Magnets revisited

And so, the decision about the right magnet school for Caedyn comes down to two options this week - Science/Pre-engineering and International Baccalaureate. Now, to be fair, we have yet to go to the Science/Pre-engineering school's open house presentation which is tomorrow night, but...well...you'll see.

It really comes down to what each program has to offer its students, so a list of pros and cons might help.

Science/Pre-engineering
Pros
-A lot of hands-on stuff here that I can see really appealing to Caedyn and his particular learning process.
-Two hours of Science each day
-High school credits for completing the program
-National Lego Robotics Competition (this rates high with Caedyn)
-They get to construct rockets and build a model roller coaster
Cons
-Outside of the two hours of Science, students are in classes with the rest of the school population, and Caedyn already has problems with bullies and teasing. (No one likes the smart kids. I don't get that.)
-School itself is in Hollywood, and research so far tells me that it's difficult to get the teachers to work with parents. I like accessible teachers and administration.

Okay, not a lot of cons, but significant ones. On to option 2...

International Baccalaureate
Pros
-A five year full curriculum of classes with other IB students. In fact, IB students make up about 20% of their relatively small student population. (They only have around 1000 students.)
-Early high school credits (I lost count during my internal "ooh"s and "aah"s when they said they'd be taking high school Algebra and Geometry.)
-Teaching is NOT tailored to the FCATs! (Everyone else does this. For half the school year, ALL Florida schools teach to the damn FCATs, because it's so important to funding that students score highly. The statement here was that the program is advanced enough that the students have no problems with the state tests at all and naturally score well.)
-The program itself is rigorous, challenging, and set up to create continuous success beyond the classroom. Not only do they teach each subject, but they teach how concepts relate to other subjects, each teacher intertwining their curriculums with the others in the program.
-Students learn how to study, how to organize, how to evaluate their work, and how to research.
-National Lego Robotics Competition (Woot!)
-Rockets!
-Teachers with email addresses that they actually answer
-After this program, there is a two year graduate program that -will- result in a state funded 4-year scholarship. Most IB students have so many college credits by the time they graduate that they begin college as a sophomore.
-Kids who got letters (like Caedyn) got them because they already meet the higher qualifications needed to get into the program.
-While there is a security department, security itself is kept low-key. Students are not allowed to roam the halls during class time without an adult escort.
Cons
-I know Caedyn says he's bored in school now, but this seems like a LOT of work. I don't want him to feel pressured or overwhelmed.
-The principal's voice is like nails on chalkboard to me. Seriously. It's like my kryptonite - a loud, pushy, thick voice. Not sure how to describe it, but our one-time building manager had the same voice, and I HATED it. Liked her. Hated when she spoke.
-No one said the word "fun". And yeah, that matters.

Okay, yeah. I want the IB school. It seems like Caedyn wants to go, but that may just be because they took him and the other kids into the classrooms to do an art project while we parents sat through the boring pitch. (They also gave him a highlighter and a magnet, and yes, bribery works on him. :P )

The truth is that this program stands out. It's gonna be a lot of work, but in the end, it's better than what we could have hoped for in a gifted program or private school. They talked about finding teachers to train who understood that these kids think a little differently than most and that click with that curious, investigative mind that wants to keep going. They talked about connecting one subject to another and community service projects and well-rounded curriculums. By the time he graduates high school, he's required to be fluent in at least one more language. (They'd like to teach him two more!)

So...wish me luck. We're going to meet with the program coordinator for a walk-through. I just hope I ask the right questions.