule, she'll be fine.
I am still loving my experience at public school, and though it's true that my public school is pretty small, I have avoided any trouble in my four years here by staying focused on my goals.

Answer 5

It's been a while since I graduated, but even back then (1992) it was bad. More so than the gangs and bullying though, is just the lack of care by peers. It seemed like most kids were more interested in boys/girls, their clothes and hair, and their social life in general. I was taught that school was about learning, the lack of care drove me nuts. We must have had problems too though, because we had police officers patrolling the school all day long. Another point to consider is where you live. Some areas are probably in better shape than others. I won't put my kids in public schools unless they beg. There is a time and a place for socialising and dating...and, I know I'm a minority for thinking this....but high school isn't that place. You're in a tough spot....good luck to you.

Answer 6

As a parent you need to go see the school you are planning to send your daughter to. The movies and the media make high schools out to be horrible places. Most are pretty much the same as when we were kids. I went to public high school and I teach in public high school , in an urban district. The major problems revolve around boyfriend, girlfriend stuff, just like when I was that age. Yes there are gangs, but we had cliques. Yes, we have kids who smoke and do drugs, but when i was in high school we did then too. There are cheerleaders and jocks, geeks and gearheads, a few loners and outcasts, brains, ditzes, and basically a little bit of everything you see in society. Being exposed to diversity is important. If your daughter is planning on college she needs to learn how to function in a large group of diverse people. Of course she needs to be safe. Check the schools records which are public.

Answer 7

Well, my public school was very small, so it wasn't as bad as most. Even with its small size, however, there were plenty of bad seeds. So many of them dropped out, got pregnant, were involved in drugs, were racist, and I could go on and on. The bigger schools are much worse. My experience wasn't too bad. I was homeschooled after two years of public high school (11 years public school total) because we moved to a school district that was horrible when my mom went to it years ago.

Answer 8

i would think that the transition would be hard at first, but you'll come in to contact with that kind of stuff at some point. i loved high school and made lots of friends and felt close to the school and was a part of it, its good to get involved in something so that you have a close network of people to get used to and be involved.

Answer 9

my high school experience so far (i am in 9th grade) has been horrible,im going to be homeschooled next year.

be prepared for lotsss of drugs, sex, and alcohol.

Answer 10

horrible